REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE COMPRISING A CLEANING DEVICE

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance has a refrigeration appliance component and a cleaning device for cleaning the component. The cleaning device includes a cleaning element, an actuating element, and a connection element. The cleaning element is connected to the actuating element by the connection element. The refrigeration appliance has a cavity which extends from the front side of the refrigeration appliance to the back side of the refrigeration appliance, and in which the connection element is accommodated. The cleaning element is moveable across a surface of the refrigeration appliance component upon actuation of the actuating element in order to remove dirt deposits from the surface of the refrigeration appliance component.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A refrigeration appliance, comprising: a refrigeration appliance housing having a front side and a back side; a refrigeration appliance component having a surface to be cleaned; a cleaning device for cleaning said refrigeration appliance component, said cleaning device including a cleaning element, an actuating element and a connection element connecting said actuating element to said cleaning element; the refrigeration appliance housing being formed with a cavity that extends from said front side to said back side; said connection element being movably disposed in said cavity; and wherein when said actuating element is actuated, said cleaning element is caused to move across said surface of said refrigeration appliance component in order to remove dirt deposits from said surface of said refrigeration appliance component.

17. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said cleaning element is a brush or a lip.

18. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 17, wherein said brush comprises a brush rear and a brush edging, and said brush edging comprises synthetic fibers, natural fibers or metal fibers.

19. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 17, wherein said lip comprises a lip rear or a lip edging and said lip edging comprises a flexible plastic flange.

20. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said actuating element is disposed at said front side of said refrigeration appliance housing.

21. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said refrigeration appliance component and said cleaning element are arranged at said back side of said refrigeration appliance housing.

22. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said actuating element comprises a manual actuating element.

23. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 22, wherein said actuating element is a handle.

24. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said actuating element comprises an automatic actuating element.

25. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 24, wherein said automatic actuating element is selected from the group consisting of a switch, a push button and a spring element.

26. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 24, wherein said refrigeration appliance housing comprises a refrigeration appliance door and said automatic actuating element is actuated by opening said refrigeration appliance door.

27. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 24, which further comprises a control device for controlling said automatic actuating element.

28. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said connection element is arranged opposite said cleaning element at an angle of between 60° and 120°.

29. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 28, wherein said connection element is arranged opposite said cleaning element at an angle of 90°.

30. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said refrigeration appliance component is a component selected from the group consisting of a condenser, an evaporator, a compressor and a throttle element.

31. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 30, wherein said refrigeration appliance component is condenser made of a multi-port extruded pipe.

32. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 31, wherein said condenser comprises a plurality of fins.

33. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, wherein said refrigeration appliance component has a component front side and said cleaning element is disposed to move across said component front side in order to remove dirt deposits from the surface of said component front side.

34. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 16, which further comprises a fan disposed on a rear side of said refrigeration appliance component.

Description

[0040] Further exemplary embodiments are explained with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance;

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance component as a comparable example;

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance component with a cleaning device;

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a top view onto a refrigeration appliance component with a cleaning element, and

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance with a refrigeration appliance component and with a cleaning element;

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a refrigerator representative of a general refrigeration appliance 100 with a refrigeration appliance door 101 on the front side 103 of the refrigeration appliance 100, by means of which the interior of the general refrigeration appliance 100 can be closed. The refrigeration appliance 100 has an underside 105 and a back side 107.

[0047] The refrigeration appliance 100 comprises a refrigeration circuit with an evaporator, compressor, condenser and throttle organ. The evaporator is a heat exchanger, in which, after expansion, the liquid refrigerant is evaporated by absorbing heat from the medium to be cooled, e.g. air. The compressor is a mechanically operated component, which takes refrigerant vapor from the evaporator and outputs the same to the condenser at a higher pressure. The condenser is a heat exchanger, in which, after compression, the evaporated refrigerant is condensed by outputting heat to an external cooling medium, e.g. air. The throttle organ is an apparatus for continuously reducing the pressure by means of cross-sectional constriction. The refrigerant is a fluid, which is used for transmitting heat in the cold-generating system, which absorbs heat at low temperatures and at a low pressure of the fluid and outputs heat at a higher temperature and higher pressure of the fluid, wherein this usually involves state changes in the fluid.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows as a comparable example a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance component 109, in particular a condenser made of an extruded MPE pipe 115 (MPE condenser). The refrigeration appliance component 109 comprises a first and second attachment 111, 113 for accommodating an input pipe or an output pipe, through which the refrigerant of the refrigeration circuit can be routed into or out of the refrigeration appliance component 109. The refrigeration appliance component 109 comprises an extruded MPE pipe 115, through which the refrigerant is routed and which has a meander-shaped structure. Fins 117 which permit an effective heat output through the refrigeration appliance component 109 to the environment are attached between the meander-shaped sections of the extruded MPE pipe 115. An effective heat output through the refrigeration appliance component 109 is achieved as a result that a flow of air in the flow direction 119 is routed onto the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109, absorbs the heat from the refrigeration appliance component 109 and the heated air is led off in the flow direction 119 from the back side 107 of the refrigeration appliance component 109.

[0049] If heated refrigerant is routed through the extruded MPE pipe 115, a quantity of heat can be output by the refrigerant through the fins 117 to the outer area of the refrigeration appliance component 109 in order to achieve a condensing of the refrigerant.

[0050] During the operation of the refrigeration appliance 100, dirt deposits 123 may however appear on the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109, which deposit between the fins 117 of the refrigeration appliance component 109, for instance. If large quantities of dirt deposits 123 have formed, the effectiveness of the heat dissipation of the refrigeration appliance component 109 can be reduced, which can also reduce the overall effectiveness of the refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration appliance 100.

[0051] In accordance with the present invention, FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance component 109, such as a condenser according to FIG. 2 with a cleaning device 125. The cleaning device 125 comprises a cleaning element 127 for removing dirt deposits 123 from the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109. The cleaning element 127 can comprise a brush. The brush comprises a brush edging 129 and a brush rear 131. The brush edging 129 can consist of synthetic material such as synthetic fibers or metal fibers, or can consist of natural material, such as e.g. natural fibers. The brush edging 129 of the cleaning device 125 is in direct contact with the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109.

[0052] The brush rear 131 is connected to an actuating element 135 by a connection element 133, such as a handle for instance, on the front side 103 of the refrigeration appliance 100. On the front side 103 of the refrigeration appliance 100, the actuating element 135 projects out of the refrigeration appliance 100 and can be operated by the user of the refrigeration appliance 100. During a cleaning process, the user moves the actuating element 135 along the cleaning axis 137. By moving the actuating element 135, the brush edging 129 of the cleaning element 127 is moved across the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109 along the cleaning axis 137, as a result of which dirt deposits 123 on the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109 can be removed.

[0053] As a result, a constant removal of dirt deposits 123 from the refrigeration appliance component 109 can be achieved by the user of the refrigeration appliance 100, as a result of which an effective heat dissipation from the refrigeration appliance component 109 and a high effectiveness of the refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration appliance 100 can be ensured.

[0054] FIG. 4 shows a top view onto a refrigeration appliance component 109, such as a condenser with a cleaning element 127 according to FIG. 3. The refrigeration appliance component 109 comprises a first and second attachment 111, 113 and an extruded MPE pipe 115 through which refrigerant is routed. A cleaning element 127, which has a brush edging 129 and a brush rear 131, is arranged on the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109. If the cleaning element 127 is moved along the cleaning axis 137 by the user of the refrigeration appliance 100, the brush edging 129 runs across the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109 along the cleaning axis 137, as a result of which dirt deposits 123 on the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109 can be removed.

[0055] According to the present invention FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a refrigeration appliance 100 with a refrigeration appliance component 109, such as a condenser, and with a cleaning element 127. The refrigeration appliance 100 comprises a front side 103, on which a refrigeration appliance door 101 is arranged, by means of which the refrigeration appliance 100 can be opened, and a back side 107 and an underside 105. The refrigeration appliance component 109 of the refrigeration circuit is attached in the vicinity of the back side 107 and the underside 105 of the refrigeration appliance 100.

[0056] An actuating element 135 which is connected by a connection element 133 to a cleaning element 127, which has a brush edging 129, is attached to the front side 103 of the refrigeration appliance 100. The connection element 133 is disposed in a cavity 139, which extends from the front side 103 of the refrigeration appliance 100 to the back side 107 of the refrigeration appliance 100.

[0057] By moving the actuating element 135, the brush edging 129 can be moved across the surface of the refrigeration appliance 109 in order to remove impurities.

[0058] An effective removal of dirt deposits 123 from the component front side 121 of the refrigeration appliance component 109 can be achieved by the user moving the actuating element 135 in the opposite direction. As a result, an adequate quantity of air can be routed to the refrigeration appliance component 109, in order to ensure an effective cooling of the refrigeration appliance component 109, as a result of which an adequate degree of efficiency of the refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration appliance 100 is ensured.

[0059] All features shown and explained in conjunction with the individual embodiments of the invention can be provided in a different combination in the inventive subject matter in order at the same time to realize their advantageous effects.

[0060] The scope of protection of the present invention is provided by the claims and is not restricted by the features explained in the description or shown in the figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0061] 100 Refrigeration appliance [0062] 101 Refrigeration appliance door [0063] 103 Front side of the refrigeration appliance [0064] 105 Underside of the refrigeration appliance [0065] 107 Back side of the refrigeration appliance [0066] 109 Refrigeration appliance component [0067] 111 First attachment [0068] 113 Second attachment [0069] 115 Extruded MPE pipe [0070] 117 Fins [0071] 119 Direction of flow of air [0072] 121 Component front side [0073] 123 Dirt deposits [0074] 125 Cleaning device [0075] 127 Cleaning element [0076] 129 Brush edging [0077] 131 Brush rear [0078] 133 Connection element [0079] 135 Actuating element [0080] 137 Cleaning axis [0081] 139 Cavity