ES2330252T3 - CONTAINER WITH EUTECTIC PLATES AND REFRIGERATOR WITH SUCH CONTAINER. - Google Patents

Abstract

A container capable of being cooled by a frost-free refrigerator, said refrigerator comprising at least a first (300) and a second (400) opening and said container being able to contain food to be refrigerated, said container being thermally insulated and comprising the minus two eutectic plates (5), an opening for the cold air inlet connectable to said first opening (300) in the refrigerator and an additional opening (4) for the exit of said air from the container connectable to said second opening (400) in the refrigerator, said container including a compartment (1) capable of containing food products, and an additional compartment (2), separated from the first by said at least two eutectic plates (5) arranged in the form of a dividing wall, said compartment comprising additional (2) said openings (3, 4) for the entry and exit of air, said container comprising a grid of elements (6) which is part i integrating the bottom wall (7) of the container and capable of imposing a winding path (8) in the air flow inside the container, said at least two eutectic plates (5) being located on the elements (6) of said grid.

Description

Container with eutectic plates and refrigerator With such a container.

The present invention relates to a container for a refrigerator and the corresponding refrigerator.

Current refrigerators for home use normally comprise at least two compartments at temperatures different, one at a higher temperature (usually between + 3ºC and + 6ºC) for fresh food products, and the other at one lower temperature (usually -18ºC) for food Frozen and deep frozen. Each of the two compartments it is equipped with a respective evaporator, or with a part of the same evaporator, which is part of a circuit Normal refrigeration with compressor and condenser.

These refrigerators are generally "without frost ", that is they are equipped with means capable of preventing  Frost formation For this reason a so-called "ventilated" evaporator, that is one that is subjected to forced air circulation, is arranged in the compartment with lower temperature

It is normally possible in refrigerators domestic that in some circumstances do not have the capacity necessary to contain all the foods that have to be refrigerated, for example when a number of people older than normal

US 2004/139757 explains a system of refrigeration distributed for a vehicle, which includes a primary vapor compression refrigerant circuit and a circuit of independent secondary cooling. The circuit of secondary refrigeration uses a non-toxic refrigerant fluid which is pumped to distant sites in the vehicle through some specific supply pipes. A heat exchanger that acts with the primary cooling circuit cools the fluid refrigerant. A portable main storage compartment is connected for the purposes of the fluid with the circuits of primary or secondary cooling. The compartment of Portable main cold storage can be extensible. In remote places in the vehicle, at the docking stations allows items to be selectively cooled by the secondary cooling circuit Both the circuit primary cooling as secondary can work regardless of the vehicle's engine. In one version, the portable refrigerator is transportable between the console of the vehicle and a conventional domestic refrigerator.

WO 91/16583 explains a system of cooling for a refrigerated compartment whose temperature is you should keep as close as possible to a temperature default The cooling system comprises means for generate a flow of cooled gas with a temperature essentially below said predetermined temperature. In addition, there is a hermetic container element filled with a substance, whose freezing / melting temperature substantially coincides with said predetermined temperature and that solidifies and melts respectively during the volume change. The container element is arranged between the refrigerated compartment and the channel flow for the flow of cooled gas, such that one side of the container element constitutes a limiting wall of said compartment and the other side constitutes a limiting wall of said flow channel. The container element comprises a section elastic deformable whose position changes depending on the changes of volume of the liquid in the container element, and whose position originates an increasing throttling of said flow channel for the flow of air cooled with increasing proportions of substance solidified in the container element.

In view of the state of the art described, the object of the present invention is to provide a container for a refrigerator that allows to overcome the following disadvantages.

Also according to the present invention is possible to provide a refrigerator as defined in the claim 7.

The advantages of the present invention will be evident from the following detailed description of their practical embodiments, which are illustrated by way of examples not limiting in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a container for a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the container for a refrigerator shown in figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view. vertical along line III-III of the container for a refrigerator shown in figure 1;

Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view. transverse along line VI-VI of the container for a refrigerator shown in figure 1;

Figure 5 is a schematic side view of a container for a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is also a side view container schematic for a refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a schematic sectional view. along line VII-VII of the container for a refrigerator shown in figure 6;

Figure 8 is a schematic view of the cross section of the container for a refrigerator shown in figure 6;

Figure 9 is a schematic view of the vertical section of a refrigerator with the container shown in figure 1;

Figure 10 is a schematic front view of the refrigerator shown in figure 9.

With reference to the figures 1-4, a container for a refrigerator is shown according to a first embodiment of the present invention. He container comprises a compartment 1 capable of accommodating food for be refrigerated and another compartment 2 in which cold air flows which comes from a refrigeration apparatus through a port 3; cold air flows out through another port 4. Ports 3 and 4 are formed by preferably insulated tubular elements made of plastic Compartment 1 is separated from compartment 2 by means of a plurality of eutectic plates 5 arranged as a separating wall; the plates being 5 arranged on a plurality of elements 6 connected to the wall Bottom 7 of the container. The elements 6 are arranged form that force the cold air coming from the opening 3 along of a certain path 8 inside the container. The way 8 is preferably of sinuous type and therefore the elements 6 are substantially arranged parallel to each other and parallel to the side walls 9 of the container; the road in sinuous form means a longer residence time for cold air inside the container and therefore faster cooling of the plates eutectic 5. The container has a removable cover 10.

The container is thermally insulated in order to maintain a constant temperature for a certain period of time; 5 eutectic plates contribute to keep constant said temperature for a long period of time. Thus the container is able to preserve food products during a certain period of time.

The container is also equipped with shutters and / or valves with quick connections 11 for ports 3 and 4, preferably polyethylene, to prevent possible temperature drop by contact between inside of the container and the outside after the container has been cooled.

Figures 5-8 show a container for a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The container of the figures 5-8 differs from the container of the figures 1-4 in which compartment 1 has a cover 20 in the form of a camera. The cover 20 is supported by a frame 21 of adjustable height in order to occupy a minimum volume in relation to the amount of food to save. The cover 20 has a seal 22 that can be applied in a suitable fence in the container to seal container 1. The container It has a variable total size between a minimum shown in the figure 5 and a maximum shown in figure 6.

Figures 9 and 10 show a refrigerator equipped with a container as described above; he container of figures 1-4 is shown by way of example. The refrigerator is a frost-free type and includes a freezer compartment 100 and a refrigerator compartment 200 a a lower temperature than the freezer compartment 100

The refrigerator preferably comprises two tubes 300 and 400 connected to the cooling circuit 500; applying the openings of the tubes 300 and 400 only with the ports 3 and 4 in the container for the flow in and out of Cold air. The cold air that comes from the 500 cooler circuit is forced through tube 300 while air flows out to through the tube 400 to the cooler circuit 500. Once the container has been refrigerated can be removed from the refrigerator after closing ports 3 and 4 with the shutters 10.

The refrigerator can include a first and a second openings in the tubes for air inlet and outlet forced from the cooling circuit 500 inside the fridge; applying ports 3 and 4 of the container of the Figure 1 or Figure 5 in said first and second openings.

Claims (8)

1. A container capable of being refrigerated by a frost-free refrigerator, said refrigerator comprising minus a first (300) and a second (400) opening and being said container capable of containing food to be refrigerated, said container being thermally insulated and comprising the minus two eutectic plates (5), an opening for the entrance of cold air connectable to said first opening (300) in the refrigerator and an additional opening (4) for the exit of said container air connectable to said second opening (400) in the refrigerator, said container including a compartment (1) capable of containing food products, and an additional compartment (2), separated from the first by said at least two eutectic plates (5) arranged in the form of a dividing wall, said said additional compartment (2) said openings (3, 4) for entry and air outlet, said container comprising a grid of elements (6) which is an integral part of the bottom wall (7) of the container and capable of imposing a winding path (8) in the air flow inside the container, at least two being said eutectic plates (5) located on the elements (6) of said grating. 2. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that said compartment (1) comprises a removable cover (10). 3. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that said compartment (1) comprises a removable cover (20) chamber type. 4. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that said opening (3) and said additional opening (4) are thermally insulated tubular elements. 5. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes closing shutters for said openings. 6. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes valves with quick connections in said openings. 7. A refrigerator of the type free frost comprising a container as defined in the claims 1 to 6. A refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a cooling circuit (500) and a tube (300) capable of being applied in said opening (3) in the container for the flow of cold air and a additional tube (400) capable of being applied in the additional opening (4) in the container for the flow of air out of the container.