Refrigeration – Refrigeration producer – Sorbent type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-13
2002-07-02
Esquivel, Denise L. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Refrigeration producer
Sorbent type
C062S244000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06412301
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a refrigerator preferably operating on the absorption principle, and to a vehicle equipped with such a refrigerator.
In most RVs (recreational vehicles), a refrigerator is included among the kitchen appliances. As a rule an absorption refrigerator is used because such equipment operates noiselessly compared to compressor-driven refrigerators.
In order that this refrigerator be operative regardless of RV location, it is designed in such a way that its heating system required to separate its water and ammonia can be operated selectively by means of the on-board 12 V battery, by the public AC power supply of 120 or 220 V, by the vehicle fuel (gasoline or diesel) or by LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).
As a result a large number of lines must run to and from operating controls and displays. Illustratively a control is a toggle selecting the energy source and a toggle to control the gas feed. Correspondingly one needs lines carrying 12 VDC or 110 or 220 VAC as well as a gas line to the burner, an ignition line and a gas line from the gas tank.
Because the cooling unit of the absorption refrigerator in general is mounted on its back panel, the line must ipso facto run from the refrigerator housing's back panel over an upper housing edge and from the top side of the housing to the front of the equipment.
Another boundary condition is set by the standard G 607, i.e., DIN EN 1949, which specifies that refrigerators in RVs, mobile homes, and other vehicles, must be installed in suction-protected manner. In other words, the air of combustion of the burner of the absorption refrigerator may not come from the vehicle inside and the burner exhaust gases must be prevented from directly entering the vehicle.
It follows from these two boundary conditions that it is particularly difficult and expensive to the seal the inside space of the vehicle from the absorption refrigerator, i.e., from the air duct needed by its burner, especially in the light of the lack of surface continuity caused by the-plurality of lines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The solutions to such problems of the state of the art, such as disclosed in the European patent document 0 888 295 A2, the German patent document 33 30 37 C2 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,371, have remained unsatisfactory with respect to costs and complexity and furthermore regarding sealing performance.
In the light of this state of the art, it is the objective of the present invention to create an absorption refrigerator and a vehicle fitted with same, wherein the vehicle inside space is sealed in especially simple manner from the burner's air duct, as a result of which even the layperson, provided he or she applies appropriate care, shall be able to property install such sealing, also when integrating the refrigerator into the vehicle.
This problem is solved by providing at least one recess or cutout at an edge defined by the housing top side, and/or by a housing side panel, and/or by an underside of the housing, and a housing back panel. The cutout is crossed by the lines running toward the housing back panel without exceeding the housing height at the housing edge between the housing top side and the housing's side panel or its underside.
In this manner the housing edge is free of elevations above the local housing dimensions on account of the lines in that region because the cutout in that zone practically makes all said lines run inside the housing. Sealing therefore is especially simple precisely at this critical site.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a separation device is present in the cutout to assure that the lines in that zone shall run from the refrigerator top side to its back panel in substantially airtight manner. In order to attain especially simple sealing, for instance, using only a single sealing lip, the separation device shall be designed in especially advantageous manner so that it shall provide a continuous housing edge.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the separation device solves a problem which hitherto was not solved or only inadequately in this zone, namely, it provides a suction protection for the lines running to the operating controls and displays of simple design which is easily installed, provided that at least part of the lines fitted with suction protection relating to the operating controls and displays can be mounted in the separation device. This feature illustratively applies to snaking electric cables, also gas lines, through so-called labyrinths. An appropriate separation device may be easily manufactured as a plastic injection-molded part.
Assembly of the separation device assembly is especially easy if it is locked or snapped into the cutout.
In another especially simple design of the invention relating to installation and suction protection, the separation device is in two parts, namely, a lower and an upper part, the lines being received in seats in the lower part and the upper part being affixable to the lower part while cooperating with said seats. Preferably this affixation is implemented by snapping in position or by screwing in place.
Regarding the vehicle equipped with a refrigerator of the above kind, the problem stated above is solved in that an air duct is present between a first ventilation register in the vehicle wall, which feeds air to the refrigerator burner, and a second ventilation register in the vehicle wall to expel the burner exhaust gas, the refrigerator rear panel being part of the air duct wall and this air duct being substantially gas-tight relative to the sealing lip affixed to the refrigerator's housing edge.
The above combination of features will be better understood in that there are two assembly variations for the concept of “coming to rest against the housing edge”. According to one variation, this expression means that the sealing lip is mounted in the refrigerator bay and in fact does rest against the housing edge which in part is defined by the separation device. According to the other variation, it means that the sealing lip is mounted on the housing edge and thereby rests against the bay's wall.
This configuration assures that even the layperson can be expected to mount a simple sealing lip at a given site before installing the refrigerator in his vehicle, said sealing lip automatically coming to rest against the refrigerator housing already solely by the design of the refrigerator of the invention, that is without further action by the layperson or the expert, namely in the vicinity of the rear, upper housing edge, that is, tightly against the wall of the refrigerator bay. Therefore a permeable air duct can only be produced if, by gross neglect of these extremely simple installation instructions, the sealing lip is not mounted at all on account of forgetfulness or was installed in an absolutely amateurish manner.
In an appropriate feature of the invention, the air duct is at least partially heat-insulated relative to the vehicle's inside space. As a result, heat loss in this inside space-which sometimes induces the vehicle user to externally close the ventilation registers in the vehicle wall—is substantially reduced
The installation of the refrigerator into the vehicle is especially simple when the sealing lip in the form of an air-duct component is mounted in this air duct before the refrigerator rear panel is added. In this manner the sealing lip already is installed when the refrigerator is conventionally inserted into its vehicle bay.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3245224 (1966-04-01), Wilkinson
patent: 3512371 (1970-05-01), Gurt et al.
patent: 3771320 (1973-11-01), Kenneryd et al.
patent: 5782105 (1998-07-01), Stork
patent: 5946929 (1999-09-01), Selina et al.
Electrolux Siegen GmbH
Esquivel Denise L.
Jiang Chen-Wen
Pearne & Gordon LLP
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