U.S. patent application number 16/250400 was filed with the patent office on 2019-08-22 for wall-mounted refrigerator and peltier effect cooling system.
The applicant listed for this patent is LES ENTREPRISES ZERONEXT INC.. Invention is credited to Christian-Yves COTE, Gregory Allan Thomas HALL, Claude PINET.
Application Number | 20190257556 16/250400 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60991776 |
Filed Date | 2019-08-22 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190257556 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PINET; Claude ; et
al. |
August 22, 2019 |
WALL-MOUNTED REFRIGERATOR AND PELTIER EFFECT COOLING SYSTEM
Abstract
A refrigerator is wall-mounted. The refrigerator has a frame
with an insulated compartment supporting a plurality of shelves, a
front panel covering the frame and having at least one window for
displaying refrigerated articles supported by the shelves, at least
one door to access the articles supported by the shelves, a cooling
unit, an air recirculation system having a warm air collector for
collecting warm air and having a warm air channel for directing air
through the cooling unit to provide cooled air, at least one fan,
and a cold air channel for directing the cooled air back into the
compartment and a mounting for anchoring the refrigerator with
respect to a wall. The thermal efficiency of the refrigerator may
be enhanced as described herein.
Inventors: |
PINET; Claude; (US) ;
COTE; Christian-Yves; (Montreal, CA) ; HALL; Gregory
Allan Thomas; (Guelph, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LES ENTREPRISES ZERONEXT INC. |
Montreal |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
60991776 |
Appl. No.: |
16/250400 |
Filed: |
January 17, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/CA2017/050846 |
Jul 12, 2017 |
|
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16250400 |
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62363768 |
Jul 18, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 3/0434 20130101;
A47F 7/28 20130101; F25D 2700/12 20130101; F25B 21/02 20130101;
F25B 2321/023 20130101; A47F 7/283 20130101; A47F 3/001 20130101;
F25D 2700/02 20130101; A47F 3/0408 20130101; F25D 17/04 20130101;
F25D 23/10 20130101; F25D 25/02 20130101; F25D 2700/14 20130101;
A47F 3/0417 20130101; A47B 73/00 20130101; F25D 2317/062 20130101;
F25D 2317/0655 20130101; F25D 31/007 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25B 21/02 20060101
F25B021/02; F25D 17/04 20060101 F25D017/04; F25D 23/10 20060101
F25D023/10; F25D 25/02 20060101 F25D025/02; F25D 31/00 20060101
F25D031/00; A47F 3/04 20060101 A47F003/04; A47F 7/28 20060101
A47F007/28 |
Claims
1. A wall-mounted refrigerator comprising: a frame having an
insulated compartment comprising a plurality of shelves; a front
panel covering said frame and having at least one window for
displaying refrigerated articles supported by said shelves; at
least one door to access said articles supported by said shelves; a
cooling unit; an air recirculation system having a warm air
collector for collecting warm air and having a warm air channel for
directing air through said cooling unit to provide cooled air, at
least one fan, and a cold air channel for directing said cooled air
back into said compartment; a mounting for anchoring said
refrigerator with respect to a wall; and wherein a thermal
efficiency of said refrigerator is enhanced by at least one of:
said shelves comprising staggered shelves having a bottle-support
surface for supporting sides of horizontally disposed bottles, said
shelves extending partly across said compartment leaving a central
portion of said compartment free of any shelves so that in use
necks of bottles can be nested within said compartment, said warm
air collector being located at a central top portion of said
compartment and said cold air channel comprising two channels
located at the vertical lateral sides of said compartment, said two
channels having openings for directing cold air inwardly towards
said shelves for cooling bottles on said shelves; said at least one
door being mounted at a side of said compartment to access said
shelves from a side, said door incorporating an air channel; said
window comprising at least two panes having an outer pane forming
said front panel beyond said window; and said cooling unit
comprising a thermoelectric cooling unit arranged above said
compartment within said frame and having a lower cold air heat
exchanger and an upper hot air heat exchanger discharging heated
air above said refrigerator, said warm air collector being located
at a top of said compartment in direct communication with said
lower cold air heat exchanger.
2. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, wherein said staggered
shelves have a conformed bottle-support surface for supporting
sides of horizontally disposed bottles.
3. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, wherein said channels
located at the vertical lateral sides of said compartment are
joined to the rear of said frame.
4. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, wherein said channel
incorporated into said side door is said cold air channel.
5. The refrigerator as defined in claim 4, wherein said openings of
said cold air channel allow for more cold air to be released into
said insulated compartment from said cold air channel closer to the
middle of said cold air channel than closer to the extremities of
said cold air channel.
6. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, wherein said shelves
comprise staggered shelves having a conformed bottle-support
surface for supporting sides of horizontally disposed bottles, said
shelves extending partly across said compartment leaving a central
portion of said compartment free of any shelves so that in use
necks of bottles can be nested within said compartment, said warm
air collector being located at a central top portion of said
compartment and said cold air channel comprising two channels
located at the vertical lateral sides of said compartment, said two
channels having openings for directing cold air inwardly towards
said shelves for cooling bottles on said shelves, and said at least
one door comprises two side doors mounted at each side of said
compartment to access said shelves from each side, said side doors
incorporating said two channels.
7. The refrigerator as defined in claim 6, wherein said cooling
unit comprises a thermoelectric cooling unit arranged above said
compartment within said frame and having a lower cold air heat
exchanger and an upper hot air heat exchanger discharging heated
air above said refrigerator, said warm air collector being located
at a top of said compartment in direct communication with said
lower cold air heat exchanger, and said two channels having, at
their top, a channel coupling to said lower cold air heat exchanger
cooled air output.
8. The refrigerator as defined in claim 7, wherein said
thermoelectric cooling unit comprises: a thermoelectric element
having a lower cold side and an upper hot side; a heat sink coupled
to said upper hot side, said heat sink including a sealed chamber
with a working fluid for dissipating heat generated from said hot
side of the thermoelectric element to heat discharge fins disposed
above said upper hot side; an ambient air duct and fan arranged to
blow ambient air across said heat discharge fins; a cooling plate
shaped into at least one truncated pyramid coupled at a pyramid top
side to said lower cold side of said thermoelectric element; and
cooling fins extending downwardly from said cooling plate at a
pyramid base bottom side.
9. The refrigerator as defined in claim 8, wherein said
thermoelectric cooling unit comprises between 3 and 7 of said
thermoelectric elements each associated with a corresponding said
heat sink and said truncated pyramid.
10. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, wherein said window
comprises a dual or triple pane window having an outer pane forming
said front panel beyond said window.
11. The refrigerator as defined in claim 10, wherein said window is
a triple pane single window with low emissivity glass, having a
space between panes filled with an inert gas.
12. The refrigerator as defined in claim 11, wherein said gas is
composed of one of krypton, argon and a combination thereof.
13. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, further comprising a
light source in said compartment for illuminating articles
supported by said shelves.
14. The refrigerator as defined in claim 13, further comprising a
sensor for detecting presence of a person in front of said
refrigerator to control a switch to turn on said light source.
15. The refrigeration as defined in claim 14, wherein said sensor
for detecting presence of a person is a microwave sensor.
16. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, further comprising an
insolation sensor for detecting an intensity of light incident into
said compartment and a user warning and/or event logging module
responsive to said insolation sensor.
17. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, further comprising an
interior temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in said
compartment and a user warning and/or event logging module
responsive to said interior sensor for providing information about
a temperature of said compartment over time.
18. The refrigerator as defined in claim 17, further comprising an
exterior temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature,
wherein said user warning and/or event logging module is further
responsive to said exterior temperature sensor to provide an
indication as to a cause for failure to maintain a temperature of
said compartment due to an unacceptable rise in ambient
temperature.
19. The refrigerator as defined in claim 1, further comprising a
sheet neighboring at least a part of said cooling unit and
configured to prevent water condensed due to said cooling unit's
cooling effect from accumulating in said insulated compartment.
20. The refrigerator as defined in claim 19, wherein said sheet is
a geotextile material.
Description
[0001] The present application claims priority of the U.S.
provisional application 62/363,768 filed on Jul. 18, 2016.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present application relates to wall-mounted and/or
floor-mounted refrigerators, mounting supports and installation
supports thereof, and Peltier effect cooling systems.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Many traditional refrigerated wine cellars often store wine
bottles with the cork or the base facing outward, in some cases
with each bottle hidden in a hollow casing, only revealing the
outwardly protruding head or base, each bottle layered one on top
of the other and/or one side by side. However, this arrangement
does not allow a consumer to view the labels of the bottles without
pulling out each bottle. This arrangement makes it therefore more
difficult to locate a desired name, vintage, blend or batch.
[0004] Furthermore, refrigeration units, such as those used to
regulate a wine refrigeration or temperature regulation unit, may
be cumbersome and clunky due to their large size. This large size
may be attributed to, for example, the cooling units found within
the refrigerator, where a large compressor for compression
refrigeration is a cooling system often used to achieve the desired
lowering in temperature. Moreover, the refrigerant used in the
compression refrigeration system, once heated as it undergoes a
phase change (evaporates: from liquid to gas) requires that it be
cooled down (condense: from gas back to liquid) so it may repeat
the refrigeration cycle, also requires more space, as the heat is
often dissipated outside of the refrigerator.
[0005] Registered Community Design number 002552570-0001 registered
on 7 Oct. 2014 by OHIM shows a wine refrigerator in which bottles
are stored on two columns of shelves with the bottles arranged
horizontally on the shelves to have their cork ends staggered and
nested. The storage of bottles is only one bottle width deep and
less than two bottle lengths wide. Such a refrigerator offers the
advantage of displaying bottle labels through a front window, and
of being of small footprint. A pleasant presentation of wine
bottles can be provided in a home or commercial dining room.
However, such a refrigerator has the design disadvantage that the
surface area of the refrigerated compartment to total volume is
larger than for the above-described wine refrigerators which are at
least bottle-height deep and more cubic in dimensions. It also has
the disadvantage that little room is left for a traditional
refrigeration compressor.
[0006] The present invention addresses the problems described
above.
SUMMARY
[0007] One of the less bulky options of cooling systems for a
refrigerator, such as a wine refrigeration unit, is a Peltier
effect cooling system. This cooling system is far less cumbersome
and bulky, as it does not function using compression refrigeration
or require the cooling of a large quantity of refrigerant. Instead,
the Peltier cooling system functions using a thermoelectric element
composed of two semi-conductors forming p-n junctions. One of these
semi-conductors may be p-doped while the other may be n-doped. Once
an electric current passes through the thermoelectric element, one
side of the thermoelectric element cools off while the other heats
up. The cold side of the thermoelectric element is used to cool off
a given system where heat accumulating on the hot side of the
thermoelectric element is dissipated using, for example, a heat
sink, where the heat is evacuated. However, the Peltier effect
cooling system has certain limitations, such as those resulting
from the small size and properties of the thermoelectric element,
thus posing a challenge when the system is to cool or maintain the
temperature of, for example, a large volume of air found in, for
example, a large compartment.
[0008] Applicant has discovered that a truncated pyramid-shaped
cooling plate may be used to enhance the cooling power of the
thermoelectric element by increasing the heat transfer between the
cooling plate and the cold side of the thermoelectric element while
acting as a divide and improving the insulation between the
refrigerated compartment and the portion of the refrigerator
circulating the warmed or warmer air.
[0009] Applicant has also found that a convection system may be
used to effectively circulate cooled air through a refrigerated
compartment, where the cooled air circulates through channels
incorporated into the refrigerator's side doors, these channels
possessing openings for allowing the cooled air to be distributed
along the length of the refrigerated compartment, while reducing
mixing between the warm and cooled air.
[0010] In accordance with one broad aspect of some embodiments,
there is provided a wall-mounted refrigerator having a frame with
an insulated compartment comprising a plurality of shelves, a front
panel covering the frame and having at least one window for
displaying refrigerated articles supported by the shelves. The
refrigerator also has at least one door to access the articles
supported by the shelves and a cooling unit. Furthermore, the
refrigerator has an air recirculation system having a warm air
collector for collecting warm air and having a warm air channel for
directing air through the cooling unit to provide cooled air, at
least one fan, and a cold air channel for directing the cooled air
back into the compartment. The openings of the cold air channel may
allow for more cold air to be released into the insulated
compartment near the middle of the cold air channel than towards
the extremities of the cold air channel. The refrigerator also has
a mounting for anchoring the refrigerator with respect to a wall.
The thermal efficiency of the refrigerator is enhanced by at least
one of the following. First, the shelves have staggered shelves
with a conformed bottle-support surface for supporting sides of
horizontally disposed bottles, where the shelves extend partly
across the compartment leaving a central portion of the compartment
free of any shelves so that in use necks of bottles can be nested
within the compartment. The warm air collector is located at a
central top portion of the compartment and the cold air channel
with two channels is located at the vertical lateral sides of the
compartment. The two channels have openings for directing cold air
inwardly towards the shelves for cooling bottles on the shelves.
Second, the at least one door is mounted at a side of the
compartment to access the shelves from a side, the door
incorporating an air channel. Third, the window with a dual or
triple pane window has an outer pane forming the front panel beyond
the window. Fourth, the cooling unit has a thermoelectric cooling
unit arranged above the compartment within the frame and has a
lower cold air heat exchanger and an upper hot air heat exchanger
discharging heated air above the refrigerator, the warm air
collector being located at a top of the compartment in direct
communication with the lower cold air heat exchanger.
[0011] Another broad aspect of some embodiments is a refrigerator
where the cooling is performed by a cooling liquid or refrigerant,
such as water, where the heat dissipation from the cooling liquid
or refrigerant is conducted by an external cooling system, located
outside of the refrigerator. The cooling liquid absorbs the heat
from the warmed air and dissipates the heat externally. In some
embodiments, the external cooling system may have a compressor
and/or a condenser.
[0012] The window of the refrigerator may be a dual or triple pane
window. The number of panes may also be superior to three. There
may also be an outer pane forming the front panel beyond the
window. The window may be a triple pane single window with low
emissivity glass. There may be a space between panes filled with an
inert gas. The gas may be composed of one of krypton, argon or a
combination thereof.
[0013] The refrigerator may also have a light source in the
refrigerator's compartment for illuminating articles supported by
the refrigerator's shelves in the compartment. The refrigerator may
also have a sensor for detecting the presence of a person in front
of the refrigerator to control a switch to turn on the light
source. The sensor for detecting the presence of a person may be a
microwave sensor.
[0014] The refrigerator may also have a fault detection device. As
such, the refrigerator may have an insolation sensor for detecting
an intensity of light incident into the refrigerator's compartment
and a user warning and/or event logging module responsive to the
insolation sensor. The refrigerator may also have an interior
temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in the compartment
and a user warning and/or event logging module responsive to the
interior sensor for providing information about a temperature of
the compartment over time. Moreover, the refrigerator may have an
exterior temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature.
The user warning and/or event logging module is further responsive
to the exterior temperature sensor to provide an indication as to a
cause for failure to maintain a temperature of the compartment due
to an unacceptable rise in ambient temperature.
[0015] In some embodiments, the refrigerator may have a sheet
neighboring at least a part of the cooling unit and configured to
prevent water condensed due to the cooling unit's cooling effect
from accumulating in the insulated compartment. The sheet may be a
geotextile material.
[0016] Another broad aspect of some embodiments is a floor-mounted
refrigerator. The floor-mounted refrigerator is anchored to the
floor using an anchoring foot. The floor-mounted refrigerator may
have at least one window display located on at least one face of
the refrigerator. The refrigerator may have at least two window
displays, where at least one of the at least two window displays is
located on either face of the refrigerator.
[0017] Another broad aspect of some embodiments is a thermoelectric
cooling unit which has a thermoelectric element with a lower cold
side and an upper hot side. The cooling unit also has a heat sink
coupled to the upper hot side, the heat sink including a sealed
chamber with a working fluid for dissipating heat generated from
the hot side of the thermoelectric element to heat discharge fins
disposed above the upper hot side. Furthermore, the cooling unit
includes an ambient air duct and fan arranged to blow ambient air
across the heat discharge fins. Also, the cooling unit has a
cooling plate shaped into at least one truncated pyramid coupled at
a pyramid top side to the lower cold side of the thermoelectric
element. Moreover, the cooling unit has cooling fins extending
downwardly from the cooling plate at a pyramid base bottom
side.
[0018] The cooling unit may have between three to seven
thermoelectric elements, where each of these elements is associated
with a heat sink and a truncated pyramid of a cooling plate.
[0019] Another broad aspect of some embodiments is a support device
for a wall-mounted refrigerator. The support device has track
brackets mounted to a wall for receiving a set of guides
incorporated to the rear of the wall-mounted refrigerator. Once the
guides are slid into the track brackets, the track brackets prevent
movement of the refrigerator along two of three of axes x, y and z,
wherein the refrigerator may still move vertically along the wall.
The support device also has pedestal support with an adjustable
height for receiving the vertical weight of the refrigerator. The
pedestal support may have a cavity for receiving a cable of the
refrigerator.
[0020] Another broad aspect of some embodiments is a lateral door
of a refrigerator running along the length of the refrigerated
compartment refrigerator. The lateral door has a channel for
passing air cooled by a cooling unit of the refrigerator and for
coupling to a channel of the cooling unit. The lateral door's
channel has openings for distributing air along the length the
refrigerated compartment. The air distributed in this channel may
be cooled air. Alternatively, the air distributed in this channel
may be warmed air.
[0021] Another broad aspect of some embodiments is a temporary
installation device for a wall-mounted refrigerator. The temporary
installation device has two feet, each foot having a receiving
means for receiving a lateral portion of the refrigerator's base
and stabilizing the vertically-positioned refrigerator. The feet
also have a rail for receiving the refrigerator and for allowing
the refrigerator to glide along the rail for positioning of the
refrigerator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0022] The invention will be better understood by way of the
following detailed description of embodiments of the invention with
reference to the appended drawings, in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a wall-mounted or floor-mounted
refrigerator having a shallow depth and one or more display windows
for displaying cooled items.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a side oblique view of the upper part of a
wall-mounted or floor-mounted refrigerator have a shallow depth and
one or more display windows for displaying cooled items.
[0025] FIG. 3A is a flowchart diagram of a set of steps of an
exemplary flow of air in a wall-mounted or floor mounted
refrigerator.
[0026] FIG. 3B is a flowchart diagram of an exemplary set of steps
of an alternative exemplary flow of air in a wall-mounted or floor
mounted refrigerator.
[0027] FIG. 4A is a front view of an exemplary Peltier effect
thermoelectric cooling device.
[0028] FIG. 4B is as side view of an exemplary Peltier effect
thermoelectric cooling device.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a top-down view of an exemplary cooling plate of a
Peltier effect thermoelectric cooling system.
[0030] FIG. 6A is a side-oblique view of an exemplary display of a
wall-mounted or floor-mounted refrigerator.
[0031] FIG. 6B is an oblique back view of an exemplary display of a
wall-mounted or floor-mounted refrigerator.
[0032] FIG. 7 is an oblique view of another exemplary display of a
wall-mounted or floor-mounted refrigerator.
[0033] FIG. 8A is a side view of an exemplary plurality of shelves
of an exemplary refrigerator.
[0034] FIG. 8B is a front view of an exemplary plurality of shelves
of an exemplary refrigerator.
[0035] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary fault
detection system of an exemplary refrigerator.
[0036] FIG. 10 is an oblique view of exemplary installation
supports used to install an exemplary wall-mounted or floor-mounted
refrigerator.
[0037] FIG. 11 is an oblique bottom-back view of an exemplary
refrigerator.
[0038] FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary
Peltier effect thermoelectric cooling device.
[0039] FIG. 13 is a front-side perspective view of a portion of an
exemplary refrigerator with an exemplary air channel having
openings that are not equally spaced apart.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] A first aspect of the present embodiment relates to a
wall-mounted or floor mounted refrigerator having a shallow depth
and one or more display windows for displaying cooled items. The
appearance of such a refrigerator is known from Registered
Community Design number 002552570-0001 registered on Jul. 10, 2014
by OHIM. In a preferred embodiment, the refrigerator is a
refrigerated wine cellar, but may also be a refrigeration unit for
any kind of bottled or canned beverages, such as, for example,
soft-drinks, sparkling wine and beer, or desserts, such as fruit,
slices of pies, etc.
[0041] Reference is now made to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an
exemplary embodiment of a wall-mounted or floor-mounted
refrigerator 100. The refrigerator 100 includes a display area 110
for showing the contents of the refrigerator 100 on a first panel
of the refrigerator 100. The display area 110 may comprise a full
transparent window. In some embodiments, only portions of the
display area 110 may be transparent, for example, where these
portions are for showing labels of bottles cooled in the
refrigerator 100. This can help improve insulation of the
refrigerator since the non-window portions of the area 110 can
provide for better insulating. The display area 110 may be made of,
for example, glass or acrylic. In an alternative embodiment, where
the refrigerator is mounted to the floor on, for example, a large
pedestal to prevent the refrigerator from collapsing either
forwards or backwards, the refrigerator may have a dual display
window, one display window on either face or panel of the
refrigerator where the refrigerated items are visible from either
side of the refrigerator, such as from the front and the back.
[0042] The refrigerator 100 also comprises a cooling unit 140. In a
preferred embodiment, the cooling unit 140 is located at the top of
the refrigerator 100 to help with exhausting warm air, although the
cooling unit 140 can be arranged at other locations within the
refrigerator 100. The cooling unit 140 may be a Peltier effect
cooling apparatus as further described below, a conventional
compressor-based refrigeration unit, or a replaceable latent heat
storage module.
[0043] The refrigerator 100 also comprises one or two side doors
120 on either side of the refrigerator 100. In FIG. 1, these side
doors 120 are shown open. In a preferred embodiment, the side doors
120 open laterally away from the refrigerator 100 towards the rear
of the refrigerator 100, using, for example, a hinge mechanism.
Alternatively, in other embodiments, the side doors 120 may open in
other ways such as by sliding open, using, for example, a set of
rails. The side doors 120 can each comprise a cold air channel 130
for passing cold air and distributing the cold air along the length
of the refrigerator 100 through openings found along the channel
130. In a preferred embodiment, these openings are vents. In other
embodiments, the openings can be, for example, perforations, small
holes or a grid. At an open top portion of the channel 130, when
the door 120 is closed, a cold air channel 132 from cooling unit
140 is coupled. In the arrangement of FIG. 2, this cold air
coupling is done from a top of the channel 130, however, it could
also be a coupling from a side port into a top of channel 130.
Gasket seals are optional for this coupling. However, the gasket
seals may improve coupling efficiency.
[0044] The depth 150 of the refrigerator 100 may be inferior to the
width 151 of the refrigerator 100. The width 151 may be
sufficiently large to contain bottled wine, for example when the
bottles are lying on one side, where the head and the base of each
bottle point either towards or away from each of the doors 120. In
this example, the side doors 120 may be slender in order to match
the depth 150 of the refrigerator 100. The slender side doors 120
allow for minimal cooled air to mix with the warmer ambient air
when a side door 120 is opened in order to, for example, remove or
add a refrigerated item.
[0045] Reference is now made to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a close-up of
an exemplary side door 120 that is opened laterally. Each of side
doors 120 may have a cold air channel 130 for channeling the air
cooled by the cooling unit 140. Each of the channels 130 may have a
series of openings 135 along the channel 130 for passing the cooled
air as described above. The cooled air may be distributed along the
channel 130 through the openings 135 in order to cool the entirety
of the refrigerated space containing the refrigerator items. FIG. 2
also shows a plurality of shelves 136 which are used to support the
refrigerated items, such as bottled wine. The plurality of shelves
136 also create a channel, guiding the cooled air to a central
opening 137 as the air gradually warms. The central opening 137 may
be formed by the plurality of shelves 136, located between two
pluralities of shelves 136 (which may also be described as the two
shelve racks 136), as shown in FIG. 2. The central opening 137 may
be a space allowing the warmed air to rise back up by convection to
the cooling system 140 for cooling. This air circulation system,
where the cool air descends in the channels and then rises at the
central opening 137 of the refrigerator 100, reduces the mixing of
the warmed air with the cooled air by separating both and increases
the efficiency of the cooling process. In an alternative
embodiment, the refrigerator 100 may optionally not have a central
opening 137 where, for example, the plurality of shelves is not
divided in two in the middle but forms instead one continuous rack
of shelves. In this exemplary embodiment, the hot air may instead
rise, for example, at the front and/or the back of the compartment
of the refrigerator 100, where the refrigerator 100 is configured
in such a way as to limit the mixing of the cooled and warm air
(such as through the use of channels 130). In another alternative
embodiment, the lateral cold air channels 130 may not be
incorporated to the side doors 120 but are joined to, for example,
the rear of the refrigerator, the channels 130 placed in such a way
as not to hinder access to the refrigerated items when the side
doors of the refrigerator are opened.
[0046] Reference is now made to FIG. 13, illustrating an exemplary
channel 130 of a refrigerator 100 having openings 135 that are not
equally spaced apart. In some embodiments, the pathway taken by the
air in the refrigerator 100 as it transitions from cold to warm,
and warm to cold, may leave certain of the items stored in the
refrigerator 100 to be warmer than others depending on their
position in the storage compartment of the refrigerator 100. In
order to compensate for this temperature difference of the
refrigerated items, the amount of cold air released through the
openings 135 may vary as a function of where it has been observed
that the refrigerated items may be warmer (e.g. more cold air
released where items tend to be warmer, and less cold air where the
items tend to be cooler). The amount of cold air released may be
controlled, for instance, by varying the spacing of the openings
135 as shown in FIG. 13, where less space or separation between the
openings leads to a greater concentration of openings in a given
area and the release of more cold air from the channel 130. The
amount of cold air released may also be controlled by, for example,
varying the width of the openings 135 (e.g. a larger opening
releases more cold air), where larger openings are present where
the items tend to get warmer. For example, it has been discovered
that, in some examples, refrigerated items stored in the middle of
the refrigerator 100 tend to be warmer than those stored at either
the top or bottom of the refrigerator 100. In these examples, an
air channel 130 where the openings 135 allow for a greater release
of cold air towards the middle (e.g. the openings 135 are less
separated towards the middle of the channel), and less at the
vertical extremities of the channel 130, may compensate and balance
the temperature differential that may be observed between the
refrigerated items positioned at different locations in the
refrigerator 100.
[0047] The refrigerator 100 may also have air filters to prevent
the accumulation of particulates on different components of the
refrigerator 100, such as the cooling fins 143 and heat dissipation
fins. The air filters may provide a barrier at different air
passage ways, such as positioned somewhere along the air intake
located at the back of the refrigerator 100 for taking in ambient
air, at the ambient air import before the ambient air is fanned
through the heat dissipating fins, and/or between the refrigeration
compartment and the cooling unit 140, such as with the positioning
of air filter 137.
[0048] Reference is made to FIG. 11, illustrating the bottom-back
portion of an exemplary refrigerator 100. The air intake may be
located at the back of the refrigerator 100, where the air may
enter from the bottom-back of the refrigerator 100, such as through
openings 125 and flow up through the channel 176. The back of the
refrigerator 100 may also have an opening for providing a cable to
be connected to a power source, such as the opening 124.
[0049] In an alternative embodiment, the cooling of the warmed air
of the refrigerator may be performed by a cooling liquid or
refrigerant, such as water, where the heat dissipation from the
cooling liquid or refrigerant may be conducted by an external
cooling system, the heat sink located outside of the refrigerator.
In this embodiment, the cooling liquid absorbs the heat from the
warmed air and dissipates the heat externally. There may be a
channel, such as a tube or cable, running between the refrigerator
and the cooling system for carrying the warmed cooling liquid or
refrigerant to the cooling system and returning the now cooled
liquid or refrigerant back to the refrigerator. In some
embodiments, but not limited to these, when the cooling is
performed by compression refrigeration, the refrigerant may undergo
phase shifts as it absorbs (from liquid to gas) and then dissipates
(from gas back to liquid) the heat. The cooling system may have a
compressor for compressing the heated gas into, for example, a
superheated vapor. The cooling system may also include a condenser
for condensing the superheated vapor or heated gas back into a
liquid. In such examples, the condenser may include a coil for
passing the superheated vapor or heated gas and running, for
example, cold water on the coils for dissipating the heat. Such a
cooling unit may be compacted into a small casing. In some
examples, where the cooling system is connected to a power source,
the refrigerator may not be connected to a power source.
[0050] FIG. 3A is a flowchart of an exemplary set of steps 300a
depicting the flow of air to cool a refrigerator 100, where the
refrigerator 100 may have two sets of plurality of shelves for
carrying refrigerated items, the two pluralities of shelves forming
the central opening between the plurality of shelves running along
the central axis of the refrigerator 100. Ambient air can first
enter the refrigerator 100 through an opening located at the back
of the refrigerator 100. For instance, this opening may be at or
near the bottom of the refrigerator 100 as shown in FIG. 11. This
opening may be, for example, a channel (such as channel 176 as
shown on FIG. 6B) that allows the ambient air to travel up the back
of the refrigerator and enter the cooling unit 140 at step 320. The
air is then cooled by the cooling unit 140 at step 330a which may
be, for example, a Peltier effect cooling apparatus. The cooled air
is then pushed to both sides of the refrigerator at step 340a and
then funneled down the sides of the refrigerator 100 through, for
example, channels incorporated or attached to the refrigerator's
side doors at step 350a. The cooled air is distributed along the
length of the channels 135, and as the air is distributed, it may
travel over a plurality of shelves 136 used to carry refrigerated
items, such as wine bottles. In an example where these pluralities
of shelves 136 are perpendicular to the side doors 120 of the
refrigerator 100, the plurality of shelves 136 form a series of
channels for directing the air towards the center opening found
between the plurality of shelves 136. When the refrigerated items
are bottles, the bottles further form with the shelves of the
plurality of shelves 136 tight spaces in which the air is pushed
through. The cooled air, now warmed, moving and directed by the
shelves to the center opening between the plurality of shelves 136,
now rises up this central opening at step 360a as hot air rises as
a result of convection. Once the warm air reaches the top of the
refrigerator 100, it is distributed along the length of the cooling
unit 140 located as the top of the refrigerator 100 and passes
through the cooling unit 140 for re-cooling at step 360a. The steps
330a-370a may then be repeated, as the air is recycled and cooled
once more.
[0051] In an alternative embodiment of another exemplary set of
steps 300b depicting the flow of air to cool a refrigerator 100 as
shown in FIG. 3B, once air is cooled by the cooling unit 140 at
step 330b, the cooled air may be pushed down through a central
portion of the refrigerator 100 at step 340b, where the cooled air
is channeled across the plurality of shelves 136 and the
refrigerated items, such as the bottles resting on the shelves 136
in the refrigerator 100 at step 350b. The warmed air is then
returned through the side doors 120 of the refrigerator 100 at step
360b, and rises back up as a result of convection through, for
example, the channels 130 incorporated into the side doors 120. The
warm air passes through the cooling unit 140 for re-cooling at step
370b and steps 330b-370b may then be repeated as the air is
recycled and cooled once more.
[0052] Reference is now made to FIG. 12, showing an exemplary
Peltier effect thermoelectric cooling apparatus that is part of an
exemplary refrigerator. As shown in FIG. 12, some embodiments of
the refrigerator may have a barrier, film or flexible sheet
surrounding at least a portion of the Peltier effect thermoelectric
cooling apparatus to prevent or dissipate water or moisture build
up resulting from the Peltier effect thermoelectric cooling
apparatus as the air is cooled. In some instances, the sheet 126
may be a geotextile cloth 126, preventing the accumulated water
from entering the display/storage compartment of the refrigerator.
In some embodiments, the sheet 126 may be a form of absorbent
material that removes and/or eliminates the water as produced. The
refrigerator may be configured to allow for easy replacement of the
sheet 126 over time.
[0053] A second aspect of the invention is a Peltier effect
thermoelectric cooling apparatus. Reference is now made to FIGS. 4A
and 4B showing an exemplary Peltier effect cooling apparatus 200.
The Peltier effect cooling apparatus 200 has a thermoelectric
element 146. The thermoelectric element 146 may be composed of two
semi-conductors forming a p-n junction. The semi-conductors may be
composed, for example, of doped bismuth chalcogenides
(Be.sub.2Te.sub.3 or Be.sub.2Se.sub.3). When an electric current
travels through the thermoelectric element 146, one side of the
thermoelectric element 146 is heated while the other is cooled. The
efficiency of the thermoelectric element is affected namely by the
difference between the temperature of the refrigerator and that of
the room. In such embodiments, a temperature differential of about
10 degrees Celsius may be achieved while maintaining the efficiency
of the thermoelectric element. The cooled surface may be used in
refrigeration, by, for example, cooling the nearby air. In one
embodiment, the thermoelectric element 146 may be a series of
thermoelectric chips, such as those used to cool computer
components. In a preferred embodiment, there may be five evenly
spaced thermoelectric chips for cooling a space equivalent to a
volume of around 110 liters or 3.8 cubic feet. However, depending
on the size of the compartment of the refrigerator that is required
to be cooled, different embodiments may comprise less (e.g. 3)
thermoelectric chips or more. Achieving a greater temperature
differential between the temperature of the refrigerator and that
of the room may also require a greater number of thermoelectric
chips, elements, surface area or efficiency of said elements as the
power output of the thermoelectric elements drops as the desired
temperature differential increases (the power (W) of the
thermoelectric elements is inversely correlated to the desired
temperature differential between the room and that of the
refrigerator).
[0054] In another embodiment, the thermoelectric element 146 may be
one continuous element instead of a plurality of thermoelectric
chips.
[0055] The thermoelectric cooling apparatus 200 also has a heat
sink 148 for trapping and dissipating excess heat produced by the
hot side of the thermoelectric element 146. The thermoelectric
element 146 may be coupled to the heat sink 148. The heat sink 148
may comprise tubes 142 or a sealed chamber containing a
refrigerant. In one example, the refrigerant may be a Freon gas.
The refrigerant absorbs the heat of the hot side of the
thermoelectric plate 146, evaporates and rises up the tubes 142.
The heat sink 148 may also include a fan system 141. The fan system
141, such as a refrigerator air duct fan, directs air to heat
discharge fins in contact with the tubes 142 where the air is at
ambient or slightly above ambient temperature, cooling off the
heated tubes 142 and the evaporated refrigerant contained within.
Heat is thus transferred from the refrigerant to the ambient air,
the now warmer ambient air evacuated from the Peltier cooling
device 200. The refrigerator air duct and fan 141 are arranged to
blow air from a refrigerator interior compartment warm air port
across the cooling fins to a cold air port. As the refrigerant is
cooled down, it undergoes another phase shift, condensing as it is
cooled, the liquid refrigerant trickling down inside the tube 142
and, now cooled, may then absorb more heat from the hot side of the
thermoelectric element 146 and repeat the process. The person
having ordinary skill in the air will readily recognize that other
forms of heat sinks may be used, where, for example, the heat sink
does not use a refrigerant but simply heat discharge fins and a
fan.
[0056] In an alternative embodiment, a heat conductive plate
similar to the cooling plate 144 may be joined, directly or
indirectly, to the hot side of the thermoelectric element 146,
adapted, for example, to the small size of the thermoelectric
element 146, allowing for a better heat transfer to the heat
discharge fins and fans. In some embodiments, this heat conductive
plate may be used instead of the heat sink 148.
[0057] The Peltier cooling apparatus 200 may also have cooling fins
143 on the cold side. The fins 143 may be grouped in sets of fins
149. In one embodiment, these sets of fins 149 may be evenly
spaced. In another embodiment, these sets of fins 149 may be
irregularly spaced or not spaced, consisting of one uniform body of
fins 143 evenly interspersed throughout. In one example, the sets
of fins 149 may be placed in a symmetrical arrangement. In another
embodiment, there may be one single set of fins 149 running along
the whole of the Peltier cooling apparatus 200. In a preferred
embodiment, the number of sets of fins 149 is equal to the number
of thermoelectric elements 146, where each of the set of fins 149
may be aligned with the thermoelectric element 146.
[0058] In order to increase the efficiency of the cooling process
by increasing the air exposed to a cold surface area, the Peltier
cooling apparatus 200 may include a metal plate 145 that may be
joined, directly or indirectly, to the thermoelectric element 146.
Such a metal plate 146 may be made out of aluminum or any other
heat conducting metal, such as copper. The Peltier cooling device
200 may also include a cooling plate 144 with a truncated pyramidal
shape joined to the thermoelectric element 146 and to the set of
fins 149. This cooling plate 144 may be made out of a good heat
conductor, such as, for example, aluminium or copper. The cooling
plate 144 increases the cooling effect by increasing the surface
area of the cold surface and the amount of air coming into contact
with the cold surface. The pyramid shape of the cooling shape 144
is truncated so as to allow at least one thermoelectric element 146
to rest on its top surface, the truncated face. In the example
where the thermoelectric element 146 is a plurality of
thermoelectric chips, these chips may have a small surface area
(e.g. not more than a few square centimeters). Thus, when the
thermoelectric element 146 is joined to the cooling plate 144, the
cold side of the thermoelectric element 146 in turn cools down the
cooling plate 144. The cooling plate 144 increases the cooling
power of the thermoelectric element 146 by increasing the heat
transfer between the cooling plate 144 and the cold side of the
thermoelectric element 146 by increasing the surface area of the
cold surface for better heat transference from the warmed air. The
cooling plate 144 distances the cooled surfaces from the hot side
of the thermoelectric element 146 in order to minimize undesired
heat transfer between the refrigerated compartment, the cooled air
and the portion of the refrigerator 100 involved in dissipating
heat (including, for example, the hot side of the thermoelectric
element 146 and the heat sink 148)
[0059] In an exemplary embodiment of the cooling plate 144 as shown
in FIG. 5, the cooling plate 144 is shaped with a plurality of
pyramid shapes 147, the top of each pyramid shape 147 dimensioned
to receive one thermoelectric element 146 (such as a thermoelectric
chip). In one example, the top of the pyramid shape 147 may match
that of the thermoelectric element 146. In another example, the top
of the pyramid shape may still receive the thermoelectric element
146 while not matching its dimensions. In a preferred embodiment,
there are five pyramid shapes 147, each for receiving one of five
thermoelectric chips. It will be understood that the number of
pyramid shapes 147 may vary, depending on the number of
thermoelectric elements 146. The number of pyramid shapes 147 may
match the number of thermoelectric elements 146 or may be different
(e.g. such as where there are two thermoelectric chips 146 per
pyramid shape). In an alternative embodiment, the entire cooling
plate 144 may be shaped into one single plate, where the flattened
top of the truncated pyramid is shaped to receive one single
thermoelectric element 146. The walls of the pyramid shape 147 are
depicted as a staircase, where the pyramid shape 147 is a truncated
Mayan pyramid. The walls of the pyramid shape 147 may, in an
alternative embodiment, be smooth, such as a truncated Egyptian
pyramid.
[0060] In an alternative embodiment, a heat sink, similar to the
heat sink 148, may be used to gather the heat from the warmed air
rising from the refrigerator's compartment and dissipate it through
the thermoelectric element 146. In this alternative embodiment, the
heat sink is coupled to the cold side of the thermoelectric element
146 and may include a sealed chamber, such as a set of tubes or a
heat pipe, filled with a working fluid or refrigerant as understood
by a person skilled in the art to work for small temperature
differentials. The working fluid would receive the heat transferred
from the warmed air, evaporate, transfer the heat to the cold side
of the thermoelectric element 146, condense then flow back down to
repeat the process. The heat sink would also have cooling fins for
cooling the warmed air. The heat sink would include a fan for
blowing the warmed air across the cooling fins to a cooled air port
to be recirculated in the refrigerated compartment.
[0061] A third aspect of the present invention is that of a display
for a refrigerator 100 located on one of the refrigerator's panels.
Reference is now made to FIG. 6A showing an exemplary embodiment of
a display area 110 or window of a refrigerator 100, placed behind
an outer pane forming the panel. The display area 110 may include
an outer layer 111 and an inner layer 112. The outer layer 111 may
be of a different dimension than the inner layer 112. The display
110 may be a low emissivity glass panel, where one or more surfaces
of the outer and/or inner layer may be coated with a transparent
metal layer. The inner layer 112 may be further composed of two or
more sub-layers. In a preferred embodiment, there are two
sub-layers. There may be a space 115 formed between the outer layer
111 and the inner layer 112. The space 115 may be filled with an
inert gas such as Argon or Krypton. There may also be a space
formed between the sub-layers. The space between the two sub-layers
may be filled with an inert gas, where the inert gas may be, for
example, Argon or Krypton. The inner layer 111 and outer layer 112
may be made of a transparent substance such as glass or a
polycarbonate. In some embodiments, the display may be triple
glazed argon-filled window (or krypton filled) with the outer glass
pane being larger than the two inner panes, so that the outer pane
forms the outer surface of the refrigerator 100, while the inner
panes are for the display window. A suitable masking on a surface
of the outer pane provides the finished appearance for the
refrigerator surrounding the display window 110. In this masked
area, opaque insulation can be used. In an alternative embodiment,
the display may be a double-glazed argon-filled (or
krypton-filled), or filled with another inert gas, window.
[0062] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a lighting
system. The exemplary refrigerator 100 may also have a lighting
system 116, as shown in FIG. 6A. In a preferred embodiment, the
lighting system is an LED lighting system. The lighting system may
light up the refrigerated items, as for example with an LED
projection lamp 116 placed at the top central portion whose light
reflects from the inner glass 113 to illuminate the contents of the
refrigerator. It will be appreciated that differently located lamps
or light sources can be arranged as desired. Furthermore, the
lighting system 116 may be connected to a motion sensing system
118. The motion sensing system 118 may detect the presence of a
user in proximity with the refrigerator and turns on the LED
projection lamp 116. In one embodiment, the motion sensing system
118 may comprise an infrared source and an infrared sensor. The
infrared sensor measures the presence of a given user by measuring
the amount of reflected IR light from the user. The transmitted IR
light can be with an amplitude modulation that allows the IR sensor
to filter out background IR light and have a better measurement of
the reflection from the IR source of unit 118. In another example,
the motion sensing system may be passive infrared sensor(s)
measuring heat emitted from a body, such as a person, through black
body radiation. Other examples of motion sensing systems include
microwave and ultrasonic sensors, measuring reflection intensity
and/or phase shifts in the reflected waves by applying the
principle of the Doppler Effect. A person skilled in the art will
readily recognize that other means of sensing motion may be used
without departing from the present teachings. In some examples
where the motion sensor is a microwave sensor, the microwave sensor
may measure the Doppler shift phenomenon, using, for instance, a
microwave emitter as is known in the art, allowing for the
measuring of the movement of a body in proximity to the
refrigerator in order to detect the presence of, for example, a
human.
[0063] In alternative embodiments, the motion sensing system may be
overridden by a light switch. Once the light switch is turned on or
off, the lighting system will be permanently turned on/off,
independent of the readings coming from the motion sensing system.
A door switch can also be provided to activate the lighting
116.
[0064] In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the display
area 110 may be coated in a material to reduce light-heat
absorption such as by using the technique of silvering, applying a
coating or silver or aluminium creating a reflective coating for
reflecting the rays of the sun. As sunlight is reflected, so is
light absorption and heat produced by black body radiation reduced
as a result. In another example, the display area 110 may also
provide for transparent slits or strips 114. The transparent slits
114 may be windows allowing for a user to view at least a portion
of the content of the refrigerator 100. Such content that a user
may like to view may include, for example, the labels of wine
bottles. There may be one or more transparent slits 114 on the
display 110. These transparent slits 111 may be provided by
separate windows or by reflective masks and/or insulation masks
filling the gaps between panes under the masks in parallel and may
run along the length of the display, as shown in FIG. 7. In a
preferred embodiment, there are two transparent slits 110, one for
each plurality of shelves 136, where each slit 114 is wide enough
to view the label of a wine bottle when the wine bottle is lying on
its side and where the slit 114 runs down the length of the display
so that the labels of the wine bottles showcased on each of the
plurality of shelves 136 may be visible.
[0065] FIGS. 8A and 8B are drawings of an exemplary plurality of
shelves 136. For example, the shelves may be shaped to receive wine
bottles, where the shelves may be staggered to minimize space usage
for refrigerating these bottles. The plurality of shelves 136 may
be shaped using a thermoforming process, preferably vacuum forming.
Vacuum forming may involve placing a preheated sheet of plastic on
top of a male or female mold. A vacuum is then created to remove
any air found between the mold and the sheet of plastic, shaping
the plastic into the desired form. Once the plastic backbone of the
plurality of shelves 136 is formed, the shaped plastic is then
filled with urethane foam for providing better insulation. The
person skilled in the air will recognize that other thermoforming
processes may be used, such as pressure forming or compression
moulding. In some embodiments, the shelves may be wire racks or a
mesh.
[0066] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a fault detection
system such as exemplary fault detection system 150 of a
refrigerator 100, a schematic block diagram of which is illustrated
in FIG. 9. The fault detection device may be used with a
refrigerator possessing any sort of cooling system, but is
particularly useful when the cooling system is a Peltier effect
cooling system 140. This is because the Peltier effect cooling
system has only a limited efficient cooling ability, and the
minimum temperature it may achieve efficiently when functioning is
dependent upon external factors, such as the temperature of the
ambient air outside of the refrigerator, or whether the
refrigerator is placed in direct sunlight, where the cooling system
must overcome the heat generated from, for example, light
absorption by the refrigerator resulting in black body radiation.
Thus, a fault detection device may be useful to inform the
refrigerator's user, or a manufacturer, of, for example, misuse of
the refrigerator if, for example, the refrigerator is placed in
direct sunlight.
[0067] The fault detection device 150 first includes a temperature
monitor 153 for reading the temperature within the refrigerator.
This temperature monitor 153 may allow for the controlling of the
air cooling system 140 and circulation fan 152 depending on if the
refrigerator 100 has reached or is near a target temperature. The
fault detection device 150 also has a set of additional sensors.
These sensors are for monitoring certain physical properties over
time. For example, one sensor 156 may be a photovoltaic light
sensor (insolation sensor) for measuring the intensity of the solar
light hitting the display 110 of the refrigerator 100. This may be
to tell if the refrigerator 100 is exposed to too much sunlight
(i.e. direct sunlight at an angle able to provide over about 100
W/m.sup.2) such as if it is placed in direct sunlight, next to a
window for instance. In another example, one sensor may be a
temperature sensor 154 for measuring the temperature of the ambient
air in the room in which the refrigerator 100 is placed. This may
indicate that the temperature in the room in which the refrigerator
is located is too hot and the refrigerator's cooling system is
therefore not able to reach the desired cooling temperature (e.g.
as a result of a drop in power of the thermoelectric elements of
the Peltier effect cooling apparatus). This sensor 154 may be
particularly useful when the refrigerator's 100 cooling system is a
Peltier effect system, where the lowest temperature achieved by the
system is a function of the ambient temperature (the temperature of
the air outside of the refrigerator). A given Peltier effect
cooling system, depending on the properties of the thermoelectric
element, may cool down to a given temperature difference
(.DELTA.Temperature), the temperature difference equal to the
ambient temperature minus the cooled temperature, .DELTA.T a
constant for a given Peltier effect cooling system. For example,
the Peltier effect cooling apparatus may be able to achieve
efficiently an internal refrigeration temperature of ten degrees
lower than the external temperature. In this example, if the
ambient temperature is 20.degree. C., then the minimum temperature
that can be obtained in the refrigerator is 10.degree. C.
Therefore, it may be preferable to measure the ambient temperature
outside of the refrigerator 100 to insure that the Peltier effect
cooling apparatus may be able to efficiently the desired internal
temperature.
[0068] One of the sensors of the fault detection device 150 may
also be a sensor for identifying if one of the side doors 120 of
the refrigerator 100 has been left open for a given period. For
example, the door sensor 118 would allow for the identification of
instances during which the side doors 120 where accidently left
open, letting cooled air escape and, for instance, severing the air
cycle within the refrigerator such as in the exemplary embodiment
where the channel 130 is incorporated to the side door 120 that has
been accidently left open.
[0069] A controller or processor 151 uses control logic to process
the sensor data, control the cooler 140 and fan, issue any user
warnings via the user interface 155 (including any audible signals
desired), control any lighting, etc. The fault detection device 150
may also include a memory module 158 for storing the readings from
the temperature monitor and/or the sensors and record any faults or
events for future reference. The memory module 158 may also store
readings from the user interface 155 (such as a keypad or a wired
or wireless interface for control via a computer or smartphone) for
allowing a user to input, for example, a desired internal
temperature for the refrigerator 100. The fault detection device
150 may also comprise (not shown) a communications module where the
communications module communicates to, for example, a remote user.
The remote user may be, for example, a manufacturer, an owner of
the refrigerator or a distributor. The communications module may
communicate data stored in the memory module to the remote user.
Such data may be useful in instances, when, for example, the
manufacturer receives a complaint from the owner of the
refrigerator that the refrigerator cannot maintain a desired
temperature. The manufacturer may then access the data in memory
158 produced by the temperature monitor and/or sensors and
determine the probable cause, such as if the refrigerator was
exposed for a prolonged period to direct sunlight. In another
example, the fault detection device may also include an alarm
signal, where said signal goes off if, for example, the
refrigerator is overexposed to sunlight, if one of the
refrigerator's side doors is open or if the refrigerator is placed
in a room where the temperature is too hot.
[0070] In an alternative embodiment, the refrigerator 100 may also
have a humidity sensor (not shown) for measuring the humidity
within the refrigerator 100. Such a humidity sensor may be useful
to prevent the accumulation of excess condensation where said
condensation may bead or fog up the display 100 or jeopardize the
performance of, for instance, controller or processor 151. The
refrigerator 100 may also optionally include a dehumidifying agent,
such as, for example, a silica gel, placed in, for example, a
designated compartment such as one located at the bottom of the
refrigerator 100, where the dehumidifying agent may be replaced
once the humidity sensor indicates an increase in humidity in the
refrigerator 100, an indication that the dehumidifying agent may no
longer be as effectively absorbing moisture of the air within the
refrigerator 100.
[0071] The refrigerator 100 may be, in some embodiments, a
refrigerated wine cellar, where the temperature of the wine is to
be maintained constant. In one embodiment, the wine cellar may have
two racks or plurality of shelves, side by side, for storing wine
bottles or other bottled beverages. In this embodiment, the wine
cellar may be dimensioned so that its width may be sufficient to
contain two wine bottles, lying on their sides next to each other
in a row. In this embodiment, the depth of the wine cellar is
sufficient for it to receive a wine bottle, when the wine bottle is
lying in such a way so its head and base are pointing to either of
the side doors of the wine cellar, and so the depth may be just
sufficiently larger than the diameter of the wine bottle at its
largest point. The height of the wine cellar may vary depending on
the number of rows contained in one plurality of shelves. For
example, a wine cellar dimensioned to receive 30 bottles, so 15
bottles on each of the two pluralities of shelves, has a storage
compartment that is at least tall enough to receive fifteen wine
bottles lying on their sides as described above. In other
embodiments of the wine cellar, the number of bottles stored may
vary (e.g. 10, 18, 20) and so the dimensions of the wine cellar may
vary accordingly. In these other embodiments, the wine cellar may
still include two pluralities of shelves within its refrigerated
compartment as described above, where the bottles would be evenly
split between each plurality of shelves. In another embodiment, the
wine cellar may have only one single plurality of shelve or one
single row of bottles, where the bottles' heads and bases are
aligned with the sides of the wine cellar. In some embodiments, the
depth of the refrigerator may be sufficient to accommodate more
than one bottle or container per shelf (e.g. two or more).
[0072] In an alternative embodiment, each of the two pluralities of
shelves or shelves may be split and motorized. In such a way, when
the side doors of the wine cellar open, the plurality of shelves
may be deployed completely out of the refrigerator's encasing and
extend outwardly from the side door cavity receiving the side door
using, for example, a motorized drive. This may allow for the
loading or unloading of bottles, now fully accessible. The
triggering of the mechanism to move the wine rack of each of the
plurality of shelves may be, for example, that of the opening of
the door, the manual pushing of a button located on the wine cellar
or the pushing of a button on, say, a remote control, sending a
wireless signal (e.g. a Bluetooth signal) to the wine cellar,
initiating the opening mechanism.
[0073] In the exemplary embodiment where the refrigerator is a wine
cellar or a refrigeration unit for bottled beverages, the side
doors 120 may offer an alignment mechanism. When each of the side
doors 120 closes, said doors 120 may push misaligned bottles into
place, aligning them vis-a-vis one another. This may be useful when
the bottles have been loaded into the wine cellar but are not
properly placed. As such, the bottles may be aligned without there
being a need for manual adjustment of each bottle.
[0074] In another embodiment of the refrigerated wine cellar, the
wine cellar may be dimensioned so it may be received in a wall
cavity, where the wine cellar's outer display may be flush with the
wall. This embodiment may include, for example, motors and
ball-bearing glides to lift the wine cellar out sufficiently so the
wine cellar has enough clearance to open its side doors. This
mechanism may be initiated, for example, by sending a wireless
signal once a user presses a button on a remote control, by
triggering a motion sensor when a user walks into an open space or
when the user pushes an activation button located on the
refrigerated wine cellar.
[0075] Alternatively, an embodiment of the refrigerator in which
the refrigerator is inset into a wall can have a portion projecting
from the wall. For example, the room air inlet and outlet can have
vents on a front surface (either at the bottom or at the top or
both). The access to the contents of the wall-insert refrigerator
can be by a hinged front door giving direct access to the contents
on the shelves, or by having the front windowed panel mounted to
the frame using slides to slide out to expose the side ends of the
shelves. A handle can be provided if the sides of the front panel
are not suitable to manually grip the front panel to open. The cold
air supply channels 130 can be part of the fixed sides of the
refrigerator in these embodiments.
[0076] In some embodiments, the refrigerator 100 may be mounted to
a wall. A sixth embodiment of the present invention is a mounting
support apparatus for mounting the refrigerator to the wall. This
mounting support apparatus may be particularly useful when the
refrigerator is small (containing, in some examples, a reduced load
of bottles), such as one where its height is inferior to that of an
average human, where the refrigerator may be mounted to the wall
and off the ground, in some examples at eye level, to facilitate
access to the refrigerator 100. In one exemplary embodiment of a
mounting support apparatus for mounting the refrigerator 100 to a
wall, the mounting support system may comprise at least one
vertical track bracket, the bracket mounted to the wall using, for
example, wall anchors. The track bracket prevents the refrigerator
100 from moving along two of three axes x, y and z (e.g. preventing
the refrigerator from moving away from the wall or from side to
side, but allowing the refrigerator to move freely vertically along
the length of the wall). For example, the track bracket may be a
set of rails mounted to a wall, configured to receive a second set
of complementary rails attached to the back of the refrigerator
100. During installation, the refrigerator's rails may be aligned
with those of the track bracket, and once both sets of rails slide
into place, the refrigerator will only be able to move along the
rails and therefore not away from the wall or from side to
side.
[0077] The mounting support apparatus may further have a support
with an adjustable height. The support may be, for example, shaped
as a pedestal. The support may have a foot for resting on the
ground and also a surface for receiving the refrigerator 100. Once
the refrigerator is placed on the top of the pedestal or support,
the support's height may be adjusted as desired, using, for
example, an adjustable screw or sliding mechanism, and then locked.
Once locked, the support no longer allows the refrigerator to move
vertically and supports the full vertical weight of the
refrigerator. The support with an adjustable height may have a
hollow cavity for concealing, for example, a cable running from the
refrigerator 100 to a socket in the wall.
[0078] A seventh aspect of the present invention are installation
supports for installing a refrigerator 100 to a wall. Reference is
now made to FIG. 10 showing exemplary installation supports 190 for
the refrigerator 100. The installation supports 190 may preferably
be shaped as skates to facilitate the positioning of the
refrigerator 100 by allowing the refrigerator 100 to glide during
installation onto a wall. Wall mounting holes 119 (see FIGS. 6A and
6B) can be provided to fasten a rear portion of the upper frame of
the refrigerator to the wall. As shown in FIG. 6B, an L-shaped
bracket 121 may be first fixed to a wall using, for example,
fixation holes 119 for passing a fixation means such as a bolt or a
screw. The refrigerator 100 may then be placed under the bracket
121, the L-shape of the bracket 121 receiving the back of the
refrigerator 100. The refrigerator 100 may then be fixed to the
bracket 121 using the holes 190 which, in some instances, may be
aligned with holes located at the top-back of the refrigerator 100,
and joined using a fixation means, such as a bolt or a screw. The
person skilled in the art will readily recognize that other
fixation means may be used to fix the refrigerator 100 to a wall
without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
[0079] As the refrigerator 100 may have a considerable weight, its
manoeuvring and installation may prove to be difficult. During
installation, the refrigerator may be transported lying on its
back. On its back, the installation supports 190 may be installed
to the base of the refrigerator 100. There may be two installation
supports 190, one for each side of the refrigerator 100. The
installation supports 190 may be, for example, joined to side
portions of the refrigerator's base using, for example, two screws
per support 190. The installation supports 190 may be joined, for
example, at the center of each installation support 190. The
refrigerator 100 is then lifted up so the bulk of its weight rests
on the installation supports 190. Once positioned upright, the
installation supports 190 prevent the refrigerator 100 from tilting
forward or backwards. The installation supports 190 may be shaped
as skates. As such, the installation supports 190 may allow the
refrigerator 100 to glide around a space to be placed next to a
wall for mounting and installation. The refrigerator 100 may then
be moved next to a wall. The installation supports 190 may also act
as rails, allowing the refrigerator 100 to glide along the rails,
allowing for precise adjustments in the refrigerator's position
along the glide despite its weight, so that the refrigerator 100
may be positioned near enough to a wall for mounting and
installation by its sliding along the rail to the rear of the
installation supports 190. The refrigerator 100 may then be mounted
to the wall. Once mounted and/or installed, the installation
supports 190 may be removed by, for example, removal of the
fixation means and/or sliding them out from under the installed
refrigerator 100.
[0080] The present description has been presented for purposes of
illustration but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the
disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
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