The present invention relates to a subassembly for a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus, an assembly for a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus, and a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus.
In refrigerating apparatuses in which the refrigeration unit, fan and condenser are arranged in the device base, a so-called subassembly is usually formed that is then screwed into the apparatus housing or the body that is already foam-filled. This is relatively complex because the relatively heavy subassembly must be screwed into the apparatus housing which is already foam-filled.
A further disadvantage is that this device has a so-called horizontal air flow, i.e., in these devices, there is an abrupt change in the air flow direction caused partially by a baffle plate that causes a forced deflection of the inflowing air in the vertical direction. This causes an uneven flow through the condenser and an uneven cool air load on the compressor. Furthermore, flow losses are caused by the fact that an unguided deflection of up to 180° occurs from the fan through the condenser past the compressor and to the front-side air outlet. The heat exchange is thus rather ineffective.
A refrigerating apparatus is known from DE 297 01 474 U1 consisting of a device base with a broad air inlet channel and a broad air outlet channel arranged parallel thereto. On the air inlet side, the inflowing air is, however, deflected in a Z shape, i.e., the air in a first horizontal level flows in through the front panel, is then abruptly deflected over a deflection wall into a second horizontal level and then fed through the device base on this second horizontal level. The air outlet from the device base also occurs after a Z-shaped deflection so that this device base has a horizontal air flow which is, as previously indicated above, disadvantageous due to flow losses.
EP 0 650 680 B1 discloses a base for a built-in refrigerating apparatus which is placed on mounting rails with leveling feet and is arranged in a furniture niche. This base is formed like a tray and does not have a separate air flow so that the front-side inflowing air for refrigerating purposes is also swirled when flowing through the base and thus high flow losses are created.
A device base with cool air flow-through is also known from DE 44 45 286 A1 that guides the air through the base labyrinth-style. Substantial flow losses are also caused by these multiple deflections, which losses generally must be compensated for by increased fan rotation.
A device base is known from EP 0 444 461 A2 in which the air is guided from one side of the base through an inlet channel into the machinery compartment, then without further guidance, the air flows through the machinery compartment with a bend of 90° and then leaves the device base through the air outlet channel with a bend of another 90°.
WO 2009/012121 A2 shows a separator for a base plate of a refrigerating apparatus through which the plug flow of the air through the device base is supposed to be prevented. The separator is used here on the front side in the fins of the base panel.
The present invention thus relates to improving a subassembly of the type stated at the beginning in an advantageous manner, particularly in that the subassembly will be easy to build, will provide improved flow guidance and will preferably be easy to assemble.
This task is solved according to the invention by a subassembly with the characteristics of claim 1. It provides for a subassembly for a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus consisting of at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, wherein at least one air guidance device is provided in the subassembly through which air can be guided into the subassembly by the air inlet to the air outlet, and wherein the air guidance device consists of at least one direction changing device to deflect the air fed into the air guidance device without an abrupt change in direction and/or fanning out of said air. This results in the advantage of being able to create a particularly simple and simultaneously low-turbulence air guidance device in a subassembly. Furthermore, simple installation is possible. The direction changing device can be placed in and/or at the air guidance device. It is possible that the air changing device might be a part of the air guidance device.
Moreover, it is possible that the direction changing device is placed downstream from the air inlet and/or upstream from the air outlet in the air guidance device, and/or that the direction changing device is designed as a control vane. It is particularly advantageous when the control vane rises to the height of the inlet or the outlet, and particularly to the height of one of the front panels covering the inlet and/or outlet. With the control vanes, the air flow can be adjusted such that, for example, the heat exchanger placed in the subassembly, particularly the condenser, experiences a uniform load with the air refrigerating medium over the full area.
By narrowing the spaces between the control vanes to the outlet, an increase in the air flow velocity is achieved, resulting in an air flow that is blown out into the free area, e.g., before the refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus. This substantially reduces the risk that aspirated air on the inlet side might mix with the heated air from the outlet side. At the same time, the control vanes advantageously cause an increase in the stability of the subassembly.
Furthermore, it is possible that by means of the air guidance device arranged essentially in a horizontal plane in the subassembly air can be guided into the subassembly without an abrupt change in direction from the air inlet to the air outlet, where the deviation from the horizontal plane is not more than ±30°; not more than ±15° is particularly preferred. It is particularly advantageously when the air is guided without abrupt change in direction into or through the subassembly. The flow losses can thus be kept low. A deviation in the air guidance from the horizontal plane can also consist in an expansion of the air flow. It is possible that the air guidance device has a first horizontal wall, such as a ceiling or floor, and a second wall running at an angle thereto, or a ceiling or a floor that encloses an angle of not more than ±30° with the horizontal plane, and preferably not more than ±15°.
It is further possible that the air guidance device is arranged at least partially at the edge in the subassembly and/or that the subassembly has a recess for acceptance and/or fastening of the inner receptacle of the refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus, where the recess is preferably arranged in the middle or center and/or that the recess is shaped like a tray on the upper side of the subassembly. For example, the air guidance device can be arranged in the side area of the subassembly, on the edge, where the middle area of the subassembly can remain free or be otherwise used. Moreover, this results in the advantage that with the respective arrangement on the edge of the parts of the air guidance device in the side area of the assembly connecting to the air inlet and air outlet, the inflowing and outflowing air flow can enter or exit on the front side with a maximum distance between them. Simple assembling of the subassembly with the inner receptacle becomes possible through the recess for accepting and/or fastening the inner receptacle of the refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus. Because the recess can be used as an adhesive surface that grips a portion of the inner receptacle and by filling with thermal insulating material, the insulating foam is preferably adhered to the inner receptacle. The screwing of the subassembly into the device housing previously foam-filled can thus be done away with, and the assembling of the subassembly with the inner receptacle and the outside wall is made simple by the foaming which must be undertaken in any event. The tray-like formation of the recess, among other things, has the advantage of being able to use the inner receptacle in the recess, possibly with spacers for positioning in preparation for assembly. Foam is injected advantageously into the area between the recess and the inner receptacle, which is preferably in a form adapted to the form of the recess, so that the subassembly and inner receptacle can be connected together.
Provision can be made for the air guidance device to expand into an accommodating space for at least one compressor, at least one fan and at least one condenser, where fasteners, particularly fasteners for the compressor, fan and condenser, are provided, where the fasteners for the condenser, fan and compressor are preferably arranged one after the other in the direction of the flow. The accommodating space can further advantageously consist of air guidance walls that surround the components of the cooling circuit of the refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus in the accommodating space.
It is also possible for the direction changing component to be arranged downstream from the compressor and/or upstream from the condenser in the air guidance device.
It can be advantageously provided for the air guidance device to extend starting laterally from the air inlet past the recess over the accommodating space located in the back area of the subassembly, again laterally past the recess to the air outlet.
It is also possible for the air guidance device to be formed in the shape of a channel and/or for the air guidance device to have a round, oval or rectangular cross-section, at least in parts, where the oval or rectangular cross-section of the air guidance device is preferably constructed vertically. The vertical construction of the oval or rectangular cross-section is preferably achieved by the height of the air guidance device being greater at this location than the width.
It is an advantage for the subassembly group to be a device base and/or an injection-molded part. Simple and inexpensive production is enabled by the injection molding process. An impact-resistant plastic is preferably used here.
Provision can further be made to provide a condensation water catch tray or an evaporation tray, where the condensation water catch tray or the evaporation tray is arranged in the front area of the subassembly and/or in an area of the subassembly accessible from the front. This results in the advantage that the condensation water catch tray or the evaporation tray is easy to remove and can be emptied. After emptying, it can be re-inserted easily into the subassembly. This is particularly advantageous for health reasons since leaving liquid in the condensation water catch tray or the evaporation tray can thus be avoided.
For example, the condensation water catch tray or the evaporation tray is integrated into the side covering of the subassembly and can be removed and reinserted laterally. Lateral removal for cleaning purposes thus becomes advantageous and simple.
Provision can be made for the subassembly to be built such that the minimum of one condenser can be inserted into the front side. This results in the advantage of being able to create an inexpensive assembly for the condenser since inserting a condenser template through the air inlet or the air outlet in the air guidance channels or the side air guidance channels of the subassembly and assembling it there, e.g., with a positive connection by means of locking will suffice.
Moreover, the invention relates to a subassembly with the characteristics of claim 12. According to this claim, provision is made for the subassembly of a refrigerating and/or freezing device to have at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, where at least one air guidance device is provided in the subassembly, by means of which air can be guided in the subassembly from the air inlet to the air outlet, where at least one filter component on the inlet or outlet side of the subassembly is arranged such that the inflowing and/or outflowing air can be filtered through the filter component.
The filter component can advantageously be produced with the device floor so that inexpensive production is possible. It is also possible for the filter component to contain a screen. This screen is advantageously designed and arranged such that it is easy for the end customer to clean it. This can be realized particularly through the fact that the screen is located in the front easily accessible area of the subassembly.
It is advantageously possible for the subassembly to also have the characteristic features of claims 1 through 11.
Moreover, the invention relates to an assembly with the characteristics of claim 14. According to this claim, provision is made for an assembly of at least one subassembly for a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus to consist of at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, at least one front panel and at least one air separator, by means of which plug flow between the air inlet and the air outlet can be prevented, where the air separator is formed such that it closes the gap between the subassembly and front panel, where it preferably involves a subassembly according to one of claims 1 through 13.
Particularly in the case of integratable subassemblies, a front panel, also known as a base cover, is generally attached to the front of the device and covers the inlet and outlet openings with diagonal fins. This panel is generally designed to be adjustable in depth, approximately in an adjustment range of up to approximately 55 mm so that it can be adjusted to the base depths of the various kitchen manufacturers. To prevent the warm air exiting from the base on the outlet side from being sucked directly into the inlet side again, air separation is advantageously created by the air separator.
Furthermore, provision can be made to build the air separator in an elastic, pivotable, telescope-like form and/or at least in part as a molded form part.
It is possible for the separator to be a molded foam part that is elastically compressible so that the gap between the subassembly and the front panel can be closed merely by using the air separator without requiring an adjustment, and the air inlet and air outlet are separated from each other with certainty. This also enables an inexpensive mass production solution since a simple cut can be made from profiles or panel material. There is also the advantage that no assembly costs are incurred since the air separator can be used by customers without further ado during the assembling of the apparatus.
Alternatively, it is possible for the air separator to be built as a 2-fold or 3-fold telescoping component so that the gap between the subassembly and the front panel can be closed. It is possible for a spring to be provided that tensions the telescope-like air separator in the gap against the subassembly and front panel and thus holds the gap securely closed and separates the air inlet from the air outlet.
Alternatively, it is also possible for the air separator to be built as a pivoting flap. Here, for example, it is possible that the pivoting flap is linked via a hinge in a pivotable manner to the subassembly and pressed against the front panel by means of a hold-down spring. The gap adjustment or front panel positioning can also be very simply guaranteed with simultaneously assured air separation from the inlet and outlet.
It is also possible for the front panel to have one or more air slots and an interference contour, where the interference contour lifts the front panel, at least in the assembled state, outward over the air slot(s). The interference contour also facilitates assurance of forced ventilation with the coverage of the front panel by a decorative plate since the decorative plate is necessarily distanced from the front panel. Thus, the ventilation is guaranteed with at least the air volume, e.g., of the adjacent base cabinets.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus with the characteristics of claim 17. According to this claim, provision is made for a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus to have at least one subassembly according to one of claims 1 through 13 and/or an assembly according to one of claims 14 through 16.
The further details and advantages of the invention are explained in greater detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawing.
The figures show:
Without being shown in greater detail in
The pallet-like device base 10 has a tray-like recess 20 on its top side that is provided for acceptance of the inner receptacle of the refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus.
The air inlet for air L, whose direction of flow through the device base 10 is indicated by means of the corresponding arrow, takes place through the front-side part 12 or air inlet 12 of the air guidance device which is expanded at this location. In the side partial view 14 of the air guidance device or the air guidance channel, the air guidance device or the air guidance channel narrows in width, but expands slightly in height since the floor 15 of the side partial section 14 drops away down-ward slightly diagonally.
The air L is thus discharged from air inlet 12 essentially horizontally and without an abrupt change in direction from the vertical, is guided through the side partial section 14 of the air guidance channel to the machinery compartment 16 which is formed by the expansion of the air guidance channel in the rear portion of the device base 10.
After the air flows through the machinery compartment 16, the heated air L exits there in the side partial section 18 of the air guidance channel located in the other side, so that the air is guided past recess 20 to the air outlet 19, not seen in
The installation shown in
To separate the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 19 from each other, i.e., particularly to avoid plug flow, an air separator 30 is provided. The air separator 30 can be formed by the corresponding bosses 44 in the front panel 40, which bosses penetrate into a corresponding recess 22 in the device base 10. Alternatively or simultaneously, provision can be made for the air separator to contain an injection molded part 32 that is placed between the bosses 44 and the recess 22 and held there tightly.
In the machinery compartment 16, a fastening device 17 is also provided for the compressor 70 (see
Cold ambient air L enters through oblique fins in the front panel 40 into the air inlet 12 of the device base 10 and then flows through the side channel 14, which has essentially a rectangular cross-section with a vertical orientation, i.e., it is higher than wide. Due to the slanted floor wall 15 (see
The air L is guided through channel 14 to the spiral condenser 50 and cools it. To enable an optimal flow around the condenser 50, bent air guidance walls 52 are provided in machinery compartment 16 that surround the vertical spirals of the condenser 50.
Downstream from the condenser 50, a fan 60 is provided that allows the air L to circulate through the device base 10. The fan 60 further loads the compressor 70 with the air L fed past the condenser 50 so that the optimal heat removal from compressor 70 can also be achieved. After the compressor 70, the air L enters into side channel 18 which is installed similarly to side channel 14, and is in particular formed symmetrically to the latter. The air L is fed through the air outlet 19 through side channel 18 and exits there through the fins of the front panel 40.
Based on the vertical orientation of side channels 14 and 18, the actual air flow essentially succeeds in taking place at the exterior part of air inlet 12, while the outflow of the air L heated in the device base 10 takes place at the exterior part of the air outlet 19. The inflowing cold air flow L and the outflowing warm air flow L are thus distanced from each other maximally.
Moreover, the air flow is fed essentially on a horizontal plane, whereby flow losses can be avoided. The air inlet and air outlet and air guidance in the device base 10 run horizontally on the same plane, where the expansion in side channels 14 and 18 is omitted in this view. Thus, according to the invention, there is no deflection of the air flow from the vertical, which is why the flow resistances remain low. This enables the fan 60 to run at comparatively low speeds so that the noise level in operation can be reduced.
Here, the inner receptacle that has a shape corresponding to the recess 20 is inserted into the recess 20 so that a uniform gap is created on all sides in the recess 20, which gap is intended for foam expansion. This gap is approximately 2 cm and is advantageously adjusted by the corresponding spacers.
After pre-positioning the device base 10 and the inner receptacle, the exterior walls of the refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus are positioned on the device base 10 and the inner receptacle. Then the corresponding gaps between the device base 10, the inner receptacle and the exterior walls is back-foamed, i.e., filled with foam. The device base 10, the inner receptacle and the exterior walls are already connected together merely with this so-called back-foaming. This method of assembly thus facilitates a significantly easier and quicker assembly of the refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus so that the previously common screwing of the heavy subassembly consisting of the base and the components of the cooling circuit located in the base to the body consisting of the previously back-foamed exterior walls and the inner receptacle can be replaced by the back-foaming, which is required in any event.
The control vanes 100 also advantageously cause an increase in the stability of the subassembly 10, since with the back-foaming with the device, e.g., the back-foaming with PUR foam, the plastic walls of the device base 10, which walls here are also the walls of the recess 20, are not deformed. It is thus advantageous for the vane area not to have to be supported on a foam form and for the foam form to be able to be created simply and accordingly in the area. Depending on the heat exchanger 50 used or the condenser 50 and the fan type, it may be necessary to change the vanes 100 so that, for example, the flow velocity in the heat exchanger 50 or the condenser 50 can be varied. A simple adjustment can be made by a change in the geometry of the vanes 100, for example, simply by providing one or more adapters for this area in the injection molding tool.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
102009039907.0 | Sep 2009 | DE | national |
102009056424.1 | Dec 2009 | DE | national |