Description

A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance wherein electronic elements such as control card are prevented from being damaged by heat.

[0002] Various electronic elements like digital clock connected to control board, control knobs and electronic cards, whereto the screen is attached, are disposed in household appliances such as oven, refrigerator, washing machine, and dishwasher.

[0003] Heating of the household appliances during usage also results in overheating of the said electronic elements. This generated heat sometimes causes the electronic elements to malfunction. Therefore, electronic elements disposed in the household appliances are attempted not to be affected by this heat while the appliance operates. Electronic elements are either cooled by methods such as forced air circulation or insulated such that they will not be affected by heat, in order to prevent them from overheating.

[0004] In the state of the art German Patent Application No DE4124921 , an oven is explained, wherein the electronic elements are disposed behind an insulating board to prevent them from being affected by the heat generated during cooking. In this embodiment, holes enabling inlet and outlet of air are also provided on the compartment, wherein the electronic element is disposed.

[0005] Another embodiment in the state of the art is explained in the International Patent Application No WO2007080038. In this embodiment, electronic elements are disposed in a case and holes enabling air inlet are bored on the case.

[0006] Since the insulation elements used in these embodiments known in the state of the art are not sufficient to protect the electronic elements from heat, providing air circulation over the electronic element or usage of expensive and high resistance electronic elements are required.

[0007] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a household appliance wherein its electronic elements are effectively insulated from the heat generated during its operation.

[0008] The household appliance realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises at least one chamber surrounding the electronic element, which is disposed at the back of the panel, such that it will insulate the electronic element from the heat generated during operation of the appliance. The chamber comprises one inner wall and one outer wall, and is filled with a phase changing material (PCM) having a phase changing temperature between the inner wall and the outer wall lower than the temperature whereby the electronic element gets damaged. The phase changing material changes phase by absorbing heat before the chamber reaches a temperature whereby the electronic element gets damaged. Thus, the temperature of the chamber doesn't increase anymore remaining constant during phase changing and therefore the electronic element is prevented from being damaged.

[0009] The chamber comprises at least one filling hole disposed on the outer wall. By means of this filling hole, the phase changing material is filled between the inner wall and the outer wall. The chamber furthermore comprises an air outlet hole for the exit of the air situated between the inner wall and the outer wall during the filling of the phase changing material.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the chamber is formed as a hollow rectangular prism having an open face. The chamber is disposed on the electronic element such that its open face will face the panel, therefore surrounds the electronic element from the back and the sides.

[0011] In the household appliance of the present invention, cooling systems such as fan and cooling channel, which are used for the electronic elements to be cooled and occupy undesirably much space especially in built-in applications, are no longer required. Furthermore, use of high resistance and expensive electronic elements, is also no more needed.

[0012] The household appliance realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0013] Figure 1 - is the front view of a household appliance.

[0014] Figure 2 - is the sideways cross-sectional perspective view of a panel when the electronic element and the chamber are mounted.

[0015] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a chamber.

[0016] Figure 4 - is the rear perspective view of a panel when the electronic element is mounted. [0017] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Household appliance

2. Panel

3. Electronic element

4. Chamber

5. Inner wall

6. Outer wall

7. Phase changing material

8. Filling hole

9. Air outlet hole

10. Lid

[0018] The household appliance (1) of the present invention comprises a panel

(2), an electronic element (3) mounted at the back of the panel (2), at least one chamber (4) surrounding the electronic element (3) such that it will insulate the electronic element (3) from the heat generated during the operation of the household appliance (1).

[0019] The chamber (4) comprises an inner wall (5), an outer wall (6) and a phase changing material (7) filled between the inner wall and outer wall, having a phase changing temperature lower than the temperature whereby the electronic element (3) gets damaged (Figure 2).

[0020] The chamber (4) comprises at least one filling hole (8) disposed on the outer wall (6) and enabling the phase changing material (7) to be filled between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6) (Figure 3).

[0021] The chamber (4) furthermore comprises an air outlet hole (9) for the exit of the air situated between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6) during the filling of the phase changing material (7) (Figure 3).

[0022] The chamber (4) comprises two lids (10) that are mounted on the filling hole (8) and the air outlet hole (9) providing leak proof closure of the holes (8,9) after the phase changing material (7) is filled between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6).

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, the chamber (4) is formed as a hollow rectangular prism and one of its faces is open such that the electronic element (3) will be disposed therein. The chamber (4) is mounted on the panel (2) such that its open face will be seated on the panel (2) surrounding the electronic element (3) from the back and the sides (Figure 3).

[0024] In this embodiment, the chamber (4) comprises a gasket that is disposed on the sides seated on the panel (2) to provide sealing.

[0025] The chamber (4), used in the household appliance (1) of the present invention, between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (6) of which the phase changing material (7) is filled, serves as a shield that protects the electronic elements (3) from the heat generated during the operation of the household appliance (1). Thus, a household appliance used for a longer time without any problems is realized by means of preventing the electronic elements from being damaged.