GB2269005A

GB2269005A - A shelf for a refrigerator

Info

Publication number: GB2269005A
Application number: GB9315086A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Duilio Besson; Oscar Patron
Original assignee: Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Priority date: 1992-07-21
Filing date: 1993-07-21
Publication date: 1994-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 2013-07-21
Also published as: GB2269005B; ITPN920025V0; IT229046Y1; ITPN920025U1; ES1025426Y; GB9315086D0; FR2694078A1; FR2694078B1; ES1025426U; DE9309752U1

Abstract

A refrigerator apparatus comprising a container for water disposed in a refrigerating compartment. The container is in the form of a shelf and contains a water inlet 2. The water may be used for making ice cubes. The shelf which is usually above a vegetable compartment includes a through opening (4) closed by a baffle (6) of material which is porous in relation to moisture. A protective element (7) may be positioned above the baffle (6). The baffle material may be porous hydrophillic sintered metamorphie polyethylene. <IMAGE>

Description

REFRIGERATOR APPARATUS WITH IMPROVED SHELF The invention concerns a refrigerator apparatus having at least one improved shelf provided with a filtering device for regulating the moisture in a compartment of the apparatus, and a device for the automatic production of ice cubes.

Refrigerator apparatuses, in particular domestic appliances, are known in which the space of the internal compartment containing the foodstuffs to be preserved is divided into various zones which are delimited in terms of height to facilitate use of the available space.

Delimitation in terms of height is normally effected by means of shelves of plastics material or plastics-coated grills or by means of separators which perform an equivalent function.

In particular, the usual practice is to provide in the compartment of a refrigerator apparatus one or more pull-out drawers which are closed upwardly by a pane of glass which also serves as a support surface for the space above.

It is a common experience that such drawers are used to preserve fruit and fresh vegetables which derive more benefit from a reserved space.

In use of such a shelf for closing the drawer or drawers containing the vegetables or foodstuffs with a great deal of water, it is known that the following disadvantage arises: such foodstuffs progressively give off part of the high level of moisture contained therein, and that moisture will be deposited in condensate form on the lower wall of the shelf which delimits it upwardly. In' that situation that wall is progressively covered with dropstof 'of condensed water which cause an increase in the humidity content of the ambient atmosphere, and which tend to drop on to thee foodstuffs, promoting decay thereof, even if the space is at a fairly low temperature.

That means that the characteristics in terms of preserving foodstuffs of that space or drawer containing the vegetables at a controlled level of humidity, preventing the humidity which issues from the foods remaining enclosed in the space.

Therefore solutions have been produced which involve maintaining the space or drawer containing the vegetables at a controlled level of humidity, preventing the humidity which issues from the foodstuffs remaining enclosed in the space.

That result was achieved by providing that a part of the upper shelf has characteristics such as to permit moisture to pass from the interior of the space to the remainder of the compartment.

That is achieved by providing an opening of suitable shape and size in the surface of the shelf and fitting into the opening a pane of synthetic material which as the property of being partially porous to the moisture present on one of its faces, in such a way that such moisture is transmitted from one compartment to the other.

The synthetic material having that property is known and is available for example from Hitachi as porous hydrophillic sintered metamorphic polyethylene.

The most interesting characteristic of that material is that of allowing moisture to pass from one side to the other in such a way as to maintain the moisture present at one side, under the thermal conditions obtaining in a normal vegetable drawer, at around 90%.

When a type of shelf which partially bears a pane of the above-described type is applied in that way to a vegetable drawer or to a space with a high moisture content, that provides that the moisture in the space is always automatically regulated by the porosity of the material forming the pane in such a way that the residual moisture level established in the space no longer attains a value such as to result in condensation on the walls or the bottom of the drawer, thus avoiding the above-discussed disadvantages.

In addition the porous material does not involve any toxicity so that it can be safely used in the interior of a refrigerator and can even come into direct contact with foodstuffs.

That solution is well known in the state of the art and is disclosed for example in European patent (application) No. 0240955 and French patent (application) No. 2650561.

With the progress in the technology of freezing for preserving foodstuffs, devices for metering water for units for producing ice cubes in refrigerator apparatuses have also been disclosed. For example our Italian patent (application) No. 34090/B/90 discloses a particular type of device for metering the water for an ice producer, which is formed by a container for the water, disposed in the upper refrigerating compartment, communicating with the ice producer which is accommodated within a lower freezing compartment by way of at least one water feed conduit and regulating means for introducing metered amounts of water into the ice producer after extraction therefrom of the ice which was previously formed, the container being of a flat box-like shape with a flat upper surface and of shallow thickness, and also an internal volume such as to ensure a certain degree of autonomy in terms of re-supplying the ice producer, and provided with at least one plug hole for the introduction of water into the container.

The advantages of that design are those of being able automatically to feed the ice producer with water for a reasonable number of times without involving structural and connecting complications and also increased costs if the ice producer is connected directly to the water system, and the time for forming the ice is reduced since the water which is taken off has been pre-cooled by virtue of being in a refrigerated environment.

For the purpose of using that type of water metering device and at the same time taking advantage of the properties of the shelves with control of the moisture of the subjacent space, as described above, it would be desirable, and this is the aim of the present invention, to provide a domestic refrigerator which combines in a single component the double objective of providing a water reservoir and effecting good regulation of the moisture in the vegetables space without increasing the level of complexity and while keeping the production costs down.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator apparatus comprising a device for metering the water for ice producers in refrigerating appliances, having two separate compartments in superposed relationship, for refrigerating and freezing foods respectively, in which said device is at least one container for the water which is disposed in the upper refrigerating compartment, communicating with said ice producer which is accommodate din said lower freezing compartment by way of at least one conduit for the feed flow of the water and regulating means for introducing metered amounts of water into said ice producer after extraction therefrom of the previously formed ice, characterised in that provided in said container is a through opening closed by a baffle of material which is porous in relation to moisture.

The invention will be better appreciated from the following description given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shelf according to the invention; Figure 2 is a view in section of the shelf shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of a part of the section shown in figure 2; Figure 4 shows the shelf in position after removal from its guides; and Figure 5 is a view in section through a refrigerator incorporating the present invention.

The solution conceived fundamentally consists in the provision of a container 1 for the water, which is used for feeding an ice producer 9 for a reasonable number of times; the container is of suitable thickness and is hollow in the interior and is of substantially flat shape, being provided with an aperture 2 for the introduction of the water in such a way that it can also be used as a conventional shelf which closes of a vegetable space 14.

Provided in the interior of the shelf-container 1 is a through opening 4 which is naturally sealed at its edges 5 close to the container.

Disposed in the opening 4 is a baffle or separator 6 of porous material such as the porous hydrophillic sintered metamorphic polyethylene described above, in such a way that when the shelf-container is used to close off the vegetable space, the moisture which is emitted therefrom can be progressively liberated by way of the baffle 6. Thus, the two functions of a water container and a food-carrying shelf have been achieved with a single component. In addition that porous material affords good mechanical properties but it is nonetheless desirable that it is protected from excessive weights or from bodies falling thereon, which could damage it.

An improvement therefore involves the provision above the baffle 6 of said material of a protective element 7 which is preferably of a curved shape and with its edges 8 resting on the junction of the baffle 6 at the edges of the opening 4 on the upward side of the shelf 1.

Naturally in order for the moisture which is regulated by the subjacent baffle 6 to be allowed to pass, the protective element 7 will have to have apertures or small openings 9, as shown in the enlarged view in figure 3.

Finally figure 5 shows a section through a refrigerator apparatus having the shelf-container 1 with the protective baffle 6 and the protective element 7.

The connection between the container 1 and the ice producer 9 is formed primarily by an electrically operated valve 10, a conduit 11 and a water distributor 12 which are generally similar to the components illustrated in the above-mentioned Italian patent, and which therefore will not be further discussed herein.

It will be appreciated that any refrigerator apparatus shelf can also be made in different shapes from those shown without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator apparatus comprising a device for metering the water for ice producers in refrigerating appliances, having two separate compartments in superposed relationship, for refrigerating and freezing foods respectively, in which said device is at least one container for the water which is disposed in the upper refrigerating compartment, communicating with said ice producer which is accommodate din said lower freezing compartment by way of at least one conduit for the feed flow of the water and regulating means for introducing metered amounts of water into said ice producer after extraction therefrom of the previously formed ice, characterised in that provided in said container is a through opening closed by a baffle of material which is porous in relation to moisture.

2. A refrigerator apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that said baffle is protected by a protective element of preferably curved shape, said protective element being provided with apertures or small openings for the moisture to pass therethrough.

3. A refrigerator apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the water container is slidably inserted into corresponding lateral guides of the upper compartment.

4. A refrigerator apparatus constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.