Field of the Invention

The present invention refers to a refrigerated chamber and, in especial, it refers to a refrigerated chamber comprising a proper refrigeration system.

The instantly revealed refrigerated chamber, which is capable of achieving low temperatures, is free of any thawing system.

Background of the Invention

As already known by the skilled in the art, refrigeration systems are traditionally composed of at least one compressor, at least one condenser, at least one expanding element, and at least one evaporator. These elements are normally arranged in a closed- loop system and, within such system, it circulates a refrigerant fluid that is responsible for the heat transfer with the environment to be refrigerated. It is further noted that the current refrigeration systems further have at least one ventilation source, which is responsible for circulating the air within the environment to be refrigerated.

The thermal efficiency of the current refrigeration systems is determined by several factors, and the majority of factors is intrinsically related to the assembly of the elements that compose the refrigeration systems. Another factor that is potentially relevant to the thermal efficiency of a refrigeration system is related to the volume of the environment to be refrigerated. In this sense, refrigerated chambers of a big internal volume (such as, for example, frigorific refrigerators) require a greater power of their refrigeration system. On the other hand, refrigerated chambers of small internal volume (such as, for example, refrigerated chambers for transporting tissues and organs) require a lower power of their refrigeration system.

It is further noted that the lower the temperature of the container attached to the refrigeration system, the greater is the technological complexity required to avoid the formation of frost of condensate that is originated by the air humidity.

Nowadays, in several refrigeration systems, it is necessary to sporadically thaw the refrigeration systems of "low temperature" (refrigeration systems that are capable of generating low temperatures at the environment to be refrigerated). This necessity mainly occurs due to the fact that the components of such refrigeration systems, especially the evaporators thereof, are inclined to freeze when subjected to low temperatures that are generated by the proper component. Such freezing mainly occurs due to the desublimation of the humidity that is contained in the air of the environment to be cooled.

Thus, and in order to keep the component working correctly, it is necessary to constantly thaw the evaporator of a refrigeration system of "low temperature". On the contrary, the ice layers or walls that are normally deposited on the pipelines thereof may prejudice the heat transfer with the environment to be refrigerated, since such ice layers or walls can act as thermal insulators, decreasing, therefore, the efficiency of the refrigeration system.

Therefore, the current prior art discloses the existence of thawing systems associated with refrigeration systems of "low temperatures". Generally, the conventional thawing systems are fundamentally composed of electrical resistances arranged next to the elements that are inclined to freeze when subjected to such low temperatures. Thus, a conventional thawing system comprises at least one electrical resistance placed next to (or along) the evaporator of the refrigeration system.

However, the current thawing systems have several negative aspects, such as, for example, the physical size thereof and the electrical power consumption.

In this sense, it is further noted that the thawing systems are particularly incapable of being associated with refrigeration systems of "low temperatures" for movable and small- sized refrigerated chambers. Part of such incapability, as can be foreseen, is related to the electrical power consumption of the thawing system, since it is fed by electrical batteries of non-prolonged useful life.

Moreover, one fundamental aspect of movable refrigerated chambers is related to the reduced sizes thereof, wherein the insertion of thawing systems may influence, in a negative manner, such necessity.

On the other hand and as previously mentioned, refrigeration systems of "low temperatures", especially those applied to movable and small-sized refrigerated chambers, present a great loss of efficiency when frozen.

In order to solve, in parts, such problems, the current prior art is further composed of special models of evaporators, which are theoretically immunes from freezing (even when subjected to "low temperatures").

One example of such special models of evaporators can be observed in document

US 5,749,242, wherein it is described a complex arrangement of components which theoretically prevent the pipeline of the evaporator (into which the refrigerant fluid flows) from freezing. Said evaporator is fundamentally composed of a concentric group of bodies which, not only require a complex process of assembling, but also conform a structure of non-ideal size for the assembly of a refrigeration system for movable and small-sized refrigerated chambers.

With basis on such scenario, the present utility model patent is developed.

Objectives of the Invention

Thus, one of the objectives of the present invention is the provision of a refrigerated chamber whose refrigeration system is simultaneously free of thawing systems and free of occasional problems caused by freezing their components.

Consequently, it is also one of the objects of the present invention the provision of a refrigeration system that is virtually immune from freezing the evaporator.

It is still another objective of the present invention that the evaporator of the refrigeration system, even if slightly frozen, will not prejudice the thermal efficiency of the entire refrigeration system.

Summary of the Invention

These and other objectives of the instantly revealed invention are totally achieved by the instantly revealed refrigerated chamber, which is composed of a refrigeration system (having a proper source of electrical supply) fundamentally comprising at least one compressor, at least one condenser, at least one expanding element, and at least one evaporator. In this sense, said at least one evaporator comprises at least two pipeline segments which are separated one from the other by at least one spacing element. Each spacing element is composed of an internal circular wall and an external multifaceted wall, wherein said external multifaceted wall is separated from the internal circular wall by at least one radial wall.

Preferably, the pipeline segments of the evaporator are arranged in the interior of the internal circular wall of the at least one spacing element. Also preferably, the air flow to be refrigerated is forced toward the evaporator, in the direction of the faces of the external multifaceted walls.

According to the basic concepts of the present invention, the external multifaceted wall of the spacing element has a hexagonal perimeter and it is separated from the internal circular wall by six radial walls.

Short Description of the Drawings

The present utility model patent will be detailed with basis on the figures described below.

Figure 1 illustrates a preferable design of the evaporator of the refrigeration system of the refrigerated chamber;

Figure 2 illustrates a first extended detail of the evaporator of the refrigeration system of the refrigerated chamber;

Figure 3 illustrates a second extended detail of the evaporator of the refrigeration system of the refrigerated chamber.

Detailed Description of the Invention

According to the objectives and concepts of the present invention, it is revealed an especially movable and substantially small refrigerated chamber, which is responsible for super freezing, for a temporary period, portable refrigeration systems, such as, for example: coolers for automotive vehicles or coolers for leisure use (picnics).

In this sense, the instantly provided refrigerated chamber has a proper refrigeration system, which is fundamentally composed of at least one compressor, at least one condenser, at least one expanding element, and at least one evaporator 1.

It shall be mentioned that the compressor that integrates the above-mentioned refrigeration system is preferably a miniature linear compressor.

According to figures 1 , 2, and 3, which illustrate the preferable design (and certain details of such design) of the evaporator 1 , it is possible to note that the same is composed of a plurality of pipeline segments 2. Preferably, the pipeline segments 2 are arranged so as to compose a continuous circuit for the flow of the refrigerant fluid which also composes the present refrigeration system. Thus, each pipeline segment 2 is connected to another pipeline segment 2. In such arrangement of the evaporator 1 , there are only two pipeline segments 2 with free ends, which define the inlet end and the outlet end of the refrigerant fluid.

In this preferable design, the pipeline segments 2 are arranged in pairs and in parallel, enabling the separation of two pipeline segments 2 (especially those in parallel) by a plurality of spacing elements 3.

It is noted, therefore, that each spacing element 3 is composed of an internal circular wall 31 and an external multifaceted wall 32, which are separated one from the other by radial wall 33.

According to the preferable design of the present invention, the external multifaceted wall 32 of the spacing element 3 has a hexagonal perimeter and it is separated from the internal circular wall 31 (of the cited spacing element 3) by six radial walls 33.

In a coherent assembly, in accordance with the preferable design of the present invention, the pipeline segments 2 are arranged in the interior of the internal circular wall 31 of the spacing elements 3. This differentiated assembly is responsible for two aspects of great importance: pipeline segments 2 are spaced apart, in a standard manner; the spacing elements 3 and the evaporator 1 have their surfaces of heat transfer dislocated and amplified.

The standard spacing between the pipeline segments 2 enable the refrigerated chamber to be homogeneously refrigerated, as the air flow F will be equally cooled, since there is no "area" of thermal concentration (which are normally defined by pipeline segments that are differently spaced apart). It shall be mentioned that the air flow F will be preferably cooled and forced toward the evaporator 1 , in the direction of the faces of the external multifaceted walls 32.

With respect to the displacement and amplification of the heat transfer surfaces of the evaporator 1 , it is noted the following: in conventional and prior art evaporators (free of spacing elements 3), the preferable surface of heat transfer by air flow is defined by the proper circular surface of the pipeline segments and by the extended surfaces thereof. On the other hand, in the instantly defined evaporator, the preferable surface of air flow, and, consequently, of heat transfer, is dislocated from the circular surface of the pipelines segments 2 in the direction of the external multifaceted walls 32 and radial walls 33.

Besides the optimization of the heat transfer surfaces (by the generation of air stagnation zones in the pipeline segments 2), it is further noted that, even if the evaporator 1 is slightly frozen, the ice layers or wall will be predominantly deposited on the faces of the radial walls 33, not prejudicing the heat transfer through the faces of the external multifaceted walls 32 due to the secondary air flow that the radial walls 33 render possible. Such secondary air flow further enables a greater mixture and mass diffusion of the air that flows through the evaporator, guaranteeing a higher coefficient of convective transfer than the one obtained in the current conventional evaporators.

As illustrated in figure 3, the spacing elements 3 (of a single evaporator 1 ), once axially aligned, may present different outside diameters (fundamentally defined by the length of the radial walls 33), besides the possibility of the same being aligned, in a different manner, considering the radial point of view.

As the preferred design example has already been described, it shall be understood that the scope of the present invention includes other possible variations, which are only limited by the content of the claims, therein included the equivalent means.