EP0713065A1 - Dispositif compact en dimension - pour détecter le givre sur un évaporateur d'un réfrigérateur - Google Patents

Dispositif compact en dimension - pour détecter le givre sur un évaporateur d'un réfrigérateur Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0713065A1
EP0713065A1 EP94118082A EP94118082A EP0713065A1 EP 0713065 A1 EP0713065 A1 EP 0713065A1 EP 94118082 A EP94118082 A EP 94118082A EP 94118082 A EP94118082 A EP 94118082A EP 0713065 A1 EP0713065 A1 EP 0713065A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
frost
evaporator
refrigerator
sensor
interface unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP94118082A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0713065B1 (fr
Inventor
Daniele Whirlpool Italia s.r.l. Turetta
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whirlpool Europe BV
Original Assignee
Whirlpool Europe BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whirlpool Europe BV filed Critical Whirlpool Europe BV
Priority to ES94118082T priority Critical patent/ES2154663T3/es
Priority to EP19940118082 priority patent/EP0713065B1/fr
Priority to DE1994626567 priority patent/DE69426567T2/de
Publication of EP0713065A1 publication Critical patent/EP0713065A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0713065B1 publication Critical patent/EP0713065B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
    • F25D21/02—Detecting the presence of frost or condensate

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a device in accordance with the introduction to the main claim.
  • Frost sensors in particular of capacitive type are known. Such sensors are usually positioned within a refrigerator compartment in correspondence with the evaporator (either directly on it or on a wall of the refrigerator compartment behind which the evaporator is situated, depending on the type of construction of this latter).
  • the frost deposits on the sensor, of which, as the frost thickness on it varies, a suitable intrinsic electrical characteristic, in this case its capacitance, changes. This change in the said characteristic or capacitance is proportional to the variation in the frost layer.
  • Said variation is sensed by a control unit which in known manner calculates the frost layer present on the evaporator and, when necessary, proceeds to halt this latter and defrost it.
  • a known interface unit is provided between said sensor and said control unit.
  • the frost sensor is positioned within the refrigerator compartment as stated, whereas the interface unit is positioned outside this compartment to prevent it suffering any problems connected with the low temperature, moisture and condensate present within the compartment.
  • This constructional choice implies the use of electrical connection cables (generally of coaxial type) for connecting the sensor to said unit.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a device which overcomes the drawbacks of analogous known devices.
  • a particular object of the invention is to provide a device which is easy to construct and mount within a refrigerator, and which allows reliable control of the evaporator defrosting.
  • a refrigerator comprises a known evaporator 1 mounted, in the example shown in the figures, in correspondence with a wall 2 of a refrigerator compartment 3.
  • the device 6 according to the invention is positioned on one side 5 of said wall 2 and comprises a frost sensor 7 of capacitive type directly associated with an interface unit 8 connected by an electric cable 9 to a control unit (of known type, not shown) at least able to defrost the evaporator when an excessive frost presence is detected on it by the sensor 7.
  • the unit 8 converts the electrical signals from the sensor 7 into signals acceptable by the control unit (for example into logic signals).
  • This unit is specifically arranged to polarize the sensor 7 so as to determine its capacitance change and make this acceptable by the unit controlling the defrosting of the evaporator 1.
  • the sensor 7 and unit 8 are associated with a support 10 of flexible material.
  • This support is preferably of plastics material and can advantageously consist for example of a material known commercially as KAPTON or other materials such as that known as MYLAR.
  • This sensor and the unit 8 are associated with the flexible support by known methods for forming printed circuits.
  • the capacitive sensor 7 comprises a plurality of mutually facing flexible plates deposited on the support 10, which is positioned on a flexible insulating plate 14 connected to earth.
  • the plates 12 and 13 are connected directly to the interface unit 8 supported by a layer of flexible material which can also be the continuation of that carrying the sensor 7 or can be a layer physically different from the layer 10 and formed of a material the same as or different from this latter.
  • the device obtained in this manner is associated with the wall 2 of the refrigerator compartment 3, this being achieved by known means, such as a known biadhesive layer 20 of high thermal conductivity.
  • the device can be directly embedded into the wall 2 or by placed in another position in the refrigerator such as to cooperate directly or indirectly with the evaporator, depending on the type of this latter.
  • the senor is coated with a layer of known adhesive film 21, for example of polyurethane or the like.
  • the unit 8 is embedded in a layer of epoxy resin 23 (or similar material) and, advantageously, protected by a plastics box structure 24 fixed to the wall 2 of the compartment 3 in any known manner, for example mechanically by screws (not shown).
  • the invention provides a very compact device, formed from the sensor 7 and the unit 8, which is simple to mount in a refrigerator and is suitably protected against user cleaning and against environmental agents such as the moisture, condensate, water and temperature change produced by the defrosting and cooling.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Defrosting Systems (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Electric Means (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
EP19940118082 1994-11-17 1994-11-17 Dispositif compact en dimension - pour détecter le givre sur un évaporateur d'un réfrigérateur Expired - Lifetime EP0713065B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES94118082T ES2154663T3 (es) 1994-11-17 1994-11-17 Dispositivo de dimensiones compactas para detectar la congelacion sobre el evaporador de un frigorifico.
EP19940118082 EP0713065B1 (fr) 1994-11-17 1994-11-17 Dispositif compact en dimension - pour détecter le givre sur un évaporateur d'un réfrigérateur
DE1994626567 DE69426567T2 (de) 1994-11-17 1994-11-17 Vorrichtung zur Feststellung von Eis auf einem Kühlgerät-Verdampfer

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19940118082 EP0713065B1 (fr) 1994-11-17 1994-11-17 Dispositif compact en dimension - pour détecter le givre sur un évaporateur d'un réfrigérateur

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0713065A1 true EP0713065A1 (fr) 1996-05-22
EP0713065B1 EP0713065B1 (fr) 2001-01-10

Family

ID=8216463

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19940118082 Expired - Lifetime EP0713065B1 (fr) 1994-11-17 1994-11-17 Dispositif compact en dimension - pour détecter le givre sur un évaporateur d'un réfrigérateur

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0713065B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69426567T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2154663T3 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998038499A1 (fr) * 1997-02-28 1998-09-03 Ust Umweltsensortechnik Gmbh Procede et agencement capteur pour detecter des condensations sur des surfaces
US6566893B2 (en) 1997-02-28 2003-05-20 Ust Umweltsensortechnik Gmbh Method and arrangement for monitoring surfaces for the presence of dew
WO2016062535A1 (fr) * 2014-10-21 2016-04-28 BSH Hausgeräte GmbH Appareil ménager frigorifique muni d'un détecteur de givre qui est conçu pour détecter la formation de givre au niveau d'un évaporateur d'un dispositif de production de froid de l'appareil ménager frigorifique
CN109974571A (zh) * 2018-12-24 2019-07-05 天津天商酷凌科技有限公司 一种蒸发器具有的电容式多效结霜传感器
CN110793257A (zh) * 2018-08-03 2020-02-14 博西华电器（江苏）有限公司 制冷器具
CN110793262A (zh) * 2018-08-03 2020-02-14 博西华电器（江苏）有限公司 制冷器具

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102018202971A1 (de) 2018-02-28 2019-08-29 BSH Hausgeräte GmbH Kältegerät mit Abtauheizung

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4347709A (en) * 1981-01-19 1982-09-07 Honeywell Inc. Demand defrost sensor
EP0203669A1 (fr) * 1985-05-30 1986-12-03 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Réfrigérateurs, en particulier réfrigérateurs ménagers
EP0310101A2 (fr) * 1987-09-29 1989-04-05 Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Capteur de température
EP0563751A1 (fr) * 1992-03-31 1993-10-06 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Procédé et dispositif pour capter et régler la formation de givre sur un évaporateur de réfrigération
WO1994020819A1 (fr) * 1993-03-09 1994-09-15 Innovative Dynamics, Inc. Procede et appareil de mesure des profils de distribution de la glace

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4347709A (en) * 1981-01-19 1982-09-07 Honeywell Inc. Demand defrost sensor
EP0203669A1 (fr) * 1985-05-30 1986-12-03 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Réfrigérateurs, en particulier réfrigérateurs ménagers
EP0310101A2 (fr) * 1987-09-29 1989-04-05 Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Capteur de température
EP0563751A1 (fr) * 1992-03-31 1993-10-06 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Procédé et dispositif pour capter et régler la formation de givre sur un évaporateur de réfrigération
WO1994020819A1 (fr) * 1993-03-09 1994-09-15 Innovative Dynamics, Inc. Procede et appareil de mesure des profils de distribution de la glace

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998038499A1 (fr) * 1997-02-28 1998-09-03 Ust Umweltsensortechnik Gmbh Procede et agencement capteur pour detecter des condensations sur des surfaces
US6566893B2 (en) 1997-02-28 2003-05-20 Ust Umweltsensortechnik Gmbh Method and arrangement for monitoring surfaces for the presence of dew
WO2016062535A1 (fr) * 2014-10-21 2016-04-28 BSH Hausgeräte GmbH Appareil ménager frigorifique muni d'un détecteur de givre qui est conçu pour détecter la formation de givre au niveau d'un évaporateur d'un dispositif de production de froid de l'appareil ménager frigorifique
CN110793257A (zh) * 2018-08-03 2020-02-14 博西华电器（江苏）有限公司 制冷器具
CN110793262A (zh) * 2018-08-03 2020-02-14 博西华电器（江苏）有限公司 制冷器具
CN109974571A (zh) * 2018-12-24 2019-07-05 天津天商酷凌科技有限公司 一种蒸发器具有的电容式多效结霜传感器

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69426567D1 (de) 2001-02-15
DE69426567T2 (de) 2001-06-21
ES2154663T3 (es) 2001-04-16
EP0713065B1 (fr) 2001-01-10

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