Refrigeration unit

Abstract

Refrigeration appliance (100), in particular household refrigeration appliance, comprising: a storage compartment (1) for refrigerated goods; a machine room (2) separate from the storage compartment (1); and a refrigerant circuit (3) thermally coupled to the storage compartment (1), which is designed to extract heat from the storage compartment (1) and release it to the environment, wherein the refrigerant circuit (3) has a condenser assembly (30) arranged in the machine room (2) with a condenser (31) for releasing the heat to the environment and a fan (32); characterized in that the fan (32) is designed as a radial fan with a free-running impeller (320) and is arranged to direct air over the condenser (31) and expel it into the machine room (2), characterized in that the condenser assembly (30) has a housing (300) with a first opening (301) in which the condenser (31) is arranged, and with a second opening (302) which is connected to a suction connection of the fan (32), wherein the condenser assembly (30) has a support (310) which is fastened to the housing (300) and on which the fan (32) is mounted, wherein the support (310) has a base section (311) which is arranged opposite the second opening (302) of the housing (300) and on which the fan (32) is mounted, and at least one connecting strut (312) which extends transversely to the base section (311) and is fastened to the frame (303) of the housing (300).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance such as a refrigerator, a freezer or a freezer chest or a fridge-freezer combination. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] In household refrigeration appliances, it is generally desirable for a storage compartment for refrigerated goods such as food, drinks, medicines or similar to be as large as possible in relation to the space required by the appliance that is not used as storage space by the customer. It is therefore advantageous if the components of a refrigerant circuit can be accommodated in the most space-saving manner possible. A refrigerant compressor and a condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor are therefore often housed in a machine room separate from the storage compartment. In order to make the condenser as compact as possible and at the same time ensure efficient heat dissipation, a fan is usually positioned in the machine room in such cases to direct an air flow over the condenser and thus improve heat dissipation.In order to improve the overall energy efficiency of the refrigeration appliance, it is therefore desirable that the fan, on the one hand, delivers the highest possible volume flow, but, on the other hand, has the lowest possible energy consumption.

[0003] US 2009 / 0 169 387 A1 describes a household refrigeration appliance in which a compressor, a condenser, and an axial fan are arranged in the machine compartment. A partition divides the machine compartment into a first area, where the condenser is located, and a second area, where the compressor is located. The axial fan is arranged in a recess in the partition.

[0004] US 2013 / 0 067 948 A1 discloses another household refrigeration appliance having a compressor and a condenser arranged in the machine room, wherein a radial fan draws in air via the floor of the machine room and expels it into an air guide housing having an arcuate structure with outlet openings facing the compressor.

[0005] KR 100198334 B1 also describes a household refrigeration appliance with a free-standing axial fan arranged in the machine room for transporting air via a condenser.

[0006] CH 713 485 A2 describes a refrigeration appliance in which a condenser is positioned in the machine room, whereby a radial fan arranged in a fan housing draws air from the machine room via a deflection duct and expels it directly into the environment through an opening in the fan housing.

[0007] JP 2018-028 416 A discloses a refrigerator with a condenser having a cooling circuit and a cooling fan for cooling the condenser, wherein a radial fan is provided as the cooling fan.

[0008] JP 2005-140410 A discloses a machine compartment provided in an upper portion of a refrigerator body. The machine compartment has a partition wall with an inlet port and an outlet port, such that air entering the machine compartment through the inlet port exits through the outlet port provided at the lower right portion of the front partition wall.

[0009] US 3,403,529 A discloses a refrigeration device with a condenser that has a flat, U-shaped heat exchanger. The space between the legs allows for the placement of a defrost pan. The waste heat from the condenser, combined with the air flow moved by a fan, assists in the evaporation of the defrost water.

[0010] DE 199 07 077 A1 discloses a refrigeration appliance for installation in a furniture niche with at least one heat-insulating cold space which can be closed by a door and a device base arranged below this, which serves to accommodate device units such as compressors, condensers, fans or the like and which has at least one supply air opening provided in the front area on the door side and at least one exhaust air opening, by means of which the device base is forced ventilated by the fan, the exhaust air opening is provided on the rear area of the device base facing away from the door.

[0011] US 2005 / 0 160 760 A discloses a refrigerator with a refrigeration chamber for storing food and a machine room provided on one side thereof, which has a condenser and a compressor. A cross-flow fan is provided in the machine room, facing the condenser and forcing air through the condenser.

[0012] KR 10 2011 107 653 A discloses a refrigeration unit with a compressor, a condenser, and a fan assembly. A machine compartment is installed on the lower part of the body. The condenser is placed parallel to the bottom of the body. The fan assembly provided in the machine compartment draws in outside air to cool the condenser and the compressor. The fan assembly consists of a radial fan and a fan housing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide improved solutions for heat management in the engine room of a refrigeration appliance, in particular solutions that utilize the space available in the engine room in a space-saving manner and facilitate efficient heat dissipation.

[0014] This object is achieved according to the invention by a refrigeration device having the features of claim 1.

[0015] According to the invention, a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance such as a refrigerator, a freezer or chest freezer, or a fridge-freezer combination, comprises a storage compartment for accommodating refrigerated goods, a machine room separate from the storage compartment, and a refrigerant circuit thermally coupled to the storage compartment, which is designed to extract heat from the storage compartment and dissipate it to the environment. The refrigerant circuit has a condenser assembly arranged in the machine room, comprising a condenser for dissipating the heat to the environment, and a fan. According to the invention, the fan is designed as a radial fan with a free-running impeller and is arranged to guide air over the condenser and expel it into the machine room.

[0016] A fan impeller has a plurality of blades, for example, backward-curved blades, whose blade tips are freely exposed in the engine room. The fan draws air from the environment into the engine room on one suction side, e.g., through an intake opening in a wall of the engine room, and expels the drawn-in air into the engine room on one pressure side, from where it is discharged into the environment, e.g., through an exhaust opening formed in a wall of the engine room.

[0017] The free-running impeller gives the fan a simple design. In particular, no air duct is required to guide the air expelled by the fan; instead, the blade tips of the fan's blades are freely exposed in the engine room. This creates a turbulent airflow in the engine room, which is beneficial for heat transfer to components on the pressure side of the fan, e.g., for heat dissipation from a refrigerant compressor. Furthermore, the free-running impeller allows for high flow rates with relatively low energy consumption.

[0018] According to the invention, the condenser assembly comprises a housing with a first opening, in which the condenser is arranged, and a second opening connected to a suction port of the fan. For example, the fan wheel can be arranged at the second opening. The housing forms a flow channel in which the condenser is located and through which the fan draws in air. This advantageously increases the air flow actually directed over the condenser.

[0019] According to the invention, the condenser assembly comprises a support, which is attached to the housing and on which the fan is mounted. The support can, for example, be detachably attached to the housing. This facilitates the installation of the fan.

[0020] According to the invention, the support has a base portion which is arranged opposite the second opening of the housing and on which the fan is mounted, and at least one connecting strut which extends transversely to the base portion and is fastened to the frame of the housing.

[0021] Advantageous embodiments and further developments arise from the subclaims which refer back to the independent claims in conjunction with the description.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the condenser can be arranged on a suction side of the fan, so that air can be sucked in via the condenser and expelled into the engine room by means of the fan. The air sucked in by the fan is thus directed over the condenser, where it absorbs heat from the condenser. The fan thus expels warm air on the pressure side and, due to the free-running impeller on the pressure side, generates a turbulent, warm air flow. This can be advantageously used for heating purposes, e.g., to evaporate condensate in the engine room.

[0023] According to some embodiments, an evaporation tray for collecting condensate from the storage compartment can be arranged in the machine room on a pressure side of the fan. The turbulent flow generated by the fan advantageously increases the evaporation rate of condensate located in the evaporation tray. This effect is further enhanced if the condenser is arranged on the suction side of the fan.

[0024] According to some embodiments, it can be provided that the condenser assembly divides the machine room into a first sub-volume and a second sub-volume, wherein the machine room has an intake opening which connects the first sub-volume with the environment, and an exhaust opening which connects the second sub-volume with the environment, wherein the intake side of the fan is connected to the first sub-volume and a pressure side of the fan is connected to the second sub-volume in order to suck air into the first sub-volume via the intake opening and expel it into the second sub-volume, so that the second sub-volume forms a pressure chamber from which the air can be discharged into the environment through the exhaust opening. The condenser assembly, for example the condenser itself, thus forms a physical separation between the first and the second sub-volume. As a result, the condenser assembly uses in one direction, e.g.in a depth direction, the entire available installation space is used, which represents an efficient use of space. Furthermore, this defines a partial volume that forms a pressure chamber, i.e., a space in which, during fan operation, a higher pressure prevails than the partial volume connected to the suction side of the fan, and in which a turbulent air flow occurs. This allows the exhaust opening to be positioned more flexibly, which advantageously has an impact on achieving a uniform outflow through the exhaust opening and on the pressure losses occurring there.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the machine room can be delimited in a vertical direction by a floor and a ceiling, in a transverse direction by opposing side walls extending between the floor and the ceiling, and in a depth direction by an inner wall and a rear wall, wherein the exhaust opening is formed in the rear wall, for example as an elongated opening extending along the transverse direction. Providing the exhaust opening on the rear wall of the machine room offers the advantage that, both in the case of built-in appliances positioned in a built-in niche and in the case of freestanding appliances, there is usually a gap between the rear wall and a boundary of the niche, through which the air can flow out.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the exhaust opening can be formed in an end region of the rear wall facing the ceiling with respect to the vertical direction. This facilitates the exhaust of air along the vertical direction and thus generally in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity. Since warm air is exhausted through the exhaust opening, the exhausted air flows out along the vertical direction due to natural convection.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the condenser assembly may divide the machine room such that the first and second sub-volumes are located adjacent to each other in the transverse direction. For example, the condenser may extend along the depth direction between the inner wall and the rear wall, and in the vertical direction between the floor and the ceiling.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the intake opening can be arranged at a distance from the exhaust opening in the rear wall in the transverse direction. If the first and second sub-volumes are located adjacent to one another in the transverse direction, as described above, this advantageously allows for a space-saving arrangement of the intake and exhaust openings. Particularly in the case of built-in appliances, the gap between the rear wall and the edge of the installation niche can be advantageously used for the air supply and exhaust into and out of the machine room.

[0029] According to some embodiments, it can be provided that the intake opening is formed in the rear wall at a distance from the exhaust opening in the vertical direction, and wherein a seal is attached to an outer surface of the rear wall, which seal extends in the transverse direction and is arranged between the intake opening and the exhaust opening with respect to the vertical direction. The seal can in particular be designed as a band-shaped seal. Optionally, the seal additionally extends on the outer surfaces of the side walls of the machine room along the depth direction. The seal can, for example, be formed from an elastic material, such as a foam material or rubber. The seal represents a physical separation between the intake and exhaust openings and thus prevents a flow short circuit.Particularly in the case of built-in appliances, the seal can rest against the edge of the installation niche so that air is sucked into the intake opening from below and expelled upwards via the exhaust opening, whereby the seal seals the intake opening and the exhaust opening against each other in a fluid-tight manner.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the fan may be positioned in the second sub-volume. As already explained, the free-running impeller of the fan is not provided with an air guide housing, which is why the arrangement in the second sub-volume offers the advantage that the air does not need to be guided further into the engine room.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the housing may comprise a frame defining the first opening and optionally being rectangular or substantially rectangular, and a funnel-shaped portion extending from the frame and defining the second opening at an end remote from the frame.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the condenser assembly may include a support that is attached to the housing and on which the fan is mounted. The support may, for example, be detachably attached to the housing. This facilitates the installation of the fan.

[0033] According to some embodiments, it can be provided that the housing has a seal which extends along an outer circumference of the housing and bears against at least two opposite walls delimiting the machine room in order to hermetically seal a first side defined by the first opening of the housing from a side defined by the second opening of the housing. If, for example, as described above, the condenser assembly divides the machine room into a first and a second sub-volume with respect to the transverse direction, the seal can, for example, bear against at least the ceiling and floor of the machine room, optionally also against the rear wall and / or the inner wall. This advantageously prevents a flow short circuit between the pressure side and the suction side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention is explained below with reference to the figures of the drawings. The figures show: Fig. 1 a simplified, schematic sectional view of a refrigeration device according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 a perspective partial view of a rear side of a refrigeration device according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 a perspective view of the machine room of a refrigeration appliance according to an embodiment of the invention, wherein a rear wall of the machine room is shown transparent; and Fig. 4 a representation of the engine room from Fig. 3 in a viewing direction opposite to a depth direction; Fig. 5 a perspective view of a condenser assembly of a refrigeration appliance according to an embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the condenser assembly, which, when cut along the line shown in Fig. 4 drawn line AA.

[0035] In the figures, the same reference symbols denote identical or functionally identical components, unless otherwise stated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0036] Fig. 1 shows an example of a refrigeration appliance 100 in the form of a refrigerator. However, the invention is not limited thereto. In general, the refrigeration appliance 100 can be a household refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator, a freezer or a freezer chest, or a fridge-freezer combination. As shown in Fig. 1 also shown purely by way of example, the refrigeration appliance 100 can be a built-in refrigeration appliance which is positioned in a built-in niche N.

[0037] As in Fig. 1, the refrigeration device 100 has a storage compartment 1, a machine room 2 and a refrigerant circuit 3.

[0038] The storage compartment 1 serves to accommodate refrigerated goods, such as food, drinks, medicines or the like, and is delimited by a bottom wall 10, a ceiling wall 11 opposite this in a vertical direction V2, side walls 12 opposite each other in a transverse direction C2, which extend between the bottom wall 10 and the ceiling wall 11, and with respect to a depth direction T2 by a rear wall 13. As in Fig. 1, the installation niche N can be defined by a rear wall W, side walls S and a base B. The rear wall 13 of the refrigeration appliance 100 can, in the exemplary positioning of the refrigeration appliance 100 in the installation niche, face the rear wall W of the installation niche N, leaving a gap G between the rear walls 13, W.

[0039] The machine room 2 forms a separate space from the storage compartment 1. As in Fig. 1, the machine room 2 can be defined with respect to the vertical direction V2 by a floor 20 and a ceiling 21, and with respect to the transverse direction C2 by opposite side walls 22, 23 ( Fig. 2 to 4) extending between the floor 20 and the ceiling 21, and be limited with respect to the depth direction T2 by an inner wall 24 and a rear wall 25. As in Fig. 1 purely by way of example, the floor wall 10 of the storage compartment 1 can optionally form the inner wall 24 and the ceiling 21 of the machine room 2 and thereby spatially separate the machine room 2 and the storage compartment 1 from each other.

[0040] The engine room 2 is connected by a suction opening 26 and a discharge opening 28, which, as in Fig. 1 schematically shown, e.g. can be formed in the rear wall 25, connected to the environment.

[0041] As in Fig. 2, the exhaust opening 28 can be designed, for example, as an elongated opening extending in the transverse direction C2. Independently of this, the exhaust opening 28 can optionally be formed in an end region of the rear wall 25 facing the ceiling 21 with respect to the vertical direction V2, as shown in Fig. 2 is also shown.

[0042] The suction opening 26 can be formed, for example, in relation to the transverse direction C2 in an edge region of the rear wall 25 of the machine room 2, as shown in Fig. 2 is shown as an example. For example, the intake opening 26 can be designed as a rectangular or substantially rectangular opening, which optionally extends over at least 50 percent of an extension of the rear wall 25 in the vertical direction V2. As shown in Fig. 2, the intake opening 26 and the exhaust opening 28 can be arranged at a distance from one another with respect to the transverse direction C2. Alternatively or additionally, the intake opening 26 and the exhaust opening 28 can be arranged at a distance from one another with respect to the vertical direction V2, as shown in Fig. 2 is also shown.

[0043] As in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a seal 5 can optionally be attached to an outer surface 25a of the rear wall 25 facing away from the machine room 2. The seal 5 can be made of an elastic material, such as a foam material or a rubber material. Optionally, the seal 5 additionally extends in the depth direction T2 along the side walls 22, 23 and 12 of the machine room 2 and the storage compartment 1, as shown in Fig. 2 is shown as an example. As shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the seal 5 can be arranged between the intake opening 26 and the exhaust opening 28 with respect to the vertical direction V2. When the refrigeration appliance 100 is positioned in a recess N, the seal 5 rests against the rear wall W and optionally against the side walls S, as shown in Fig. 1. This seals off the exhaust opening 28 and the intake opening 26.

[0044] The refrigerant circuit 3 has, as shown in Fig. 1 purely schematically, a condenser assembly 30, an evaporator 33, a compressor 34 and a throttle (not shown), e.g. in the form of a capillary. The condenser assembly 30 is in Fig. 1 is shown only schematically as a block and comprises a condenser 31 and a fan 32 ( Fig. 5). The evaporator 33 is thermally coupled to the storage compartment 1 and designed to extract heat from the refrigerant by evaporating it. An outlet of the evaporator 33 is connected to a suction port of the compressor 34, which is designed to compress the gaseous refrigerant. An inlet of the condenser 31 is connected to a pressure port of the compressor 34, wherein the refrigerant condenses in the condenser 31 while releasing heat. As will be explained in more detail below, the fan 32 draws air from the environment through the intake opening 26 into the machine room 2, directs it via the condenser 32, and expels it into the machine room 2, from where the air is discharged into the environment via the exhaust opening 28. An outlet of the condenser 31 is connected to an inlet of the evaporator 33 via the throttle.The refrigerant circuit 3 is thus thermally coupled to the storage compartment 1 and designed to extract heat from the storage compartment 1 and release it to the environment.

[0045] As in Fig. 1 schematically and in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 in detail, the condenser assembly 30 and the compressor 34 are arranged or accommodated in the machine room 2.

[0046] Fig. 5 shows an example of a condenser assembly 30 with the condenser 31 and the fan 32 as well as an optional housing 300. As in Fig. 5, the condenser 31 can be a compact condenser, particularly in the form of an MCHE condenser. "MCHE" is an abbreviation for "Micro Channel Heat Exchanger". As shown in Fig. 5, the condenser 31 may comprise a plurality of parallel plates 31A, each of which has a plurality of channels (not shown) formed therein for the passage of refrigerant, and a plurality of fins 31B arranged between the plates 31A and in thermally conductive contact with the plates 31B. The plates 31A and the fins 31B together define convection channels through which air can flow through the condenser 31. As shown in Fig. 2, the compact condenser 31 may, for example, have a substantially rectangular shape.

[0047] The fan 32 is designed as a radial fan with a free-running impeller 320. The impeller 320 is rotatable about a rotation axis A32, e.g., by means of an electric motor (not shown), and the fan 32 has a plurality of blades 321 that extend along a radial direction with respect to the rotation axis A32. As shown in Fig. 6, the blades 321 can be curved backwards. In this case, an exit angle at a blade tip 322 of the respective blade with respect to a direction of rotation DR of the impeller 320 is less than 90 degrees. Since the impeller 320 is free-running, i.e. the blade tips 322 of the blades 320 are not surrounded by an air guide housing with respect to the radial direction, air is expelled freely or directly into the machine room 2 on a pressure side of the fan 32. The conveyed air flow has a velocity component in the circumferential direction on the pressure side of the fan 32 that is relatively high compared to the radial component of the flow velocity. As a result, a turbulent flow can be easily generated on the pressure side of the fan in the machine room 2, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6 is shown schematically by the arrows P1.

[0048] As in Fig. 5, the rotation axis A32 of the fan 32 may extend transversely to the condenser 31. Optionally, the condenser 31 is arranged on the suction side of the fan 32, as shown in Fig. 5 is also shown schematically.

[0049] The optional housing 300 may generally have a first opening 301 in which the condenser 31 is arranged and a second opening 302 which is connected to the suction port of the fan 32. As in Fig. 5, the fan 32 may be positioned, for example, at the second opening 302, in particular such that the rotation axis A32 is coaxial with a central axis of the second opening 302. As shown in Fig. 5, the housing 300 may include a frame 303 defining the first opening 301 and a funnel-shaped portion 304 extending from the frame 303 and defining the second opening 302 at an end remote from the frame 303. As shown in Fig. 5, the frame 303 may, for example, be rectangular so that it surrounds the rectangular condenser 31.

[0050] As in Fig. 5, the condenser assembly 30 may have a support 310 on which the fan 32 is mounted or which supports the fan 32. The support 310 may in particular have a base section 311 and at least one connecting strut 312. The base section 311 may have a planar extension and, for example, as in Fig. 5, be designed as a plate. The fan 32 is mounted on the base section 311. The Fig. The support 310 shown in Fig. 5 has, purely by way of example, two connecting struts 312 which are attached to opposite ends of the base section 311 and each extend transversely to the base section 310.

[0051] As in Fig. 5, the support 310 is attached, e.g., detachably, to the housing 300. In particular, the connecting struts 312 can be connected to the housing 300, e.g., to the frame 303. As shown in Fig. 5, the frame 303 may have a groove 306 on an outer surface, into which an end portion 313 of the connecting strut 312 engages. The base portion 311 is arranged opposite the second opening 302 of the housing 300.

[0052] As already explained above, the condenser assembly 30 is accommodated in the machine room 2. If the condenser 31, as described above, is arranged on a suction side of the fan 32, air is sucked into the machine room 2 through the suction opening 26 by means of the fan 32, passed over the condenser 31 and expelled directly into the machine room 2 on the pressure side of the fan 32. Optionally, it can be provided that the condenser assembly 31, the condenser assembly 100, divides the machine room 2 into a first partial volume 2A and a second partial volume 2B, e.g. with respect to the transverse direction C1, as shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. The condenser 31 or the frame 303 of the housing 300 extends along the depth direction T1 between the inner wall 24 and the rear wall 25 and, with respect to the vertical direction V2, between the floor 20 and the ceiling 21 of the machine room 2. Optionally, a seal 305 can be provided on the outer circumference of the housing 300, e.g., between the ceiling 21 and the frame 303 and between the floor 20 and the frame 303, the seal 305 resting against the frame 303 and the ceiling 21 or the floor 20, respectively.

[0053] The intake opening 24 connects the first partial volume 2A, which in the example of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 through the first side wall 22, the floor 20, the condenser assembly 30 and the ceiling 21 as well as through the rear wall 25, in particular through its section located above the optional seal 5 ( Fig. 2) and the inner wall 24, with the environment. The exhaust opening 26 connects the second partial volume 2B, which in the example of the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is bounded by the second side wall 22, the floor 20, the condenser assembly 30 and the ceiling 21 as well as by the rear wall 25 and the inner wall 24, with the surroundings.

[0054] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the fan 32 can be arranged in the second partial volume 2B. The suction side of the fan 32 is connected to the first partial volume 2A through the housing 300 or its first and second openings 301, 302. The pressure side of the fan 32 is located in the second partial volume 2B. As shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the compressor 34 of the refrigerant circuit 3 can also be positioned in the second partial volume 2B. This improves the heat dissipation from the compressor 34, since the air coming from the fan 32, as in Fig. 4 schematically shown, turbulent or rotating in the machine room 2 and thereby high heat transfer performance for cooling the compressor 34 can be achieved. Alternatively or additionally, an evaporation tray 4, which in the example of the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is attached to the compressor 34 and serves to collect condensate from the storage compartment 1 and is also arranged in the second partial volume 2B. In general, the evaporation tray 4 is preferably arranged on a pressure side of the fan 32.

[0055] The fan 32 thus draws air into the first sub-volume 2A through the intake opening 26. From the first sub-volume 2A, the air flows over or through the condenser 31, where it absorbs heat, and passes through the openings 301, 302 of the housing 300 to the impeller 320 of the fan 32. The rotating impeller 320 conveys air radially outwards by means of the blades 321, so that the air is expelled from the blade tips 322 directly into the second sub-volume 2B. The second sub-volume 2B forms a pressure chamber in which a turbulent or rotating, warm air flow exists. This flow promotes high evaporation rates in the optional evaporation tray 4. From the second sub-volume 2B, the air flows out into the environment through the exhaust opening 28.

[0056] In the Fig. 1, the air flows upwards along the rear wall 13 in the vertical direction V2, as shown in Fig. 1 and similarly in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is symbolically represented by the arrows P2. The warm air advantageously prevents the formation of condensate on the rear wall 13 of the refrigeration unit. Since the air is expelled undirected by the fan 32 directly into the machine room 2, where it travels a certain flow path and only then reaches the outlet opening 28, a relatively uniform distribution of the flow velocities in relation to the transverse direction C2 is advantageously achieved. This advantageously reduces the pressure losses of the flow and also promotes an even heat distribution on the rear wall 13. However, these advantages are not only achieved in the Fig. 1 shown installation situation of a refrigeration appliance 100 realized as a built-in appliance, but also, for example, when a free-standing refrigeration appliance 100 is positioned with its rear wall 13 close to a wall.

[0057] Although the present invention has been explained above using exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto, but can be modified in a variety of ways. In particular, combinations of the above embodiments are also conceivable. REFERENCE SYMBOL 1 storage compartment 2 Engine room 2A first subvolume 2B second partial volume 3 Refrigerant circuit 4 evaporation tray 5 Seal 10 Bottom wall of the storage compartment 11 Ceiling wall of the storage compartment 12 side walls of the storage compartment 13 Rear wall of the storage compartment 20 Engine room floor 21 Ceiling of the engine room 22 first side wall of the engine room 23 second side wall of the engine room 24 Interior wall of the engine room 25 Rear wall of the engine room 25a Outer surface of the rear wall 26 Intake opening 28 Exhaust opening 30 Condenser assembly 31 Condenser 31A plates 31B slats 32 fans 33 evaporators 34 compressors 100 refrigeration appliances 300 housings 301 first opening of the housing 302 second opening of the housing 303 frames 304 funnel-shaped section 305 Seal 306 groove 310 carriers 311 Base Section 312 connecting struts 313 End area of the connecting strut 320 Fan impeller 321 shovels 322 shovel tips B Floor of the built-in niche C2 transverse direction DR direction of rotation G gap N Built-in niche P1, P2 arrows S Side walls of the built-in niche T2 depth direction V2 vertical direction W Rear wall of the built-in niche

Claims

[1] Refrigeration appliance (100), in particular household refrigeration appliance, comprising: a storage compartment (1) for refrigerated goods; a machine room (2) separate from the storage compartment (1); and a refrigerant circuit (3) thermally coupled to the storage compartment (1), which is designed to extract heat from the storage compartment (1) and release it to the environment, wherein the refrigerant circuit (3) has a condenser assembly (30) arranged in the machine room (2) with a condenser (31) for releasing the heat to the environment and a fan (32); characterized by , that the fan (32) is designed as a radial fan with a free-running impeller (320) and is arranged to direct air over the condenser (31) and discharge it into the engine room (2), characterized bythat the condenser assembly (30) has a housing (300) with a first opening (301) in which the condenser (31) is arranged, and with a second opening (302) which is connected to a suction connection of the fan (32), wherein the condenser assembly (30) has a support (310) which is fastened to the housing (300) and on which the fan (32) is mounted, wherein the support (310) has a base section (311) which is arranged opposite the second opening (302) of the housing (300) and on which the fan (32) is mounted, and at least one connecting strut (312) which extends transversely to the base section (311) and is fastened to the frame (303) of the housing (300). [2] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to claim 1, wherein the condenser (31) is arranged on a suction side of the fan (32), so that air can be sucked in via the condenser (31) and expelled into the machine room (2) by means of the fan (32). [3] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an evaporation tray (4) for receiving condensate from the storage compartment (1) is arranged on a pressure side of the fan (32) in the machine room (2). [4] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the condenser assembly (30) divides the machine chamber (2) into a first sub-volume (2A) and a second sub-volume (2B), wherein the machine chamber (2) has an intake opening (26) which connects the first sub-volume (2A) to the environment, and an exhaust opening (28) which connects the second sub-volume (2B) to the environment, wherein the intake side of the fan (32) is connected to the first sub-volume (2A) and a pressure side of the fan (32) is connected to the second sub-volume (2B) in order to suck air into the first sub-volume (2A) via the intake opening (26) and to expel it into the second sub-volume (2B), so that the second sub-volume (2B) forms a pressure chamber from which the air can be discharged into the environment through the exhaust opening (28). [5] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to claim 4, wherein the machine space (2) is delimited with respect to a vertical direction (V2) by a floor (20) and a ceiling (21), with respect to a transverse direction (C2) by opposing side walls (22, 23) extending between the floor (20) and the ceiling (21), and with respect to a depth direction (T2) by an inner wall (24) and a rear wall (25), wherein the blow-out opening (28) is formed in the rear wall (25). [6] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to claim 5, wherein the blow-out opening (28) is formed in an end region of the rear wall (25) facing the ceiling (21) with respect to the vertical direction (V2). [7] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the condenser assembly (30) divides the machine space (2) such that the first and second partial volumes (2A, 2B) are located next to one another with respect to the transverse direction (C2). [8] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to claim 7, wherein the suction opening (26) is formed in the rear wall (25) at a distance from the exhaust opening (28) in the transverse direction (C2). [9] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the suction opening (26) is formed in the rear wall (25) at a distance from the blow-out opening (28) in the vertical direction (V2), and wherein a seal (5) is attached to an outer surface (25a) of the rear wall (25), which seal extends in the transverse direction (C2) and is arranged between the suction opening (26) and the blow-out opening (28) with respect to the vertical direction (V2). [10] Refrigeration device (100) according to one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the fan (32) is positioned in the second partial volume (2B). [11] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (300) has a preferably rectangular frame (303) which defines the first opening (301), and a funnel-shaped section (304) which extends from the frame (303) and defines the second opening (302) at an end facing away from the frame (303). [12] Refrigeration appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (300) has a seal (305) which extends along an outer circumference of the housing (300) and bears against at least two opposite walls (22, 23) delimiting the machine space (2) in order to hermetically seal a first side defined by the first opening (301) of the housing (300) from a side defined by the second opening (302) of the housing (300).

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