Cooling device with an air guiding element

Abstract

A cooling device, particularly a household refrigerator, has a housing defining a storage space. A door assembly attached to the housing enables access to the storage space. A unit that emits heat to its surrounding is disposed on the cooling device. The heated air around the unit is discharged through an air outlet. An air guiding element directs the discharged air upwardly so as to flow along the door assembly. The air guiding element is provided on the door assembly.

Claims

1. A cooling device, comprising a housing defining a storage space; a door assembly pivotally attached to said housing for pivoting between a closed position and an open position for access to said storage space; a unit emitting heat to a surrounding disposed on the cooling device; an air outlet through which the heated air is discharged from around said unit; an air guide mounted to said door assembly and pivotable together with said door assembly into the open position, and, when said door assembly is in the closed position, said air guide being disposed to direct the air discharged from around said unit upwardly so as to flow along said door assembly; wherein said air guide is formed with a curved portion extending so as to direct the discharged air upwardly, and said curved portion contacts a bottom of said air outlet when said door assembly is in the closed position.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, which comprises a machine compartment for accommodating said unit and having an air inlet through which ambient air is aspirated and an air outlet through which heated air is discharged from around said unit.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1 configured as a household refrigerator.

4. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said air guide comprises a main portion extending vertically, parallel to said door assembly.

5. The cooling device according to claim 4, wherein said air guide includes at least one bracket disposed on said main portion.

6. The cooling device according to claim 4, wherein said main portion has a wedged end.

7. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said door assembly comprises a door and a decorative panel on an exterior side of said door, and wherein the air discharged from said unit is directed through a gap formed between said door and said decorative panel.

8. The cooling device according to claim 7, wherein said air guide extends from a level defined by a bottom of said door to a level defined by a bottom of said decorative panel.

9. The cooling device according to claim 7, wherein the air guide is fixedly connected to said door.

10. The cooling device according to claim 7, wherein said air guide has a main portion formed with a wedged end extending towards said gap.

11. A cooling device, comprising: a housing defining a storage space; a door assembly pivotally attached to said housing for pivoting between a closed position and an open position for access to said storage space; a unit emitting heat to a surrounding disposed on the cooling device; an air outlet through which the heated air is discharged from around said unit; an air guide mounted to said door assembly and pivotable together with said door assembly into the open position, and, when said door assembly is in the closed position; wherein said air guide is disposed to direct the air discharged from around said unit upwardly so as to flow along said door assembly; wherein said air guide includes a main portion extending vertically, parallel to said door assembly; and said air guide includes at least one ridge disposed on said main portion.

12. The cooling device according to the claim 11, wherein said air guide is formed with a curved portion extending so as to direct the discharged air upwardly.

13. The cooling device according to the claim 12, wherein said curved portion contacts a bottom of said air outlet when said door assembly is in the closed position.

14. A cooling device, comprising: a housing defining a storage space; a door assembly pivotally attached to said housing for pivoting between a closed position and an open position for access to said storage space; a unit emitting heat to a surrounding disposed on the cooling device; an air outlet through which the heated air is discharged from around said unit; an air guide mounted to said door assembly and pivotable together with said door assembly into the open position, and, when said door assembly is in the closed position, said air guide being disposed to direct the air discharged from around said unit upwardly so as to flow along said door assembly; wherein said air guide includes a main portion extending vertically, parallel to said door assembly; and wherein said air guide includes at least one bracket and at least one ridge on said main portion, said ridge extending from said bracket towards a curved portion.

15. A cooling device, comprising a housing defining a storage space; a door assembly pivotally attached to said housing for pivoting between a closed position and an open position for access to said storage space; a unit emitting heat to a surrounding disposed on the cooling device; an air outlet through which the heated air is discharged from around said unit; an air guide mounted to said door assembly and pivotable together with said door assembly into the open position, and, when said door assembly is in the closed position, said air guide being disposed to direct the air discharged from around said unit upwardly so as to flow along said door assembly; and wherein said door assembly has a door and a decorative panel on an exterior side of said door, and wherein the air discharged from said unit is directed through a gap formed between said door and said decorative panel; and wherein said air guide is fixedly connected to the bottom of said door by screwing through a hole formed in a bracket disposed on said air guide.

16. A cooling device, comprising a housing defining a storage space; a door assembly pivotally attached to said housing for pivoting between a closed position and an open position for access to said storage space; a unit emitting heat to a surrounding disposed on the cooling device; an air outlet through which the heated air is discharged from around said unit; an air guide mounted to said door assembly and pivotable together with said door assembly into the open position, and, when said door assembly is in the closed position, said air guide being disposed to direct the air discharged from around said unit upwardly so as to flow along said door assembly; a machine compartment for accommodating said unit and having an air inlet through which ambient air is aspirated and an air outlet through which heated air is discharged from around said unit; and a separator disposed to remain between said air inlet and said air outlet when said door assembly is in the closed position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The figures, whose brief explanations are herewith provided, are solely intended for providing a better understanding of the present invention and are as such not intended to define the scope of protection or the context in which said scope is to be interpreted in the absence of the description.

(2) FIG. 1 is a top isometric view of the cooling device of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the air guiding element.

(4) FIG. 3 is a bottom isometric view of the cooling device of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) In this detailed description, the subject matter is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect only in order to make the subject more understandable.

(7) As shown in the FIG. 1, the cooling device (1) is embodied as a household refrigerator. The cooling device (1) comprises a storage space (2) for storing the victuals. The storage space (2) is delimited by a housing (3). The cooling device (1) comprises a door assembly (7) attached to the housing (3) for access to the storage space (2). The door assembly (7) comprises a door (71) and a decorative panel (72) connected to an external side of the door (71). Thus, the decorative panel (72) provides an aesthetical appearance while the door assembly (7) is in the closed position.

(8) The cooling device (1) comprises a machine compartment (4) arranged inside the housing (3) and positioned below the storage space (2). The machine compartment (4) encloses several units of the cooling device (1). The unit (41) shown schematically in the FIG. 1 can be a compressor, a condenser or a component of the refrigerant cycle of the cooling device (1) or any element of the cooling device (1) emitting heat. During the working of the cooling device (1), the unit (41) emits heat to its surrounding and so the air around the unit (41) is heated. The cooling device (1) comprises an air inlet (6) for sucking the ambient air and an air outlet (5) for discharging the heated air around the unit (41) in order to cool the unit (41). The air inlet (6) and the air outlet (5) are located side by side below the storage space (2). Especially, the air inlet (6) and the air outlet (5) are located on the front wall (40) of the machine compartment (4). A separator (8) is arranged on the door assembly (7) in order to seat between the air inlet (6) and air outlet (5) while the door assembly (7) is in the closed position. Thus, the separator (8) prevents the communication between the air inlet (6) and the air outlet (5). The air discharged through the air outlet (5) cannot be sucked by the air inlet (6).

(9) The cooling device (1) comprises an air guiding element (9) in order to guide the discharged air. The air guiding element (9) is attached to the door assembly (7). In particular, the air guiding element (9) is attached to the door (71).

(10) As shown in the FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the air guiding element (9) comprises a curved portion (91) and a main portion (92) extending vertically parallel to the door assembly (7) as continuation of the curved portion (91). The air guiding element (9) also comprises a wedged end (96). The air guiding element (9) comprises several ridges (93) on the main portion (92). Especially, the ridges (93) are provided on the inner surface (920) of the main portion (92). The ridges (93) narrow towards the curved portion (91). The ridges (93) extend from the bottom of a bracket (94) towards the curved portion (91). The air guiding element (9) comprises brackets (94) arranged on the main portion (92) in order to mount the air guiding element (9) to the door assembly (7). Especially, the brackets (94) are provided at the end of the main portion (92). Each bracket (94) comprises a hole (95) for a screw, for example, to mount the air guiding element (9) to the door assembly (7).

(11) As shown in the FIG. 3, the air guiding element (9) is connected to the bottom (711) of the door (71) by screwing through the hole (95) of the bracket (94). The bracket (94) extends horizontally from the wedged end (96) towards the door (71). The air guiding element (9) extends from the level of the bottom (711) of the door (71) to level of the bottom (721) of the decorative panel (72). The curved portion (91) contacts with bottom (51) of the air outlet (5). A gap (100) is formed between the decorative panel (72) and the door (71) along the door (71).

(12) Cross-sectional view of the cooling device (1) is shown in the FIG. 4 while the door assembly (7) is in the closed position. In this position, the discharged air is directed upwardly so as to flow along the door assembly (7) by means of the air guiding element (9), especially by means of the curved portion (91). The ridges (93) assist the equal distribution of the discharged air flow and enhance the linear flow of the discharged air. The wedged end (96) extends towards the gap (100) in order to ease the entry of the discharged air into the gap (100). The discharged air is transmitted through the gap (100) to the outer surface of the door (71). Thus, the discharged air heats both the outer surface of the door (71) and the inner surface of the decorative panel (72) and thereby temperature of the outer surface of the door (71) and/or the decorative panel (72) does not decrease below the dew point of the ambient air and the condensation is prevented. The discharged air exists from the top of the door (71) thanks to the chimney effect.

(13) On the other hand, while the door assembly (7) is in the opened position, the air is discharged to the ambient as directed away from the storage space (2) due to inclined fins (52) of the air outlet (5) so it is prevented that discharged air increases the temperature of the storage space (2).

(14) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: 1 Cooling Device 2 Storage Space 3 Housing 4 Machine Compartment 40 Front Wall of the Machine Compartment 41 Unit 5 Air Outlet 51 Bottom of the Air Outlet 52 Fin 6 Air Inlet 7 Door Assembly 71 Door 711 Bottom of the Door 72 Decorative Panel 721 Bottom of the Decorative Panel 8 Separator 9 Air Guiding Element 91 Curved Portion 92 Main Portion 920 Inner Surface of the Main Portion 93 Ridge 94 Bracket 95 Hole of the Bracket 96 Wedged End 100 Gap