WO2017211821A1

WO2017211821A1 - A refrigerator comprising a fan assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2017211821A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/063703
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ozkan ORSALIR; Yigit OZSACMACI; Ali Gokhan GENC; Husnu Ozpedal
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2016-06-09
Filing date: 2017-06-06
Publication date: 2017-12-14
Also published as: PL3469276T3; WO2017211821A9; EP3469276A1; TR201607826A2; EP3469276B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising a cabin (1) with thermal insulation; an inner lining (10) that surrounds the inner section of the cabin (1) so as to define a refrigeration chamber; a sensor (20) that is directly disposed on the inner lining (10); a fan casing (40) that covers a fan (50) positioned on a rear wall (11) of the inner lining (10) away from the sensor (20), so as to allow radial air flow, wherein an air blocking element (30) is provided in the part of the fan casing (40) facing the sensor (20) so as to at least partially block the cooling air that is accelerated by the fan (50).

Description

A REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A FAN ASSEMBLY

The present invention relates to a refrigerator with a fan assembly comprising a fan casing.

A refrigerator operates based on the provision of cold air by means of a refrigeration cycle in a body with thermal insulation, divided into a fresh food compartment and a freezing compartment. In the refrigeration a fan is fixed on an inner lining in the body to accelerate the cold air and thus to provide heat transfer by means of forced convection.

A fan casing enclosing the fan together with the motor is used so as to mount the fan and the motor together. The fan casing has an air outlet to enable the air provided by the fan to be directed smoothly. A sensor is provided on the inner lining to measure the cooling air and provide information to the refrigeration control system. The sensor and the fan are mounted on the same inner lining. Since the cooling air supplied from the refrigeration cycle directly reaches the sensor after being accelerated by the fan, the sensor cannot measure the real value of the temperature of the inner environment.

In the Patent No. EP0591665, the casing has air passage openings for the fan. The fan casing consists of two parts that are detachably connected to each other. The lower part of the casing forms the rear wall of the casing, and moreover a limiting wall with a depth perpendicular to the lower part is provided. Air openings are disposed on the section of circle arc on the walls provided in this part. The air openings are rectangular.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a cooling air circulation such that a sensor in the refrigeration chamber measures the ambient temperature with high precision.

The present invention realized in order to attain the said aim is a refrigerator comprising a cabin with thermal insulation; an inner lining that surrounds a section of the cabin so as to define a refrigeration chamber; a sensor that is disposed directly on the inner lining, and a fan casing that covers a fan positioned on a rear wall of the inner lining at a distance to the sensor so as to allow radial air flow. A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an air blocking element that is provided on the section of the fan casing facing the sensor so as to at least partly block the cooling air accelerated by the fan. The air blocking element that reduces the speed of the air leaving the fan casing during the operation of the fan toward the sensor provides that the sensor receives the air circulating in the refrigeration chamber mostly indirectly and thus correctly measures the values related to the cooling air such as mean temperature and air speed.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a curtain in the air blocking element, that extends from an external peripheral edge of the casing toward the refrigeration chamber. The curtain axially directs the radial air flow in the section facing the sensor. Thus, the curtain prevents the air from directly reaching the sensor and minimally affects the fan performance. In a preferred embodiment, the fan casing is in the form of a wire grill. Thus, the fan can direct the flow of the cooling air both radially and axially. In a preferred embodiment, the air blocking element is fixed directly on the wire forming the external peripheral edge of the grill form of the fan casing. Thus, the air is completely from leaking out the air blocking element in the radial direction. Moreover, the fan casing is prevented from generating a turbulence in the cooling air by means of the air blocking element as the fan starts to operate.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air blocking element is in the form of a concave concentric with the rotational center of the fan, that is provided in the vicinity of the fan. Thus, the air blocking element efficiently pushes back the cooling air which moves in the radial direction.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor is positioned on the rear wall, close to the side wall. Thus, the sensor is enabled to reach the openings located at the rear part through the rear wall and to be positioned away from the fan.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fan is disposed at a position that is close to the center of the rear wall. Thus, the cooling air is enabled to be circulated in the refrigeration chamber in both directions in a circumambient manner.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fan casing comprises at least one leg that is seated on the rear wall so as to leave a distance therebetween for the passage of air. The leg enables the fan casing to be easily mounted on the rear wall.

A refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the perspective view of the inner lining of a refrigerator comprising a representative embodiment of the fan assembly of the present invention.

Figure 2 - is the schematic view of the fan assembly showing the distance thereof to the sensor.

Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a representative embodiment of the fan casing.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1 Body

10 Inner lining

11 Rear wall

12 Top wall

14 Side wall

15 Opposite side wall

16 Bottom wall

20 Sensor

30 Air blocking element

31 First edge

32 Curtain

33 Second edge

40 Fan casing

41 Outer edge

42 Leg

44 Grill

45 Radial extension

46 Hub

47 Opening

50 Fan

m Intermediate distance

Figure 1 shows the perspective view of an inner lining (10) of a body (1) with thermal insulation that constitutes the refrigeration compartment of a refrigerator that comprises the fan assembly of the present invention. The inner lining (10) is in a single-piece form in the form of a tub, that comprises a top wall (12), a side wall (14) adjacent to the top wall (12) and an opposite side wall (15) opposite to the side wall (14), and a bottom wall (16) that joins the side walls (14, 15) from the bottom. The inner lining (10) is produced by plastic blow molding. A sensor (20) is mounted on the rear wall (11) so as to bear against the planar plate-shaped side wall (14) of the inner lining (10). The sensor (20) measures the temperature of the cooling air circulating in the refrigeration chamber that is limited by the inner lining (10) and transmits the measured temperature value to a control unit (not shown) of the refrigerator. A fan (50) is mounted on a hole (not shown in the figures) that is arranged at the center of the rear wall (11) and that opens to the refrigeration cycle. A fan casing (40) in the form of a wire grill (44) is detachably fitted on the fan (50). A radially extending curtain (32) is fixed on an outer edge (41) of the fan casing (40).

Figure 2 shows the schematic view of the positions of the fan casing (40) and the sensor (20) with respect to each other. The fan casing (40) and the sensor (20) are positioned on the inner lining (10) so as to provide an intermediate distance (m). The fan casing (40) is composed of equally distanced concentric rings such that a hub (46) is disposed at the center. Radial extensions (45) that are connected to the hub (46) from one end and bent from the other end so as to form a leg (42) and that are seated on the rear wall (11) constitute the skeleton of the fan casing (40). An air blocking element (30) is disposed on an outer ring that forms the outer edge (41) of the fan casing (40). The curtain (32) of the air blocking element (30) is in radial form that is concentric with the outer edge (41). The curtain (32) sweeps an angle of 180 degrees on the fan casing (40) such that a first edge (31) thereof close to the top wall (12) and a second edge (33) thereof away from the top wall (12) are aligned each with one of the opposite radial extensions (45). The curtain (32) is aligned with the projection of the circular fan casing (40) on the sensor (20), that is the part of the fan casing (40) facing the sensor (20).

Figure 3 shows the close-up perspective view of the fan casing (40). The inner edge of the curtain (32) is seated on the outer surface of the wire-shaped outer edge (41). The radial extensions (45) are bent from the outer end downward so as to enable the fan casing (40) to be axially raised. Since the outer edge (41) is seated on the bending part of the wire that is the radial extension (45) that forms the leg (42), when the leg (42) is disposed on the rear wall (11), the curtain (32) can be fixed from the lower part. Thus, the curtain (32) extends along the height of the fan casing (40) and since the curtain (32) does not leave any gap in the radial direction when the fan (50) is operated, the curtain (32) may block the outlet of the cooling air. The spaced structure of the grill (44) formed by the rings placed at equal distance to each other forms an opening (47) through which the cooling air passes.

The cooling air coming from the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator is transferred by the rotation of the fan (50) by means of a motor (not shown in the figures) to the refrigeration chamber. During the rotation of the fan (50), the cooling air moves out of the fan casing (40) both in the radial and axial directions. The air blocking element (30) blocks the cooling air coming from the fan (50) in the radial direction and makes it difficult for the cooling air to reach along the distance (m) directly the sensor (20) that extends on the same rear wall (11). In the disclosed embodiment, a curtain (32) with a length of 21 cm and a width of 13 mm is used for a standard refrigerator.

Claims

A refrigerator comprising a cabin (1) with thermal insulation; an inner lining (10) that surrounds the inner section of the cabin (1) so as to define a refrigeration chamber; a sensor (20) that is directly disposed on the inner lining (10); a fan casing (40) that covers a fan (50) positioned on a rear wall (11) of the inner lining (10) away from the sensor (20), so as to allow radial air flow, characterized by an air blocking element (30) that is provided in the part of the fan casing (40) facing the sensor (20) so as to at least partially block the cooling air that is accelerated by the fan (50).
A refrigerator as in Claim 1, characterized by a curtain (32) in the air blocking element (30) that extends from one outer peripheral edge (41) of the casing (40) toward the refrigeration chamber.
A refrigerator as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the fan casing (40) that is in the form of a wire grill.
A refrigerator as in Claim 3, characterized by the air blocking element (30) that is directly fixed on the wire that forms the outer peripheral edge (41) of the grill form of the fan casing (40).
A refrigerator as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the air blocking element (30) that is provided in the vicinity of the fan (50) in concave form concentric with the rotational center of the fan (50).
A refrigerator as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the sensor (20) that is disposed on the rear wall (11) in a position close to the side wall (14).
A refrigerator as in Claim 6, characterized by the fan (50) that is disposed at a position close to the center of the rear wall (11).
A refrigerator as in any one of the above claims, characterized by at least one leg (42) that is seated on the rear wall (11) of the fan casing (40) so as to leave a distance therebetween for the passage of the cooling air.