U.S. patent application number 10/228894 was filed with the patent office on 2003-03-06 for refrigeration appliance with vacuum insulation.
Invention is credited to Casoli, Fiorenzo, Martinella, Luigi, Picozzi, Andrea, Piloni, Mauro.
Application Number | 20030041612 10/228894 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 11448336 |
Filed Date | 2003-03-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030041612 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Piloni, Mauro ; et
al. |
March 6, 2003 |
Refrigeration appliance with vacuum insulation
Abstract
A domestic refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator,
freezer or the like, comprising a door and with vacuum heat
insulation interposed between a substantially vacuum-tight inner
shell and a substantially vacuum-tight outer shell; the two shells
are joined together vacuum-tight on that side towards the door by
means of a flange-like extension provided on one of said shells and
welded vacuum-tight to the other shell.
Inventors: |
Piloni, Mauro; (Travedona,
IT) ; Martinella, Luigi; (Ghiffa, IT) ;
Casoli, Fiorenzo; (Vergiate, IT) ; Picozzi,
Andrea; (Rovello Porro, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WHIRLPOOL PATENTS COMPANY - MD 0750
500 RENAISSANCE DRIVE - SUITE 102
ST. JOSEPH
MI
49085
US
|
Family ID: |
11448336 |
Appl. No.: |
10/228894 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/277 ; 312/401;
312/406; 62/440 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02B 40/00 20130101;
F25D 23/062 20130101; F25D 2201/1262 20130101; F25D 21/04 20130101;
Y02B 40/34 20130101; F25D 2201/14 20130101; F25D 2400/40 20130101;
F16L 59/065 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/277 ; 62/440;
312/401; 312/406 |
International
Class: |
F25B 047/00; A47B
096/04; F25D 011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 6, 2001 |
IT |
MI2001A001868 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A domestic refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator,
freezer or the like, comprising a door and with vacuum heat
insulation interposed between a substantially vacuum-tight inner
shell and a substantially vacuum-tight outer shell, wherein the two
shells are joined together vacuum-tight on that side towards the
door by means of a flange-like extension provided on one of said
shells and welded vacuum-tight to the other shell.
2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange-like
extension is present on the inner shell.
3. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange-like
extension is present on the outer extension.
4. An appliance as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flange-like
extension presents a first portion bent towards the heat insulation
and an end portion adhering to and welded to the other shell.
5. An appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein a cover is provided
removably connected, on the side towards the door, to the two
shells, said cover defining with the flange-like extension at least
one channel.
6. An appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein a hot loop extends
within the channel.
7. An appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein the channel is
connected to the condenser of the appliance refrigeration
circuit.
8. An appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein several channels are
provided for the hot loop, for the magnetic strip and for electric
cables respectively.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance,
such as a refrigerator, freezer or the like, provided with vacuum
insulation, of the type conforming to the introduction to the
accompanying main claim.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In known refrigeration appliances provided with vacuum
insulation positioned between a vacuum-tight inner shell and a
vacuum-tight outer shell, the two shells are joined together along
their front contour (i.e. on that side containing the appliance
door) by profile bars which are generally formed of several
sections joined to each other and to the shells by welding. An
example of such an appliance is described in U.S. Pat. No.
6,053,594.
[0005] This known refrigeration appliance uses a multiplicity of
sections (forming the profile bar) to be fixed between two shells,
and support elements for these sections, these elements having
themselves to be fixed to the two shells.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The main object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator, freezer or the
like, comprising inner and outer shells and vacuum insulation
interposed between these shells, which is of simpler constructions
as it does not require the use of profile connection bars between
the shells to form the necessary vacuum seal for the
insulation.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigeration appliance of the stated type offering the further
advantage of simplifying and improving the allocation of functional
elements, such as the anti-condensation means, electric cables,
permanent magnet strips (for door closure) and the like.
[0008] These and further objects which will be more apparent from
the ensuing detailed description are attained by a refrigeration
appliance in accordance with the technical teachings of the
accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The invention will be better understood from the detailed
description of preferred embodiments thereof given hereinafter by
way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical section through a first
embodiment of a refrigeration appliance according to the
invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a section through a detail of the embodiment of
FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a section (similar to that of FIG. 2) through a
variant of the invention; and
[0013] FIG. 4 is a section (also similar to that of FIG. 2) through
another embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] In the figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates the casing
of a domestic refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator,
freezer or the like. The casing 1 comprises a preservation
compartment 2 bounded by a vacuum-tight continuous inner shell, for
example of plastic material, obtained by vacuum forming. The inner
shell can also be made of sheet metal. The casing 1 is bounded
externally by a vacuum-tight continuous outer shell 4, spaced from
the inner shell 3 and defining therewith an interspace occupied by
heat insulating material 5 subjected to vacuum, for example
open-cell polyurethane or polystyrene foam. A door P closes the
preservation compartment 2.
[0015] According to a first embodiment of the invention, shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2, to achieve the frontal (i.e. towards the door)
vacuum-tight closure of the interspace occupied by the
heat-insulating material 5, the inner shell 3 is bounded
peripherally and frontally by a flange-like extension 6 extending
towards the outer shell 4 and having its free end welded (by laser
or microplasma welding) to the end of the outer shell.
Advantageously, the flange-like extension 6 is bent through a given
angle towards the interspace occupied by the insulating material
and terminates with an end 6K bent in the opposite direction
parallel to that end of the outer shell 4 to which it is welded
(FIGS. 1 and 2). By applying frontally, for example by slight
forcing, a removable outer cover 7, for example of plastic or
metal, a channel 8 is obtained between the cover and the
flange-like extension 6 to be used to convey hot air originating
from the condenser of the appliance refrigeration circuit, this
condenser being positioned in the low part of the appliance. The
hot air prevents condensation on the door side, enabling the
so-called "hot loop" (shown by dashed and dotted lines and
indicated by the reference numeral 9 in FIG. 2) to be fed.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, in which parts equal or corresponding to
those of the preceding figures are indicated by the same reference
numerals plus an apostrophe, the channel 8 can be used for the
passage of electric cables 10, probes or the conventional hot loop,
with an improvement in accessibility of everything relating to the
repairability of the appliance.
[0017] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the flange-like extension, here
indicated by 6A, is an integral part of the outer shell 4A (which
in this case is of pressure-moulded plastic) and extends towards
the inner shell 3A to which it is welded vacuum-tight at its end.
The flange-like extension 6A comprises a seat 11 for a conventional
magnetic strip 11A used to maintain the appliance door closed, and
frontally open channels 12 and 13 in which to locate the hot loop
10A and electric cables 10B respectively. A removable plastic or
metal cover 7A is again used in this embodiment.
[0018] As is apparent from the aforegoing description, according to
the invention one of the component shells (the outer or the inner)
of the refrigeration appliance has in correspondence with its front
side (i.e. that towards the door) a shape such as to lie in
intimate or close contact with the other shell to determine between
the two shells a vacuum-tight weld which enables the vacuum within
the insulating material to be maintained. The cover 7, 7A, which
can be of plastic or metal, is suitably shaped to satisfy both
aesthetic and functional requirements.
[0019] The proposed solution of the invention enables the hot loop,
if used, to be positioned in the optimum position limiting the flow
of heat towards the interior of the refrigeration appliance and
instead favouring its conduction towards the outside where
condensation phenomena occur.
[0020] The proposed solution of the invention also enables the hot
loop to be dispensed with by using the channel 8 (FIG. 2) to convey
hot air taken from the underlying condenser of the refrigeration
circuit of the refrigeration appliance and circulating totally
about the cover to perform the function of the hot loop, i.e. to
prevent condensate formation.
* * * * *