GB2250084A

GB2250084A - Portable refrigeration assemblies

Info

Publication number: GB2250084A
Application number: GB9025229A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ahmed Saleh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-11-20
Filing date: 1990-11-20
Publication date: 1992-05-27
Also published as: GB9025229D0

Abstract

A refrigeration assembly comprises a refrigeration unit and a chilled enclosure. The enclosure is collapsible by virtue of concertina type folding of its sides. Power for the refrigeration unit comes from solar cells (7) which are mounted on the opposite side of the enclosure to cooling fins (3) for the refrigeration unit. The insulation in the side walls may be polypropylene provided with lines of weakness at the folding points. A bar or support rod may be provided to support the enclosure in the erect configuration. The solar cells may be mounted on upwardly-inclined faces of the concertina folds. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR This invention relates to refrigerator units and in particular but not exclusively to provision of portable refrigeration units.

It is well known to have thermally insulated boxes or bags in which to keep food and drinks cool, for example for picnics. However the disadvantage of these thermally insulated containers is that all the food and drink needs to be chilled before being placed in the container, requiring forward planning. Furthermore if additional food or drink is purchased, the container itself does not provide a chilling enclosure to reduce ' the temperature of new additions, and therefore it is necessary to pre-pack all the food that may be required, which is bulky, or consume new purchases at ambient temperature.

There are also other items apart from food which can benefit from being maintained at lower than ambient temperature, especially in warmer climates, for example photographic emulsions, vaccines and electronic components. For storage periods in excess of twelve hours, thermally insulated enclosures are not in themselves adequate.

The present invention is directed towards alleviating the above problems.

Accordingly the present invention provides a refrigeration assembly comprising a refrigeration unit and a collapsible enclosure chilled by the refrigeration unit.

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section through a preferred embodiment in an erect configuration; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section through the embodiment of Figure 1 in a collapsed configuration.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is an insulated enclosure generally referenced 1, which is mounted on top of a refrigeration unit 2. The top of the enclosure is provided with a pair of handles (only one shown) with which to carry the assembly. When the enclosure is empty it can be collapsed from the erect configuration shown in Figure 1 to the collapsed configuration shown in Figure 2. In the collapsed configuration the assembly may be reduced to a height of approximately 10 to 15 cms, thereby rendering the empty unit to be readily transportable.

Power for the refrigeration unit may come from mains or a battery, but in a preferred embodiment of the invention at least part of the power comes from solar energy. Solar panels may be mounted on any or all of the upper and side surfaces of the assembly, but in a particularly preferred embodiment the panels are mounted on one side of the enclosure. With this latter arrangement the unit may then be positioned so that the panels receive full or maximum sunlight and cooling fins for the refrigeration unit can be located on the opposite side, which will be in shade.

A particularly preferred structure for the walls of the collapsible enclosure is a concertina folding arrangement asshown in Figure 2. The wall itself comprises an inner wall 4, an outer wall 5 and an insulating filling 6. These may all be made of plastics materials such as polypropylene provided with lines of weakness at the folding points. A bar or support rod (not shown) may be provided to support the enclosure in the erect configuration. An advantage gained from the concertina type folding of the enclosure is that it can be arranged such that in the erect position there is still some residual folding, and solar panels or cells can be positioned on upwardly inclined faces 7.

Access to the interior of the enclosure is by way of a zip fastened opening. Zip fastening may also be used to secure the enclosure to the refrigeration unit. At the zip fasteners there is of course a reduction in the insulation as the double walled structure cannot be maintained.

Thermal leakage is reduced at these points by provision of flaps on the outside, inside or both surfaces of the enclosure, which extend over the zip fastening. Preferably, the flaps are held closed by a contact fastener such as 'velcro'. An inspection window may also be provided to reduce the frequency and time for which the enclosure is opened. The window may comprise for example an area in which both the inner and outer walls are transparent and there is no intervening insulating material. It is particularly convenient to locate such a window on the upper surface of the enclosure which does not fold, and also to provide a thermally insulating flap over the window area.

As an alternative or back-up to solar power the refrigeration unit may be provided with batteries.

Preferably the batteries are rechargeable and can receive charge from mains, a car battery or from solar input.

A further advantage of the collapsible enclosure is that theenclosure volume may be reduced by partial collapsing, thereby reducing the load on the refrigeration unit.

various other modifications are envisaged, for example the small refrigeration unit may be used with a rigid or fixed enclosure rather than a collapsible one. Instead of being hand portable the assembly may be adapted as a back pack.

Cooling fins and solar panels may be provided on more than one side.

Claims

1. A refrigeration assembly comprising a refrigeration unit and a collapsible enclosure chilled by the refrigeration unit.

2. A refrigeration assembly according to claim 1 in which the refrigeration unit is at least partly solar powered.

3. A portable refrigeration assembly comprising a refrigeration unit and an enclosure chilled by the unit in which the refrigeration unit is at least partly solar powered.

4. A refrigeration assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the enclosure is collapsible by virtue of concertina folding of its walls.

5. A refrigeration unit according to claim 3 in which solar cells are mounted on upwardly inclined faces of the concertina folds.

6. A refrigeration assembly according to any preceding Claim in which solar cells are mounted on one side of the assembly and cooling fins for the refrigeration unit are mounted on the opposite side.

7. A refrigeration unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.