Refrigerator, such as fridge or freezer

Abstract

 The refrigerator includes a casing determined by a wall with an internal covering (4), an external covering (3) and an intervening heat-insulating layer (2), through which wall is fed, via a penetration duct, a breather tube from the refrigerator storage space to the outside. The penetration duct has a first section (5) followed by a second section (7) separated by means of an intervening wall (6 or 6') which can be perforated or even removed. The first section (5) has a surrounding lip (11) which fits externally over the external insulation (3), while the second section (7), shaped internally as a truncated cone (8), is pressure-fitted onto a formation (9) of the internal covering (4), said formation (9) being provided with a seal (10) which can also be perforated or removed. The penetration duct is prepared to prevent the injection of the foam that is to constitute the heat-insulating layer (2), from reaching the outside or from penetrating into the refrigeration compartment of the corresponding refrigerator.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention, according to that stated in the title to this specification, concerns a refrigerator, such as cold storage unit or freezer, which includes a heat-insulating casing with an internal covering and another external, the wall which constitutes this casing being fitted transversally with a penetration duct the constructional characteristics of which are such that they prevent the foam which usually constitutes the heat-insulating wall from reaching the outside or, which is the same, said foam from penetrating into the interior or refrigeration compartment of the refrigerator unit when it is being injected, as well as from reaching the external face of the heat-insulating wall mentioned.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] It is known that refrigerator units and the like have a heat-insulating casing formed physically by a wall in which there is a layer of foam as heat insulator, an internal covering which faces the side of the refrigeration compartment, and an external covering.

[0003] It is also known that through the heat-insulating wall passes a breather tube coupled to the actual evaporator of the cold storage unit, to the outside.

[0004] Now, the water that is condensed in the breather tube mentioned can reach the external face, i.e. the external covering, water absorption occurring on the part of the latter due to capillary action, resulting in the corresponding water stain as well as the detachment of the layer forming this external covering with respect to the surface of the foam layer to which the external covering or layer is fixed.

[0005] On the other hand, in the injecting of the foam to form the heat-insulating wall, there usually occurs a penetration of said foam into the refrigeration compartment, exuding even to the outside through the surface of the external covering.

[0006] Although at the present time penetration ducts are employed through which the breather tube runs, and which are soldered to or mounted on the internal covering, also called container, there is no guarantee that escapes due to expansion do not occur, particularly into the inside of the refrigeration compartment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The refrigerator object of the invention, consists as per standard practice of a heat-insulating casing with an internal covering and another external, and is equipped with at least one storage space cooled by a vaporiser, to which is coupled a breather tube led through the heat insulation of the casing in question, from the storage space to the outside, the path of which runs through a penetration duct, and the breather tube being fitted with a flexible insulating tube, in order to prevent condensation covering at least the section of thickness corresponding to the wall which forms the casing in question. From said structure, the first characteristic of innovation that the refrigerator incorporates, is that the penetration duct mounted transversally in the heat-insulating wall, has a first section for housing, at least in part, the flexible insulating tube, as well as a second section which follows the first and which is coupled by the effect of friction and/or drag on a formation of the internal covering.

[0008] The first and second sections of said penetration duct can be separated from each other by means of an intervening partition that can be perforated, in order to permit the passage of the breather tube.

[0009] The second section can have an internal or external enclosing surface which narrows in a conical manner, and which can collaborate with a sealing effect with an internal or external enclosing surface narrowing equally in a conical manner in the formation of the internal covering.

[0010] Preferentially, this second section is narrowed in a conical manner towards the intervening partition that separates it from the first section, said second section conically narrowed towards the intervening partition being coupled, with a sealing effect, with the narrowed formation on its external enclosing surface and to be found on the side of the heat insulation.

[0011] The second section cited can have a series of runnels arranged over its internal enclosing surface, in order to facilitate the expulsion of air when being coupled with the formation of the internal covering.

[0012] Said formation of the internal covering can have its free end implemented in a seal which can be perforated in order to permit the passage of the breather tube.

[0013] Regarding the first section of the penetration duct, this can have an internal enclosing surface which is narrowed in conical manner from its free end towards the second section, such first section incorporating at its free end a surrounding lip which rests, with sealing effect, on the outside face of the external covering, away from the heat-insulating layer.

[0014] Preferentially, both the first section and the second section, and the actual formation of the internal covering, have a cross section that is circular in outline.

[0015] A fundamental advantage of the refrigerator with the penetration duct described, in accordance with one of the preferred implementations, consists in that as a consequence of the seal that is determined by the intervening partition which can be perforated and lies between the two sections of the penetration duct itself, it is impossible for the foam which is injected to form the heat-insulating layer of the casing to penetrate into the internal refrigeration compartment, preventing likewise that it can exude to the outside due to poor assembly of the duct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to complete the description that follows here below and for the purpose of assisting in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, this document is accompanied with a set of drawing on a basis of which descriptions are provided, without being limiting in nature, of some preferred embodiments of the penetration duct corresponding to the refrigerator of the invention.

Figure 1.- Shows a cross sectional view of the penetration duct which forms part of the refrigerator object of the invention, in a preferred embodiment, said duct being mounted in the corresponding orifice or passage made for the purpose in the heat-insulating wall of the casing of said refrigerator, capable of being constituted by a cold storage unit or the like.

Figure 2.- Shows another cross sectional view of the same penetration duct assembly but in this case in a variant of the embodiment in which the intervening wall between the two sections of the penetration duct is shaped in the form of a truncated cone.

Figure 3.- Shows a top view of the penetration duct as illustrated in the previous figure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] Regarding figure 1, it can be seen that the penetration duct 1 is mounted in the feed-through corresponding to a heat-insulating wall of a refrigerator or cold storage unit, said wall being formed by a layer of foam 2, as the actual heat-insulating material, an external covering 3 and an internal covering 4, this latter delimiting the refrigeration compartment.

[0018] According to the object of the invention, the penetration duct intended to house the respective breather tube, from the cold storage unit vaporiser to the outside, has two clearly differentiated sections 5 and 7 separated from each other by means of an intervening partition 6 which can be perforated or even removed.

[0019] The first section 5 has at its free end a surrounding lip 11 projecting outwards, constituting a support wall on the layer that forms the external covering 3, it being possible for said section 5 to be slightly in the form of a truncated cone decreasing in perimeter from the free end towards the intervening partition 3.

[0020] For its part, the second section 7, which can also be in the form of a truncated cone, in one direction or the other, both internally and externally, has the particularity that internally it is provided with a segment 8 in the form of a truncated cone diverging towards the free end, into which is pressure-fitted a formation 9 corresponding to the internal covering 4, said formation 9 having at its innermost extremity a partition which can be perforated, conical in shape, capable of being removable.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, shown in the figure 2, the intervening partition 6' of the penetration duct has the shape of a truncated cone, closed and also able to be perforated or removed like the intervening partition 6 of the embodiment shown in figure 1, the penetration duct being constituted in identical manner to that already indicated, i.e. with sections 5 and 7, the surrounding lip 11 of the first section 5 for support on the external covering 3, and section 7 pressure-fitted to the truncated cone formation 9 of the internal covering 4. In this embodiment shown in figure 2, section 7 of the penetration duct 1 has a series of runnels 12 on its inside surface in the direction of the generatrices, constituting vents through which air is expelled when pressure-fitting formation 9 of the internal covering 4.

Claims

1. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, which including a casing determined by a heat-insulating wall with an internal covering (4), a heat-insulating layer (2) and an external covering (3) and fitted with at least one storage space which is refrigerated by a vaporiser, in which is coupled a breather tube led through the heat-insulating wall, from the storage space to the outside, the path followed by the breather tube being made through a penetration duct and in which the said breather tube is fitted with a flexible insulating pipe, to prevent at least the zone of wall thickness of the casing from being covered with condensation or dew, characterised in that the penetration duct has a first section (5) for housing, at least in part, the flexible insulating pipe, and a second section (7) as a continuation of the first, which is coupled by the force of friction and/or drag onto a formation (9) of the internal covering (4).

2. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claim 1, characterised in that the first (5) and second (7) sections of the penetration duct are separated from each other by means of an intervening partition (6) or (6'), capable of being perforated.

3. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the second section (7) has an internal or external enclosing surface which narrows in a conical manner (8), which can collaborate with a sealing effect on an internal or external enclosing surface equally narrowed in a conical manner on the formation (9).

4. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claim 3, characterised in that the second section (7) is implemented in a conical form narrowing towards the intervening partition (6 or 6') on its internal enclosing surface and is coupled with sealing effect onto the formation (9) narrowed on its external enclosing surface, situated on the side of the heat insulation.

5. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the second section (7) has runnels (12) arranged along its internal enclosing surface, for the expulsion of air.

6. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claims 1 or 4, characterised in that the formation (9) has at its free end a sealing partition (10) capable of being perforated.

7. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the first section (5) has an internal enclosing surface which narrows in a conical manner from its free end towards the second section (7).

8. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claims 1, 2 or 7, characterised in that the first section (5) has at its free end a surrounding lip (11) which forms a support wall with sealing effect on the outside face of the external covering (3), away from the layer of heat insulation.

9. REFRIGERATOR, SUCH AS COLD STORAGE UNIT OR FREEZER, according to claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the first section (5), the second section (7) and the formation (9) are circular in cross section.

Drawing