HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATOR WITH AN ICEMAKER UNIT AND A COOLING DEVICE HAVING A PRESSURE CHAMBER FOR COOLING THE ICEMAKER UNIT

Abstract

A household refrigerator has a housing formed with a receiving space. An icemaker unit for dispensing ice is arranged in the receiving space. The icemaker unit has a tray in which shaping regions are formed for specifying a shape of shaped ice elements that are produced from liquid poured into the tray. The icemaker unit has a cooling device with which a cooling air flow is produced for cooling the tray. The cooling device has an evaporator and a fan. A fan wheel of the fan blows the cold produced by the evaporator in a cooling air flow. The fan wheel is arranged in a separate pressure chamber.

Claims

1. A household refrigerator, comprising: a housing formed with a receiving space; an icemaker unit disposed in said receiving space for dispensing ice, said icemaker unit including a tray formed with shaping regions for specifying a shape of shaped ice elements to be produced from liquid poured into said tray and a cooling device for producing a cooling air flow for cooling said tray; said cooling device including an evaporator and a fan with a fan wheel configured to generate the cooling air flow with cold produced by said evaporator; and said cooling device including a separate pressure chamber housing said fan wheel.

2. The household refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said pressure chamber has a chamber wall disposed between said fan and said tray and formed with an opening through which the cooling air flow is conducted towards said tray.

3. The household refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein said tray has a base and said opening is configured to purposefully conduct the cooling air flow only under said base of said tray.

4. The household refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein, viewed in a height direction of said icemaker unit, said opening is arranged below said tray and above said evaporator.

5. The household refrigerator according to claim 2, which comprises a flow conduit protruding at said opening from said chamber wall in a direction of said tray.

6. The household refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein said flow conduit is beak-shaped.

7. The household refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein said flow conduit terminates under a base of said tray.

8. The household refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein said chamber wall has a cup-shaped region, to form a pressure chamber volume delimited by chamber walls of said pressure chamber with a pressure chamber volume region radially adjoining a longitudinal axis of said cup-shaped region at said cup-shaped region and which is formed as a pressure chamber volume ring.

9. The household refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein, viewed in a direction of a longitudinal axis of said cup-shaped region, said fan wheel is arranged adjacent to a base of said cup-shaped region.

10. The household refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein a radial dimension of said fan wheel is less than or equal to a radial dimension of the base of said cup-shaped region.

11. The household refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein, viewed in a radial direction to a longitudinal axis, said flow conduit is formed at a wall region of said chamber wall that outwardly follows a cup-shaped region of said flow conduit in the radial direction.

12. The household refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein said flow conduit is an axial extension of said pressure chamber volume ring.

13. The household refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein, viewed in a radial direction to a longitudinal axis, said flow conduit is formed at a wall region of said chamber wall that outwardly follows a cup-shaped region of said flow conduit in the radial direction.

14. The household refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said evaporator is arranged in a housing of said cooling device and said housing is provided, at least in certain regions thereof, with a thermal insulating material.

15. The household refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, viewed in a height direction of said cooling device, said fan is arranged above said evaporator and, viewed in a plane perpendicular to the height direction, said fan is arranged offset from said evaporator.

16. The household refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said cooling device comprises a heating unit for defrosting said evaporator.

17. The household refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said fan is a radial fan.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an inventive household refrigerator;

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an icemaker unit of the household refrigerator;

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a more detailed diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

[0044] FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram of a cooling device of the icemaker unit in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3;

[0045] FIG. 5 is a diagram of the cooling device in an opposite perspective from FIG. 4; and

[0046] FIG. 6 is a perspective sectional view of the cooling device in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.

[0047] Identical elements or those with the same function are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a perspective diagram of a household refrigerator 1 which can be a refrigerator or an upright freezer. In the exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 is a side-by-side fridge-freezer. The household refrigerator 1 is designed for storing and preserving comestibles, such as food and drinks. The household refrigerator 1 comprises a housing 2, which delimits an interior space 10. This interior space 10 is designed to receive the comestibles. The housing 2 comprises a base body 3 and, in the exemplary embodiment, doors 4 and 5 pivotally arranged thereon. The doors 4 and 5 are designed to close the interior space 10. It can also be provided that there is a plurality of separate interior spaces instead of a single connected interior space 10. It can therefore be provided that a first interior space, which is separate from an interior space which can be closed by the other door 4, can be closed by the door 5.

[0049] Furthermore, the household refrigerator 1 comprises an icemaker unit 6 which is designed at least for dispensing free-flowing chilled goods, in particular ice cubes. What is known as slush ice can also be dispensed in addition to said dispensing of ice cubes. The icemaker unit 6 is arranged in the housing 2, wherein it can be arranged with at least sub-components in the interior space 10 and/or with sub-components at least in a wall of the base body 3 or a door 4 or can be arranged completely in such a wall and can therefore be arranged separately from the interior space 10.

[0050] The icemaker unit 6 is arranged for this purpose in a receiving space (not shown) which is formed in the housing 2. The receiving space can also be formed in the in the interior space 10 in this context. The receiving space for the icemaker unit 6 is designed solely to receive this icemaker unit 6.

[0051] The icemaker unit 6 comprises a control and display device 7 which is accessible and can be seen via a front side of the door 4. The user of the household refrigerator 1 can then introduce a collection vessel, such as, for example a glass, etc., into a recess 8 in the door for dispensing of the chilled goods, and the chilled goods can then pass into this vessel via an illustrated dispensing device 9 of the icemaker unit 6.

[0052] In addition to the dispensing device 9 already mentioned, the icemaker unit 6 preferably comprises a reservoir fluidically connected to the dispensing device 9, in which reservoir the liquid is contained. The dispensing device 9 extends partially into the recess 8 and can be operated by way of the control and display device 7. The household refrigerator 1 comprises a control unit 11 which should be understood to be merely exemplary and symbolically in respect of its embodiment and position.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows the icemaker unit 6 in a schematic vertical sectional view. This comprises, in particular, a housing 12 in which, in particular, a tray 13 is arranged. The tray 13 comprises a shaping region 13c (FIG. 3). The shaping region 13c is designed for specifying the shape of shaped ice elements produced from liquid poured into the tray 13. In the exemplary embodiment the icemaker unit 6 comprises, moreover, a container 14 which is designed separately from the tray 13 and, viewed in particular in the vertical direction and therefore in the height direction (y-direction), is arranged under the tray 13 and spaced apart from this tray 13. Shaped ice elements, for example ice cubes, produced in the tray 13 can be collected in this container 14 when they are tipped out of the tray 13. Further dispensing up to the dispensing device 9 then takes place by way of this container 14.

[0054] The tray 13 and the container 14 are arranged in the interior 15 of the icemaker unit 6, in particular in the interior of the housing 12.

[0055] The icemaker unit 6 comprises, moreover, a cooling device 16 which in the illustrated embodiment is, in particular, a no-frost cooling device. The cooling device 16 is a separate unit and is therefore designed as a separate module. The cooling device 16 is arranged adjacent to the tray 13. It is positioned in the interior 15 of the housing 12.

[0056] In an advantageous embodiment the household refrigerator 1 can also be designed as a no-frost household refrigerator. The no-frost technology which then exists is designed with components independent of the cooling device 16, in particular also if the cooling device 16 is designed as a no-frost cooling device.

[0057] The cooling device 16 comprises an evaporator 17 and a fan 18. In particular, the evaporator 17 and the fan 18 are arranged in a housing 19 of the cooling device 16. As is schematically shown in FIG. 2, the fan 18 is arranged completely above the evaporator 17 in the height direction and in a plane perpendicular to this height direction, offset from the evaporator 17 at least in certain regions. This means that air rising from the evaporator 17 and also rising moisture do not then pass completely and extensively directly to the fan 18, but flow more or less upwardly past it.

[0058] The evaporator 17 is preferably a fin evaporator. The fan 18 is preferably a radial fan.

[0059] Preferably at least the evaporator 17 is arranged so as to be thermally insulated from the interior 15. In particular, a thermal insulation in relation to the tray 13 and the container 14 is therefore formed. It can in particular be provided that the walls of the, in particular, present housing 19 are thermally insulated.

[0060] It is particularly advantageously provided that the fan 18, in particular a fan wheel 27, is arranged in a separate pressure chamber 20, with this pressure chamber 20 delimiting, in particular by way of walls, a pressure volume or a pressure chamber volume 21. The fan 18 is therefore preferably arranged so as to be at least partially separate from the evaporator 17. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, the cooling air flow 22 symbolized thereby issues from the pressure chamber 20 and issues in a localized manner such that it flows only under a base 13a of the tray 13. The cooling air flow 22 does not flow along an upper side 13b of the tray 13.

[0061] The pressure chamber 20 comprises, in particular, a front chamber wall 23 which, viewed in the depth direction and therefore in the z-direction, is arranged between the fan 18 and the tray 13. This chamber wall 23 comprises an opening 24 from which the cooling air flow 22 can issue.

[0062] As shown in the slightly more detailed diagram of an embodiment of the icemaker unit 6 in FIG. 3, a flow channel stub 25, or flow conduit 25, is arranged so as to adjoin this opening 24. This flow conduit 25 extends from this chamber wall 23 in the direction of the tray 13. It can also be seen that, viewed in the height direction, the opening 24 is arranged under the fan 18 and above the evaporator 17. The flow conduit 25 is also positioned accordingly. The flow conduit 25 ends, in particular, under the tray 13.

[0063] FIG. 4 shows the cooling device 16 in a perspective diagram, wherein here a preferably present housing 19 is illustrated with only one chamber wall 23 of the pressure chamber 20. The flow conduit 25 can be seen here, which tapers, in particular, from the opening 24 to a blow-out opening 26 of the flow conduit 25, in particular tapers in the manner of a funnel.

[0064] As can be seen here, a cross-section of this outlet opening or blow-out opening 26 is much smaller than the dimensions of the area of the chamber wall 23. In particular, this blow-out opening 26 is also much smaller in its cross-sectional area than a surface area of a fan wheel or fan wheel 27 of the fan 18 measured in this plane.

[0065] Furthermore, it can be seen that the chamber wall 23 has a cup-shaped region 28 which is arranged, in particular, centrally. The air is introduced into the cooling device 16 or sucked out of the interior 15 via an opening 29 of the housing 19 of the cooling device 16.

[0066] As can be seen, the fan wheel 27, which has blades 31 (FIG. 5), is completely covered by the chamber wall 23 in the direction of the tray 13 and egress of the cooling air flow 22 is enabled only via the blow-out opening 26.

[0067] FIG. 5 shows the cooling device 16 of FIG. 4 in a further perspective diagram, namely from behind. It can be seen that a further rear chamber wall 30 also delimits the pressure chamber volume 21. The air flowing through the evaporator 17 is then sucked into the pressure chamber 20 solely via a relatively small opening 32.

[0068] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 also show, moreover, pipes of a heating unit 33, with which the evaporator 17 can be defrosted.

[0069] FIG. 6 shows in a perspective sectional view along the cutting line VI-VI in FIG. 4, the cooling device 16. As can be seen here, the fan wheel 27 with its blades 31 is designed in the radial direction in relation to a longitudinal axis A of the cup-shaped region 28 with dimensions such that they extend essentially only over the relevant dimensions of the base 34 of this cup-shaped region 28. The pressure chamber volume region 21 is then designed to adjoin thereto in the radial direction, and is therefore designed in the circumferential direction around the axis A as a pressure chamber volume ring 21a or pressure volume ring. It therefore also extends in the radial direction so as to adjoin the fan wheel 27. Furthermore, this pressure chamber volume ring 21a extends further forward than the fan wheel 27 in the direction of the longitudinal axis A. This is also caused by the shaping of the chamber wall 23, in particular by the cup-shaped region 28. As can also be seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the front chamber wall 23 also has another wall region 35 adjoining this cup-shaped region 28 in the radial direction, which wall region therefore radially adjoins this cup-shaped region 28. As can also be seen in this regard in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the flow conduit 25 is formed on this wall region 35 and is therefore also positioned outside of the cup-shaped region 28 in the radial direction. In the axial direction it adjoins the pressure chamber volume ring 21a so as to directly axially follow. The opening 24 is formed in this wall region 35 in this context. In particular, it can be seen that in an advantageous embodiment the opening 24 is positioned further out in the radial direction in relation to the longitudinal axis A than the blades 31 of the fan wheel 27 extend. The fan wheel 27 is therefore completely covered, in particular at the front, by the chamber wall 23.

[0070] The embodiment of the cooling air device 16 in particular with the pressure chamber 20 and preferably the design of the front chamber wall 23, in particular with the position and embodiment of the flow conduit 25, produces very targeted conduction of the cooling air flow 22 to a specific position of the tray 13, namely only under a base 13a, and so as to graze along the base 13a. Furthermore, this embodiment also achieves a significantly increased air-volume flow of the cooling air flow 22. The targeted conduction of the cooling air flow 22 is improved even more in particular by the flow conduit 25 and the present air flow is produced with a lower loss of pressure, in particular due to reduced eddying.

[0071] FIG. 6 also shows a thermal insulating material 36 which is formed on the front wall of the housing 19 and which preferably extends at least over the height of the evaporator 17, so at least the evaporator 17 is thermally insulated in the housing 19 and is therefore also insulated from the interior space 15.

[0072] The pressure chamber volume ring 21a can be designed so as to be symmetrical in the azimuthal direction and therefore in the circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis A. It can, however, also be asymmetrical and at the region opposing the opening 24, viewed, for example, in the circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis A, can be designed with a shorter axial extension in the direction of the chamber wall 23 than in the region of the opening 24, as is shown in FIG. 6.

[0073] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0074] 1 household refrigerator [0075] 2 housing [0076] 3 base body [0077] 4 door [0078] 5 door [0079] 6 icemaker unit [0080] 7 control and display device [0081] 8 recess [0082] 9 dispensing device [0083] 10 interior space [0084] 11 control unit [0085] 12 housing [0086] 13 tray [0087] 13a base [0088] 13b upper side [0089] 13c shaping region [0090] 14 container [0091] 15 interior space [0092] 16 cooling device [0093] 17 evaporator [0094] 18 fan [0095] 19 housing [0096] 20 pressure chamber [0097] 21 pressure chamber volume [0098] 21a pressure chamber volume ring [0099] 22 cooling air flow [0100] 23 chamber wall [0101] 24 opening [0102] 25 flow channel stub, flow conduit [0103] 26 blow-out opening [0104] 27 fan wheel [0105] 28 cup-shaped region [0106] 29 opening [0107] 30 chamber wall [0108] 31 blades [0109] 32 opening [0110] 33 heating unit [0111] 34 base [0112] 35 wall region [0113] 36 insulating material [0114] A longitudinal axis