Door for a cold storage device such as a refrigerator or freezer

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a door for a cold storage device such as a refrigerator or freezer, comprising a frame and a pane fitted to the frame. The present invention also relates to a cold storage device, such as a refrigerator or freezer, comprising such a door.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Freezer units used in retail are often provided with glass doors so that a customer can see the products in the freezer through the door. However, the temperature difference between the inside of the freezer and the outside tends to cause generation of moisture on such glass doors, obstructing the view through the glass.

One known solution to this problem is to add dedicated heating elements for heating the glass door, whereby the moisture generation is diminished. However, a drawback with this solution is that powering the heating elements requires extra energy, thereby increasing the overall cost of operating the freezer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome this problem, and to provide an improved door for a cold storage device such as a refrigerator or freezer with anti- moisture functionality.

This and other objects that will be apparent from the following description are achieved by means of a door for a cold storage device such as a refrigerator or freezer, and a cold storage device comprising such a door, according to the appended claims.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door for a cold storage device such as a refrigerator or freezer, comprising a frame and a pane fitted to the frame, characterized by at least one light emitting diode (LED) arranged such that heat generated by the LED(s) during operation of the LED(s) is conducted to the pane to reduce moisture-forming on the pane.

The invention is based on the understanding that instead of just being lost or otherwise deflected, heat generated by the LEDs can be used for heating the pane to prevent generation of moisture. Preferably, the LEDs are adapted to illuminate the interior of the cold storage device. Thus, no dedicated heating elements are required, which decreases the power consumption. Also, the invention provides for a more compact construction of the door, since the illumination and heating (and optionally grip) functionalities can be integrated.

In an embodiment the at least one light emitting diode is arranged such that heat generated by the LED(s) during operation of the LED(s) is conducted to the frame and the pane to reduce moisture-forming on the pane. Preferably, the pane is a glass or plastics pane.

The at least one LED can be mounted directly to the frame, for effective heat transfer between the LED(s) and the frame/pane. Alternatively, the at least one LED can be mounted in a reflector profile which in turn is mounted to the frame. Except for leading heat between the LED(s) and the frame/pane, the reflector profile serves to direct light from the LEDs towards the interior of the cold storage device. The frame and the optional reflector profile should be made of a heat conducting material, such as aluminum. As another alternative, the at least one LED can be built-in in the pane. For example, the LEDs can be sandwiched between two layers of the pane.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cold storage device, such as a refrigerator or freezer, comprising a door according to the above description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

These aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing a currently preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a partial top view of a door according to an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a cold storage device with a door of the type illustrated in fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a partial top view of a door according to another embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cold storage device with a door of the type illustrated in fig. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 is a partial top view of a door 10 of a cold storage device, such as a refrigerator or freezer, according to an embodiment of the invention. The door 10 comprises a frame 12 to which a pane 14, e.g. a transparent glass or plastics plate, is fitted. The pane 14 makes it possible to inspect the interior of the cold storage device from the outside.

The door 10 further comprises a plurality of LEDs 16. In fig. 1, the LEDs 16 are mounted in a reflector profile 18, which in turn is mounted to the frame 12. The reflector profile 18 serves to direct light from the reflector profile 18 as indicated by ray-traces 20. The light is preferably directed towards the interior of the cold storage device, for illumination of the same.

The reflector profile 18 also serves to conduct heat generated by the LEDs 16 during operation to the frame 12 and on to the pane 14. This is illustrated by arrows 22. To this end, the reflector profile 18 and the frame comprise a heat conducting material, such as aluminum. Also, the interface between the profile 18 and the frame 12 should provide best possible contact between the profile 18 and the frame 12 for effective heat transfer.

The excessive heat transferred from the LEDs 16 to the frame 12 and the pane 14 causes the pane 14 to be heated, whereby any moisture present of the pane 14 is dried out and further generation of moisture on the pane 14 is prevented. Thus, the LEDs 16 not only illuminate the cold storage device, but the heat generated by the LEDs 16 during illumination is also used to heat the pane 14 so that moisture-forming is prevented, whereby a clear view of the interior of the cold storage device is provided.

The door 10 of fig. 1 mounted to a cold storage device 24 such as refrigerator or freezer is illustrated in fig. 2. Here, the LEDs 16 are mounted to one side of the door 10. It should also be noted that the excessive heat transferred from the LEDs 16 also heats the frame 12, which results in the additional benefit that the door 10 does not freeze as easily to the door frame of the cold storage device 24.

Alternatively, the LEDs 16 can be built-in in the pane 14, as illustrated in fig. 3. In fig. 3, the LEDs 16 are sandwiched between a first layer 26 and second layer 28 of the pane 14. A space 32 is further provided between the second layer 28 and a third layer 30 of the pane. The space 32 preferably comprises a vacuum or non-conductive gas or the like. The first and second layers 26 and 28 should be facing the exterior 34 of a cold storage device, while the third layer 30 should be facing the interior 36 of the cold storage device.

Additionally, the third layer may optionally comprise a heat reflecting coating 38 on the side towards the LEDs to reflect any heat waves such as infrared radiation from the LEDs.

During operation, the excessive heat generated by the LEDs 16 is transferred directly to mainly the first and second layers 26 and 28 of the pane 14 (illustrated by arrows 22), causing the pane 14 to be heated, whereby any moisture present of the pane 14 is dried out and further generation of moisture on the pane 14 is prevented. Little or no heat is transferred into the cold storage device due to the insulating space 32 (and optional coating 38). Thus, the excessive heat is generally led away from the interior 36 of the cold storage device. The LEDs 16 are directed such that light 20 generated by the LEDs 16 is heading towards the interior of the cold storage device, for illumination of the same.

The door 10 of fig. 3 mounted to a cold storage device 24 such as refrigerator or freezer is illustrated in fig. 4.

The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the LEDs 16 may be mounted directly to the frame, whereby the reflector profile 18 can be omitted. Further, the LEDs 16 can be arranged on an optional number of sides of the rectangular frame 12. For example, the LEDs may be arranged on the left side only (as viewed in fig .2), on the right side only (at hinge side of the door), on the left and right sides or on the left and top sides, etc. The placing of the LEDs depends for example on the required lighting effect. Still further, instead of a vertical hinge door as in figs. 2 and 4, the inventive solution can also be applied to a vertical sliding door or horizontal placed sliding door in a low cabinet, e.g. freezer/cooler.