Evaporator fins in contact with end bracket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041738-B2
Application number	US-201715834624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 27, 2009
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided with an evaporator assembly located in a compartment. The evaporator assembly includes a pipe, a fan assembly, a plurality of fins, a first and second bracket. The pipe is configured to transport a refrigerant that exchanges heat with an air stream from the compartment. The plurality of fins is inserted on the pipe. The brackets each include apertures to receive bent end portions of the pipe. The brackets are configured to hold the pipe and the fins in a specific position, to mount the evaporator assembly within the compartment, and restrict the air stream exiting the evaporator assembly from mixing with the air stream entering the evaporator assembly. The fins include end fins that are placed in direct contact with the first end bracket and are configured to further restrict the air stream from flowing through the plurality of apertures of the brackets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a compartment;
an evaporator assembly located to cool the compartment;
wherein the evaporator assembly includes:
a pipe configured to transport a refrigerant that exchanges heat with an air stream from the compartment that is entering the evaporator assembly;
a fan assembly configured to move the air stream exiting from the evaporator assembly to other portions of the refrigeration appliance;
wherein the pipe has a plurality of bent end portions to allow the pipe to wind itself repeatedly to form a plurality of rows;
a plurality of fins inserted on the pipe where the plurality of fins are located between the plurality of the bent end portions;
a first end bracket and a second end bracket located at a first distance from the first end bracket wherein the first end bracket and the second end bracket each include a plurality of apertures to receive each bent end portion of the pipe;
wherein the first end bracket and the second end bracket are configured to hold the pipe and the plurality of fins in a specific position;
wherein the first end bracket and the second end bracket are configured to mount the evaporator assembly;
wherein the first end bracket and the second end bracket restrict the air stream exiting the evaporator assembly from mixing with the air stream entering the evaporator assembly; and
wherein the plurality of fins include a plurality of end fins that are placed in direct contact with the first end bracket and are configured to further restrict the air stream from flowing through the plurality of apertures of the first end bracket and the second end bracket.

2. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein two end fins are used to restrict the air stream from flowing through at least one of the plurality of apertures on the first end bracket and the second end bracket.

3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one return duct configured to expel the air stream from the compartment to a passage, wherein the passage guides the air stream to a bottom portion of the rows of the pipe.

4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heating element attached to each end bracket and extending along a bottom portion of the evaporator assembly;
wherein the heating element is configured for defrosting the pipe.

5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first group of fins are inserted on a first row of the pipe in a first orientation;
a second group of fins are inserted on a second row of the pipe in a second orientation;
wherein the first orientation is upside-down from the second orientation.

6. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fan assembly cover placed over the fan assembly wherein the fan assembly cover is configured to direct the air stream into a duct for transportation of the air stream into other portions of the refrigeration appliance.

7. The refrigeration appliance of claim 6 , wherein the fan assembly moves the air stream in a generally horizontal direction and the fan assembly cover directs the air stream in a generally vertical direction into the duct.

8. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a freezer compartment;
a fresh food compartment;
an evaporator assembly located in the freezer compartment;
wherein the evaporator assembly includes:
a first end bracket;
a second end bracket located at a first distance from the first end bracket;
wherein the first end bracket and the second end bracket are configured to mount the evaporator assembly within the freezer compartment;
a pipe extending between the first end bracket and the second end bracket of the evaporator assembly, wherein the pipe is configured to transport a refrigerant that exchanges heat with an air stream from the fresh food compartment that enters the evaporator assembly between the first end bracket and the second end bracket;
a fan assembly configured to move the air stream exiting from the evaporator assembly to other portions of the refrigeration appliance;
a plurality of apertures located on the first end bracket and the second end bracket;
wherein the pipe has a plurality of bent end portions where each of the plurality of the bent end portions is received by one of the plurality of apertures on the first end bracket and the second end bracket, wherein the bent end portions are configured to allow the pipe to wind itself repeatedly to form a plurality of rows between the first end bracket and the second end bracket;
a plurality of fins inserted on the pipe where the plurality of fins are located between the first end bracket and the second end bracket;
wherein the plurality of fins include a plurality of end fins that are placed in direct contact with the first end bracket and the second end bracket and are configured to restrict the air stream from flowing through the plurality of apertures
wherein the first end bracket and the second end bracket include a gasket on a first edge and a second edge of each end bracket wherein the gasket is configured to separate each end bracket from a liner of the freezer compartment to prevent a formation of frost on the liner.

9. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , wherein two end fins are used to restrict the air stream from flowing through at least one of the plurality of apertures on the first end bracket and the second end bracket.

10. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
a cover placed over the evaporator assembly;
wherein the gasket is configured to separate each end bracket from the cover to prevent a formation of frost on the cover.

11. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one return duct configured to expel the air stream from the fresh food compartment to a passage, wherein the passage guides the air stream to a bottom portion of the rows of the pipe.

12. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
a heating element attached to each end bracket and extending along a bottom portion of the evaporator assembly;
wherein the heating element is configured for defrosting the pipe.

13. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first group of fins are inserted on a first row of the pipe in a first orientation;
a second group of fins are inserted on a second row of the pipe in a second orientation;
wherein the first orientation is upside-down from the second orientation.

14. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8 , further comprising:
a fan assembly cover placed over the fan assembly wherein the fan assembly cover is configured to direct the air stream into a duct for transportation of the air stream into other portions of the refrigeration appliance.

15. The refrigeration appliance of claim 14 , wherein the fan assembly moves the air stream in a generally horizontal direction and the fan assembly cover directs the air stream in a generally vertical direction into the duct.

16. A method of assembling an evaporator assembly for a refrigeration appliance comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of pipes starting at a first end and terminating at a second end wherein each pipe provided is in a different plane;
inserting a plurality of groups of fins on the plurality of pipes wherein each fin receives each of the pipes provided, and wherein the groups of fins are inserted in alternating orientations;
bending each of the pipes along a first axis to form a second row for each of the plurality of pipes;
bending each of the pipes along a second axi

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Inc

Inventors

• Candeo Marcelo

Classifications

• Y10T29/53113

  Heat exchanger · CPC title

• F25D17/067

  Evaporator fan units · CPC title

• F25D21/08

  by electric heating · CPC title

• F28F9/002

  with fastening means for other structures · CPC title

• F28F1/32

  the means having portions engaging further tubular elements · CPC title