GB2118285A

GB2118285A - Method of making a thermal exchange assembly particularly for a refrigerator and the assembly produced by said method

Info

Publication number: GB2118285A
Application number: GB08234440A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bianco Giuseppe Del; Arturo Ferrara
Original assignee: O L S Srl; SAVA SOC ALLUMINIO VENETO
Current assignee: O L S Srl; SAVA SOC ALLUMINIO VENETO
Priority date: 1982-04-06
Filing date: 1982-12-02
Publication date: 1983-10-26
Also published as: FR2524622A1; IT8220620A0; IT1195921B; DE3235202A1

Abstract

A thermal exchange assembly, particularly for a refrigerator, is made by the steps of providing a condenser 2 and an evaporator 15 in a plate by means of channels or passages 6. Also formed in the plate, by deformation, are louvres or windows 7 effective to increase the heat-radiating surface. Further formed in the plate are zones, such as widening 10, constituting fittings of the condenser. A slot 20 may be provided to separate the condensor and evaporator zones of the plate 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of making a thermal exchange assembly particularly for a refrigerator and the assembly produced by said method The present invention relates to a method of making a thermal exchange assembly, particularly for a refrigerator.

As is known, the thermal exchange assemblies used in refrigerating apparatus usually comprise a condenser which communicates with a compressor supplying said condenser with a cooling fluid and located outside the refrigerator proper. The condenser, moreover, communicates with an evaporator located inside the refrigerator and effective to perform the cooling function.

As is also known to those skilled in the art, a long felt problem lies in the proper and functional production of the thermal exchange assembly and, in particular of the condenser thereof, so as to have a flat shape and so as not to occupy a large space at the rear of the refrigerator.

Moreover, by the presently-used technique, the condenser and evaporator are made as two individual units, completely separate from one another, these units being coupled to one another only during the assembly of the refrigerator.

This involves high labour costs, both in relation to the assembling step and in relation to the manufacture of the two elements, provided for coupling them together.

Yet another drawback of the prior art proposals lies in the fact that the condenser has to be coupled to other fittings used in the refrigerating cycle. Thus, further assembly operations have to be carried out, which adversely affect the cost of the finished apparatus.

Accordingly, the task of the present invention is to obviate or minimise the abovediscussed drawbacks, by providing a novel method of making the thermal exchange assembly for a refrigerator, effective to afford more efficient thermal exchange, while reducing the size of the assembly to a minimum.

Within this task, a further object of the present invention is to provide a thermal exchange assembly effective greatly to simplify the steps of installing the thermal exchanger on a refrigerator, and having built-in fittings in contrast to the prior art in which the fittings are coupled by separate operations.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of making the assembly, as aforesaid, which is effective to afford the possibility of obtaining a thermal exchange assembly which is very reliable in operation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned task and objects, as well as yet other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by the provision of a method of making a thermal exchange assembly, particularly for a refrigerator, characterised in that it comprises the steps of providing a condenser, by means of a plate provided with channels or passages, and of providing zones, in said plate, constituting fittings of said condenser and/or for housing fittings for or of the said condenser.

The invention further includes a thermal exchange assembly made by the method aforesaid.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred method for making a thermal exchange assembly, particularly for a refrigerator, in accordance with the invention, as illustrated, by way of a non-limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the condenser; Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the assembly of the invention, comprising a plate comprising both a condenser and an evaporator formed on the same plate; Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing another embodiment; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5, but showing yet another embodiment.

Throughout the various figures, similar reference numerals have been allocated to similar parts.

As will be understood from the various figures, the method of making a thermal exchange assembly for a refrigerator, according to the present invention, comprises the step of making a condenser 2, by means of or using a plate which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 1. This plate 1 is provided with appropriately-arranged channels or passages 6.

More in detail, the plate 1, which is preferably but not necessarily made of aluminium, is provided with the channels or passages 6 in any configuration or development directly depending on the desired shape of the condenser.

Furthermore, on the plate 1, and in the zones thereof not occupied by the channels 6, windows or louvres 7 may be provided to increase the heat-radiating or heat-exchange surface of the plate 1 and, thereby, the thermal exchange characteristics. These windows or louvres 7 may be obtained by pressing out or deformation of the materiai of the plate 1.

Another very important feature of the present invention consists in the fact that it is possible to provide and form directly on or in the plate, in the channels or passages 6 large gaps or hollows which may be formed by inserting a forming tool, in such a way as to form zones effective to house fittings of or for said condenser or, possibly, in such a way as to form fittings directly on said plate 1.

In the assembly shown in Fig. 1, there is provided a substantially cylindrical hollow or cavity, indicated by the reference numeral 10, which may contain material necessary for demoistening the cooling fluid which, when the assembly is incorporated into a refrigerator, is passed through the condensor.

Moreover, it is also possible to directly form, on or in the plate 1, a housing seat effective to receive a molecular sieve having af filtering function.

Only for exemplificative purpose, in Fig. 2 there is illustrated a condenser in which the circuit has been modified according to a different use.

Thus, it will be clear that the hereinabove disclosed method affords the possibility of obtaining a product which is provided with built-in elements for coupling with the other elements of the thermal exchange assembly, without the need of carrying out additional working operations.

Accoding to preferred embodiments as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 it is possible to form directly, on the plate 1, both the condenser 2 and an evaporator 15, the latter being a single body or piece on said plate 1. To this end, it is possible to provide a notch or slot 20 in the plate 1 to separate the condenser 2 from the evaporator 1 5. This plate 1 will be suitably shaped and the circuit, after appropriate coupling or connecting up, will provide a single unit. effective to achieve a dual function.

In such a combined embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 3, it is possible to form directly, inside the plate, elements, hollows or the like, constituting fittings of the condenser and of the evaporator.

For example, and as shown in Fig. 4, the condenser 2 maybe provided with a cylindrical hollow 10 for a filtering unit, whilst the evaporator 1 5 is coupled with a supply or delivery duct.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the condenser 2, besides being provided with the cylindrical hollow 10, is also provided with a delivery duct to the evaporator 15, coaxially located with respect to a return duct, thereby simplifying the interconnections.

From the above disclosure, it will be clear that the invention fully achieves the intended objects.

In particular, it should be pointed out that the method according to the present invention is effective to provide a condenser and an evaporator which are formed on a single plate, by means of a single production step, thereby greatly reducing the production costs.

It should also be pointed out that the product obtained by the method according to the present invention possesses unique features which are effective to simplify all of the subsequent assembling steps, since at least a part of the fitting members are directly formed on the plate which constitutes the main element of the condenser.

Moreover, the condenser is provided with louvre or small windows, formed by deformation or piercing and bending, and effective to increase the heat radiating surface, thereby enhancing the thermal exchange characteristics of the assembly.

The invention as disclosed is susceptible to modifications and variations as compared with the above-described specific embodiments, within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Moreover, all the described components may be replaced by other technically-equivalent elements. In practicing the invention, the used materials and the contingent shapes and sizes may be selected depending on needs.

Claims

1. A method of making a thermal exchange assembly, particularly for a refrigerator, characterised in that it comprises the steps of providing a condenser, by means of a plate provided with channels or passages, and of providing zones, in said plate, adapted for housing fittings for or of said condenser.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that it further comprises the step of forming a large gap in said plate by means of a forming tool, in such a way as to provide a hollow suitable for housing a filtering unit, a molecular sieve effective to perform a filtering action, and/or any other fittings.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterised in that it further comprises the step of providing windows on said plate and in the zones thereof not occupied by the channels or passages, to increase the heatradiating surface.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 further characterised in that it comprises the step of providing, on a single plate, both said condenser and the evaporator.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that it further comprises the step of providing a notch in said plate, said notch being effective to separate the zones including said condenser and said evaporator respectively.

6. A thermal exchange assembly made by the method of any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises a plate in which hollows are formed, effective to house or receive fitting members of the assembly.

7. A thermal exchange assembly as claimed in claim 6 characterised in that it comprises, on a single plate, both the condenser and the evaporator, and in that a notch is formed on said plate, said notch being effective to separate the condenser and the evapo rator from one another.

8. A method of making a thermal exchange assembly, particularly for a refrigerator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

9. A thermal exchange assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.