CN103477167A - Refrigerator having an integrally formed air channel - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator, in particular domestic refrigerator, having a thermoformed internal container (1) which bounds a storage chamber, having an air channel (7) which is formed in a wall (4) of the internal container (1), and having a cover (11) which delimits the air duct (7) from the storage chamber, the air duct (7) has an undercut (10) on at least one lateral flank (8), the cover (11) engaging in said undercut.

Description

Refrigeration appliance with formed air channels

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, having a deep-drawn inner container delimiting a storage space and an air channel formed in the rear wall of the inner container. Such air ducts are often provided, in particular in non-frost refrigeration appliances, for distributing the cold air in the storage compartment from an evaporator compartment separate from the storage compartment.

In order to be able to guide the cooling air over a relatively long distance in the air duct, a cover arrangement is required which demarcates the air duct from the storage compartment. Conventionally, a flat plastic sheet is used as the cover device, which is fastened to the inner container by means of screws or plastic expansion rivets. Since the cover device is usually not sufficiently thick-walled to be self-rigid, a considerable number of bolts or expansion rivets are required in order to fix the cover device in such a way that it rests sufficiently tightly on the inner container over its entire length. Installing so many bolts or expansion rivets makes the installation of the cover device time-consuming. Furthermore, the bolts or expansion rivets penetrating the inner container itself pose a danger: moisture from the storage compartment penetrates into the insulation surrounding the inner container and impairs its insulating effect.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a refrigerating appliance with air ducts formed on the inner container, in which a cover arrangement for the air ducts can be mounted quickly and simply.

This object is solved in that in a refrigeration appliance, in particular a domestic refrigeration appliance, the refrigeration appliance has a deep-drawn inner container delimiting the storage chamber, an air channel formed in the wall of the inner container and a cover device demarcating the air channel from the storage compartment, the air channel having at least one side edge a recess into which the cover device engages. This engagement eliminates, at least on one side of the cover arrangement, the need for fastening by means of screws, expansion bolts or the like.

In particular when the wall of the inner container is a rear wall, the air channel including the recess can be formed together in a simple manner during deep-drawing of the inner container.

If the recesses are formed on mutually opposite edges of the air channel, the cover device can be fastened in its entirety by snapping into the recesses without additional fastening means. It is therefore also not necessary to realize openings in the inner container through which moisture can pass into the thermal insulation.

The recess preferably extends over the entire length of the air channel in order to enable the cover device to be latched at any point on the air channel.

The cover device preferably has fingers which are spaced apart from one another in its longitudinal direction and which engage in the recesses. Unlike continuous strips along the edge of the air channel, the mutually spaced apart fingers do not reinforce the cover device, so that it can be bent slightly during installation and, if necessary, during removal and thus can be bent with little force. It takes a lot of effort to lock the fingers successively in the notches or pull them out from the notches.

In order to enable a fixed fit of the cover device in a defined position on the air channel, the fingers preferably have a complementary cross-section to the recess of the rim.

In order to avoid uncontrolled leakage of air along the edge of the cover device, a base plate of said cover device preferably has said air channel abutting against the inner container on both sides of the core region spanning said air channel. Edge strips on the wall. The edge strip and the core region can form a single planar plate, wherein the fingers mark the boundary between the core region and the edge strip in each case.

In order to improve the sealing effect of the edge strip, said edge strip can be received in recesses of the rear wall situated on both sides of the air channel.

Air outlet openings can be provided on the cover device, so that the air circulating in the air channel is distributed in a controlled manner in the storage compartment.

In order to keep the flow resistance of the air channel low, the air outflow opening has rounded edges in cross section on its side facing the air channel. Such rounded edges can be achieved in particular by injection molding of the cover device.

The cover device can carry a rib separating the air channel along the air channel in order to branch off a secondary channel from said air channel, for example for the installation of electrical wires or the like.

The air channel may comprise at least two sections that are mutually offset in the depth direction of the inner container, so as to enable the inner chamber to follow the air over the entire height of the inner chamber including the area overlapping the machine room niche in the vertical direction. The non-linear course of the channel on the rear wall of the inner container, the cover device can be divided by at least one hinge into sections following one another in the longitudinal direction of the cover device. The hinge is preferably a film hinge.

Further features and advantages of the present invention are clearly elucidated from the following description based on embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Features of the exemplary embodiments that are not mentioned in the claims also emerge from the description and the drawings. These features can also be present in combinations other than those specifically disclosed here. Therefore, the mention of a plurality of such features in the same sentence or in other contextual relations does not lead to the conclusion that these features can only occur in the specifically disclosed combination; Even if there is no problem with the functionality of the invention, it is also possible to omit or slightly change individual features among a plurality of such features.

The accompanying drawings show:

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an inner container of a refrigeration appliance according to the present invention,

Fig. 2, according to the first configuration of the present invention, the section of the back wall of the inner container and the cover device provided for being installed on the back wall,

Figure 3 is a section of a cover device according to a second configuration of the invention,

Fig. 4 is a schematic horizontal sectional view of the cover device of Fig. 3 in the state installed on the back wall,

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4 according to a third configuration of the invention,

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4 according to a fourth configuration of the invention,

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4 according to a fifth configuration of the invention,

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of an air channel and cover arrangement according to a sixth configuration of the present invention,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a cover device according to a seventh configuration of the invention,

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 according to an eighth configuration of the invention,

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view of an air channel and cover arrangement according to a ninth configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an inner container 1 for a domestic refrigeration appliance according to a first embodiment of the invention, viewed obliquely from below. The inner container 1, which is drawn in a known manner from thermoplastics, in particular polystyrene, has essentially the shape of a cuboid with an open front side surrounded by a frame 2, a side wall 3, a top and, in FIG. The back wall 4 and the bottom 5 towards the viewer. In the lower region of the back wall 4 a recess 6 is formed to free up space for a machine room alcove which receives a compressor and possibly a condenser and a Blower for compressor and condenser cooling. The air channel 7 extends on the rear wall 4 over the entire height of the inner container including the cutout 6 . In FIG. 1, a protruding arch 9 can be seen on the side edge 8 of the air channel, and a groove-shaped recess 10 corresponds to the arch in the interior of the inner container 1, for example in FIG. 2 as can be seen in the . The recess 10 extends on both edges 8 over the entire length of the air channel 7 .

Adjacent to a section of the rear wall 4 with the air channel 7 inserted therein, FIG. 2 shows a section of the cover device 11 . The base plate or core area 12 of the cover device 11 injection molded from plastic is provided for placement in the air channel 7, wherein the edge 13 of the core area 12 contacts the edge 8 of the air channel 7 and protrudes from the edge 13 into the air channel Elastic fingers 14 in 7 snap into notches 10 in rim 8 . The fingers 14 are each arranged in pairs at the same height on the edge 13 . The cover device 11 is elastically bendable so that the pair of fingers 14 on one end of the cover device 11 can already snap into the recess 10 during installation of the cover device, while the pair of fingers on the other end of the cover device 11 has not yet are snapped, and the pairs of fingers are snapped into the notches 10 one by one. Likewise, the pairs of fingers can be pulled out of the recesses 10 one after the other when the cover device 11 is removed. Quick and easy mounting and demounting of the cover device 11 can thus be achieved with little effort.

FIG. 3 shows a view of a section of a cover device 11 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The fingers 14 are slightly elongated compared to the configuration of FIG. 2 and edge strips 15 extend on both sides of the core area 12, if the cover device 11 is mounted on the air channel 7 in the manner shown in FIG. The edge strip bears against the rear wall 4 adjacent to the air channel 7 in order to prevent or at least limit air leakage from the air channel 7 along the edge of the cover device 11 .

The finger 14 carries a latching projection 16 which engages in the recess 10 and whose cross-section is complementary to the cross-section of the recess 10 in order to ensure a precise positioning of the cover device 11 . The edge 17 of the latching projection 16 facing the edge strip 15 is oriented obliquely with respect to the depth direction of the inner container 1 , so that when the lid device 11 is pulled away from the air channel 7 , it absorbs the force directed from the side to the channel 7 . An internal force which bends the fingers 14 and enables the cap device 11 to be pulled out of the air channel 7 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , an elastic sealing strip 18 can be arranged between the edge strip 15 and the rear wall 4 , which elastically compresses (gestaucht) and Seal the edges of the air channel 7.

FIG. 6 shows a variant in which the edge strip 15 of the cover device 11 itself is received in a recess 19 of the rear wall 4 on both sides of the air channel 7 . On the one hand, the recess 19 can improve the sealing at the edge of the air channel 7 by forcing the air leaking through between the edge strip 15 and the rear wall 4 to be deflected sharply and thus preventing the leak. In addition, the recess makes it possible, as in the embodiment of FIG. 2 , to bring the outside of the lid device 11 flush with the surrounding rear wall 4 and thus achieve a flat, clean-friendly inner surface of the storage compartment.

In the configuration of FIG. 7 , a rib 20 protrudes from the inside of the cover device 11 , which extends up to immediately in front of the rear wall 21 of the air channel 7 and branches off from the air channel to a secondary channel 22 . This secondary channel 22 can be used to install a cable harness 23 that connects temperature sensors arranged at different points of the inner container 1 or ventilators that drive the air circulation in the air channel 7 to a control circuit, for example a machine room niche. 6 in the control circuit connection.

The air outlet openings 24 can be punched or otherwise cut out of the substantially planar core region 12 of the cover device 11 . Preferably, the outflow opening 24 is configured as a sleeve protruding into the inner container 1 beyond the back wall 4 or the core region 12 surrounding it, which sleeve, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. There is a rounded area 25 on one side, so that a swirl-less, approximately horizontally oriented air flow can enter the inner container 1 .

As can already be seen in FIG. 1 , the air channel 7 is divided into several sections: an upstream section 7 a and two sections 7 b, 7 c extending around the recess 6 , wherein the section 7 b substantially Oriented horizontally and section 7c is oriented vertically. In order to be able to cover the air channel 7 with a continuous cover device 11 over the entire length of the air channel, according to the configuration shown in FIG. Sections 11a, 11b, 11c of sections 7a, 7b, 7c. In FIG. 9 the middle section 11 b is shown without fingers 14 , however, it can be provided with fingers 14 like the adjacent sections 11 a , 11 c. It is also conceivable to provide, instead of the fingers, two ribs extending over the entire length of the section 11b on the section 11b, which ribs do not have latching projections, but bear against the section in the installed state. 7b so that even when close contact of the edge strip 15 of the section 11b with the inner container 1 cannot be achieved due to manufacturing tolerances in the vertical dimensions of the sections 7a, 7c or 11a, 11c, the Seal the edges.

FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the cover device 11 , wherein the cover device is divided into two separate parts 27 , 28 . The upper part 27 comprises the upstream section 11a of the cover device 11 and a plate 29 provided with two slots 30 which is connected to this section 11a via a film hinge 26 . In the installed state, the plate 29 is located above the horizontal section 7b of the air channel 7 .

The second part 28 comprises a section 11c and a plate 31 which, like the sections 11a, 11c, is provided with the latching fingers 14 . In the installed state, the plate 31 rests on the plate 29, and a pair of latching fingers 14 of the plate 31 pass through the slot 30 with play in the longitudinal direction of said slot to snap into the recesses of the section 7b. Mouth 10. In this way, the length of the middle section formed by the plates 29, 31 of the lid device 11 can be adapted to the manufacturing tolerances of the inner container 1, so that in the other sections 11a, 11b the edge strip 15 can be aligned with the inner container over its entire length. Container 1 is in contact.

FIG. 11 shows a vertical section through the boundary area of sections 7 a , 7 b of air channel 7 and sections 11 a , 11 b of cover device 11 according to the novel embodiment of the invention. Instead of a single film hinge 26 , here a plurality of segments 32 connected to one another or connected to the segments 11 a , 11 b via film hinges are provided here, which hold the cover device 11 in the segment 11 a. , 11b is highly flexible over a length of several centimeters. In this way, the cover device can also bear tightly and sealingly against the rounded transition region 33 between the vertical region and the horizontal region of the rear wall 4 .

Corresponding highly flexible segments formed from a plurality of segments 32 can also be arranged at the transition between the segments 7b, 7c or 11b, 11c. The flexible sections formed by the segments 32 are in each case longer than the sections required to bridge the rounded transition region 33 between the channel sections 7a, 7b or 7b, 7c, thereby also enabling the possibility: The cover device moves over its entire length beyond the boundaries of the channel sections 7 a , 7 b , 7 c and thus compensates for dimensional tolerances of the inner container.

Claims (13)

1. Refrigeration appliances, especially domestic refrigeration appliances, having a deep-drawn inner container (1) delimiting a storage chamber, an air channel (7) formed in the wall (4) of the inner container (1) ) and a cover device (11) separating the air channel (7) from the storage compartment, characterized in that the air channel (7) has a recess (10) on at least one side edge (8), Said cover device (11) fits into this recess. 2 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , characterized in that the recesses ( 10 ) are formed on mutually opposite side edges ( 8 ) of the air channel ( 7 ). 3 . 3. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the notch (10) extends over the entire length of the air channel (7). 4. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover device (11) has, in its longitudinal direction, mutually spaced apart fingers that engage in the recesses (10) (14). 5. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that, the finger (14) has a cross-section complementary to that of the notch (10). 6. The refrigerating appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a base plate of the cover device (11) has, on both sides across the core region of the air channel (7), abutting against the inner Edge strip (15) on said wall (4) of the container (1). 7. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the edge strip (15) is received in a recess (19) of the wall (4) placed on both sides of the air channel (7). 8 . The refrigeration appliance as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the cover device ( 11 ) has an air outlet opening ( 24 ). 9 . The refrigeration appliance according to claim 8 , characterized in that the air outlet opening ( 24 ) has a rounded edge ( 25 ) in cross section on its side facing the air duct ( 7 ). 10. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover device (11) carries a rib (20) separating the air channel (7) along the air channel (7). 11. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air channel (7) comprises at least two sections (7a, 7c) which are mutually offset in the depth direction of the inner container (1) ). 12. The refrigeration appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover device (11) is divided by at least one hinge (26) into segments (7a) which follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the cover device , 7b, 7c; 32). 13. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 12, characterized in that, the hinge (26) is a film hinge.

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