Refrigerating appliance with a conductive inner liner

Abstract

 A refrigerating appliance (100) for storing food products to be preserved is proposed. The refrigerating appliance (100) comprises a cabinet (105) for enclosing components of the refrigerating apparatus (100), an inner liner (125) provided within said cabinet and defining at least one compartment (110a, 110b) adapted to house the food products to be preserved, a refrigerating system for transferring heat away from the at least one compartment (110a, 110b), the refrigerating system comprising at least one coolant fluid evaporator (305,310) coupled with the at least one compartment. In the solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner liner (125) is at least partly made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to food refrigerating appliances. In more detail, the present invention regards food refrigerating appliances in which one or more food storage compartments are defined by an inner liner.

[0002] Household and/or professional refrigerating appliances typically comprise a refrigerator compartment adapted to maintain food products stored therein at a cooling temperature (e.g., selectable in a temperatures range from 1° to 10° C). In addition or as an alternative to the refrigerator compartment, refrigerating appliances may comprise a freezer compartment adapted to maintain the food products stored therein at a freezing temperature (e.g., selectable in a temperatures range from -16° to -28° C). Typically, the freezer compartment is used for storing food products for relatively long time periods, longer than in the refrigerator compartment. Refrigerating appliances may have the freezer compartment located above or below the refrigerator compartment, in which cases the apparatuses are denoted as "top freezer" or "bottom freezer" refrigerators, respectively.

[0003] A refrigerating appliance substantially comprises an outer cabinet with a front aperture allowing access to the refrigerator compartment and to the freezer compartment. Both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment are defined by an inner liner, which is connected to the cabinet and also separates both compartments from operating elements. Such operating elements generally comprise a refrigerating system (compressor), an electronic or electro-mechanical control unit, and thermal insulating materials, usually polyurethane rigid foam, which is injected into the cavity between the inner liner and the cabinet. The refrigerating appliance comprises a door or doors for closing the front aperture and, therefore, both refrigerating and freezing compartments, e.g. two doors, one for closing a portion of the front aperture in correspondence of the refrigerator compartment and one for closing a portion of the front aperture in correspondence of the freezer compartment.

[0004] The inner liner typically comprises a refrigerator shell that defines the refrigerator compartment and/or a freezer shell that defines the freezer compartment. The two shells may be connectable together or the inner liner may be formed as a one piece element, defining both the refrigerator compartment shell and the freezer compartment shell. Generally, the inner liner is made in a suitable polymeric material (e.g., HIPS ESCR - High Impact Polystyrene, Environmental Stress Cracking Resistant or ABS) adapted to be easily and cheaply shaped as needed.

[0005] In order to obtain a high-efficiency cooling capability for the refrigerating appliance, evaporator serpentines of the refrigerating system may be wrapped around (so as to surround) sidewalls of the shells delimiting one or both the (refrigerator and freezer) compartments of the refrigerating appliance. In this way, it is possible to achieve an even heat transfer in the compartments. Unfortunately, the efficiency of the heat transfer between the refrigerator and freezer compartments and the wrapped evaporator portions is considerably lowered by the inner liner interposed therebetween.

[0006] In order to improve the heat transfer between the refrigerator and freezer compartments and the evaporator portions wrapped around it, a known solution calls for pasting thin foils of metal, such as aluminum foils, on the (outer) surface of the compartment shells. The evaporator portions are then wound around the compartment shells in contact with such aluminum foils. However, the provision of the aluminum foils requires additional steps in the manufacturing process of the refrigerating appliance, thus reducing a manufacturing yield of the manufacturing process. This, together with the intrinsic cost of the aluminum foils, increases the overall cost of the refrigerating appliances.

[0007] Similarly, WO 2011138145 discloses an evaporator for a refrigerating device, comprising a pipe that conducts a coolant, at least one base on which the pipe is fixed, and a heat distributing plate that lies between the pipe and the base, said heat distributing plate supporting projections that clamp the pipe. As above, the addition of the heat distributing plates lowers the manufacturing yield and increases the overall cost of the manufacturing apparatuses, moreover the heat distributing plate reduces an internal space within the refrigerating device.

[0008] Alternatively, one or both the compartments (e.g., the freezer compartment) are formed each with a respective compartment part made of a metal material (e.g., aluminum) connectable to a polymeric frame of the inner liner in order to enhance a thermal coupling between the evaporator portion and the compartment shell. The provision of an inner liner with portion in metal material requires a sealing of interconnection between the compartment parts and the frame parts in order to insulate the food products stored in the compartments from the operating elements of the refrigerating appliance. Moreover, the metal compartment parts substantially increase the overall cost of the refrigerating appliances.

[0009] A further solution proposed in the art, even though limited to freezer compartments, is to provide the evaporator portion of the refrigerating system inside the freezer compartment, usually with an arrangement known as cooling shelves. Such a solution entails the drawbacks of subdividing and limiting the space inside the freezer compartment; in addition, food products stored in the freezer compartment may directly contact the evaporator portion and being damaged.

[0010] The Applicant has tackled the problem of devising a satisfactory solution able to provide an improved heat transfer efficiency between the food storage compartment of a refrigerating appliance and a corresponding evaporator portion of a refrigerating circuit.

[0011] The Applicant has found that by providing an inner liner in polymeric material comprising a (thermally) conductive filler it is possible to greatly enhance the heat transfer efficiency between the compartment of a refrigerating appliance and a corresponding evaporation portion.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention proposes a refrigerating appliance for storing food products to be preserved. The refrigerating appliance comprises a cabinet for enclosing components of the refrigerating appliance, an inner liner provided within said cabinet and defining at least one compartment adapted to house the food products to be preserved, a refrigerating system for transferring heat away from the at least one compartment, the refrigerating system comprising at least one coolant fluid evaporator coupled with the at least one compartment. In the solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner liner is at least partly made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler.

[0013] In an embodiment of the invention, the thermally conductive filler is an inorganic thermally conductive filler.

[0014] In an embodiment of the invention, the thermally conductive filler comprises one among graphite, a mineral comprising metal, a metal oxide, a metal salt, or a combination thereof.

[0015] In an embodiment of the invention, the thermally conductive filler comprises a mineral comprising magnetite.

[0016] In an embodiment of the invention, the thermally conductive filler comprises an iron oxide.

[0017] In an embodiment of the invention, the thermally conductive filler comprises a metal nitrite.

[0018] In an embodiment of the invention, the inner liner comprises at least one shell for delimiting the at least one compartment, the at least one shell having a plurality of sidewalls and a backwall, and wherein the at least one evaporator is wrapped around said plurality of sidewalls or is coupled with the backwall of at least one shell.

[0019] In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one evaporator directly contacts the plurality of sidewalls or the backwall at respective outer surfaces thereof.

[0020] In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one evaporator is attached to the plurality of sidewalls or the backwall at respective outer surfaces thereof by means of a fixing element.

[0021] In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one shell comprises a plurality of coupling elements adapted to maintain the at least one evaporator coupled with the plurality of sidewalls or with the backwall of the at least one shell.

[0022] In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one shell further comprises a housing groove provided on outer surfaces of the plurality of sidewalls or on an outer surface of the backwall, the housing groove being adapted to at least partly accommodate the at least one evaporator.

[0023] In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one compartment comprises a first compartment and a second compartment, and wherein the at least one shell comprises a first shell and a second shell, the first shell delimiting the first compartment and the second shell delimiting the second compartment.

[0024] In an embodiment of the invention, the first compartment is adapted to store food products to be preserved at a temperature in a first range of temperatures, and the second compartment is adapted to store food products to be preserved at a further temperature in a second range of temperatures, temperatures of the second range of temperatures being lower than temperatures of the first range of temperatures. The first compartment is positioned below the second compartment, or the first compartment is positioned above the second compartment.

[0025] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a refrigerating appliance for storing food products to be preserved. The method comprises the steps of providing a sheet of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler, and vacuum-forming said sheet to obtain an inner liner defining at least one compartment for storing goods to be preserved.

[0026] In an embodiment of the invention, the steps of providing a sheet of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler, comprises the step of providing pellets made of the filled material by compounding the polymer and the thermally conductive filler and the step of manufacturing the sheet of filled material through an extrusion process starting from said pellets of filled material.

[0027] A further aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a refrigerating appliance for storing food products to be preserved. The method comprises the steps of forming through injection-molding a plurality of sidewalls, forming through injection-molding at least a backwall, forming through injection-molding a front frame, and assembling the plurality of sidewalls, the at least one backwall and the front frame to obtain an inner liner. Said inner liner forms at least one shell adapted to define at least one compartment for storing goods to be preserved. The sidewalls or the at least one backwall are made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler, or the sidewalls and the at least one backwall are made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler, or the sidewalls, the at least one backwall and the front frame are made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler.

[0028] These and others features and advantages of the solution according to the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, provided merely by way of exemplary and non-limitative examples, to be read in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerating appliance that can be manufactured with a method according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective rear view of an inner liner of the refrigerating appliance of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective rear view of the inner liner of Figure 2 with evaporator portions of a refrigerating circuit wrapped around refrigerating compartment shells thereof.

[0029] With reference to the drawings, Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerating appliance 100 that can be manufactured with a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0030] In the example at issue, the refrigerating appliance 100 is of a stand-alone type. Anyway, it should be apparent from the following description that refrigerating appliances of built-in type may also benefit from the solution according to the present invention.

[0031] The refrigerating appliance 100 comprises a cabinet 105, preferably substantially parallelepiped-shaped, which substantially encloses all the other components of the refrigerating appliance 100. In some embodiments according to the present invention, a rear part (not shown) of the cabinet 105 may comprise an opening adapted to expose a portion (e.g., a condenser portion) of a refrigerating system (not shown).

[0032] The cabinet 105 comprises a front aperture 107 allowing access to a refrigerator compartment 110a and to a freezer compartment 110b adapted to store food products to be refrigerated or frozen, respectively.

[0033] The refrigerating appliance 100 also comprises a door 115, which is provided for closing the front aperture 107 in a sealing manner, in order to thermally insulate and seal the compartments 110a and 110b from the outside environment. For example, the door 115 may be provided with a coupling and sealing element, such as a magnetic gasket (not shown in the figure). Preferably, the magnetic gasket is provided on a periphery of a surface of the door that faces the front aperture 107 in order to abut the cabinet delimiting the front aperture 107 and sealing the compartments 110a and 110b from the outside environment when the door 115 is closed.

[0034] Preferably, the door 115 may advantageously be provided with a grasping portion or element, such as a handle 120 adapted to be seized by a user in order to simplify the opening and closing of the door 115. In other embodiments according to the present invention, the refrigerating appliance 100 may be provided with two doors, each one adapted to seal and thermally insulate a respective portion of the front aperture 107 in correspondence of the refrigerator compartment 110a and of the freezer compartment 110b, respectively.

[0035] In the solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator compartment 110a and the freezer compartment 110b are defined by an inner liner 125 (schematized by a dotted line in Figure 1 and described in detail in the following).

[0036] The inner liner 125 is preferably adapted to be mounted onto a frame (not shown) and/or directly to the cabinet 105 of the refrigerating appliance 100. The frame supports the various component parts thereof (such as the cabinet 105, the refrigerating system, etc.).

[0037] Turning to Figure 2, a schematic perspective rear view of the inner liner 125 is shown. The inner liner 125 comprises a front frame 205 adapted to be mounted to the frame and/or to the cabinet 105. A freezer shell 210 protrudes from the front frame 205 inwards the refrigerating appliance 100 (when the inner liner 125 is mounted to the frame and/or to the cabinet 105), in an upper position of the inner liner 125. The freezer shell 210 preferably, although not limitatively, is parallelepiped-shaped with a plurality of (freezer) sidewalls 215a (four in the example at issue) and a (freezer) backwall 215b that delimit the freezer compartment 110b, and a (freezer) front aperture (opposite to the backwall 215b) at the front frame 205 that allows accessing the freezer compartment 110b.

[0038] A refrigerator shell 225 protrudes from the front frame 205 inwards the refrigerating appliance 100 (when the inner liner 125 is mounted to the frame and/or to the cabinet 105), in a lower position of the inner liner 125 (i.e., below the freezer shell 210). The refrigerator shell 225 preferably, although not limitatively, is parallelepiped-shaped with a plurality of (refrigerator) sidewalls 230a (four in the example at issue) and a (refrigerator) backwall 230b that delimit the refrigerator compartment 110a, and a (refrigerator) front aperture (opposite to the backwall 230b) on the front frame 205 that allows accessing the refrigerator compartment 110a. Preferably, a lower-rear portion of the refrigerator shell 225 may be shaped in order to leave space that allows accommodating a compressor arrangement (not shown in the figures) of the refrigerating system inside the refrigerating appliance 100 (this particular is omitted from the Figures 1-3 for sake of simplicity).

[0039] The freezer shell 210 and the refrigerator shell 225 are preferably separated along a height of the front frame 205 by an intermediate portion 205a thereof.

[0040] In one embodiment of the invention, the inner liner 125 is made of a filled material, which preferably comprises a polymer (e.g., polystyrene or ABS) and at least one (thermally) conductive filler material (i.e., a material adapted to enhance a thermal conductivity of the polymer), preferably an inorganic conductive filler.

[0041] For example, the conductive filler material may comprise graphite (and therefore the filled material used to form the inner liner 125 is referred to as "graphite-filled material").

[0042] Alternatively, the conductive filler material may comprise metals or metal salts. For example, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the filler material may comprise iron oxides, metal nitrites, a mineral comprising metal such as magnetite or combinations thereof as conductive filler.

[0043] The filled material, comprising polymer and conductive filler, is characterized by an enhanced thermal conductivity with respect to the thermal conductivity of a material used in the prior art for inner liners manufacturing.

[0044] For example, a conventional inner liner made in HIPS ESCR (High Impact PolyStyrene, Environmental Stress Cracking Resistant) has a thermal conductivity approximately of 0.2W/mK @ 10°C. Conversely, the inner liner 125 made of the filled material described above according to an embodiment of the invention may be designed to have a thermal conductivity up to tenth of W/mK @10°C (for example, 30W/mK @ 10°C) by leveraging on the type of conductive filler and on the concentration thereof. It should be noted that a thermal conductivity of about 4-5 W/mK @ 10°C may be a satisfactory value for the inner liner 125 (e.g., such a value of thermal conductivity may be attained by using filled material comprising at least 30% of graphite according to an embodiment of the invention).

[0045] According to one embodiment of the invention, the filler material (e.g., graphite) may be compounded with the polymer (HIPS or ABS) in order to obtain pellets to be used in a subsequent extrusion process. The extrusion process allows obtaining extruded sheets made of the filled material (e.g., graphite-filled HIPS or ABS). The extruded sheets are then subjected to a vacuum-forming process in order to obtain the inner liner 125 as a one-piece element (i.e., with the front frame 205, the freezer shell 210 and the refrigerator shell 225 integral one with the other).

[0046] According to a different embodiment of the present invention, the inner liner 125 comprises separated element parts that are manufactured by means of a suitable manufacturing process such as an injection-molding process. For example, the front frame 205 and the walls 215a, 215b and 230a, 230b of the shells 210 and 225 may be separately manufactured through respective injection-molding processes and then assembled together in order to form the inner liner 125 during a manufacturing process of the refrigerating appliance 100.

[0047] The injection-molding process of the element parts of the inner liner 125 is preferred when the selected conductive filler or its concentration within the filled material prevents the latter from being satisfactory shaped by means of a vacuum-forming process.

[0048] It should be noted that the implementation of the injection-molding processes of element parts of the inner liner 125 allows obtaining the inner liner 125 comprising portions of different materials. For example, the walls 215a, 215b (or even simply the sidewalls 215a) of the freezer shell 210 may be made of a first filled material comprising a first conductive filler, while the walls 230a, 230b (or even simply the backwall 230b) of the refrigerator shell 225 may be made of a second filled material comprising a second conductive filler. In this way, it is thus possible obtaining a freezer shell 210 and a refrigerator shell 225 having respective (different) thermal conductivities. In addition, the front frame 205 may be made of a non-filled material (e.g., comprising only a polymer) rather than in a filled material (since a high thermal conductivity is not needed for the front frame 205).

[0049] Considering now Figure 3, it illustrates a schematic perspective rear view of the inner liner 125 with portions of a refrigerating circuit wrapped around the freezer and the refrigerator shells 210 and 225 thereof.

[0050] A freezer evaporator portion 305 of the refrigerating system is provided around the freezer shell 210. For example, the freezer evaporator portion 305 may comprise a (coiled) pipe made of a good thermal conductor (e.g., metal such as aluminum or copper). The pipe of the freezer evaporator portion 305 is bent over the edges of the sidewalls 215a, in such a way to coil around the (outer) surfaces of the latter with a predetermined number of turns. With the freezer evaporation portion 305 wrapped around the freezer evaporator portion 305, it is possible attaining a uniform freezing of the goods inside the freezer compartment 110b.

[0051] Preferably, a refrigerator evaporator portion 310 is also provided. Preferably, the refrigerator evaporator portion 310 is coupled with the refrigerator backwall 230b. In this case the refrigerator evaporator portion 310 may comprise a piping 310a made of a good thermal conductor, which preferably comprises a serpentine portion (for achieving a substantially even heat transfer through the refrigerator backwall 230b).

[0052] Even more preferably, the evaporator portion 310 a plate 310b made of a good thermal conductor (e.g., aluminum) coupled with the piping 310a. For example, the piping 310a may be mounted to the plate 310a by means of glue; alternatively, the piping 310a may be snap-fitted in a pattern groove (not visible in the figure) provided on a surface of the plate 310b.

[0053] Therefore, the use of the filled material may be beneficial in this configuration as well, thanks to the enhancement of heat exchange provided between the evaporator portion 310, mounted on the refrigerator backwall 230b, and the refrigerator compartment 110a delimited by the refrigerator shell 225.

[0054] Both the freezer evaporator portion 305 and the refrigerator evaporator portion 310 may be coupled with the sidewalls 215a and the refrigerator backwall 230b, respectively, in a direct way (i.e., by contacting them) or they may be coupled with the sidewalls 215a and the refrigerator backwall 230b, respectively, by means of a suitable fixing element (e.g., a glue such as for example Terostat®). The refrigerator evaporator portion 310 is coupled to the refrigerator backwall 230b through a surface of the plate 310b opposite to the surface coupled with the piping 310a.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sidewalls 215a and the refrigerator backwall 230b may be provided with coupling elements (not shown) adapted to couple with and support the freezer evaporator portion 305 and the refrigerator evaporator portion 310 (if the latter does not comprise the plate 310b), respectively. For example, the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b may be provided with a plurality of hooks and/or a plurality of "C"-shaped lugs (not shown in the drawings) at predetermined positions on a (outer) surface of the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b (opposite to the compartment respectively delimited by the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b), the hooks and/or the "C"-shaped lugs being sized to allow a snap-fit engagement of the pipe of the respective evaporator portions 305 and 310.

[0056] Thanks to such coupling elements, it is possible to precisely control the position of the windings of the evaporator portions 305 and 310 on the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b, respectively, and ensure a substantially even contact between the evaporator portions 305 and 310 and the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b, respectively.

[0057] Alternatively or in addition, a respective pattern groove (not shown in the drawings) may be provided on each one of the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b (if the refrigerator evaporation portion 310 does not comprise the plate 310b), respectively. The grooves may be advantageously shaped in such a way to accommodate at least partially the evaporator portions 305 and 310, respectively (e.g., the grooves house a half cross-section of the pipe of the evaporator portions 305 and 310, respectively).

[0058] Thanks to the grooves, it is again possible to precisely control the position of the windings on the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b and increase a contact surface between the evaporator portions 305 and 310 and the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b, respectively (i.e., by designing a cross-section of each groove adapted to be fitted by the respective evaporator portions 305 and 310).

[0059] The filled material(s) of the shells 210 and 225 ensures that heat is exchanged between the compartments 210 and 225 and the respective evaporator portions 305 and 310 with a high efficiency and with a very limited resistance opposed by the sidewalls 215a and the backwall 230b, respectively.

[0060] Therefore, it is possible to maintain selected temperatures inside the compartments 210 and 225 with a limited power consumption (i.e., reduced with respect to the prior art). Moreover, there is no consumption of space between the cabinet 105 and the inner liner 125 since no heat-transfer enhancing elements are provided (such as conductive panels attached to the shells 210 and 225). Thus, such saved space may be used for implementing a more efficient insulating structure (between the evaporator portions 305 and 310 and the external environment) and/or for relieving design constraints affecting the refrigerating system of the refrigerating appliance 100 and/or for having larger compartments 110a and 110b.

[0061] It should be noted that even though the present invention has been described in respect of a "top freezer" refrigerating appliance the same solution may be applied also to "bottom freezer" refrigerator apparatuses, to refrigerating appliances comprising only one or more refrigerator compartments or refrigerating appliances comprising only one or more freezer compartments as well.

[0062] It is also clear that the same solution, i.e. filling of the inner liner by conductive material or substance can be applied to a simple refrigerator or to a simple freezer, or also to only one part (refrigerator part or freezer part) of a combi appliance.

Claims

1. A refrigerating appliance (100) for storing food products to be preserved, the refrigerating appliance (100) comprising:

a cabinet (105) for enclosing components of the refrigerating appliance (100);

an inner liner (125) provided within said cabinet and defining at least one compartment (110a, 110b) adapted to house the food products to be preserved;

a refrigerating system for transferring heat away from the at least one compartment (110a, 110b), the refrigerating system comprising at least one coolant fluid evaporator (305,310) coupled with the at least one compartment,
characterized in that

the inner liner (125) is at least partly made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler.

2. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive filler is an inorganic conductive filler.

3. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises one among graphite, a mineral comprising metal, a metal oxide, a metal salt, or a combination thereof.

4. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises a mineral comprising magnetite.

5. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises an iron oxide.

6. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 3, wherein the thermally conductive filler comprises a metal nitrite.

7. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner liner (125) comprises at least one shell (210, 225) for delimiting the at least one compartment (110a, 110b), the at least one shell (210, 225) having a plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a) and a backwall (215b, 230b), and wherein the at least one evaporator (305, 310) is wrapped around said plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a) or is coupled with the backwall (215b, 230b) of at least one shell (210, 225).

8. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one evaporator (305, 310) directly contacts the plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a) or the backwall (215b, 230b) at respective outer surfaces thereof.

9. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one evaporator (305, 310) is attached to the plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a) or the backwall (215b, 230b) at respective outer surfaces thereof by means of a fixing element.

10. The refrigerating appliance according to any one of the preceding claims 7 to 9, wherein the at least one shell (210, 225) comprises a plurality of coupling elements adapted to maintain the at least one evaporator (305, 310) coupled with the plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a) or with the backwall (215b, 230b) of the at least one shell (210, 225).

11. The refrigerating appliance according to any one of the preceding claims 7 to 10, wherein the at least one shell (210, 225) further comprises a housing groove provided on outer surfaces of the plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a) or on an outer surface of the backwall (215b, 230b), the housing groove being adapted to at least partly accommodate the at least one evaporator (305, 310).

12. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one compartment (110a, 110b) comprises a first compartment (110a) and a second compartment (110b), and wherein the at least one shell (210, 225) comprises a first shell (225) and a second shell (210), the first shell (225) delimiting the first compartment (110a) and the second shell (210) delimiting the second compartment (110b).

13. The refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 12, wherein the first compartment (110a) is adapted to store food products to be preserved at a temperature in a first range of temperatures, and the second compartment (110b) is adapted to store food products to be preserved at a further temperature in a second range of temperatures, temperatures of the second range of temperatures being lower than temperatures of the first range of temperatures, and
wherein the first compartment (110a) is positioned below the second compartment (110b), or
wherein the first compartment (110a) is positioned above the second compartment (110b).

14. A method for manufacturing a refrigerating appliance (100) for storing food products to be preserved, the method comprising the steps of:

- providing a sheet of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler, and

- vacuum-forming said sheet to obtain an inner liner (125) defining at least one compartment (110a, 110b) for storing goods to be preserved.

15. A method for manufacturing a refrigerating appliance (100) for storing food products to be preserved, the method comprising the steps of:

- forming through injection-molding a plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a);

- forming through injection-molding at least a backwall (215b, 230b);

- forming through injection-molding a front frame (205), and

- assembling the plurality of sidewalls (215a, 230a), the at least one backwall (215b, 230b) and the front frame (205) to obtain an inner liner (125), said inner liner forming at least one shell (210, 225) adapted to define at least one compartment (110a, 110b) for storing goods to be preserved,
characterized in that
the sidewalls (215a, 230a) or the at least one backwall (215b, 230b) are made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler, or
the sidewalls (215a, 230a) and the at least one backwall (215b, 230b) are made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler, or
the sidewalls (215a, 230a), the at least one backwall (215b, 230b) and the front frame (205) are made of a filled material comprising a polymer and a thermally conductive filler.

Drawing