[0001] The present invention refers to a freezer suitable to quickly cool food and to a
refrigerator comprising said freezer.
[0002] Current household refrigerators normally comprise at least two compartments at different
temperature, one with a higher temperature (typically between +3°C and +6°C) for fresh
food and the other one at a lower temperature and (typically -18°C) for frozen and
shock frozen food. Each one of the two compartments is provided with a respective
evaporator, or with a respective portion of a same evaporator, which is part of an
unusual refrigeration circuit with compressor and condensator.
[0003] These refrigerators are generally "no frost", which means they are provided with
means suitable to prevent the formation of frost on the wall of the evaporator. For
such reason in the compartment at lower temperature a so called "ventilated" evaporator
is provided, which is subjected to forced circulation of air.
[0004] In the stage of refrigeration of the food each food, which has previously been cooked
at a temperature greater or equal to 90°C, starts to irreversibly deteriorate due
to the very quick proliferation of bacteria present in the air and of the spores which
survived to the cooking. The temperature range within which there is the highest development
of bacteria is comprised between +70°C and +3°C. The longer is the permanence in this
zone, the greater is the alteration of the product and this occurs when a food is
let cool at room temperature and/or in a normal refrigerator. In order to prevent
this, blast chillers are utilised which allow to bring the core temperature of food
from +70°C to +3°C in 90 minutes. In this way the ageing process of the product, which
can be stored in the refrigerator for 5/7 days, is slowed.
[0005] In the same way, in order to ensure to the food to be frozen that the initial quality
is not compromised in any way during the freezing stage, it is necessary that the
latter takes place quickly. In fact with the quick freezing the food liquids turn
into micro-crystals which do not damage in any way the tissue structure of the product.
To this purpose quick freezers are utilised which allow to bring the core temperature
of food from +90°C to -18°C in 240 minutes.
[0006] Both blast chillers as well as quick freezers are usually part of a single household
appliance, and such household appliance is made in a way separate from household refrigerators.
[0007] In the application for European patent EP 1074802 a refrigerator with compartment
for the quick cooling of food is described. Said compartment has small dimensions
and it quickly cools by means of a circulation of air forced by the ventilator through
the evaporator by means of openings for the inlet of air whose opening and closing
is regulated by thermostatically controlled valve means.
[0008] In view of the state of the art herein described, the object of the present invention
is to provide a freezer suitable to quickly cool food that is different from the known
freezers.
[0009] According to the present invention, said object is attained by means of a freezer
comprising a cabinet, a compartment and refrigeration circuit with relative condensator,
compressor, evaporator and ventilator, said ventilator being suitable to forcedly
circulate air though said evaporator and inside said compartment by means of at least
one opening, characterised in that it comprises at least one container and in that
said at least one opening for the inlet of air forced by the ventilator inside said
compartment is arranged in proximity of the ventilator, the latter conveying the cooled
air from the evaporator on said at least one container.
[0010] Always according to the present invention it is possible to provide a refrigerator
as defined in claim 8.
[0011] The characteristics and the advantages of the present invention will become evident
in the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, which is illustrated
as non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a vertical schematic section of a refrigerator provided with a freezer
suitable to quickly cool food according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical schematic section of a single freezer according to a variation
of the embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a vertical schematic section of the single freezer according to an other
variation of the embodiment of the present invention.
[0012] In Figure 1 a refrigerator having two compartments, respectively 1 and 2, respectively
at lower (freezer) and at higher temperature separated by a horizontal separation
wall 3 inside a common cabinet 4 is shown. Such compartments are closed by respective
independent doors 5 and 6.
[0013] On the top of the freezer 1 an evaporator 7 is present which is part of a refrigeration
circuit 8 which comprises a compressor 9, a filter 11, a condensator 12 and flow laminators
13. The evaporator 7 is arranged in a housing or interspace 70 obtained inside the
cabinet 4 and on top of the compartment 1.
[0014] A ventilator 14, cyclically set in action by an appropriate electric motor 15 and
placed on top of the refrigerator, facing the evaporator 7, allows the circulation
of air inside the refrigerator. Said ventilator 14 is suitable to intake the air which
passes through the evaporator 7 and it is suitable to convey the cooled air into the
compartments 1 and 2.
[0015] Inside the freezer 1 two racks are arranged, a top rack 20 and a bottom rack 30;
the top rack 20 bears a container 21 movable along the rack 20, more precisely slidable
on the rack 20.
[0016] The freezer 1 is provided with mouths 101-103 for the access of the cool air forcedly
circulated by the ventilator 14 and with an opening 105 for the outflow of air from
the compartment 1 toward the evaporator 7.
[0017] The mouth 101 directly communicates with the ventilator 14 and the evaporator 7in
such a way that the cooler air is conveyed by said mouth 101 on the rack 20. If the
container 21 is moved from a position of rest A, in proximity of the door 5 and far
from the mouth 101, to a working position B, below the mouth 101, the food arranged
in said container is influenced by the cooler air coming from the ventilator 14 and
from the evaporator 7; in such way a quick cooling of the food arranged in the container
21 is provided and more particularly a quick freezing of the food present in the container
21 since said food reaches the temperature of about -18°C in a more rapid way than
other food arranged in the same compartment 1.
[0018] The cool air which circulates in the compartment 1 exits through the opening 105,
passes through the evaporator 7 while cooling and it is conveyed by the ventilator
14 toward the compartments 1 and 2.
[0019] The air which circulates in the compartment 2 enters through the duct 90, the mouths
104 and 106 and it outflows through the opening 107, it runs through the duct 109
and the duct 110 so as to go back to the ventilator 14. The openings 104 and 106 are
provided with suitable valves 121, 122 controlled by a thermostat 120. The forced
circulation of air prevents the formation of frost.
[0020] In a variation of the embodiment of the freezer according to the present invention,
which is shown in Figure 2, the same freezer compartment 1 has instead three mouths
for the inlet of cool air, a larger opening 130 to convey all the cooler air coming
from the ventilator 14 toward the container 21 arranged on the lower rack 30.
[0021] Another variation of the second embodiment of the invention, which is shown in Figure
3, provides the presence of two containers 21 arranged one on the rack 20 and the
other one on the rack 30 in such a way so as to have two zones for the quick cooling
of food. The two containers 21 are arranged in proximity of the mouths 140 and 141
for the inlet of cool air. The mouth 140 is also provided with a valve 142 to close
it in the case of absence of the container 21 or in the case one wants to utilise
only the container 21 of the rack 30 for the quick cooling of food.
[0022] The freezers shown in Figures 1- 3 can be considered to be as single or part of a
refrigerator.
1. Freezer comprising a cabinet (4), a compartment (1) and refrigeration circuit with
relative condensator (12), compressor (9), evaporator (7) and ventilator (14), said
ventilator (14) being suitable to forcedly circulate air through said evaporator (7)
and inside said compartment by means of at least one opening (101, 130, 140, 141),
characterised in that it comprises at least one container (21) and in that said at least one opening (101, 130, 140, 141) for the inlet of the forced air by
the ventilator (14) inside said compartment (1) is arranged in proximity of the ventilator
(14), the latter conveying the air cooled by the evaporator (7) on said at least one
container (21).
2. Freezer according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises at least one rack (20, 30) and said at least one container (21) is movable
on said rack (20, 30) from a first position (A) in which said container (21) is arranged
far from said at least one opening (101, 130, 140, 141) to a second position (B) in
which said container (21) is arranged in proximity of said at least one opening (101,
130, 140,141) and it is influenced by the cool air conveyed by the ventilator (14)
though it and vice-versa.
3. Freezer according to claim 2, characterised in that it comprises two openings (140, 141) for the inlet of cool air, two racks (20, 30)
arranged inside compartment freezer (1) and two containers (21), one for each rack,
and movable between said first (A) and said second (B) position.
4. Freezer according to claim 2, characterised in that it comprises a top rack (20) and a bottom rack (30), said container (21) being slidable
along the top rack (20).
5. Freezer according to claim 2, characterised in that it comprises a top rack (20) and a lower rack (30), said container (21) being slidable
along said lower rack (30).
6. Freezer according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises an interstice (70) formed by said cabinet (4) and said freezer compartment
(1) on top of the freezer, said evaporator (7) being arranged in said interstice (70).
7. Freezer according to claim 3, characterised in that it comprises a valve (142) for the closing of one (140) of said two openings.
8. Household refrigerator comprising a cabinet (4), at least one freezer compartment
(1) and at least one compartment (2) at a temperature greater than said freezer compartment
(1), comprising a refrigeration circuit (8) with relative condensator (12), compressor
(9), evaporator (7) and ventilator (14), said ventilator (14) being suitable to forcedly
circulate air through said evaporator (7) and inside said compartment (2) at a temperature
greater than freezer compartment (1) and inside said freezer compartment by means
of at least one opening (101, 130, 140, 141), characterised in that said compartment freezer (1) comprises at least one container (21) and in that said at least one opening (101, 130, 140, 141) for the inlet of air forced by the
ventilator (14) inside said freezer compartment (1) is arranged in proximity of the
ventilator (14), the latter conveying the air cooled by the evaporator (7) on said
at least one container (21).
9. Refrigerator according to claim 8, characterised in that said freezer compartment (1) comprises at least one rack (20, 30) and said at least
one container (21) is movable on said rack (20, 30) from a first position (A) in which
said container (21) is arranged far from said at least one opening (101, 130, 140,
141) to a second position (B) in cui said container (21) is arranged proximity of
said at least one opening (101, 130, 140, 141) and is influenced by the cool air conveyed
by the ventilator (14) through it and vice-versa.
10. Refrigerator according to claim 9, characterised in that said freezer compartment (1) comprises two openings (140, 141) for the inlet of cool
air, two racks (20, 30) arranged inside said freezer compartment (1) and two containers
(21), for each rack, and movable between said first (A) and said second (B) position.
11. Refrigerator according to claim 9, characterised in that said freezer compartment (1) comprises a top rack (20) and a bottom rack (30), said
container (21) being slidable along the top rack (20).
12. Refrigerator according to claim 9, characterised in that said freezer compartment (1) comprises a top rack (20) and a bottom rack (30), said
container (21) being slidable along the bottom rack (30).
13. Refrigerator according to claim 8, characterised in that it comprises an interstice (70) formed by said cabinet (4) and said freezer compartment
(1) on top of the refrigerator, said evaporator (7) being arranged in said interspace
(70).
14. Refrigerator according to claim 10, characterised in that said freezer compartment (1) comprises a valve (142) for the closing of one (140)
of said two openings (140, 141).