Description A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

[1] The present invention relates to a household appliance comprising a regulator for the flow of the refrigerant fluid circulating in the cooling cycle.

[2] In a household appliance, for example a cooling device or a washer/dryer, a cooling cycle is being utilized wherein a refrigerant fluid is circulated through a condenser, capillary tubes, and an evaporator by means of a compressor. The presence of a turbulent flow particularly in the region wherein the capillary tube is joined to the evaporator, the sudden pressure change originating due to the difference between the diameters of the capillary tube and the evaporator duct leads to the generation of flow- induced noises in the household appliance.

[3] In the current state of the art, flow regulators are arranged in the region where the capillary tube joins the evaporator duct in order to prevent this noise.

[4] In the Japanese patent documents no. JP4356672 and no. JP10332228, a flow regulator is mentioned which has spiral grooves on its outer periphery.

[5] In the Japanese patent no. JP54049663 a flow regulator having a number of narrow paths is described.

[6] In the Japanese patents no. JP4080576 and no. JP7269988, the description is given for an adaptor component situated between the capillary tube and the evaporator, formed such that its inner diameter increases gradually providing to reduce the sound generated by the flow.

[7] However, the production of the state-of-the-art flow regulators is difficult and expensive.

[8] The object of the present invention is the realization of a household appliance comprising a low cost, easy-to-produce flow regulator that provides to reduce the noise generated during the entrance of the refrigerant fluid from the capillary tube into the evaporator in the cooling cycle.

[9] The household appliance realized in order to fulfill the objectives of the present invention is explicated in the attached claims. The said household appliance comprises a flow regulator inside the evaporator duct disposed just downstream of the capillary tube and held in place by a restrainer. The flow regulator comprises arms that extend outwards from a body over which the fluid delivered from the capillary tube passes. These arms reduce the energy of the high speed fluid entering the evaporator from the capillary tube, preventing the flow-induced noise.

[10] In one embodiment of the present invention, the body is in the shape of a long rod serving as a backbone and the arms are arranged on it. The body is coaxial with the capillary tube and the evaporator duct.

[11] The arms may be perpendicular to the body or may be inclined in the direction of the flow. In an embodiment of the present invention, the arms have a resilient structure and can be opened or closed towards the body.

[12] The restrainer provides the flow regulator to be anchored in place in the evaporator duct. In an embodiment of the present invention, the restrainer forms a step situated after the portion of the evaporator duct wherein the flow regulator is situated.

[13] In different embodiments of the present invention, the variables such as the positioning of each arm on the body, total number of arms, length of the arms, their cross-sectional areas and shapes, the number of arms on a point on the body and their angular positions can be determined by the producer to utilize a flow regulator that is in line with the necessary features.

[14] The flow regulator of the present invention reduces the energy of the fluid that is erupted out from the capillary tube into the evaporator by forcing it to pass in between the arms. The armed structure of the flow regulator extending from the body resembles a barbed wire or a fishbone.

[15] The household appliance realized in order to fulfill the objectives of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[16] Figure 1 - is the schematic view of a household appliance.

[17] Figure 2 - is the perspective view of a flow regulator.

[18] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of another embodiment of the flow regulator.

[19] Figure 4 - is the perspective view of the flow regulator emplacement inside the evaporator duct.

[20] Figure 5 - is the perspective view of the flow regulator emplacement together with the adapter.

[21] The parts illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

[22] 1. Household appliance

[23] 2. Evaporator

[24] 3. Capillary tube

[25] 4. Row regulator

[26] 5. Arm

[27] 6. Body

[28] 7. Restrainer

[29] 8. Adapter

[30] 9. Evaporator duct

[31] 10. Compressor

[32] 11. Condenser

[33] The household appliance (1) of the present invention comprises:

[34] - a compressor (10) that provides circulation of the refrigerant fluid in the cooling

cycle,

[35] - an evaporator (2) providing to transfer the ambient heat to the refrigerant fluid, having at least one evaporator duct (9) through which the refrigerant fluid flows,

[36] - a condenser (11) providing to condense the refrigerant fluid,

[37] - a capillary tube (3), one end of which is attached to the inlet of the evaporator duct

(9) providing to expand the refrigerant fluid to be delivered into the evaporator duct (9),

[38] - a flow regulator (4) disposed inside the evaporator duct (9), just downstream of the portion where the capillary tube (3) joins the evaporator (2), having a body (6) and one or more arms (5), one end of which is attached to this body (6) and the other end extending towards the wall of the evaporator duct (9),

[39] - and a restrainer (7) that prevents the flow regulator (4) from being drifted inside the evaporator duct (9) in the direction of the flow (Figure 1).

[40] In this embodiment of the present invention, the cross-section of the arm (5) can be any of the geometric shapes such as a circle, oval, quadrangle etc.. The lengths of the arms (5) may either be different from one another or equal to each other as well (Figure 2). The shape and size of the body (6) is such that it does not hinder the flow. The restrainer (7) is a component that holds the flow regulator (4) in its place as positioned in the evaporator duct (9), it can be shaped like a projection extending from the flow regulator (4), can be shaped like a leg, or can be shaped like a recess or protrusion upon which the flow regulator (4) can rest against in the evaporator duct (9). The fluid that ejects from the end of the capillary tube (3) with a high pressure into the evaporator (2), meets with the flow regulator (4). The energy of the fluid is reduced as it passes over the body (6) and the arms (5) of the flow regulator (4) and accordingly the level of the flow-induced noise decreases.

[41] In another embodiment of the present invention, the arms (5) are preferably produced of a resilient material. Since the arms (5) made of a resilient material can expand or contract depending on the volume of the space inside which it is emplaced, this allows the same flow regulator (4) to be utilized in evaporator ducts (9) of different diameters and/or to be inserted through the small diameter portion wherein the capillary tube (3) is attached to the evaporator duct (9) (Figure 4).

[42] In one embodiment of the present invention, the body (6) is shaped as a slender cylinder coaxial with the evaporator duct (9) and the capillary tube (2), and the arms

(5) are emplaced along the body (6) on various nodal points (Figure 3). Either a multitude of arms (5) can extend from one node on the body (6) or one arm (5) can extend from each node.

[43] In another embodiment of the present invention, the arm (5) is attached on the body

(6) with an acute angle (Figure 3). In this embodiment, the arm (5) is preferably

inclined in the direction of the flow. Accordingly, the flow meets with the arms (5) in a wider area, transferring more energy to the flow regulator (4).

[44] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a linear or curvilinear arm (5) is utilized. The curvilinear arms (5) provide the absorption of more energy from the fluid.

[45] In another embodiment of the present invention, the household appliance (1) comprises a restrainer (7) in form of a step, formed by narrowing the portion of the evaporator duct (9) after the flow regulator (4) in the direction of the flow (Figure 4). This restrainer (7) prevents the flow regulator (4) from being drifted downstream inside the evaporator (2) along with the high speed fluid. In this embodiment of the present invention, the largest dimension of the flow regulator (4) vertical to the axis is smaller than the diameter of the evaporator duct (9) and the flow regulator (4) is situated inside the evaporator duct (9) loosely, in a spaced manner. Consequently, the flow regulator (4) can float between the restrainer (7) and the point of joint of the capillary tube (3) to the evaporator duct (9) by fluctuating back and forth, up and down as a result of the motion of the fluid.

[46] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the household appliance (1) comprises an adapter (8) situated between the capillary tube (3) and the evaporator duct (9) and the flow regulator (4) is positioned further down from the adapter (8) inside the evaporator duct (9) (Figure 5). The adapter (8) helps in increasing the diameter gradually in the passage from the capillary tube (3) to the evaporator duct (9), contributing to the reduction of the noise. After the flow regulator (4) is emplaced inside the evaporator duct (9), the adapter (8) is attached to the end of the evaporator duct (9). Accordingly, the adapter (8) facilitates the assembly of the flow regulator (4) inside the evaporator duct (9).

[47] The household appliance (1) of the present invention is preferably a cooling device or a dryer.

[48] The flow regulator (4) utilized in the household appliance (1) is produced of a material that does not react with the refrigerant fluid. The flow regulator (4) is positioned in the entrance of the evaporator duct (9). The restrainer (7) prevents the flow regulator (4) from being drifted downstream in the direction of the flow. The arms (5) and the body (6) absorb the energy of the fluid flowing therebetween by means of their tree-like structure. Consequently, the noise is reduced as the energy of the fluid decreases.

[49] The flow regulator (4) utilized in the household appliance (1) provides to decrease the noise originating from the refrigerant fluid.