| JP2001012841 | REFRIGERATOR |
| JP11264649 | REFRIGERATOR |
| JP04192398 | COOLING DEVICE |
SUSSMILCH, Robert (C/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
DAUGHERTY, Andrew (c/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
THOMAS, Sanosh (C/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
MOSSES, Vince (C/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
BANKS, Wendy (c/- Trang Imagineering Pty Ltd, 9 McNamara StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
SANDERS, Philip (C/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
SUSSMILCH, Robert (C/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
DAUGHERTY, Andrew (c/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
THOMAS, Sanosh (C/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
MOSSES, Vince (C/- Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited, 9 Edward StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
BANKS, Wendy (c/- Trang Imagineering Pty Ltd, 9 McNamara StreetOrange, New South Wales 2800, AU)
| Claims 1. · An appliance apparatus (7.030) including a main htf circuit (4.001) including a first htf and adapted to cool the contents of a cabinet, and an anti-condensation htf circuit (4.014) including a second htf in a closed second fluid circuit, the anti-condensation htf circuit being in thermal communication with a region (7.032) of the apparatus subject to condensation, the second htf circuit including a first heat exchange section (4.016) adapted to be in thermal communication with a corresponding second heat exchange section of the main htf circuit, the second heat exchange section being at an elevated temperature when the main htf circuit is operating, characterized in that the anti-condensation htf circuit includes a pump 4.020 to circulate the second htf. 2. An appliance apparatuses claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the piping of first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section are in contact. 3. An appliance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the anti-condensation htf circuit includes an htf pipe at least partially around the periphery of a door aperture (7.032). 4. An appliance apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second htf are different types of htf. 5. An appliance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second htf is a liquid phase htf. 6. An appliance apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the anti-condensation htf circuit is routed to the lowest point of the circuit by the shortest practical path (5.022). 7. An appliance (10.030) having a refrigeration module (8.060) in which the htf circuit (14.066, 14.064, 14.106) is self-contained, wherein the refrigeration module has a refrigerated air outlet (13.070), characterized in that the refrigeration module (11.060) is mounted on the top of the refrigerator apparatus (11.030) by complementary mounting elements (9.072, 9.074, 10.076, 10.078). 8. An appliance as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the air-outlet is adapted to communicate with a refrigerated air intake (10.071) of the refrigerator cabinet. 9. An appliance as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that the refrigerator module includes a recirculated air intake (9.068) adapted to receive recirculated air from the cabinet. 10. An appliance as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the mounting arrangement includes a complementary slot and rail arrangement (9.072, 9.074, 10.076, 10.078). 11. An appliance as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that it includes a gasket protection arrangement adapted to protect one or more gaskets during installation of a refrigeration module on an appliance cabinet, the or each gasket being mounted on either the module or the cabinet before installation, the protection arrangement including a raised rib arrangement adapted to maintain a clearance between the gasket or gaskets and the other of the cabinet or module to which the gasket is to seal until the gasket is correctly aligned, the raised rib arrangement aligning with mating recesses on said other of the cabinet or module when the gasket is correctly aligned, whereby the rib arrangement engages the recesses and the module is enabled to move towards the cabinet to compress the gasket. 12. An appliance as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11 , characterized in that it includes an anti-condensation htf circuit (4.014) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 in thermal communication with the htf circuit of the refrigeration module. 13. An appliance as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11 , characterized in that the module includes spacer ribs (9.073, 9.075, 9.077) adapted to align with corresponding locating recesses (10.087, 10.088, 10.089) in the plinth, the spacer ribs holding a gasket clear of the top of the cabinet until the ribs align with the corresponding recesses. 14. A method of assembling a refrigerator having a modular refrigeration system (7.022) and a refrigerator cabinet (7.030), characterized in that the method includes the steps of providing complementary attachment elements (9.072, 9.074, 10.076, 10.078) on the top of the cabinet and the bottom of the module, aligning the complementary attachment elements, and engaging the complementary attachment elements to locate the module in place on the top of the cabinet. 15. A method as claimed in claim 14, characterized by the step of aligning a refrigerated air outlet (9.070) of the module with a refrigerated air intake (10.071) of the cabinet. 16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, characterized by the step of aligning a recirculated air intake (9.068) of the module with a recirculated air outlet (10.069) of the cabinet. 17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized by the step of fastening the module in place. 18. An appliance having an appliance apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or manufactured by the method of any one of claims 14 to 17. 19. An appliance as claimed in claim 18, wherein said appliance can be one or more of the following: a refrigerator, a freezer, a combination freezer/refrigerator, a wine cooler; a wine cabinet, a pantry, side by side refrigerator/freezer, a multi door and or under-bench or under-counter refrigerator or freezer, and a combination freezer, fridge and wine cooler/cabinet. 20. An appliance apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to figures 4 to 14 of the drawings. 21. An appliance being substantially as herein described with reference to figures 4 to 14 of the drawings. 22. An method of assembling an appliance being substantially as herein described with reference to figures 4 to 14 of the drawings. |
[001] This invention relates to construction of an appliance, such as a cold or cool appliance and to a condensation inhibition arrangement, and finds particular application in cold or cool appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, combination freezer/refrigerators, wine coolers; wine cabinets, pantries, chest freezers, side by side refrigerator freezers, multi door and or under- bench or under-counter refrigerators or freeze, and combinations of freezer, fridge and wine cooler/cabinet.
Background of the invention
[002] The term "heat transfer fluid", herein referred to as "htf, is used in this specification to refer to both liquid and liquid/gaseous phase working fluids used in heat transfer systems, of which the refrigeration cycle is an example. Refrigeration circuits usually include an evaporable htf working fluid which is subjected to compression, which raises the temperature of the htf, cooling via an air/htf heat exchange process to liquefy the compressed working fluid (condensation), expansion through a choke valve to lower the temperature of the htf due to liquid/vapour conversion (latent heat of vapourization) and expansion of the htf, and heat absorption of heat from the cooled space into the htf vapour via a second heat exchanger. Thus heat is transferred from the cooled space via the second heat exchanger and delivered to the external environment via the first heat exchanger. The energy to operate this process is the energy applied to the compressor.
[003] The manufacture of cold appliance is commonly done close to the customers because of the bulky nature of the appliances, a large proportion of the volume being empty space. This increases the cost of transportation. The cabinet must be easily assembled to form a rigid structure with good thermal insulation characteristics, and to resist moisture migration, and must have an aesthetically attractive appearance. A further complication is that the cabinet must contain technical equipment for performing different functions. In particular, the cold appliance must have a refrigeration system and associated sensors and controls.
[004] Another problem associated with the manufacturing of cold appliances is that it involves high investment costs for the development of product lines and the like. Conventional manufacturing plants for cold appliances are usually inflexible, so that it is difficult to adapt the plant for manufacturing cold appliances with differing dimensions and variable component options in small series. Normally, new product designs require large production runs to be economically feasible. Thus the developers are discouraged from innovation, or variations in product design are very costly. [005] It is desirable to provide a cold appliance which can be manufactured in segments or modules amenable to transport and which can be assembled to from the cabinet at another location which does not need the complex and expansive manufacturing equipment of the primary manufacturing site. The segments should be easy to assemble and interconnect.
[006] The cabinet opening of a cold appliance adjacent to the door seal is subject to condensation due to the intake of air around across the face of the door seal when the door has been closed and the ambient air within the cabinet contracts the surface of the cabinet adjacent the seal. The incoming air meets the cooled material around the edge of the cabinet door frame and cools to cause condensation. The door frame material in the region adjacent to the seal will normally be cooled by conduction and this also can cause condensation.
[007] It is desirable to prevent the formation of this condensation.
[008] It is known to provide an electrical heating element surrounding the door aperture to prevent the formation of condensation by maintaining the material of the door, opening frame at a few degrees above ambient temperature. Such arrangements use of the order of 30 watts or more. This is wasteful of energy.
[009] US5277035 discloses a gas powered refrigerator in which a heat pipe is used to prevent condensation on the mullion between the food cabinet and the freezer cabinet.
[010] US2003/0209025 discloses an anti-condensation arrangement for a refrigerator/freezer having a specially designed heat exchanger to collect the waste heat from the compressor motor and a secondary heat transfer fluid (htf) circuit using a phase change htf to heat the areas subject to condensation. Because this system uses phase change fluid and convection circulation (referred to imprecisely as "thermosyphoning"), jt delivers the hot vapour to the top of the system before returning the heat exchanger via a horizontal section of pipe at the bottom of the cabinet.
[011] The use of thermosyphoning in this application can be difficult to implement in practice and its performance can be affected by the actual orientation of the refrigerator in use. For example, if the refrigerator is tilted to the side, this can inhibit or impair thermosyphoning action.
[012] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a cooling appliance in which the anti- condensation circuit operates reliably.
[013] The invention also relates to the construction of refrigerator having a modular refrigeration system.
[014] It is also desirable to provide a cold or cool appliance on which a modular refrigeration system can be mounted in a reliable manner. [015] It is desirable that , the refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration module remain sealed during installation.
[016] It is also desirable to provide a cold appliance with a refrigeration module including a condensation inhibition arrangement.
Summary of the invention
[017] The present invention provides a refrigeration apparatus including a main htf circuit including a first htf and adapted to cool the contents of a cabinet, and an anti- condensation htf circuit including a second htf in a closed second htf circuit proximate a region subject to condensation, the second htf circuit including a first heat exchange section adapted to be thermally connected to a corresponding second heat exchange section of the main htf circuit, the second heat exchange section being at an elevated temperature when the main htf circuit is operating, the anti-condensation htf circuit including a pump to circulate the second htf.
[018] The piping of first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section can be in contact.
[019] The anti-condensation htf circuit can include a htf pipe at least partially around the periphery of a door aperture.
[020] The first and second htf can be different types of htf.
[021] The second htf can be a liquid phase htf.
[022] The anti-condensation htf circuit can be routed to the lowest point of the circuit by the shortest practical path.
[023] The invention also provides a refrigerator having a refrigeration module in which the htf circuit is self-contained, the refrigeration module having a refrigerated air outlet.
[024] The air-outlet can be adapted to communicate with a refrigerated air intake of a refrigerator cabinet.
[025] The refrigerator module can include a recirculated air intake adapted to receive recirculated air from the cabinet.
[026] The refrigeration module can be mounted on the top of the cabinet.
[027] The module and cabinet can include complementary elements of a mounting arrangement.
[028] The mounting arrangement can include a complementary slot and rail arrangement.
[029] The invention also provides an appliance including a gasket protection arrangement adapted to protect one or more gaskets during installation of a refrigeration module on a cold appliance cabinet, the or each gasket being mounted on either the module or the cabinet before installation, the protection arrangement including a raised rib arrangement adapted to maintain a clearance between the gasket or gaskets and the other of the cabinet or module to which the gasket is to seal until the gasket is correctly aligned, the raised rib arrangement aligning with mating recesses on said other of the cabinet or module when the gasket is correctly aligned, whereby the rib arrangement engages the recesses and the module is enabled to move towards the cabinet to compress the gasket.
Brief description of the drawings
.[030] An embodiment or embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[031] Figure 1 is a block schematic illustration of a refrigeration system.
[032] Figure 2 is a block schematic illustration of a refrigeration system with an anti- condensation branch.
[033] Figure 3 is a block schematic illustration of a refrigeration system with a first embodiment of a secondary heat transfer fluid circuit.
[034] Figure 4 is a block schematic illustration of a refrigeration system with a second embodiment of a secondary heat transfer fluid circuit.
[035] Figure 5 is a block schematic illustration of the position of anti-condensation ducting in a refrigerator cabinet.
[036] Figure 6 is a partial sectional view of a pair of separable portions of a refrigerator with intermediate seal.
[037] Figure 7 illustrates a refrigerator with a top mounted modular refrigeration unit.
[038] Figure 8 illustrates a modular refrigeration engine.
[039] Figure 9 shows a schematic illustration of the underside of the refrigerator system of Figure 8.
[040] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a refrigerator cabinet according to an embodiment of the invention.
[041] Figure 11 shows a refrigeration module prior to mounting on a refrigerator cabinet.
[042] Figures 12 and 13 illustrate details of the refrigerated air section of the refrigeration module.
[043] Figure 14 is an . exploded view of the refrigeration unit according to an embodiment of the invention. [044] The numbering convention used in the drawings is that the digits in front of the full stop indicate the drawing number, and the digits after the full stop are the element reference numbers. Where possible, the same element reference number is used in different drawings to indicate corresponding elements.
[045] It is understood that the drawings are intended to be illustrative rather than exact reproductions, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The orientation of the drawings is chosen to illustrate the features of the objects shown, and does not necessarily represent the orientation of the objects in use.
Detailed description of the embodiment or embodiments
[046] In this specification, the term "thermosyphoning" is used to refer to circulation of a liquid htf, as syphoning requires a closed vacuum line. Thus, phase change circulation by convection is not considered to be thermosyphoning.
[047] Figure 1 represents a refrigeration system having a heat transfer circuit including a compressor 1.002, a condenser 1.004 (effectively an exothermal heat exchanger), an expansion valve 1.006, and an evaporator 1.008 (effectively an endothermal heat exchanger). The condenser 1.002 pressurizes the heat transfer fluid (htf) vapour from the evaporator 1.008, and the increase in pressure raises the temperature of the vapour above ambient temperature. The condenser 1.004 then transfers heat from the vapour to ambient surroundings, and the htf vapour then becomes liquid. The liquid htf is delivered to an expansion valve 1.006 where it its temperature drops. The output of the expansion valve can be liquid htf at a reduced pressure compared with the pressure on the upstream side of the expansion valve 1006, or a mixture of vapour and liquid htf at a reduced pressure. The output of the expansion valve is delivered to the evaporator 1.008 where heat is absorbed from the environment of the evaporator, which is, for example, the inside of a refrigerator cabinet or the freezer box of a refrigerator. The liquid htf is evaporated by the absorbed heat, and the cycle repeats.
[048] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a first arrangement for preventing the undesired condensation around the cabinet door frame. The htf circuit includes a deviation 2.012 in which the htf pipes are routed around the edge of the cabinet door frame. The htf is diverted after the compression step, so that it is at a temperature above ambient. This has the advantage of using waste heat from the refrigeration cycle to heat the cabinet door frame to prevent condensation. However, the heat required to prevent condensation is of the order of about 5°C above ambient, and the htf from the condenser is substantially in excess of this.
[049] In addition, current manufacturing techniques provide for the refrigeration unit to be manufactured as a single module with the refrigeration circuit as a sealed unit. The manufacture of the refrigeration module is normally carried out at a different site from the construction of the refrigerator cabinet. In this case, it is not possible to use the diversion of the htf pipes to heat the cabinet door frame in this manner.
[050] Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the invention which includes a secondary htf circuit 3.014. In this arrangement, a section of the htf pipe of the secondary htf circuit 3.016 is in thermal communication with a section of the htf circuit of the refrigeration circuit at 3.016. Preferably this is achieved by contact between the corresponding segments of the two htf circuits. A heat conductive adhesive can be used to improve thermal transfer between the two sections of htf piping.
[051] In a further embodiment, the cross-section of one or both segments of htf circuit piping can be provided .with a flat portion to increase the area of contact.
[052] In the arrangement of Figure 3, the htf in the secondary htf circuit is circulated by thermosyphoning. The hot htf is applied to a the htf piping around the door frame of the cabinet at a position which is below the top of the door frame, so the density differential will cause the hotter htf to tend to rise and push the cooler htf around the secondary htf circuit.
[053] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a refrigeration cabinet 5.030 with htf piping
5.014 around the edge of the door frame 5.032. A modular refrigeration unit is indicated as being installed below the cabinet at 5.022.
[054] - In the case where the htf of the secondary htf circuit 5.014 is to be circulated by thermosyphoning, the flow of htf is preferably in the direction indicated by the arrow. Thus, the hottest htf is first delivered to the base on one side. The htf then flows across the base, up one side, across the top and down the other side.
[055] Figure 4 illustrates an arrangement having a main htf circuit 4.001 and a secondary htf circuit 4.014 in which the secondary htf circuit includes a pump 4.020. We have found that a pump, such as a micro-pump of a few watts, is capable of circulating the htf in the secondary htf circuit.
[056] The secondary htf circuit is fluidly isolated from the main refrigeration htf circuit.
[057] The secondary htf circuit is in thermal communication with the main refrigeration htf circuit.
[058] The secondary htf can be a glycol water solution.
[059] The interface between the two htf circuits can be wrapped in thermally conductive tape, such as aluminium tape.
[060] The interface can be insulated by any suitable means of insulation.
[061] The htf flow path of Figure 5 can be used to advantage in pumped embodiment so the pump is assisted by the thermosyphoning effect. [062] Figure 6 is a partial sectional view of a pair of separable portions of a refrigerator with intermediate seal.
[063] This can be, for example, between a door and a door frame, or between two
"french" doors. Where the secondary htf circuit is to be in a movable element, such as a door, the htf piping, at least in the section subject to movement, can be flexible tubing.
[064] In the embodiment illustrated, portions of a door frame 6.032, surrounding the opening of a cabinet section formed by insulated panels, and a door 6.034, are shown with an intermediate seal 6.052 which is attached to the door and sealed against a sealing face of the frame. The door frame is made from an insulation wall panel which includes a first exterior panel 6.040 and a second interior panel 6.048 joined by a specially designed extrusion 6.050. A break piece 6.044 is attached to the extrusion 6.050 by a series of mushroom headed spigots such as 6.051 inserted into a complementary slot in the extrusion. A trim piece 6.042 is attached to the break piece. The trim piece 6.042 can be of a magnetisable material for producing sealing force with the seal 6.052 which has a magnet 6.056 which is mounted on seal rib 6.057 of door extrusion 6.058. The door has an exterior panel 6.054. The interior portion of the door can be of conventional, design and is not shown in detail.
[065] The break piece 6.044 includes a series of clips such as 6.046 adapted to receive the secondary htf ducting or tubing 6.014. The clips hold the htf ducting 6.014 in proximity to the cover piece 6.042 so heat from the htf ducting can heat the cover piece 6.042 in the region where condensation may otherwise form.
[066] Figure 7 illustrates a refrigerator with a top mounted modular refrigeration unit
7.022. Because the compressor is mounted above the refrigerator, thermosyphoning is thus not practicable in this case. Accordingly, the pumped secondary system of Figure 4 is used in this system. The circulation of the htf can be along the direction of the arrow, taking the short path to the lowest part of the htf circulation path.
[067] Figure 8 illustrates a modular refrigeration engine in which the refrigeration system 8.060 is self-contained, in which the condenser fan 8.062 and the evaporator 8.064 can be seen.
[068] Figure 9 shows an underside view of the refrigerator system of Figure 8. The drain pan 9.092 is visible, as are a pair of mounting rails 9.072, 9.074, a refrigerated air outlet 9.070, and a recirculated air intake 9.068. Seals such as 9.096, 9.097 surround the air outlets and intakes, projecting ribs 9.073, 9.075, 9.077 project above the height of the gaskets, but do not extend to the height of the rails 9.072, 9.074. The refrigeration system is coupled to the refrigeration cabinet by the circulation of refrigerated air from the outlet 9.070. [069] In this system, no htf circuit fluid couplings are needed outside the self-contained module 8.060. The refrigeration htf circuit and the ' anti-condensation htf circuit are closed circuits which do not need to be joined and evacuated during assembly of the refrigeration module to the refrigerator cabinet.
[070] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a refrigerator cabinet according to an embodiment of the invention. The refrigerator cabinet 10.030 includes a mounting plinth 10.100 at the top of the cabinet. The plinth includes a pair of mounting slots 10.076, 10.078 adapted to engage or cooperate with the mounting rails 9.072, 9.074. The slots can have flared openings or tapered edges to facilitate insertion of the rails. The edges of the rails can be tapered or rounded for the same reason. In addition, locating and locking ribs 9.071 , 9.073, and 9.075 can be provided to engage or cooperate with corresponding recesses 10.087, 10.088, and 10.089 in ' the plinth. The mounting plinth also includes a air intake 10.071 which can, for example, receive refrigerated air from the air outlet 9.070 of the refrigeration module, and a air outlet 10.069, which can be adapted to align with the recirculated air intake 9.068 of the refrigeration module. However, in an alternative arrangement, the air intake 9.068 can be arranged to take in ambient air. Sealing gaskets can be provided around the mated air apertures.
[071] The gaskets 9.097, 9.097 are applied to the refrigerated air outlet 9.070 and recirculated air intake 9.068 of the module before the module is attached to the cabinet. The ribs 9.073, 9.075, and 9.077 can define a plane which is spaced from the main surface of the base of the refrigeration module by a distance sufficient to provide clearance between the gaskets and the top of the plinth while the refrigeration module is being mounted on the plinth. The slots 10.076, 10.078 have a depth such that the ribs also hold the rails 9.072, 9.074 suspended above the base of the slots 10.076, 10.078. Thus the rails and slots can provide lateral alignment during installation if the mode of installation chosen is to slide the module into position. Once the refrigeration module is in place with the air outlet of the module aligned with the air intake of the cabinet, the ribs 9.073, 9.075, 9.077 will also align with the recesses 10.087, 10.088, 10.089 and the ribs will drop into the recesses, compressing the gasket to form a seal around the air outlets and intakes.
[072] In an alternative arrangement, the gasket and ribs can be mounted on the plinth, and the recesses can be arranged on the base of the module.
[073] Figure 11 shows the refrigeration module 11.060 prior to mounting on the refrigerator cabinet. The refrigeration module can be mounted in the cabinet by aligning the corresponding engagement elements of the module and the cabinet and sliding or lowering the module into place. Thus the mounting rails on the bottom of the module are aligned with and slid or lowered into the mounting slots on the plinth. [074] If the module is slid into the slots, the ribs 9.071 , 9.073, and 9.075 are of sufficient height to hold the gaskets clear of the top surface of the plinth. When the ribs 9.071 , 9.073, and 9.075 coincide with their mating recesses 10.087, 10.088, 10.089 in the plinth, they drop into the recesses and the gasket is compressed by the weight of the module as the module drops down. The gasket can be compressed by the weight of the module so the full weight of the module is carried by the gasket, or the rails and ribs can be dimensioned to that the weight of the module is carried by the slots when a predetermined degree of compression of the gasket has occurred.
[075] The air flow apertures in the form of air outlets and intakes of the cabinet and air outlets and intakes of the module can be aligned to form a closed air circuit when the refrigerator doors are closed. Once the refrigeration module has been moved into position with the air outlet of the refrigeration module aligned with the air intake of the cabinet, and the air intake of the module aligned with the air outlet of the cabinet, the module can be fastened in place by any suitable means.
[076] In one embodiment, the module is positioned so the corresponding air flow apertures are in alignment, and then the module is lowered so the gaskets are compressed to provide an air seal around the air flow apertures.
[077] The refrigeration module can be lowered vertically so the rails and locking ribs of the module engage their corresponding slots and recesses in the plinth.
[078] Figures 12 and 13 illustrate details of the air outlet of the refrigeration module.
The evaporator 12.064 is mounted in a cowling (partly omitted from the drawing to show the details) and the recirculated air is drawn through the air intakes 12.068 by the evaporator fan 13.084. The recirculated air is drawn through the evaporator 12.064 where it is refrigerated and blown by the evaporator fan 13.064 through the refrigerated air outlet 13.070 into the freezer or other compartment of the refrigerator. The outlet of the fan 13.064 is enclosed by ducting 13.086 (again partly removed to show details) and ducted to direct the air flow to the outlet 13.070.
[079] As described above, the anti-condensation htf circuit can be thermally connected to the outlet side of the condenser of the refrigeration module where the refrigeration htf is at its hottest. Both htf circuits are closed circuits and there is no fluid connection required between the two htf circuits.
[080] Figure 14 is an exploded view of the refrigeration unit including the following elements:
[081] housing 14.102;
[082] control box 14.090; [083] condenser 14.066;
[084] compressor 14.106;
[085] condenser fan 14.062;
[086] evaporator 14.064; .
[087] evaporator fan 14.084;
[088] evaporator drip pan 14.082;
[089] drip pan 14.092;
[090] cold module interface plate 14.094;
[091] gaskets 14.096; and
[092] air duct 14.098.
[093] The condenser coils can be separated from the evaporator by an intermediate panel so the heat dissipated from the condenser does not transfer to the evaporator environment. In the system according to an embodiment of the invention, the cooling air circuit (evaporator, evaporator fan, refrigerated air Outlet and intake, recirculated air outlet and intake) is effectively a closed circuit when the doors of the refrigerator are closed.
[094] The evaporator can include a defrost heater. The recirculation of the air means that the recirculated air will have little humidity, and humidity is entrained in the air when the doors of the refrigerator are opened and external air admitted within the cabinet.
[095] In this specification, reference to a document, disclosure, or other publication or use is not an admission that the document, disclosure, publication or use forms part of the common general knowledge of the skilled worker in the field of this invention at the priority date of this specification, unless otherwise stated.
[096] In this specification, terms indicating orientation or direction, such as "up",
"down", "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" "upright", "transverse" etc. are not intended to be absolute terms unless the context requires or indicates otherwise. These terms will normally refer to orientations shown in the drawings.
[097] Where ever it is used, the word "comprising" is to be understood in its "open" sense, that is, in the sense of "including", and thus not limited to its "closed" sense, that is the sense of "consisting only of. A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words "comprise", "comprised" and "comprises" where they appear.
[098] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. [099] While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be.obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
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