Cooling device having an improved sealing assembly

Abstract

A cooling device includes a cabinet body that encloses a compartment, a door operatively associated with the cabinet body to selectively enclose the compartment, a heat source to heat transfer, a first magnetic element in contact with or attached to a front flange of the cabinet body and a sealing assembly for sealing an area between the cabinet body and the door of the cooling device. The heat source and the first magnetic member are at least partly in contact with each other in such a way that condensation problems thereof are effectively reduced.

Claims

1. A cooling device, comprising: a cabinet body enclosing a compartment, said cabinet body having a front flange; a door operatively associated with said cabinet body for opening and closing said compartment; a heat source for transferring heat; a first magnetic element in contact with or attached to said front flange; a sealing assembly for sealing an area between said cabinet body and said door; said heat source and said first magnetic member being at least partly in contact with each other; said front flange having a planar outer wall in contact with said sealing assembly and an inner wall, said first magnetic element being disposed on said inner wall; said first magnetic element having first and second mutually opposite planar surfaces, said first planar surface being in contact with said inner wall of said front flange, and said heat source being disposed on said second planar surface; and said heat source not being in direct contact with said front flange.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said sealing assembly has a contact wall facing and at least partly contacting said front flange.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, which further comprises a first adhesive tape bonding said first magnetic element to said front flange.

4. The cooling device according to claim 3, wherein said first adhesive tape is a metallic foil tape with pressure sensitive adhesives.

5. The cooling device according to claim 3, wherein said first adhesive tape completely covers said first magnetic element.

6. The cooling device according to claim 3, wherein said front flange has lateral walls, and said first adhesive tape extends along at least one of said lateral walls.

7. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said sealing assembly includes a magnetic element housing, and said sealing assembly includes a second magnetic element fixedly secured to said magnetic element housing in proximity of said first magnetic element.

8. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said heat source is a metal tube.

9. The cooling device according to claim 8, wherein said heat source is configured to carry condenser fluid between components of a cooling system of the cooling device.

10. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein said heat source is a copper tube.

11. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling device is at least one of a refrigerator, a freezer, a combined refrigerator-freezer or a wine cabinet.

12. A cooling device, comprising: a cabinet body enclosing a compartment, said cabinet body having a front flange; a door operatively associated with said cabinet body for opening and closing said compartment; a heat source for transferring heat; a magnetic element in contact with or attached to said front flange; a sealing assembly for sealing an area between said cabinet body and said door; said heat source and said magnetic member being at least partly in contact with each other; a first adhesive tape bonding said magnetic element to said front flange; and a second adhesive tape at least partly covering said heat source, said magnetic element and said front flange for adhesively bonding.

13. The cooling device according to claim 12, wherein said front flange has lateral walls, and said second adhesive tape extends along at least one of said lateral walls.

14. The cooling device according to claim 12, wherein said second adhesive tape is a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape having a first planar surface and a second planar surface with an adhesive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, top-plan view of the sealing assembly in a cooling device, wherein an adhesive tape is applied to a heat source, a first magnetic member and a front flange according to the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sealing assembly in the cooling device according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 3 is a top-plan view of the sealing assembly in the cooling device shown in FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the sealing assembly in the cooling device according to the present invention; and

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cooling device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1 and 5 thereof, it is seen that the present invention proposes a cooling device 100 including a cabinet body 70 that encloses a compartment, a door 80 operatively associated with the cabinet body 70 to selectively enclose the compartment, a heat source 90 for transferring heat, a first magnetic element 40 in contact with or attached to a front flange 20 of the cabinet body 70, and a sealing assembly 10 for sealing an area between the cabinet body 70 and the door 80 of the cooling device 100, wherein the sealing assembly 10 includes a plurality of air chambers 11, 12 for insulation and an attachment portion 50 being adapted for attaching the sealing assembly 10 to the door 80. According to the present invention the heat source 90 and first magnetic member 40 are disposed to be at least partly in contact with each other in such a way that condensation problem thereof is effectively reduced.

(7) According to the present invention, the sealing assembly 10 is disposed to surround an entire periphery of the interior surface of the door 80, and is formed of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material that defines a number of collapsible air spaces 11, 12, and includes deformable outer side walls 17 extending between a planar contact wall 16 and the attachment portion 50.

(8) With the door 80 in the closed position the sealing assembly 10 is applied against the front flange 20 forming the front side of the cabinet body 70. This front flange 20 has a substantially flat outer wall 22 that is contacted and sealed against when the door 80 is closed against the cabinet body 70. Referring to FIG. 1, it is seen that a second magnetic element 30 is encased within a magnetic member housing 15 and has a quadrangular cross-section. The front flange 20 of the cabinet body 70 typically extends all the way around the openings of the compartments of the cooling device 100. This front flange 20 is primarily formed of insulative materials to prevent or slow the transmission of heat. Foam insulation can be disposed behind the front flange 20 and the front flange 20 can be formed of plastic or other non-magnetic material having suitable resistance to heat conductivity.

(9) As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the heat source 90 can be placed longitudinally on the first magnetic element 40 and can be an electric heating element, that is, a heating tube, a heating wire, or it can also be a heating pipe, in which any type of hot fluid can pass through the heat source 90. This direct contact of the heat source 90 to the first magnetic element 40 warms the outer wall 22 of the front flange 20 of the cabinet body 70 to reduce or eliminate sweating of the outer wall 22.

(10) The second magnetic member 30 extends at least partly along the sealing assembly 10. The magnetic force ensures that a contact wall 16 of the sealing assembly 10 is brought into close contact with the outer wall 22 of the front flange 20 of the cabinet body 70 and the door 80, thus providing a further reinforcement of the sealing. The first and second magnetic members 40, 30 can be made of any material which can be confined by the magnetic force, that is, the material of a ferromagnetic member magnetizable by the magnetic force. The first and second magnetic elements 40, 30 are dual pole magnets. The second magnetic member 30 is shaped and dimensioned with respect to the cross-section of the magnetic member housing 15.

(11) The heat source 90 is a tube that is made of metal, preferably copper and is disposed to carry condenser fluid between components of the cooling system of the cooling device 100. This heat source 90 is disposed to circulate heated condenser fluid from the cooling mechanism along the front flange 20, thereby helping to keep the front flange 20 above the ambient air dew point and reducing or eliminating water formation on the front flange 20 and the sealing assembly 10.

(12) Referring to FIG. 2, it is seen that the first magnetic element 40 has a first planar surface 42 that is disposed to be in contact with the inner wall 21 of the front flange 20, and a second planar surface 41 opposite the first planar surface 42. The heat source 90 is placed on the second planar surface 41. In a possible embodiment, before the placement of the heat source 90, the first magnetic element 40 is adhered onto the inner wall 21 by using a first adhesive tape 60 as shown in FIG. 4. This first adhesive tape 60 can be a metallic foil tape, preferably aluminum, with pressure sensitive adhesives and can be disposed to completely cover the first magnetic element 40. With this configuration, misalignment of the first magnetic element 40 is eliminated and thermal efficiency is increased by spreading the heat properly by using the first adhesive tape 60.

(13) According to the present invention, the heat source 90, preferably as a tube, is attached to the second planar surface 41 of the first magnetic element 40 by a second adhesive tape 61 as shown in FIG. 1. The second adhesive tape 61 has a sufficient bonding strength that will enable the heat source 90 to retain its desired position until insulation foam is deployed, at which time the rigidity of the cured foam will easily nullify the repulsion forces. The second adhesive tape 61 can be a transparent polyurethane adhesive tape that resists punctures, tearing and abrasion, and resists ultraviolet light.

(14) In the art, the heat source 90 is placed in the proximity of the first magnetic element 40 with an internal gap. That assembly method increases the condensation on the front flange 20 and leaves a mold mark on the front flange 20 if the heat source 90 is not aligned properly. By eliminating that problem and increasing thermal efficiency as well, the heat source 90 is placed on the first magnetic element 40 after the first magnetic element 40 is covered by the first adhesive rape 60. In a first step, the first magnetic element 40 is placed on the inner wall 21 of the front flange 20 and then adhered at least partly by the first adhesive tape 60. In a second step, the heat source 90 is placed onto the covered first magnetic element 40 and adhered by the second adhesive tape 61. The second adhesive tape 61 covers almost all of the second planar surface 41 of the first magnetic element 40 and extends to the inner wall 21 of the front flange 20. The first and second adhesive tapes 60, 61 are, preferably, extended at least to one of the lateral walls 23 of the front flange 20 and are positioned substantially above each other. The lateral walls 23 form a U-shaped front flange 20.

(15) In a possible embodiment, the first and second adhesive tapes 60, 61 are pressure-sensitive adhesives having a first planar surface and a second planar surface with an adhesive. This type of pressure-sensitive adhesives may include an elastic component modified through the addition of a viscous or plastic component.

(16) Again referring to FIG. 1, the sealing assembly 10 is provided with the attachment portion 50. The attachment portion 50 is inserted into a mounting groove formed along the door 80 and provides the fixation of the sealing assembly 10 to the door 80 of the cooling device 100. The attachment portion 50 includes an end portion 14 which has an arched shaped profile and includes at least one set of catching wings extending outwardly from the attachment portion 50. The catching wings are formed on both ends of the attachment portion 50, so that the attachment portion 50 is inserted into a mounting groove of the door 80 and does not come out inadvertently, thereby providing a tight fixation between the door 80 of the cooling device 100 and the sealing assembly 10 when in use. The attachment portion 30 further includes at least one opening 13 as a hollow space.

(17) The cooling device 100 can be a refrigerator, which includes a cabinet body 70 and door(s) 80 which can be secured by hinged attachment to the cabinet body 70 so that the door 80 will open away from the cabinet body 70 while pivoting upon the hinged attachments. Furthermore, the cooling device can be a freezer, a refrigerator-freezer combination device or a wine cabinet. In a possible embodiment, the first magnetic element 40 and the second magnetic element 30 are preferably dual pole magnets having either north or south poles at each of its latitudinal ends with a central portion of the element having the opposite polarity.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(18) 10. Sealing assembly

(19) 11. Air chamber

(20) 12. Air chamber

(21) 13. Opening

(22) 14. End portion

(23) 15. Magnetic member housing

(24) 16. Contact wall

(25) 17. Outer side wall

(26) 20. Front flange

(27) 21. Inner wall

(28) 22. Outer wall

(29) 23. Lateral wall

(30) 30. Second magnetic member

(31) 40. First magnetic member

(32) 41. Second planar surface

(33) 42. First planar surface

(34) 50. Attachment portion

(35) 60. First adhesive tape

(36) 61. Second adhesive tape

(37) 70. Cabinet body

(38) 80. Door

(39) 90. Heat source

(40) 100. Cooling device