COOLING APPARATUS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO COOLING COMPARTMENTS

Abstract

 The present invention refers to a household apparatus, particularly to a cooling apparatus comprising a cooling space with at least an upper compartment, an least a lower compartment, and with a compartment for preparing cooling air, wherein said cooling space can be closed by at least one door, and at least one circulating means to force air circulation in said cooling space. It is provided for that a deflecting wall (6) is formed at its side facing a back wall (3) with at least one rib (12) extending approximately in vertical direction of a receptacle, wherein said at least one rib (12) is in direct contact with a back wall (3), thus, creating between the back wall (3) and the deflecting wall (6) a plurality of approximately vertically extending channels (7, 7') for air circulation.

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a household apparatus, particularly to a cooling apparatus comprising a cooling space with at least an upper compartment, an least a lower compartment, and with a compartment for preparing cooling air, wherein said cooling space can be closed by at least one door, and at least one circulating means to force air circulation in said cooling space.

[0002] A cooling apparatus may comprise two or more cooling compartments cooled by at least one heat exchanger. The heat exchanger(s) can not be switched-on separately in order to affect the cooling power in each cooling compartment. The cooling power my, however, be affected by changing the operating time of a compressor or the frequency of a compressor, by operating a circulating means to force cooling air circulation and by the rotational frequency thereof. Optionally, said cooling compartments arranged above each other can be separated by a cell, a partition wall, a shelf or similar.

[0003] Depending on the height of the cooling apparatus, said cooling compartments are intended to store food products at different temperatures, wherein a higher temperature is provided in the upper compartment comparing to the temperature in the lower compartment, for example. The cooling air preparation region can be a separate space with a cold heat exchanger connected with the upper and the lower cooling compartment via entering and exiting apertures. Air flow through the cooling air preparation region is ensured by a natural convection and/or by using said circulating means that can be switched on and/or off depending on the current cooling demand.

[0004] In a cooling apparatus, when operating normally, a temperature gradient is built in the height of the apparatus. The temperature at the bottom is lower that the temperature at the top of the apparatus. Said temperature gradient is larger when said circulating means is inactive, and is smaller when said circulating means is active. Operation of said circulating means accelerates the air circulation, hence, enabling temperature homogenization in the cooling apparatus.

[0005] Known are documents such as WO 0155655, EP 0 793 066, EP 1 605 215, for example, which disclose cooling apparatuses comprising a plurality of cooling compartments each having different temperature, and a circulating means for air circulation in the cooling compartments. By switching on/off of said circulating means the temperature gradients in the cooling apparatus are affected, thus, obtaining a partial separate regulation of each compartment in the cooling apparatus. Drawbacks of known embodiments are represented by a limited temperature regulation in each compartment of the cooling apparatus, since the lower cooling region must always be cooler than the upper cooling region. In addition, due to a natural developing of temperature gradient in height of the cooling apparatus, temperature differences are present also inside each compartment, resulting in a possible negative effect to a quality of storing food products, particularly in the upper cooling compartment.

[0006] It is the object of the present invention to create a cooling apparatus comprising at least two cooling compartments, which provides for uncomplicated affecting the proportion of splitting a cooling power between a lower cooling compartment and an upper cooling compartment, and provides lower temperature gradient in height of the upper cooling compartment.

[0007] According to the present invention, the object as set above is solved by features set forth in the characterising part of claim 1. Detail of the invention is disclosed in respective subclaims.

[0008] The invention is further described in detail by way of non-limiting embodiment, and with a reference to the accompanying drawings, where

Fig. 1

shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a cooling apparatus according to the invention,

Fig. 2

shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a baffle plate,

Fig. 3

shows a cross-sectional view of a deflecting wall of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a first embodiment of a cooling apparatus,

Fig. 5

shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a second embodiment of a cooling apparatus.

[0009] A cooling apparatus according to the invention comprises side walls 1, 2, a back wall 3, a top wall 4 and a bottom wall 5 building a cooling space and, respectively, a receptacle to receive goods to be stored. Said receptacle can be closed by a door not shown in the drawings. Optionally, inside said back wall is arranged an evaporator. Spaced from the back wall 3 and in direction towards the interior of said receptacle is arranged at least one deflecting wall 6 extending at least partially in the height of the receptacle. In this manner, at least one channel 7, 7' is formed between the back wall 3 and the deflecting wall 6 for circulating air in the cooling apparatus. Said air circulation in the cooling apparatus is provided either by a natural air flow or forced by a circulating means 8' arranged either in the deflecting wall 6 or at any other suitable place in said receptacle of the cooling apparatus. Said circulating means 8' is selected as a blower, for instance.

[0010] The cooling apparatus according to the present invention further comprises at least one partition wall 10 extending approximately horizontally, by means of which said receptacle of the cooling apparatus is divided to a first cooling region 11 and a second cooling region 11'. In the present embodiment said first cooling region 11 having a higher temperature regime is provided in the upper section of the cooling apparatus, and said second cooling region 11' having a lower temperature regime is provided in the lower section of the cooling apparatus.

[0011] Said deflecting wall 6 is formed as a flat structure the height thereof preferably equals the width of said receptacle. The height of said deflecting wall 6 can be approximately equal to or smaller than the height of said receptacle. When the height of the deflecting wall 6 approximately equals the height of said receptacle, a cut-out 8 for accommodating the circulating means 8' is provided in the region of either the upper end and/or the lower end of the deflecting wall 6, and in the region of the lower end or the upper end of the deflecting wall 6 there is provided at least one aperture and, respectively, a slot 9 for entering and, respectively, exiting the circulation air. When the height of the deflecting wall 6 is smaller than the height of said receptacle, there is the circulating means 8' provided in the region of either the upper end and/or the lower end of the deflecting wall 6, whereas the entrance and, respectively, the exit for the circulation air is enabled through at least one aperture and, respectively, a slot 9' which is provided in the region below said partition wall 10, and hence in said second cooling region 11', between at least one end of the deflecting wall 6 and said top wall 4 and/or said bottom wall 5 and, respectively, said partition wall 10.

[0012] As mentioned above, the deflecting wall 6 is formed as a vertically aligned flat structure that is essentially smooth at its side facing said receptacle, whereas it is formed at the side facing the back wall 3 with at least one rib 12 extending approximately in vertical direction of said receptacle. Said rib 12 extends from the area of the edge of the deflecting wall 6 being close to the top wall 4 over at least part of the deflecting wall 6 in the direction towards the opposite edge thereof. With the present embodiment of the cooling apparatus, the deflecting wall 6 comprises at its side facing the back wall 3 two ribs 12 which extends approximately in vertical direction transversally spaced form each vertical edge region of the deflecting wall 6. When said deflecting wall 6 installed said rib/ribs 12 is/are in direct contact with the back wall 3. In this manner, a plurality of approximately vertically extending channels 7, 7' is created between the back wall 3 and the deflecting wall 6, thus, enabling air circulation through said receptacle. Moreover, it is provided according to the invention that the channels 7, 7' are in fluid communication with each other.

[0013] It is provided for according to the present invention, that one of said channels 7, 7' comprises a substantially larger cross-section for flowing cool air than the rest of the channels. In the present embodiment, the channel 7 arranged approximately in the central region of the back wall 3 and respectively, the evaporator placed therein, is selected as a region having larger cross-section where the cool air is prepared. Said evaporator preferably extends only inside said wide channel 7. Furthermore, the channels 7, 7' are created by the ribs 12, wherein the ribs 12 does not extend over the entire length of the deflecting wall 6 but over the part of its length only. In this manner, said fluid communication is created between the wide channel 7 and the channel 7' having smaller cross-section. Said circulating means 8' is arranged in the cut-out 8 provided in the region of the top wall 4. The circulating means 8' draws a relatively warm air A from the upper region 11 and forces it into said wide channel 7 where if cools down at said evaporator. The air stream B cooled in said manner travels downwards the wide channel 7 and splitting into two parts. A first part C of the cooled air stream is redirected via the channel 7' having smaller cross-section along the deflecting wall 6 upwards and through said aperture and, respectively, the slot 9 back into the upper cooling region 11. A second part D of the cooled air stream travels along the deflecting wall 6 and further over said partition wall 10 downwards through the aperture and, respectively, the slot 9' into the lower cooling region 11'. Said second part D of the air stream warms up when passing goods stored in the lower cooling region 11', and returns along the bottom wall 5 and the door of the cooling apparatus as a relatively warm air stream A into the upper cooling region 11. Thus, a uniform temperature distribution in the height of the upper cooling region 11 is obtained, wherein with the present embodiment, the lower cooling region 11' has always lower temperature than the upper cooling region 11. When the circulating means 8' is active, the temperature difference between the upper cooling region 11 and the lower cooling region 11' typically amounts to approximately 1 °C to 3 °C.

[0014] With the first embodiment of the cooling apparatus according to the invention, two various modes of operation exists. The first mode is represented by the above described example with the active circulating means 8', whereas the second mode is represented by the inactive circulating means 8'. With the latter, movement of the air stream is provided by means of the natural draught (stack effect) and gravitation. The air stream velocity is substantially lower compared to the first mode. The majority of the cooled air travels through the aperture and, respectively, the slot 9' into the lower cooling region 11', whereas the minority of the cooled air returns via the channel 7' into the upper cooling region 11. In the lower cooling region 11' the air warms up when passing goods and returns along the door of the cooling apparatus as a relatively warm air into the upper cooling region 11. In this case, the temperature difference between the upper cooling region 11 and the lower cooling region 11' typically amounts to 5 °C to 8 °C.

[0015] It is provided for with the second embodiment of the invention that the circulating means 8' is arranged in the slot 8 formed in the deflecting wall 6 in the area of the partition wall 10. Two modes of operation are possible, the first providing the circulating means 8' to be active, whereas the second mode provides the circulating means 8' to be inactive. With said second embodiment, said cut-out 8 is formed in one of the ribs 12, thus, creating said fluid communication between said wide channel 7 having large cross-section and one of the channels 7' having small cross-section. The active circulating means 8' draws a relatively warm air E from the upper region 11 through said wide channel 7, wherein it cools down at said evaporator. The air stream F cooled down in said manner travels via the wide channel 7 downwards, and splits into two parts. The first part G of the cooled air stream is drawn by the circulating means 8' from the wide channel 7 and is redirected via the channel 7' having a small cross-section along the deflecting wall 6 upwards and through said aperture and, respectively, the slot 9 back into the upper cooling region 11. The second part H of the cooled air stream travels due to inertia along the deflecting wall 6 and over said partition wall 10 further downwards through the aperture and, respectively, the slot 9' into the lower cooling region 11'. Said second part H of the air stream warms up when passing the goods stored in the lower cooling region 11' and returns along the bottom wall 5 and the door of the cooling apparatus as a relatively warm air stream E into the upper cooling region 11. With the described second embodiment of the invention, the lower cooling region 11' is warmer to some extent that the upper cooling region 11. The temperature difference between the upper cooling region 11 and the lower cooling region 11' typically amounts to approximately 1 °C to 3 °C.

[0016] As mentioned above, it is provided according to the second mode of operation that the circulating means 8' is inactive. In such a case, the air stream over the cooling apparatus is forced by means of the natural draught and gravitation. The essential difference between the two modes of operation lies in the velocity of the air streams with the second mode of operation being substantially lower than the velocity with the first mode of operation. With the second mode of operation the lower cooling region 11' is cooler to some extent than the upper cooling region 11. The temperature difference between the upper cooling region 11 and the lower cooling region 11' typically amounts to approximately 5 °C to 8 °C.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus having at least two cooling compartments, comprising side walls, a back wall, a top wall and a bottom wall building a cooling space and, respectively, a receptacle to receive goods to be stored, said cooling space and, respectively, receptacle comprises at least an upper cooling region, at least a lower cooling region, and a region for preparing cooling air, wherein said cooling space can be closed by a door, and, spaced from the back wall, at least one wall for deflecting circulation of air, said deflecting wall forming with said back wall at least one channel for circulating air in the cooling apparatus, characterized in that a deflecting wall (6) is formed at the side facing the back wall (3) with at least one rib (12) extending approximately in vertical direction of said receptacle, wherein said at least one rib (12) is in direct contact with a back wall (3), therefore a plurality of approximately vertically extending channels (7, 7') is created between the back wall (3) and the deflecting wall (6) for air circulation, the channels (7, 7') being in fluid communication with each other.

2. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one rib (12) extends from the area of an edge of the deflecting wall (6) which is close to a top wall (4) over at least part of the deflecting wall (6) in the direction towards the opposite edge thereof.

3. A cooling apparatus according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said fluid communication between the channels (7, 7') is formed by means of said at least one rib (12).

4. A cooling apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said fluid communication between the channels (7, 7') is formed in a manner that said at least one rib (12) extends over a part of the length of the the deflecting wall (6) only.

5. A cooling apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said fluid communication between the channels (7, 7') is formed in a manner that said at least one rib (12) comprises a cut-out (8).

6. A cooling apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a circulating means (8') is arranged in the area of the top wall (4).

7. A cooling apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a circulating means (8') is arranged in the area of a partition wall (10).

Drawing