Refrigeration – With means preventing or handling atmospheric condensate... – By external heater
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-24
2001-07-31
Buiz, Michael Powell (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With means preventing or handling atmospheric condensate...
By external heater
C062S272000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266969
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for rapidly defrosting a refrigerator compartment in accordance with the introductory part of the main claim.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, devices for rapidly defrosting a refrigerator compartment, for example the freezer compartment, have been commercially available for some time. These devices comprise for example one or more armoured resistance elements associated with the evaporator or with its hairpin coils and, in the case of a forced-air refrigerator, with the usual collection member (tray) for the water resulting from defrosting. These resistance elements have a high thermal power which however being localized does not allow properly ample and rapid defrosting of the refrigerator compartment. Moreover, to achieve rapid defrosting, said resistance elements would have to be present in a considerable number on the evaporator. Such a solution is however industrially unattainable.
To the aforegoing it must be added that, as is well known, each refrigerator compartment consists of a substantially parallelepiped cell, for example of aluminum, on the outside of which there is positioned the evaporator hairpin coil which during the operating cycle reduces the temperature within the cell to below 0° C. To prevent ice forming on the cell interior with the passage of time (due to the moisture in the air) and depositing on the walls to reduce the cell efficiency, said refrigeration cells are provided externally with electrical resistance elements which can also be activated manually when required. These resistance elements consist of a resistive wire wound on a polyester support, the whole being covered with a PVC sheath which is inserted into a metal tube extending substantially parallel to the hairpin coil of the evaporator. The latter and said tube are embedded in a layer of foamed material which wraps the cell.
To prevent damage to the foamed layer by overheating of said resistance elements when these are powered to implement defrosting, one or more protection devices must be provided in the power circuit of said resistance elements, for example thermostats which interrupt said power when the temperature of the resistance elements reaches a predetermined value beyond which permanent damage can occur to the foamed material, with resultant diminution in its insulating capacity. Such a circuit therefore becomes considerably complicated with consequent high manufacturing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a defrosting device which is improved compared with known devices.
A particular object of the invention is to provide a device of the stated type comprising a control circuit for the heating and defrosting means which does not contain elements for directly or indirectly controlling the temperature of said means, hence making the circuit less costly and more simple to manufacture.
A further object is to provide a device of the stated type which can be easily mounted on the cell defining the refrigerator compartment and which achieves diffused heating of its walls with consequent rapid defrosting thereof at a relatively low temperature without producing high thermal inertia.
These and further objects which will be apparent to the expert of the art are attained by a device in accordance with the accompanying claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2802346 (1957-08-01), Simmons
patent: 2987601 (1961-06-01), Levin
patent: 4951384 (1990-08-01), Jacobs et al.
patent: 5166658 (1992-11-01), Fang et al.
patent: 5339644 (1994-08-01), Singh
patent: 5765384 (1998-06-01), Carlstedt et al.
Bresolin Valerio
De Caprio Salvatore
Malnati Roberto
Monti Silvano
Ragazzon Daniele
Buiz Michael Powell
Jones Melvin
Krefman Stephen D.
Rice Robert O.
Van Winkle Joel M.
LandOfFree
Device for defrosting evaporator in a refrigerator compartment does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device for defrosting evaporator in a refrigerator compartment, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for defrosting evaporator in a refrigerator compartment will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2562534