A REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A HUMIDIFIER

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a refrigerator (1) comprising a body (2); a protective cover (3) which is disposed in the body (2); a water reservoir (4) which is disposed in the body (2); a drawer (5) which is positioned under the protective cover (3), which is used for loading fruits and vegetables and which has a front wall (5.1), a rear wall (5.2) and a first wall (5.3) and a second wall (5.4) which join the front (5.1) and rear walls (5.2); a steam generator (6) which is disposed in the drawer (5) and which converts the water delivered from the water reservoir (4) into steam to be delivered into the drawer (5) as steam; at least one ambient sensor (7) which is disposed in the body (2) so as to detect the temperature and/or humidity level in the drawer (5); and a control unit (8) which is disposed in the body (2) and which adjusts the humidity level according to the data received from the ambient sensor (7).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator which performs the humidifying process in an efficient and homogeneous manner to keep the foodstuffs in the crisper fresh.

[0002] It is a very important requirement that the foodstuffs placed into the crisper, which is in the form of a drawer, in the refrigerators are stored for a long time without losing their properties. Due to the difference between the temperature of the foodstuffs placed into the crisper in the outer environment and the temperature thereof in the crisper, the foodstuffs start to lose humidity quickly. In the state of the art, the crisper cover provides passive control for moisture conservation. However, due to the temperature difference of the newly loaded foodstuffs at ambient temperature, evaporative moisture loss is high until it cools down. Moreover, depending on the frequency of use of the crisper, the moisture loss of the vegetables during the opening and closing thereof is also notable. Since the humidity lost cannot be added to this area, this causes the foodstuffs in the crisper to lose liquid, to shrivel and lose freshness. In the state of the art, moisture is added from outside to compensate these moisture losses.

[0003] Ultrasonic piezo generators are used to actively humidify the crisper with cold steam. Depending on which part of the crisper the cold steam will be applied, the homogeneous distribution of humidity and efficiency in the crisper are affected. Since the vertical and horizontal steam discharge will be affected according to the positioning of the generator, the need for a design for the air flow in the crisper arises. In case of steam which is not evenly distributed to every part of the crisper in a balanced manner, regional condensation and evaporation problems arise. In this case, cost-effectiveness decreases due to the need for using a fan, etc. Therefore, a solution for the positioning and angle of the steam discharge is not available in the state of the art and some inefficient solutions are reached by trial and error.

[0004] Moreover, it is necessary to use the most sensitive data set and to monitor the physical changes such as temperature and humidity in the product by means of sensors in order to add the lost humidity to the crisper area and to optimize the humidification performance. The measurement of humidity and sensor values, which typically oscillate over time in the crisper, is of great importance in terms of staying within the ideal working conditions having certain upper and lower limits. Depending on the location and frequency of air flow and steam discharge in the crisper, the need for optimizing the sensor position and direction and minimize data clutter arises.

[0005] In the state of the art Chinese Patent Application No. CN105408712, a refrigerator is disclosed, wherein the humidifying device placed at the upper region of the crisper delivers steam into the crisper through an opening.

[0006] In the state of the art International Patent Application No. WO2015086433, a refrigerator is disclosed, comprising a steam generator having an atomizer positioned outside and adjacent to the crisper.

[0007] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a refrigerator which provides freshness with minimum loss in the crisper by preventing the humidity loss of the foodstuffs in the crisper.

[0008] The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the claims, comprises a body; a protective cover which is disposed in the body; a water reservoir; a drawer which is positioned under the protective cover, which is used for loading fruits and vegetables and which has a front wall, a rear wall and a first wall and a second wall which join the front and rear walls; a steam generator which is disposed in the drawer and which converts the water delivered from the water reservoir into steam to be delivered into the drawer as steam; at least one ambient sensor which is disposed in the body so as to detect the temperature and/or humidity level in the drawer; and a control unit which is disposed in the body and which adjusts the humidity level according to the data received from the ambient sensor. The steam generator is operated by the commands of the control unit according to the data of the ambient sensor disposed in the drawer used as crisper such that the water delivered from the water reservoir is delivered preferably to an atomizer and cold steam is delivered relative to the humidity level and temperature.

[0009] Moreover, the refrigerator comprises the steam generator which is disposed on the edge region where the rear wall and the first wall join and at a level at least half the height of the drawer from the base of the drawer so as to diagonally face the interior of the drawer. The edge region can be the common edge where the rear wall and the first wall join, and it is limited to the region on both the rear wall and the first wall, which is away from the common edge at a distance of % of the length of both the first wall and the rear wall. The length means the longest edge of the drawer walls in the horizontal axis while the height represents the edge thereof in the vertical axis with respect to the base. Taking into account the flow analyses carried out in the drawer, energy efficiency and minimum humidity loss are provided. Thus, the homogeneous distribution performance of the cold steam in the drawer is improved and the need for using a fan or distributor is eliminated. Moreover, ease of production for the rear region of the drawer is provided in terms of water delivery from the water reservoir to the steam generator, and flexibility is ensured by not limiting the use of the drawer by the user while loading/unloading.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator comprises the steam generator which is positioned with an angle between 30 and 60 degrees with respect to the first wall. The cold steam is delivered so as not to form a flow parallel to the air flow entering the drawer. Thus, the empirically ideal delivery angle is obtained and the homogeneous humidity distribution is improved.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator comprises a steam generator which is positioned at angle between 30 and 50 degrees with respect to the first wall if the ratio of the rear wall length to the first wall length is between 0.75 and 1, and positioned at an angle between 50 and 60 degrees with respect to the first wall if said ratio is below 0.75. Thus, the steam application angle is adapted to the dimensions of the crisper such that the most efficient humidity distribution is obtained.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator comprises the steam generator which is positioned so as to be at a level corresponding to 10/15 and 12/15 of the height of the drawer from the base of the drawer. Thus, any unwanted condensation on the base of the drawer or asymmetrical humidity distribution is prevented.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator comprises the ambient sensor which is positioned at a distance more than half of the length of the second wall with respect to the rear wall and at a distance more than half of the height of the height of the second wall with respect to the base of the drawer. Thus, instead of the rear area of the drawer, where humidity and temperature oscillations observed with the test results are high, a sensor location which prevents data scattering and provides more reliable results is obtained. Humidity distribution is also indirectly improved in terms of equal distribution. Moreover, considering the freezing and water flow problems observed on the rear wall of the refrigerator, the ease of production and use of said location increases.

[0014] In another embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator comprises the ambient sensor which is positioned so as to face the region formed between the steam delivery direction of the steam generator and the rear wall. By being positioned so as not to directly face the steam generator, the data scattering of the sensor is partially prevented.

[0015] 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 refrigerator.

Figure 2 - is the perspective view of the drawer.

Figure 3 - is the top view of the drawer.

[0016] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Refrigerator

2. Body

3. Protective cover

4. Water reservoir

5. Drawer

a. Front wall

b. Rear wall

c. First wall

d. Second wall

e. Edge region

6. Steam generator

7. Ambient sensor

8. Control unit

[0017] The refrigerator (1) comprises a body (2); a protective cover (3) which is disposed in the body (2); a water reservoir (4); a drawer (5) which is positioned under the protective cover (3), which is used for loading fruits and vegetables and which has a front wall (5.1), a rear wall (5.2) and a first wall (5.3) and a second wall (5.4) which join the front (5.1) and rear walls (5.2); a steam generator (6) which is disposed in the drawer (5) and which converts the water delivered from the water reservoir (4) into steam to be delivered into the drawer (5) as steam; at least one ambient sensor (7) which is disposed in the body (2) so as to detect the temperature and/or humidity level in the drawer (5); and a control unit (8) which is disposed in the body (2) and which adjusts the humidity level according to the data received from the ambient sensor (7). According to the operating principle, thanks to the cold air circulated in the body (2), the cooling air entering the drawer (5) through its walls or over the protective cover (3) has a low temperature, and it flows down over the rear wall (5.2) at a relatively high speed with a tendency to settle, and according to the test results, completes its circulation by following the path of the base of the drawer (5), the front wall (5.1) and the ceiling of the drawer (5), respectively. Therefore, the rear wall (5.2) and the base are defined as the coldest regions in the drawer (5). The steam generator (6) is operated by the commands of the control unit (8) according to the data of the ambient sensor (7) disposed in the drawer (5) generally used as crisper such that the water delivered from the water reservoir (4) is delivered preferably to an atomizer disposed in the steam generator (6) and cold steam is delivered relative to the humidity level and temperature.

[0018] Moreover, the refrigerator (1) comprises the steam generator (6) which is disposed on the edge region (5.5) where the rear wall (5.2) and the first wall (5.3) join and at a level at least half the height of the drawer (5) from the base of the drawer (5) so as to diagonally face the interior of the drawer (5). The cold water steam is injected into the drawer (5) parallel to the closest diagonal of the drawer (5). By means of said diagonal delivery of steam, excess humidity is added into the circulation in the drawer (5) without being discharged. The edge region (5.5) can be the common edge where the rear wall (5.2) and the first wall (5.3) join, and it is limited to the region on both the rear wall (5.2) and the first wall (5.3), which is away from the common edge at a distance of % of the length of both the first wall (5.3) and the rear wall (5.2). For example, for a first wall (5.3) and a rear wall (5.2) which are both 12 cm in length, the vicinity of the 3-cm region close to the common edge is defined as the side region (5.5). The length means the longest edge of the drawer (5) walls in the horizontal axis while the height represents the edge thereof in the vertical axis with respect to the base. The air typically enters the drawer (5) from over the rear wall (5.2) and the steam generator (6) is positioned on almost the same horizontal axis as the air inlet thanks to said configuration. Taking into account the flow analyses carried out in the drawer (5), energy efficiency and minimum humidity loss are provided by means of steam addition from over the side region (5.5) which is the region where the first wall (5.3) and the rear wall (5.5), which can be defined as side walls, join. Thus, the homogeneous distribution performance of the cold steam in the drawer (5) is improved, and production and cost advantage is provided without requiring any fan or distributor. Moreover, ease of production for the rear region of the drawer (5) is provided in terms of water delivery from the water reservoir (4) to the steam generator (6), and flexibility is ensured by not limiting the use of the drawer (5) by the user while loading/unloading.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises the steam generator (6) which is positioned with an angle between 30 and 60 degrees with respect to the first wall (5.3). The cold steam is delivered so as not to form a flow parallel to the air flow entering the drawer (5), and the cold air flow is indirectly used as an actuator for ensuring homogeneous distribution of humidity. For example, a completely symmetrical steam delivery can be designed by positioning the steam generator (6) at an angle of 45 degrees according to the geometry of the drawer (5). Thus, the empirically ideal delivery angle is obtained and the homogeneous humidity distribution is improved.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises the steam generator (6) which is positioned at angle between 30 and 50 degrees with respect to the first wall (5.3) if the ratio of the rear wall (5.2) length to the first wall (5.3) length is between 0.75 and 1, and positioned at an angle between 50 and 60 degrees with respect to the first wall (5.3) if said ratio is below 0.75. According to the experimental data, a steam delivery angle closer to the rear wall (5.2) is required as the form of the areas where humidity and temperature measurement is taken approaches a square, while the delivery angle is required to move away from the rear wall (5.2) as said form moves away from the square form. Thus, the steam application angle is adapted to the dimensions of the drawer (5) such that the most efficient humidity distribution is obtained.

[0021] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises the steam generator (6) which is positioned so as to be at a level corresponding to 10/15 and 12/15 of the height of the drawer (5) from the base of the drawer (5). In arrangements outside this range in the vertical axis, if the steam generator (6) is closer to the protective cover (3), the steam delivery causes an uneven humidity distribution by participating in the air flow, while if closer to the base of the drawer (5), it may combine with the relatively cold air on the base of the drawer (5) and cause condensation. Thus, any unwanted condensation on the base of the drawer (5) or asymmetrical humidity distribution is prevented.

[0022] In an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises the ambient sensor (7) which is positioned at a distance more than half of the length of the second wall (5.4) with respect to the rear wall (5.2) and at a distance more than half of the height of the height of the second wall (5.4) with respect to the base of the drawer (5). As a result of various measurements carried out at the center of the protective cover (3) and on the rear wall (5.2), the first (5.3) and the second wall (5.4) in the experimental studies, very rapid condensation occurs in the regions outside said region or the external environmental effects become dominant in data collection and cause interference in data. In order to provide stability, the results of the experiments and the estimates show that the ambient sensor (7) should not be positioned in the vicinity of the front (5.1) or rear wall (5.2) which serve as inlet and outlet of the drawer (5). Thus, instead of the rear area of the rear wall (5.2) of the drawer (5), where humidity and temperature oscillations observed with the test results are high, an ambient sensor (7) location which prevents data scattering and provides more reliable results is obtained. Humidity distribution is also indirectly improved in terms of equal distribution. Moreover, considering the freezing and water flow problems observed on the rear wall (5.2), the ease of production and use of said ambient sensor (7) location increases.

[0023] In another embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator (1) comprises the ambient sensor (7) which is positioned so as to face the region formed between the steam delivery direction of the steam generator (6) and the rear wall (5.4). In light of the results of the experiments carried out with a steam generator (6)-ambient sensor (7) structure where the front surfaces thereof do not face each other, sensor oscillations for an empty drawer (5) is determined as minimum ±0.25 °C and maximum ±0.5 °C in terms of temperature, and as minimum ±%10 and maximum ±%15 in terms of relative humidity, which is accepted as the safe operation range. By being positioned so as not to directly face the steam generator (6), the data scattering of the ambient sensor (7) is partially prevented.

[0024] Preferably, in order to ensure the coordinated operation of the ambient sensor (7) and the steam generator (6) and to minimize condensation, the response time of the ambient sensor (7) should be half of the steam delivery time of the steam generator (6). For example, if cold steam is delivered to the drawer (5) for 10 seconds, the ambient sensor (7) should collected data at 5-second intervals. Thus, an ideal dataset can be supplied to the control unit (8).

[0025] By means of the present invention, a refrigerator (1) is realized, where the homogeneous humidity distribution is improved by increasing the stability of the collected ideal position, humidity and temperature data in order to adding steam into the drawer (5) used as a crisper where especially the control of humidity and temperature is critical.

Claims

1. A refrigerator (1) comprising a body (2); a protective cover (3) which is disposed in the body (2); a water reservoir (4); a drawer (5) which is positioned under the protective cover (3), which is used for loading fruits and vegetables and which has a front wall (5.1), a rear wall (5.2) and a first wall (5.3) and a second wall (5.4) which join the front (5.1) and rear walls (5.2); a steam generator (6) which is disposed in the drawer (5) and which converts the water delivered from the water reservoir (4) into steam to be delivered into the drawer (5) as steam; at least one ambient sensor (7) which is disposed in the body (2) so as to detect the temperature and/or humidity level in the drawer (5); and a control unit (8) which is disposed in the body (2) and which adjusts the humidity level according to the data received from the ambient sensor (7), characterized by the steam generator (6) which is disposed on the edge region (5.5) where the rear wall (5.2) and the first wall (5.3) join and at a level at least half the height of the drawer (5) from the base of the drawer (5) so as to diagonally face the interior of the drawer (5).

2. A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the steam generator (6) which is positioned with an angle between 30 and 60 degrees with respect to the first wall (5.3).

3. A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the steam generator (6) which is positioned at angle between 30 and 50 degrees with respect to the first wall (5.3) if the ratio of the rear wall (5.2) length to the first wall (5.3) length is between 0.75 and 1, and positioned at an angle between 50 and 60 degrees with respect to the first wall (5.3) if said ratio is below 0.75.

4. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the steam generator (6) which is positioned so as to be at a level corresponding to 10/15 and 12/15 of the height of the drawer (5) from the base of the drawer (5).

5. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the ambient sensor (7) which is positioned at a distance more than half of the length of the second wall (5.4) with respect to the rear wall (5.2) and at a distance more than half of the height of the height of the second wall (5.4) with respect to the base of the drawer (5).

6. A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the ambient sensor (7) which is positioned so as to face the region formed between the steam delivery direction of the steam generator (6) and the rear wall (5.4).

Drawing