TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator. In particular the present invention relates to a refrigerator with a water collector and to a water collector for a refrigerator.

BACKGROUND

Refrigerators are used to keep goods such as food and the like at a cooled temperature in a cooled compartment. If the refrigerator is used to keep the goods at a temperature below the freezing point, the refrigerator is sometimes called a freezer. Some refrigerators have multiple cooled compartments such as one refrigerator compartment with a temperature above the freezing point and a freezer compartment with a temperature below the freezing point. Other configurations with multiple cooled compartments can also be provided. However, the term refrigerator will be used for any apparatus used to store goods at a cooled temperature such that the temperature inside the refrigerator can be lower than the ambient air outside the refrigerator.

In a refrigerator, water, such as condense water, is typically produced in the different compartments. To dispose of the water a water collector can be provided. The water drained to the water collector can then be discharged in a suitable manner such to a water drain pan located in the compressor area.

There is a constant desire to improve the operation of refrigerators and to reduce the cost for operating and manufacture a refrigerator. Hence, there exists a need for an improved refrigerator.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved refrigerator. In particular it is an object of the present invention to improve the collection of drain water produced in a refrigerator. This object and/or others are obtained by the refrigerator as set out in the appended claims.

As has been realized by the inventors, the draining of water from a refrigerator, in particular a refrigerator with multiple compartments, where the different compartments are located on top of each other, can be simplified.

It is an object of the invention to provide a refrigerator that facilitates assembly of the water drain arrangement in a refrigerator and that can reduce the cost for manufacturing a refrigerator.

In accordance with the invention a water collector for a refrigerator is provided.

The water collector has a water collector part for collecting drain water from a lower cooled compartment, and a support having an outlet for drain water configured to receive a drain water pipe. A common outlet is provided in the water collector for expelling water received both via the water collector part and via the support. Hereby drain water from multiple cooled compartments can be collected in a single water collector for disposal of the drain water from multiple cooled compartments. This saves components in the refrigerator and allows for a simpler assembly.

In accordance with some embodiments, the support is laterally distanced from the water collector part. For example, the support can be laterally distanced from the water collector part by a few centimeters. Hereby, a drain pipe from an upper cooled compartment can be attached to the support without risking contacting the inner liner for a lower cooled compartment.

In accordance with one embodiment, a channel is formed in the main water collector to provide a fluid connection between the outlet of the support. Hereby an efficient disposal of drain water can be obtained.

In accordance with one embodiment, a vacuum valve is housed inside the water collector. Hereby efficient assembly of the refrigerator when a vacuum valve is present in the refrigerator can be obtained. The invention also extends to refrigerator comprising an upper cooled compartment, a lower cooled compartment, and a water drain arrangement comprising the water collector according to the above. The refrigerator further comprises a water collector for the upper cooled compartment, and a drain water pipe interconnecting the water collector with the support. Hereby a refrigerator with an efficient and cost-effective drainage arrangement can be obtained.

In accordance with one embodiment, the drain water pipe is located distanced from the inner liner of the lower cooled compartment. Hereby freezing of water in the drain water pipe can be avoided.

In accordance with one embodiment, the refrigerator comprises a water tray located beneath the water collector. Hereby disposal of drain water from the water collector can be made easy.

In accordance with one embodiment, the refrigerator comprises a compressor wherein the water tray is located above the compressor. Hereby water on the water tray can be efficiently heated.

In accordance with one embodiment, the upper cooled compartment is configured to have a temperature above the freezing point and the lower cooled compartment is configured to have a temperature below the freezing point. Hereby an effective implementation of a refrigerator with a drain water arrangement can be obtained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figs. 1 a - 1 c show different views of a refrigerator,

- Fig. 2 is view of an arrangement for draining water from a refrigerator,

- Fig. 3 is a view of a detail in Fig. 2, and

- Figs. 4a and 4b are different views of a water collector for a refrigerator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In Fig. 1 a, a refrigerator 10 is depicted in a front view with the door(s) removed. The refrigerator 10 can be any type of appliance designed to keep goods at a cooled temperature and can typically be a household refrigerator or a household freezer. The term refrigerator is used herein to refer to any apparatus used for keeping goods at a temperature cooler than the ambient air. The exemplary refrigerator 10 has a first cooled compartment 12. The first cooled compartment 12 is in this example a refrigerator compartment configured to store items such as food at a cooled temperature above the freezing point. The exemplary refrigerator 10 further has a second cooled compartment 14. The second cooled compartment 14 is in this example a freezer compartment 14 configured to store items such as food at a cooled temperature below the freezing point. The first cooled compartment 12 is located above the second cooled compartment 14.

In Fig. 1 b, the refrigerator 10 is shown in a left side view with a side wall 16.

In Fig. 1 c, the refrigerator 10 is shown in a back view along the section A-A of Fig 1 b. In other words, Fig. 1c depicts the components behind the rear wall of the refrigerator 10. The cooled compartments 12,14 are cooled by a cooling arrangement comprising a compressor 18. Also seen in Fig. 1 c is an arrangement 20 for draining water from the respective cooled compartments 12, 14 as will be described in more detail below.

In Fig. 2, the water draining arrangement 20 of Fig. 1 c is shown. The water draining arrangement 20 has an upper water collector 22. The upper water collector 22 is configured to collect water from a first upper cooled compartment. In this exemplary embodiment, the first, upper, cooled compartment is the refrigerator compartment 12. Water from the upper water collector 22 is discharged via a drain pipe 24. The drain pipe 24 ends in a main water collector 26. The main water collector 26 collects water from a second, lower cooled compartment. In this exemplary embodiment the second lower cooled compartment is the freezer compartment 14.

Water collected in the main water collector 26 can then be disposed of from the refrigerator 10 in a suitable manner. For example, a water tray 28 can be arranged above the compressor 18 as is seen in Fig. 2. When the compressor 18 is run and generates heat, water on the water tray 28 is heated and can evaporate. Other conventional ways of disposing the water from the main water collector 26 can also be used.

Fig. 3 is a closer view of the detail B of Fig. 1 c. In Fig. 3 the main water collector 26 is shown mounted in position. The main water collector 26 is advantageously located at the back side of the appliance, in the bottom side of the lower cooled compartment, here the freezer compartment 14. The main water collector can be located laying down on a bottom panel, above the water tray 28. Hereby water collected in the main water collector 26 can exit from the bottom of the main water collector 26 onto the water tray 28. In accordance with some embodiments, the main water collector 26 is located between the inner liner of the refrigerator and a bottom metal panel.

The main water collector 26 has the main function of collecting defrost water from the lower cooled compartment. In addition, the main water collector 26 supports the drain pipe 24 from the upper cooled compartment.

In accordance with some exemplary embodiments, a vacuum valve 29 is also located in the main water collector 26. The vacuum valve 29 serves to facilitate opening of a door to the freezer compartment 14. By locating the vacuum valve 29 in the main water collector 26 space is saved and also the assembly of the refrigerator can be facilitated.

In Fig. 4a, a top view in perspective of the main water collector 26 is shown. Fig. 4b shows the same main water collector 26 in a bottom view in perspective. The main water collector 26 comprises a water collector part 32 for the lower cooled compartment and a support 34 for the drain water pipe 24 from the upper cooled compartment. In addition, the vacuum valve 29 can be located inside the main water collector 26 as described above. The support 34 can thus be connected to the drain water pipe and has an outlet to transfer drain water downstream as is better shown in Fig. 4b. Further, the support 34 for the drain water pipe 24 can be placed on the main water collector 26 to provide a distance to the inner liner for the drain water pipe 24. Typically, the support 34 can be laterally distanced from the water collector part 32. Hereby, ice formation on the drain water pipe 24 can be avoided. For example, the support 34 for the drain water pipe 24 can be arranged to distance the drain water pipe 24 a few centimeters such as between 1 - 10 cm from the inner liner of the refrigerator. Similarly, the support 34 can be laterally distanced from the water collector part 32 by a corresponding distance. Thus, when the drain water pipe 24 passes the outside of the inner liner of a freezer compartment 14, the distance between the inner liner (which can be cool and below the freezing point) and the drain water pipe 24 provides a safety measure that prevents water in the drain water pipe 24 to freeze.

Fig. 4b shows the same main water collector 26 in a bottom view in perspective. The main water collector 26 comprises a water drain outlet 36 for expelling water. In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 4b, the water drain outlet is formed by a common space 36 to which both the outlet 37 from the water collector part 32 and the outlet 38 from the support 34 is led. To direct the water from the outlet 38 of the support 34, a channel 39 can be formed in the main water collector 26 to provide a fluid connection between the outlet 38 of the support 34 and the water drain outlet 36. Hereby it is possible to collect drain water from both a first upper cooled compartment 12 and a second lower cooled compartment 14 in the same main water collector 26. The water collected in the main water collector 26 will exit in a common water drain outlet 36 such that drain water from both the first upper cooled compartment 12 and the second lower cooled compartment 14 is expelled via a common water drain outlet 36.

The main water collector 26 can advantageously be formed as one single component. For example, the main water collector 26 can be a monolithic component formed by a plastics material. In accordance with one embodiment, of the main water collector 26 is formed as one single plastic part that is foamed inside the appliance cabinet. Hereby it is possible to avoid handling of a separate part, so that complexity is reduced by eliminating one part from the assembly process. In other words, a simplified assembling and handling can be obtained.