REFRIGERATOR AND/OR FREEZER

Abstract

The within invention relates to a refrigerating and/or freezing device with at least one coolant circuit that has at least one condenser, where at least one absorber is provided that is located such that it diminishes or prevents the transfer of oscillations from the condenser to other parts of the refrigerating and/or freezing device and/or oscillations from the condenser itself.

Description

The within invention relates to a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus with at least one coolant circuit that has at least one condenser.

Such cooling devices are known in numerous different embodiments.

Their coolant circuit usually comprises at least one compressor that compresses the coolant. The coolant passes from the compressor to the condenser in which it gives off heat to the environment and thus transitions into a liquid state.

The coolant then passes through an expansion valve, in which its pressure is reduced, into the evaporator. In the evaporator, the coolant picks up heat from the area of the appliance to be cooled, evaporates and finally returns to the compressor, in which it is compressed again.

With regard to the embodiments of the condenser, there are numerous different possibilities. For example, they can be formed as wire tube block condensers, spiral condensers, rolled wire tube condensers or as other embodiments.

They are generally attached directly to the device itself, on support plates or other holding fixtures, e.g., in the base area. This direct attachment leads to the oscillations of the compressor or the pulsations of the compressor strokes being transferred directly from the condenser, similarly oscillating, to the surrounding parts of the device. Under certain circumstances, this can lead to a kind of “membrane effect” that could result in noises disturbing to the user of the device.

These noises are based particularly on the fact that, for example, sheet metal or plastic parts of the device are set in oscillation.

The within invention therefore relates to developing a refrigerating and/or freezing apparatus of the type cited at the beginning that reduces or completely prevents such disturbing noises.

This task is solved by a refrigerating and/or freezing appliance with the characteristics of claim 1.

According to that Claim, provision is made for at least one absorber that is placed such that it diminishes or prevents the oscillations and/or that it diminishes or prevents the transfer of oscillations from the condenser to other parts of the refrigerating and/or freezing device. Any oscillations or vibrations at the condenser are thus picked up or diminished by the absorber at least in part so that they cannot be transferred or in any event, cannot be transferred to adjacent components in an undiminished state. The oscillations of these components, such as sheet metal or plastic parts of the device, can thus be reduced or completely prevented. Accordingly, the above-mentioned disturbing noises can be reduced or completely prevented.

The within invention relates to any possible embodiment of a condenser. For example, spiral tube condensers, rolled wire tube condensers, wire tube block condensers, finned condensers or coiled wire tube condensers, etc., are possible.

This list is not, however, comprehensive. The invention extends to any condenser usable in a refrigerating and/or freezing appliance.

The location of the condenser is also not restrictive. For example, placing the condenser on the back of the appliance or in the area of the base of the appliance or even in the area at the top or even the side area of the appliance is possible. If the condenser is mounted in the base or top area of the appliance, placement in the back of the appliance is a preferable possibility.

The absorber can be mounted such that it is located between the condenser and any other part of the refrigerating and/or freezing device, e.g., the base of the device. Provision is preferably made so that the condenser sits or stands on the absorber and/or the absorber is located above the condenser. In principle, it is also possible to place the absorber on the side, for example in the case in which the condenser is located on the rear wall.

The condenser can also have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units. Thus, it is possible, for example, for the condenser to consist of a plurality of towers or spiral tubes and for the absorber to be designed such that it compensates for the distance tolerances among the condenser towers. In other words, the absorber should be designed, according to this embodiment of the invention, such that one and the same absorber can be used for condensers in which the distance between the condenser units is not absolutely equal but rather is subject to variations. As shown, it is possible, for instance, for one and the same absorber to be used for condensers whose condenser units are not at identical distances from each other or that are not designed identically, but rather at a distance that varies, as the case may be, from condenser to condenser or is subject to other varying measurements or dimensions.

In another embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the absorber to be designed in whole or in part of an elastic or plastically deformable material. Such an absorber permits a certain variability in the arrangement or mounting of the condenser units on the absorber. This means that the condenser unit or the condenser need not always be located at the identical point but rather that the absorber facilitates a certain variability with regard to the exact arrangement of the condenser or the condenser units.

The absorber can have one or a plurality of holding fixtures to accommodate the condenser or condenser units or a section of the condenser or condenser units. These holding fixtures can, for example, be designed as projections that project from a plane of the absorber. It is also possible for the absorber to have holding fixtures designed as recesses.

Such holding fixtures can be provided for each condenser unit or for each condenser.

The minimum of one holding fixture can be designed as round, preferably circular, and have flattened areas on at least one side, preferably on at least two sides. These flattened areas offer the possibility of guaranteeing the above-mentioned tolerance compensation.

In another embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the minimum of one holding fixture to have one or a plurality of ribs to which the condenser or a section of the condenser or the condenser unit is attached in the mounted state or with which it is connected. In the case of spiral tube condensers, these ribs, which are preferably designed as deformable, can guarantee compensation of diameter tolerances in the condenser or the condenser unit.

These ribs can also have the function of reliably holding the condenser or condenser unit at the desired location for the absorber.

In another embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the minimum of one rib to be arranged at the minimum of one holding fixture. It can, for example, extend from the outer edge, or in the case of a holding fixture designed as a recess, from its wall.

Further details and advantages of the invention are explained in greater detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawing. The figures show:

FIG. 1: A perspective drawing of a spiral tube condenser with four units or towers and two absorbers.

FIG. 2: A view according to FIG. 1 without the absorber located at the top.

FIG. 3: A view of the absorber, and

FIG. 4: A detailed view of the bottom section of the spiral tube condenser and the area of the holding fixture of the absorber.

In the embodiment of a condenser shown here, it comprises a spiral tube condenser with four towers 12 arranged in a square. In principle, other desired arrangements, such as a triangular arrangement of the condenser towers 12, a design, for instance, with five towers or more towers in a circle, etc., are possible. In principle, the invention also covers the provision of only one tower 12.

As shown in greater detail in FIG. 1, the condenser 10 has an infeed 14 for the coolant to be condensed and an outfeed 16 for the condensed coolant.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the four towers 12 of the condenser 10 are mounted on an absorber 20. This absorber can, for example, be made of a plastic material or have such a device. Other oscillation-diminishing or absorbing materials are also covered by the invention.

As shown particularly in FIG. 3, the absorber 20 has projections 22 on the side facing the towers 12, where one projection 22 is provided for each condenser tower 12 in the embodiment shown here. In principle, it is also possible not to provide a projection 22 for each tower 12 of the condenser 10 or to arrange more than one projection for each condenser or each tower of the condenser.

As shown in FIG. 3, the projections, seen from the top, are circular holding fixtures on which two opposite sides are flattened. It is thus possible for the distance tolerances of the condenser units or towers 12, marked in FIG. 2 with reference letters A and B and in FIG. 3 with reference letter C, to be compensated for by the absorber 20 or its projections 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the flattened areas are not formed identically for all projections 22. In the embodiment shown, the arrangement or orientation of the flattened areas is at a 90° angle between each two adjacent projections 22. In principle, other angles are also possible.

Thus, there is always tolerance compensation between two towers 12 of the condenser 10.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the absorber 20 according to FIG. 3 is arranged not only on the underside of the condenser 10, but also on its top side. The absorbers 20 on the top or bottom side of the absorber 10 can be designed identically or differ from each other.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the projections 22 are not designed as solid, but rather as hollow in the interior.

Since there can be tolerances not only in distance between two towers 12 of the condenser 10 but also diameter tolerances for the condenser towers 12 or the condenser 10, the condenser 10 or its units 12 are mounted on a plurality of ribs 30 which are elastic. This means that the distance between the opposite ribs 30 is larger than the inside diameter of the condenser 10 or the condenser tower 12 so that there is a certain squeezing effect upon attachment. This squeezing not only has the advantage that the condenser 10 or its towers 12 are firmly mounted, but also that the above-mentioned tolerance compensation for the diameter of the condenser unit 12 is made possible through the somewhat elastic material of the ribs.

The ribs 30 can thus also be preferably designed as elastically deformable or also plastically deformable. Moreover, this can also apply for the additional material of the absorber 20 as well as for the projections 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ribs 30 extend from the unflattened sides, i.e., from the curved sides of the projections 22.

Of course, any other shape for the projections 22, such as oval, etc., can be considered in place of a circular or semi-circular shape for the projections 22.

FIG. 4 shows the lower end range of a plurality of condenser towers 12 of the condenser 2 that are attached to the ribs 30 of the projections 22 and mounted there.

As further shown in FIG. 3, a projection 40 is located in a central area of the absorber 20 that is designed as circular in the embodiment shown here. The outsides of the attached towers 12 of the condenser 10 abut this projection so that the projection 40 serves as a further mounting for the condenser towers 12.

The absorber can be premounted by the condenser supplier and thus also serves as security against distortion of the individual towers 12 during delivery.

Furthermore, the absorber 20 results in a substantially improved stackability and thus logistical advantages.

The actual material of the absorber 20 can differ from the material of the projections 22. However, the invention also covers the case in which the entire absorber 20 is manufactured preferably in one unit and from the same material as the projections 22 and ribs 30, as well as the projection 40.

If different materials are selected, the materials are to be selected such that the part of the absorber that is connected to another part of the refrigerating appliance or freezing appliance has the best possible oscillation-absorbing properties and the projection 22 or the ribs 30 has/have properties that guarantee a good mounting of the towers 12 of the condenser 10.

Claims

1. A refrigerating and/or freezing device with at least one coolant circuit that has at least one condenser, wherein at least one absorber is provided that is located such that it diminishes or prevents the transfer of oscillations from the condenser to other parts of the refrigerating and/or freezing device and/or oscillations from the condenser itself.

2. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein the condenser is a spiral tube condenser or a rolled wire tube condenser or a wire tube block condenser or a finned condenser or a coiled wire tube condenser.

3. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein the condenser is arranged on the rear of the device or in the area of the base of the device or in the area of the top or in a side area of the device.

4. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein the condenser is located on the absorber and/or the absorber is located on top of the condenser or that the absorber is arranged in a side area, particularly in the case in which the condenser is mounted on the rear wall.

5. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.

6. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein the absorber is designed in whole or in part of an elastically or plastically deformable material.

7. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein the absorber has one or a plurality of holding fixtures, preferably designed as projections and/or recesses, for accommodation of the condenser or its units or a section of the condenser or its cooling units.

8. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 7, wherein the minimum of one holding fixture can be designed as round, preferably circular, and have flattened areas on at least one side, preferably on at least two sides.

9. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 1, wherein at least one holding fixture has one or a plurality of ribs to which the condenser is attached in its mounted state.

10. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 8, wherein the minimum of one rib is arranged on or in the minimum of one holding fixture.

11. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 2, wherein the condenser is arranged on the rear of the device or in the area of the base of the device or in the area of the top or in a side area of the device.

12. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 11, wherein the condenser is located on the absorber and/or the absorber is located on top of the condenser or that the absorber is arranged in a side area, particularly in the case in which the condenser is mounted on the rear wall.

13. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 3, wherein the condenser is located on the absorber and/or the absorber is located on top of the condenser or that the absorber is arranged in a side area, particularly in the case in which the condenser is mounted on the rear wall.

14. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 2, wherein the condenser is located on the absorber and/or the absorber is located on top of the condenser or that the absorber is arranged in a side area, particularly in the case in which the condenser is mounted on the rear wall.

15. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 14, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.

16. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 13, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.

17. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 12, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.

18. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 11, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.

19. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 4, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.

20. The refrigerating and/or freezing device of claim 3, wherein the condenser can have a plurality of condenser units and the absorber can be designed such that it has a tolerance compensation device to compensate for tolerances in distance from the condenser units.