US 12,442,582 B2
Refrigeration appliance equipped with a fan assembly and a method for manufacturing said appliance
Paolo Ingargiola, Porcia (IT); Michele Sedrani, Porcia (IT); Francesco Cristiano, Porcia (IT); and Pier Luigi Covre, Porcia (IT)
Assigned to Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolaget, Stockholm (SE)
Appl. No. 17/908,932
Filed by ELECTROLUX APPLIANCES AKTIEBOLAG, Stockholm (SE)
PCT Filed Mar. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/055002
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 2, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/190864, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20165291 (EP), filed on Mar. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0098419 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. F25D 17/00 (2006.01); F25D 17/04 (2006.01); F25D 17/06 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 17/067 (2013.01) [F25D 17/045 (2013.01); F25D 17/065 (2013.01); F25D 2317/067 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigeration appliance (1) comprising:
an outer cabinet (2) extending in a vertical direction (V) and comprising a base (2A) suitable to lay on the ground, a roof (2B) and lateral side walls (2C, 2D, 2E) connecting said base (2A) and said roof (2B);
an inner liner (22), internal to said outer cabinet (2), defining at least one compartment (10) for receiving food items;
a door (15, 17) apt to open and close said at least one compartment (10);
a refrigeration system (30) comprising an evaporator (38) to cool down air for said at least one compartment (10), said evaporator (38) being arranged inside said at least one compartment (10) at a first wall (24) thereof;
a fan assembly (50) arranged inside said compartment (10) and associated to said evaporator (38) for generating a cooling air stream for said at least one compartment (10);
wherein said fan assembly (50) comprises, arranged side by side:
a first layer (70) of expanded polystyrene arranged side by side with
a fan (72), the fan comprising a rotor (82) with a rotation axis (X) inclined with respect to a vertical direction (V); the fan being arranged side by side with
a cover plate (76);
wherein said fan assembly (50) comprises a fastening device (90) apt to fasten said cover plate (76) to said first layer (70) to keep said fan assembly (50) in the assembled configuration, and
wherein said fan assembly further comprises a second layer of expanded polystyrene arranged between said fan and said cover plate.
 
14. A method for manufacturing a refrigeration appliance (1) comprising the steps of:
providing an outer cabinet (2);
assembling an inner liner (22) to define a compartment (10) for receiving food items;
assembling a refrigeration system (30) comprising an evaporator (38) wherein said evaporator (38) is arranged inside said compartment (10) at a first wall (24) thereof;
assembling a fan assembly (50) adjacent to said evaporator (38), wherein said fan assembly (50) is a pre-assembled assembly obtained by the steps of fastening together, side by side, the following elements:
a first layer (70) of expanded polystyrene arranged side by side with
a fan (72), the fan comprising and a rotor (82) with a rotation axis (X) inclined with respect to a vertical direction (V); the fan being arranged side by side with
a cover plate (76);
wherein said fan assembly further comprises a second layer of expanded polystyrene arranged between said fan and said cover plate.