Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02820365 2013-06-25
= DIRECT VENTING SYSTEM FOR FREE-STANDING PROPANE POWERED
ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to a direct venting system for a free-
standing,
propane powered absorption refrigeration unit or refrigerator.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Free-standing, residential propane powered absorption refrigerators
are often used in remote or "off-grid" areas that do not have access to
electricity
for running conventional refrigerators. Previously, free-standing propane
refrigerators for sale and installation in Canada were required to have either
(i) a
direct vent system for venting the flue gases or products of combustion
directly to
the outdoors or (ii) a carbon monoxide alarm with safety shut-off to ensure
that the
appliance shuts down if the detector senses unsafe levels of carbon monoxide.
Direct vent systems typically were in the form of a kit sold separately to the
refrigerator that required assembly and installation by the user/owner of the
refrigerator. These were not only difficult to install but were also
unreliable in that
they were prone to freeze-ups during the winter months and also prone to blow-
outs caused by wind blowing-out the burner flame or by flue gases collapsing
in the
chimney snuffing out the burner causing the refrigerator to shutdown. As well,
the
direct vent systems were also prone to leakage, therefore flue gases and/or
products of combustion were often leaked to the interior during use and
therefore
did not provide true venting of the system to the outdoors. Accordingly,
previous
direct vent systems were perceived to be unreliable and were extremely
unpopular
with customers. Early versions of the carbon monoxide alarm with safety shut-
off
tended to be extremely sensitive and therefore prone to false alarms causing
the
appliance to shutdown. Improvements to the carbon monoxide alarm with safety
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
..shut-aff; which made them far more reliable, led to dramatic decline in the
demand
for direct vented appliances.
[0003] Based on perceived safety concerns, Provincial safety
authorities, in
conjunction with Inter-Provincial safety authorities, eventually mandated that
all
free-standing propane refrigerators for residential use (i.e. installed in a
primary
dwelling) be of the direct venting type thereby requiring that the entire
combustion
process be completely sealed from the interior in that all air for combustion
be
drawn from the outdoors and that all flue gases and/or products of combustion
be
vented directly to the outdoors. However, existing direct vent systems were
challenged in meeting current safety standards and were unacceptable to most
users due to the fact that they (i) were difficult to install and (ii) were
prone to
freeze-ups and/or blow-outs and were therefore, unreliable.
[0004] Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved direct venting
system
for free-standing, propane refrigerators.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0005] In accordance with an example embodiment of the present
disclosure
there is provided a free-standing, direct venting propane refrigerator having
a
storage unit for storing perishable items and a cooling unit for providing
cooling to
the storage unit, the refrigerator comprising a burner element for providing a
gas
flame for powering the cooling unit; a burner box mounted directly to a rear,
exterior surface of the refrigerator for sealingly housing the burner element,
the
burner box having an integral mounting flange; an air intake assembly mounted
directly to the rear, exterior surface of the refrigerator, the air intake
assembly
having a first end for drawing in fresh air from an outdoor environment and a
second end coupled to said burner box for supplying the fresh air to said
burner
element for combustion of said gas flame; a chimney assembly mounted directly
to
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
=th rear, exterior surface of the refrigerator, the chimney assembly in fluid
communication with said burner box for drawing products of combustion away
from
-.the burner box; an air outlet coupled to said chimney assembly for
delivering the
products of combustion to the outdoor environment; wherein said burner box
further comprises an air inlet adapter having a first end in direct
communication
with said air intake assembly and a second end in direct communication with
said
burner box, the first end being larger than said second end.
[0006] In accordance with another example embodiment of the present
disclosure there is provided a direct venting system for a free-standing
propane
refrigerator, the direct venting system comprising an air intake for drawing
fresh air
from an outdoor environment; a burner box for housing burner elements
associated
with providing a heat source in the form of combustion of a propane gas flame
for
powering the refrigerator; a chimney assembly for drawing products of
combustion
away from said burner box; an air outlet for delivering said products of
combustion
from said chimney assembly to said outdoor environment; wherein said burner
box
comprises an air inlet adapter having a first end coupled to said air intake
and a
second end coupled to said burner box, said first end being larger than said
second
end for delivering air to said burner box.
[0007] In accordance with another example embodiment of the present
disclosure there is provided a burner box assembly for a direct venting free-
standing propane refrigerator, the burner box assembly comprising a burner box
defining an open interior cavity for housing burner elements for providing a
propane
gas flame; an integrally formed mounting flange extending from open edges of
said
burner box for sealingly mounting said burner box to said refrigerator; an air
intake
adapter sealingly mounted to said burner box in fluid communication with said
open
interior cavity, the air intake adapter having a first open end for receiving
fresh air
from an outside environment and a second open end in fluid communication with
said open interior cavity for delivering said fresh air to said open interior
cavity;
wherein said first open end is larger than said second open end.
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
[0008] In accordance with another example embodiment of the present
..
disclosure there is provided a chimney assembly for a direct venting free-
standing
-.propane refrigerator, the chimney assembly comprising a first tubular
portion; a
second tubular portion laterally offset with respect to the first tubular
portion; a
horizontally extending tubular portion interconnecting said first tubular
portion and
said second tubular portion in their laterally offset relationship, the
horizontally
extending tubular portion forming two generally 90 degree bends with respect
to
said first and second tubular portions; wherein said first, second and
horizontally
extending tubular portions are three layered tubular members, each of which
comprises an inner tubular member; an insulating member surrounding said inner
tubular member; and an outer covering surrounding said insulating member.
[0009] Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent from the following description, reference being made to the
accompanying
drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00010] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be
described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[00011] Figure 1 is a perspective, rear view of a free-standing, propane
refrigerator incorporating a direct venting system in accordance with an
example
embodiment of the present disclosure;
[00012] Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the refrigerator of Figure
1
illustrating the refrigerator installed against an exterior wall of a
building;
[00013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the
cooling unit of the refrigerator of Figure 1 in accordance with principles
known in
the art;
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
= 100014] Figure 4A is a perspective front, bottom view of a burner
box of the
direct venting system of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1;
[00015] Figure 48 is a front elevation view of the burner box of Figure
4A;
[00016] Figure 4C is a back or rear view of the burner box of Figure 4A;
[00017] Figure 4D is a left end view of the burner box of Figure 4A
[00018] Figure 4E is a bottom view of the burner box of Figure 4A;
[00019] Figure 4F is a sectional view of the burner box taken along
section
line 4F-4F shown in Figure 4E;
[00020] Figure 4G is a top view of the burner box of Figure 4A;
[00021] Figure 4H is a perspective rear, bottom view of the burner box of
Figure 4A;
[00022] Figure 5 is a detail, perspective view of a portion of the burner
box as
shown in Figure 4;
[00023] Figure 6 is a side elevation view of the portion of the burner
box of
Figure 5;
[00024] Figure 7 is a sectional view of the portion of the burner box
taken
along section line 7-7 shown in Figure 6;
[00025] Figure 8 is a detail, perspective view of a chimney assembly of
the
direct venting system of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1;
[00026] Figure 9 is a front elevation view of the chimney assembly shown
in
Figure 7;
[00027] Figure 10 is a sectional view of the chimney assembly taken along
section line 10-10 shown in Figure 12;
CA 02820365 2013-06-25
_ [00028] Figure 11 is a side elevation view of the fresh air vent or fresh
air
intake;
-(00029] Figure 12 is a side elevation view of the flue exhaust vent or air
outlet;
[00030] Figure 13 is a perspective bottom view of the burner box housing
burner components mounted to a flue assembly in accordance with the direct
venting system of the present disclosure;
[00031] Figure 14 is a perspective view of a burner box cover for use with
the
burner box of the direct venting system in accordance with the present
disclosure;
[00032] Figure 15 is a side elevation view of the burner box cover of
Figure
14;
[00033] Figure 16 is a front elevation view of the burner box cover of
Figure
14;
[00034] Figure 17 is a front elevation view of a faceplate for use in
conjunction with the burner box cover of Figure 14; and
[00035] Figure 18 is a perspective view of the faceplate shown in Figure
17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTON OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
[00036] Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a direct venting free-
standing propane refrigerator 10 according to an example embodiment of the
present disclosure. The direct venting refrigerator 10 comprises a
refrigeration
storage unit 12 (with refrigerator and freezer compartments) equipped with a
propane-powered refrigeration system or cooling unit 14 in accordance with
principles known in the art, and a direct venting system 40 in accordance with
an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In general, the refrigeration
system or cooling unit 14 comprises a boiler 16 that is coupled to a condenser
18.
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The condenser 18, in turn is connected to an evaporator 20, which in turn is
connected to an absorber 22 comprising absorber coils 24 and an absorber tank
26.
-. The cooling unit 14 is provided with any suitable refrigerant, such as a
liquid
ammonia solution, which solution is sealed within the cooling unit and flows
through
the various components in order to provide cooling to the storage unit 12 of
the
refrigerator 10. The cooling unit 14 is illustrated schematically in Figure 3
in
accordance with principles known in the art.
[00037] As is generally understood in the art, during use of the propane
refrigerator 10, the boiler 16 generates heat by means of a heat source such
as a
gas flame from a propane burner 28 (or any other suitable heat source in
accordance with principles known in the art), which heat is transferred to the
refrigerant solution that is fed to the boiler 16 from the absorber tank 26.
The
propane flame typically produces 700 to 1800 BTU as compared to a furnace
which
operates between 30,000 to 75,000 BTU. The refrigerant solution (i.e. the
ammonia-rich refrigerant solution) begins to vaporize and travels upwards
through
the boiler 16 to the condenser 18 where it is cooled by air passing though the
metal
fins 30 of the condenser 18 forcing the ammonia or refrigerant vapour back to
a
liquid state where it enters the evaporator 20. In the evaporator section 20
of the
cooling unit 14, heat extracted from the storage unit 12 (i.e. the
refrigerator/freezer sections of the refrigerator 10) causes evaporation of
the liquid
ammonia or liquid refrigerant solution, which vaporized mixture is returned or
drops back down to the absorber tank 26 and the refrigeration cycle continues.
[00038] As briefly described above, the refrigeration cycle begins with a
heat
source in the boiler 16 which begins the vaporization of the refrigerant or
ammonia-
rich solution. The heat source to power the absorption system can come from an
electric heating element or from a flame. In remote or off-grid areas where
there is
no source of AC/10 electricity, propane fuels a gas flame that serves as the
heat
source within the boiler 16. In order to comply with government mandated
safety
regulations in Canada, free-standing propane refrigerators for use in
residential
dwellings must be of the direct vent type which requires that all of the air
used for
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
'combustion purposes be taken or drawn from the outdoors with all flue gases
and/or products of combustion being exhausted outdoors. The entire combustion
-. process associated with the propane refrigerator, therefore, must not
communicate
with the interior environment of the building within which the refrigerator is
installed.
[00039] Accordingly, the refrigerator 10 according to an example
embodiment
of the present disclosure is equipped with a direct venting system 40 for
ensuring
that any flue gases and/or products of combustion are successfully vented to
the
outdoors or outside the residential dwelling or building without any of the
products
of combustion leaking into the building or residential dwelling while ensuring
proper
and reliable functioning of the propane refrigerator 10. The direct venting
system
40, therefore,(i) sealed so as not to allow any products of combustion to leak
into
the building, (ii) allows for correct air balance between the air inlet and
the chimney
to allow for natural venting while providing sufficient oxygen for the burners
to
operate and sufficient evacuation to allow continued combustion, (iii) allows
for
collection and dissipation of corrosive condensate (such as hydrochloric acid)
in the
flue system, and (iv) is also capable of operating properly and efficiently in
a wide
range of temperatures (-22 C to +38 C) as well as operate under high wind
conditions (i.e. 60 kph (40 mph)).
[00040] The direct venting system 40 comprises and air intake assembly
42, a
burner box 44, a flue assembly 46 and a chimney assembly 48 that are pre-
assembled and pre-installed on the rear of the refrigerator 10. The burner box
44
is mounted directly to the exterior, rear surface of the refrigerator 10, the
burner
box 44 housing the burner elements (not shown) for the propane gas flame for
heating and/or powering the refrigeration or cooling unit 14. The burner box
44, as
shown in Figures 4A-4H, has a closed top 43, rear 45, and end 47, 49 walls or
sides, which together define an open interior cavity 50 for housing the
various
components associated with the burner elements 37 (shown generally in Figure
13).
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
. (00041] The burner box 44 mounts directly and permanently to the frame of
the refrigerator 10 with at least one bracket member 41, one of which is
partially
-.shown in Figure 13, leaving the open front and bottom sides 51, 53 easily
accessible for receiving and/or housing the burner components. Alternatively,
the
burner box 44 can be directly and permanently mounted to the frame of the
refrigerator by any suitable means. Additional mounting brackets (not shown)
for
the burner assembly or burner components then mount inside the attached burner
box 44 to allow for the installation, removal and maintenance of all burner
components without having to remove the burner box 44. The design and custom
shaping of the top 43 and rear 45 walls of the burner box 44 allows the burner
box
44 to be easily positioned over and/or around the structure of the
refrigerator and
cooling coil. More specifically, various openings and/or recesses 39 are
formed in
the top 43 and rear 45 walls of the burner box 44 and various recesses 56 are
formed in the peripheral flange 57 that surrounds the open front and bottom
sides
51, 53 of the burner box 44, with the openings and/or recesses 39, 56 being
adapted to fit around components of the refrigerator cooling unit 14 and the
direct
venting system 40. A burner box cover 55 and faceplate 67, as shown in Figures
14-18 are provided and mounted over the open sides 51, 53 of the burner box 44
to ensure that the burner box 44 is completely and hermetically sealed with
respect
to the interior environment when mounted on the refrigerator 10 and in
operation.
Gasket material (not shown) or any other suitable sealing device is sandwiched
between the burner cover 55 and burner box 44 and/or the burner cover 55 and
faceplate 67 to ensure proper sealing of the burner box 44. The design and
installation of the burner box 44, burner box cover 55 and gasket facilitates
maintenance (i.e. servicing and/or repair) of the burner components housed
within
the burner box 44 since the burner box cover 55 and faceplate 67 can be easily
removed without requiring complete disassembly of the burner box 44 and/or
direct
venting system 40. Any suitable sealing or gasket devices (not shown) may also
be
provided around any openings and/or recesses 39, 56 formed in the burner box
44
to ensure that the burner box 44 is hermetically sealed.
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
= [00042.] Figures 14-18 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the
burner box
cover 55 and faceplate 67. As shown, the burner box cover 55 comprises a
-.generally L-shaped cover having a closed face 63 and an open face 65 that
fits over
and is removably mounted to the bottom and front open sides 53, 51 of the
burner
box 44 with appropriate gasket or sealing material positioned therebetween.
The
closed face 63 seals the open bottom 53 side of the burner box 44 while the
open
face 65 of the cover 55 partially closes the open front side 51 of the burner
box 44.
Once the burner box cover 55 is positioned over the open sides 51, 53 of the
burner box 44, the open face 65 is then covered and sealed by means of
faceplate
67 that is positioned and removably mounted over the opening in the open face
65
of the burner box cover 55. Once again, appropriate sealing or gasket material
can
be positioned between the faceplate 67 and cover 55 to ensure appropriate
sealing
of the burner box 44. When maintenance and/or repair of the components housed
within the burner box 44 is required, the faceplate 67 and burner box cover 55
can
easily be removed without having to remove the entire burner box 44 structure.
[00043] The burner box 44 further comprises an air inlet adapter 58 that
is
securely mounted at one end of the burner box 44 in fluid communication with
the
interior cavity 50. In the subject example embodiment, the air inlet adapter
58 is
welded to the burner box 44 through an air inlet opening 59 formed in the end
wall
47 of the burner box 44. The air inlet adapter 58 has a first end 60 for
receiving air
from the outdoors through the air intake 42 and a second end 62 for delivering
the
air to the burner box 44 for fueling or feeding the combustion process, the
second
end 62 being sealingly mounted to the burner box 44 in fluid communication
with
the air inlet opening 59. The first end 60 of the air inlet adapter 58 is
generally
circular and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the second end 62,
which is
also generally circular. A step-down region 63 interconnects the first end 60
and
the second end 62. The first end 60, second end 62 and step-down region 63 are
specifically designed and sized to ensure that air is delivered to the open
interior
cavity 50 of the burner box 44 at an appropriate angle and in a manner to
ensure
that proper combustion occurs within the burner box 44. If the air enters the
burner box 44 through the inlet adapter 58 at too fast a rate or with
increased
CA 02820365 2013-06-25
_ .velocity'or turbulence within the air flow, or at an inappropriate angle,
it risks
blowing out the burner flame which effectively shuts-off the refrigerator. As
well, if
the air enters the burner box 44 through the adapter 58 at too slow a rate or
without the proper velocity and/or turbulence within the flow, etc.,
combustion may
not occur properly within the burner box to ensure the optimal functioning of
the
refrigerator 10. The transition from the first, larger end 60 to the smaller
diameter
second end 62 via step-down region delivers the air to the burner box 44 with
the
desired flow properties to greatly decrease the risk of blow-out and therefore
improves the efficiency and reliability of the refrigerator 10. In accordance
with one
example embodiment, the second end 62 is generally about half the diameter of
the
first end 60 with the first end 60 having an inner diameter of about 55mm and
the
second end having an inner diameter of about 29mm.
[00044] Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the direct venting system 40
will be
described in further detail. As shown, the air intake assembly 42 comprises a
first,
vertical length of tube or pipe 64 that generally runs up the back of the free-
standing refrigerator 10, the first length of tubing 64 having opposed upper
and
lower ends 66, 68. The lower end 68 of the first length of tubing 64 is
fluidly
coupled to the first end 60 of the air inlet adapter 58 of the burner box 44
by
means of a second length of tubing 70 disposed at an angle with respect to the
first
length of tubing 64. The interconnection of the first, vertical length of
tubing 64,
the second, angled section of tubing 70 and the air inlet adapter 58, and the
orientation of the second length of tubing 70 with respect to the first length
of the
tubing 64 and the first end 60 of the air inlet adapter 58 ensures that the
air drawn
from the outdoors enters the burner box 44 with the appropriate properties to
promote combustion within the burner box 44 and to reduce the likelihood of
blow-
out to provide improved overall performance of the refrigerator 10. The upper
end
66 of the first length of tubing 64 is fluidly coupled to a third length of
tubing 72 (as
shown in Figure 2) that extends horizontally away from the back of the
refrigerator
and through an exterior wall 13 of a building within which the refrigerator is
installed, the third length of tubing being in fluid communication with the
exterior,
outside environment. Accordingly, the third length of tubing 72 serves as the
fresh
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
.air intake or air inlet for drawing fresh air from the outdoors through the
system
40. The third length of tubing 72 is assembled and connected to the
refrigerator 10
=, at the time of installation of the refrigerator 10 at the desired location
within the
building. To ensure proper air flow through the direct venting system 40, the
third
length of tubing 72 must have a length that does not exceed 18 inches.
Accordingly, it will be understood that the refrigerator 10 must be positioned
against an exterior or outside wall of the building within which it is
installed, as
illustrated schematically in Figure 2.
[00045] The flue assembly 46 comprises a cylindrical housing 74 having a
first, lower end 76 mounted to the upper surface or wall 45 of the burner box
44
and a second end 78 connected to the chimney assembly 48. The first or lower
end
76 of the cylindrical housing 74 is adapted to be in fluid communication with
the
interior cavity 50 to receive flue gases and/or the products of combustion
from
within the burner box 44 while the second or upper end 78 is fluidly coupled
to the
chimney assembly 48 with the flue gases and/or products of combustion
travelling
upwards through the flue assembly 46 to the chimney assembly 48 before being
vented to the outdoors through the direct venting system outlet or flue gas
exhaust
80.
[00046] Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, the chimney assembly 48 is in
the
form of an offset pipe structure having a first vertical portion 82 and a
second
vertical portion 84 interconnected by means of a generally horizontal portion
86
which forms curved or rounded 90 degree bends in the pipe structure thereby
forming the offset nature of the chimney assembly 48. The length of the first
vertical portion 82 is less than the length of the second vertical portion 84
of the
chimney assembly 38, with the generally horizontal portion 86 providing a
transition region between the two vertical portions 82, 84.
[00047] An outlet or exterior flue vent 80 is mounted to the upper end of
the
vertical portion 84 of the chimney assembly 48 and extends horizontally away
from
the back of the refrigerator 10. Like the fresh air intake 72, the exterior
flue vent
80 is mounted to the chimney assembly 48 at the time of installation of the
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
=refrigeretor 10, with the exterior flue vent 80 extending through the
exterior wall
13 of the building, as shown in Figure 2. To ensure the proper functioning of
the
=. chimney assembly 48 and the exhausting of the flue gases from the direct
venting
system 40, the exterior flue vent 80 must have a length that does not exceed
18
inches.
[00048] As flue gases and/or the products of combustion travel upwards
through the flue assembly 46 and chimney assembly 48, the temperature of the
gases cools and the gases tend to condense and form condensate. This
condensate
can drip down the chimney and flue assemblies 48, 46 and back into the burner
box
44, which can snuff or blow-out the burner flame causing the refrigerator 10
to
shutdown. The condensate is also known to be highly acidic and corrosive.
Therefore, any condensate that drips or drains down through the chimney
assembly
48 and flue assembly 46 into the burner box 44 can corrode or otherwise damage
any of the components of the direct venting system 40 and burner elements
housed
within the burner box 44 and negatively impact the functioning of the
refrigerator
10.
[00049] In order to improve reliability and proper functioning of the
refrigerator 10 and to protect the flue assembly 46 and burner box 44 from
corrosion due to condensate, it is important to prevent and/order decrease the
amount of condensate formed during operation of the propane refrigerator 10.
Accordingly, the exterior flue vent 80 is formed as a three-layer insulated
structure
which maintains the warmer or higher temperatures of the flue gases or
products of
combustion as they travel upwards through the chimney assembly 48 to the
exterior flue vent 80 which prevents or decreases the amount of condensate
formed
as the gases or combustion products travel upwards through the direct venting
system 40.
[00050] As shown in Figure 10, the exterior flue vent 80 comprises a
corrosion
resistant inner chimney tube 87, an insulation layer 88 surrounding the inner
chimney tube 87 and an outer cover layer 89 such as an outer layer of IpexTM
piping. The combination of materials in the three-layered exterior flue vent
80
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
combined with the offset structure of the chimney assembly 48 has been found
to
..
significantly decrease the formation of condensate within the system thereby
=. protecting the components from corrosion and decreasing the risk of blow-
out due
to flue gas condensate draining into the burner box 44 thereby improving the
overall performance of the propane refrigerator 10.
[00051] In the event that condensate does form within the chimney
assembly
48 during operation or use of the refrigerator 10, a condensate trap 90 is
incorporated into the direct venting system 40. The condensate trap 90 is a
small
diameter tubular member that is formed with a 360 degree bend therein. A first
end 92 of the condensate trap 90 is mounted in fluid communication with the
second vertical portion 84 of the chimney assembly 48 for receiving condensate
that may drip down from the exterior flue vent or chimney assembly 48. A
second
end 94 of the condensate trap 90 is fluidly connected to evaporator trays (not
shown) located at the bottom of the refrigerator 10 by means of any suitable
tubing
95 (as shown in Figure 1). As condensate forms in the exterior flue vent 80 or
chimney assembly 48 it enters the condensate trap 90 through first end 92 and
fills
or collects within the bottom half of the 360 degree bend formed in the trap
90
creating a pocket of fluid. The pocket of fluid (i.e. condensate) that forms
in the
trap creates a fluid barrier between the chimney assembly 48 and the
condensate
trap outlet 94 which ensures that the direct venting system 12 remains sealed
with
regard to the interior of the dwelling or building within which the
refrigerator is
installed. As additional condensate collects in the trap 90, the condensate
will
eventually push the pocket of fluid (i.e. condensate) collected in the bottom
half of
the trap through the 360 degree bend where it will eventually drain out of the
trap
90 through any suitable tubing 96 to the evaporator trays (not shown).
Accordingly, the condensate trap 90 protects the direct venting system 40 from
corrosion while ensuring that the system 40 remains completely and
hermetically
sealed at all times.
[00052] While an exemplary embodiment of the direct venting system has
been described and shown in the drawings, it will be understood that certain
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CA 02820365 2013-06-25
.adaptations and modifications of the described exemplary embodiment can be
made as construed within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the
above
-_ discussed embodiment is considered to be illustrative and not restrictive.
