Refrigerator with a convertible compartment

Abstract: A device for modifying the temperature in a refrigerator compartment, in particular a convertible compartment (3) able to be maintained at different temperatures, said refrigerator (1) also comprising at least one freezer compartment (2) and a refrigeration or preservation compartment (4), the convertible compartment (3) containing a movable drawer (19) associated with a closure door (9) for said compartment (3), there being provided at least one air duct (12) connecting said freezer compartment (2) to the convertible compartment (3) through which cold air can flow from said freezer compartment (2) and into this latter (3), said duct (12) opening into the convertible compartment (3) via an aperture (16) present in the compartment rear wall (14), whereby the aperture (16) is divided into at least two portions (16A, 16B), at one (16A) of which there is provided a usual valve member (21) and at the other (16B) of which there are provided closure means (22) able to assume at least two working positions, in a first position they closing the corresponding aperture (16B) and in the second position they allowing cold air to flow through it, said closure means (22) being guided in their movement from one to the other working position and being controlled at least by means (44) slidable longitudinally within the convertible compartment (3) and connected to actuator means (62) which move in a direction different from that followed by said slidable means (44).

Description: This invention relates to a refrigerator of the forced-air circulation type, such as an upright refrigerator, and comprising a freezer compartment, a refrigeration or preservation compartment and a convertible compartment which can be used at variable temperature, for example around zero degrees or at freezer compartment temperature (-18°C), and comprises a drawer movable along guides provided on the walls of said compartment and associated with a usual door thereof, there being provided at least one air duct connecting the freezer compartment to the convertible compartment through which cold air can flow from the freezer compartment to the convertible compartment, said duct opening into the convertible compartment via an aperture present in the compartment rear wall, at which aperture there is provided a usual valve member, advantageously of gas operation, controlled in its operation by a usual thermostat or the like. In a refrigerator, particularly a domestic refrigerator of the aforesaid type, very frequent use of the convertible compartment (ie frequent opening of its drawer) necessarily involves continuous operation of the gas valve in order to maintain the desired temperature conditions in the compartment. This continuous operation is generally achieved by known electrical or electronic devices, the cost of which negatively affects the cost of the final product (refrigerator). A further drawback related to frequent opening of the compartment drawer if at zero degrees is that if it is left open for a certain time, the temperature in the compartment rises considerably above the desired temperature, with consequent possible damage to the food present therein. In this situation, the optimum temperature is again achieved in the compartment only a certain time after closing the drawer, and with considerable stressing of the gas valve, which operates continuously in restoring the desired conditions in the compartment. As stated, this is detrimental to the valve in terms of its mechanical stability and its life. At the same time the food remaining in the drawer after its reclosure can be damaged and cause problems for the user on subsequent consumption. US-A-4689966 discloses a refrigerator according to the preamble of claim 1. In this known refrigerator, the air duct opens into the convertible compartment via two apertures, at one of which there is provided a usual valve member and at the other of which there are provided closure means able to assume two working positions, in a first position they closing the corresponding aperture and in the second position they allowing cold air to flow through it, said closure means being guided in their movement from one to the other working position and being controlled at least by means slidable longitudinally within the convertible compartment and connected to a rotating knob pivoted on a pin fixed to the roof of the compartment. Since said compartment is normally placed between the freezing chamber and the refrigeration chamber, it is not easy for the user to operate a knob positioned in the upper portion of the compartment. An object of the invention is therefore to provide a refrigerator having a device of the above type which is easily operated by the user. The above object is attained by a refrigerator having the features reported in the appended claim 1. The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing, which is provided by way of non-limiting example and in which: Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal section through a preservation compartment for meat and fish, ie a zero degree compartment, in a refrigerator according to the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the compartment of Figure 1. With reference to said figures, an upright refrigerator 1 comprises a usual freezer compartment 2, convertible compartment 3 and refrigeration compartment 4 separated from each other by interspaces 5 and 6 containing known insulation material 7. Each compartment is provided with its own closure door 8, 9 and 10. The convertible compartment 3 can be set at different temperatures (for example 0°C or -18°C) depending on the type of food placed in it. The refrigerator 1 is of the known forced-air circulation type, ie of the ventilated type, and comprises usual ducts for the passage of cold air from the lower temperature compartment to the higher temperature compartment. Figure 1 shows only one of these ducts, indicated by 12, which allows forced cold air to pass from the freezer compartment 2 to the convertible compartment 3. This duct is provided within the rear panel 14 of the usual cabinet 15 of the refrigerator 1. The duct 12 opens into the compartment 3 via an aperture 16 divided into two portions 16A and 16B provided in the rear wall 17 of the compartment 3. This latter contains a known movable drawer 19 associated with the door 9. In this latter there is a known grille 20. On the portions 16A and 16B of the aperture 16 there are provided two corresponding valve members 21 and 22. The member 21 is a usual gas valve arranged to operate in known manner on a movable panel 23 following activation commands generated by a usual thermostat (not shown) according to the temperature in the compartment 3, to maintain it around a preset desired temperature. This valve is arranged partly in a cavity 25 in a box member 26 provided with an aperture 27 arranged at the top in Figure 1 and facing the upper part of the compartment 3. The box member 26 is fixed in known manner to the walls of the compartment 3. The member 22 present on the aperture 16B is defined by a movable panel associated via a part 28 with a projection 29 extending from a wall 30 of the box member 25 lying parallel to the wall 17 of the compartment 3. The part 28 is hinged at 31 to said projection, the panel 22 being able to rotate about this hinge to assume at least two working positions. In one of these (shown in full lines) the panel 22 closes the aperture 16B, whereas in the other (shown by dashed lines) said panel is spaced from said aperture to enable air to pass from the duct 12 into the compartment 3. The panel 22 carries a projection 33 to which one end 34 of a return spring 35 is fixed, its other end 36 being associated with a projection 37 extending from said wall 30. It should be noted that between this latter and the wall 17 there is a usual seal member 40 arranged about said aperture 40. The panel 22 also carries an arm 41, at the end of which there is an element 42 able to move within a cam-shaped guide 43 associated with a member 44 slidable longitudinally within the compartment 3 (ie movable parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the drawer 19). The member 44 carries the guide 43 at one end 46. This member is secured to the roof 47 of the compartment 3 by pins 48 which penetrate with their body 49 through elongate slots 50 provided in said member, said pins having an enlarged head 51 to prevent the member 44 separating from said roof 47. One of said pins is also connected to the box member 26. At its other end 53, the member 44 carries a pin 54, which projects from it. This latter is arranged to move within an elongate slot 55 provided in one arm 56 of a lever 57 pivoted on a pin 58 fixed to the roof 47 of the compartment 3. The other arm 60 of the lever 57 is arranged to cooperate with a projection 61 from a carriage 62 slidable along the grille 20. For this purpose, the carriage 62 comprises bent ends 63 and 64 arranged to slide along a guide 65 associated with said grille. Possible rotary members 66 (such as small wheels advantageously of self-lubricating material) can be provided between the carriage and guide, said members being carried by the carriage. A refrigerator provided with the said device, ie the panel 22 and the members for its operation, is used in the following manner. It will be assumed that initially said panel is closed, the temperature in the compartment 3 consequently being about 0°C, and that this temperature is to be changed to -18°C. To achieve this, the drawer 19 is opened and the carriage 62 is moved along the corresponding guide 65 in the direction of the arrow F of Figure 2. The drawer is now closed, possibly after placing food therein to be frozen, the projection 61 then acting on the arm 60 of the lever 57 connected to the roof 47 of the compartment 3 to rotate this lever about the pivot 58. Said lever therefore passes from the position shown by full lines in Figure 2 to the position shown by dashed lines in this figure. Said movement causes the member 44 to move longitudinally parallel to the axis A of the draw. During this movement, said member moves along the heads 51 of the pins 48 inserted through the respective slots 50. The longitudinal movement of the member 48 drags the element 42 associated with the panel 22, said element moving within the guide 43 to move from the position shown by full lines to that shown by dashed lines in Figure 2. The movement of the element 42 results in movement of the panel 22, which leaves the portion 16B of the aperture 16 to move to the position shown by dashed lines in Figure 2. With this movement, the area of the aperture 16 through which cold air from the compartment 2 can pass increases. Thus the cold air flow from this latter increases, to cool the compartment containing the drawer 19, this compartment very quickly reaching the desired temperature of about -18°C (ie the freezing temperature present in the freezer compartment 2). As stated, the panel 22 is associated with the spring 35 which acts as a tension spring on opening the panel. This spring is preloaded and acts on the panel advantageously to rapidly return this panel onto the aperture 16B when the carriage 62 is moved to the position shown by full lines in Figure 2. This is to hasten the return of the compartment 3 to a temperature close to 0°C. Alternatively, to return to a temperature close to 0°C or to maintain an intermediate temperature between this and the temperature in the compartment 2, the panel is closed by a usual actuator member 70 which acts on the panel 22 to urge it towards the aperture 16A when the required temperature has been achieved in the compartment 3. This actuator member can contain or be associated with a usual thermostat or be connected to the thermostat which controls the operation of the valve 21. In the same manner, the panel 22 can be closed by an actuator member 80 for moving the carriage 62 and positioned close to it, for example on the grille 20. This actuator member can for example be a usual gas valve or another actuator advantageously controlled by the thermostat which measures the temperature in the compartment 3. The actuator 80 can be of known type for controlling the movement of the carriage in two opposing directions, to achieve the opening and closure of the panel 22 on the aperture 16B when required. A device of the described type for achieving an increased cold air flow into the compartment 3 from at least one duct connected to the freezer compartment enables the temperature in said compartment to be modified in the sense of reducing it from 0°C to -18°C, ie it enables the compartment 3 to be converted from a refrigerator compartment to a freezer compartment (or vice versa). The device is of simple construction, easy and safe operation, and reliable use.

Claims: A refrigerator comprising a device for modifying the temperature in a convertible compartment (3) able to be maintained at different temperatures , said refrigerator also comprising at least one freezer compartment (2) and a refrigeration or preservation compartment (4), the convertible compartment (3) being provided with a door (9), there being provided at least one air duct (12) connecting said freezer compartment (2) to the convertible compartment (3) through which cold air can flow from said freezer compartment (2) and into this latter, said duct (12) opening into the convertible compartment (3) via two apertures (16A, 16B), at one (16A) of which there being provided a valve member (21) controlled by a thermostat and at the other (16B) of which there being provided closure means (22) able to assume at least two working positions, in a first position they closing the corresponding aperture (16B) and in the second position they allowing cold air to flow through it, said closure means (22) being guided in their movement from one to the other working position and being controlled at least by means (44) slidable longitudinally within the convertible compartment (3), characterised by a drawer (19) slidable longitudinally within the convertible compartment (3) and secured to the door (9) of said compartment (3), and by a member (62) movable along a guide (65) associated with the door (9), said member (62) being adapted, according to its position, to drive the slidable means (44) when the door is being closed. A refrigerator according to claim 1, characterised in that said member (62) comprises a projection (61) arranged to cooperate with a lever (57) associated with the slidable means (44). A refrigerator as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the closure means are at least one panel (22) movable in a guided manner and hinged (at 31) to a projecting part (29) of the rear wall of the compartment (3). A refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the movable panel (22) is associated with a member (42) movable in a guided manner within a corresponding guide (43) associated with one end (46) of the slidable means (44). A refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the movable panel (22) is subjected to the action of an elastic return element (35) fixed to the rear wall of the compartment (3). A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the rear wall of the compartment (3) comprises two parts (17, 30) positioned one in front of the other, between said parts (17, 30) there being arranged a seal member (40) delimiting the mouth (16) of the forced air duct (12). A refrigerator as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the slidable means are a member (44) supported by guide elements (48) arranged on the roof (47) of the compartment (3), and sliding in proximity thereto. A refrigerator as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the guide elements (48) comprise a body (49) passing through an elongate slot (50) provided in the slidable member (44), said body terminating with an enlarged part (51) of dimensions exceeding those of said slot and positioned external to it. A refrigerator as claimed in claims 4 and 7, characterised in that the slidable member (44) comprises at one end (53), distant from the end (46) with which the guide (43) for the movable member (42) connected to the movable panel (22) is associated, a guide pin (54) with which the lever (57) cooperates, pivoted on a pivot (58) fixed to the roof (47) of the compartment (3), said lever (57) cooperating with the member (62). A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the closure means (22) move within a cavity (25) in a box member (26) positioned in front of the mouth (16) of the air duct (12) in the compartment (3), said box member having at least one aperture (27) for the outflow of the air passing through said mouth (16).

Inventors: DE CAPRIO SALVATORE, PELLIZZARI ARMANDO, DE CAPRIO, SALVATORE, PELLIZZARI, ARMANDO, De Caprio, Salvatore Whirlpool Europe S.r.l., Pellizzari, Armando Whirlpool Europe S.r.l.
Applicants: WHIRLPOOL EUROP, WHIRLPOOL EUROPE B.V.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: F25D11
IPC codes: F25D25, F25D17