Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D23/00—General constructional features
  • F25D23/08—Parts formed wholly or mainly of plastics materials
  • F25D23/082—Strips
  • F25D23/085—Breaking strips
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D23/00—General constructional features
  • F25D23/06—Walls
  • F25D23/065—Details
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
  • F25D2400/10—Refrigerator top-coolers

Definitions

• This invention is concerned with improvements relating to freezers, and will be described hereunder in the context of chest freezers.
• a conventional chest freezer has an upwardly-open cabinet and a closure for the cabinet, conventionally afforded by a lid which may be slidable, or hingedly mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis.
• the freezer cabinet conventionally comprises a generally rectangular base, comprising an inner wall of conducting material, typically aluminium sheet, and an outer wall of insulating material, conventionally of plastics material, and four side walls extending upwardly from the base to define an upwardly-open top.
• Each of said side walls similarly comprises an inner wall of thermally conducting material, conventionally of thin aluminium sheeting, and an outer wall conventionally of thermally insulating plastics material, with insulated packing therebetween.
• an upper frame assembly of moulded plastics material is mounted, conveniently having inner and outer flanges engaging the inside face of the inner wall and the outside face of the outer wall, respectively, and providing a seating surface for the lid.
• the upper frame assembly may provide the pivotal mounting for the lid.
• a freezer is hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified.
• a freezer of the kind specified comprising an insulating member between an upper part of the inner wall and the upper frame assembly.
• the inner wall is located behind a lower margin of the insulating member, conveniently extending into a slot or recess provided in said lower margin, and preferably an upper margin of the insulating member extends adjacent to the outer side of the inner flange of the frame assembly.
• the insulating material is retained at the upper region of the freezer between the outer wall and the insulating member.
• Preferably means is provided to reduce surface contact between the insulating member and the inner wall and/or the inner flange of the upper frame.
• the insulating member comprises a convoluted or serpentine section between the lower margin and the upper margin, providing an extended thermal path between the inner (conducting) wall and the frame assembly.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an upper part of the freezer which is the first embodiment of this invention
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of an insulating member which is utilised in the freezer which is the first embodiment of this invention
• Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one part of the freezer cabinet showing the insulating member in position thereon;
• Figure 4 is an enlarged view of one part of the freezer cabinet which is the second embodiment of this invention, showing an alternative insulating member in position thereon;
• Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view based on Figure 4.
• Figure 6 is an enlarged view of part of Figure 4.
• Figure 7 is a view from the opposite side of part of the insulating member shown in Figure 6.
• the freezer which is the first embodiment of this invention is a chest freezer shown generally in Figure 1 having an open top which may be closed by a lid (not shown).
• the freezer comprises four outer walls 6 of insulating material, conventionally of plastics material, and four inner walls 8 of thermally conductive material, specifically thin aluminium sheet, extending upwardly from a base 4.
• the base forms no part of the present invention and will not hereinafter be described.
• an upper frame assembly 10 defining the open top of the freezer, being moulded from plastics material, and comprising inner and outer vertical flanges 1 la, 1 lb respectively.
• the upper margin of the inner wall 8 would extend behind the outer surface of the flange 11a, i.e. that face of the flange 1 la facing the flange 1 lb, whilst the outer surface of the outer wall 6 would extend behind the inner surface of the flange l ib, the space 14 between the inner and outer walls being filled with insulated packing material 15, such as polyurethane foam.
• the inner wall 8 terminates a short distance below the inner flange 11a, and an insulating member 12 extends between the inner wall to the flange 1 la, and the inner wall 8 on each of the four sides.
• the insulating member 12 is moulded from plastics material, specifically having a low index of thermal conductivity, and conveniently being of relatively small cross-sectional dimensions, comprising an upper wall 13 which in use is engaged behind the inner wall of the inner flange 1 la of the upper frame assembly 10.
• the insulating member 12 is bifurcated, having parallel walls 14a and 14b which define a slot 15 which may be located over the upper margin of the inner wall 8, as shown in Figure 3.
• the freezer which is the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the construction of thermal insulating member.
• the insulating member 16 similarly conveniently moulded in one piece from plastics material, comprises a lower margin 18 provided with a recess 19, on which spacing means in the form of narrow ribs 20 are provided, said ribs 20 being engaged by the upper margin of the inner wall 8.
• An upper margin 24 of the insulating member 16 is in the form of a narrow flange, preferably similarly provided with spacing means afforded by ribs 25 on a rear face, which in use is engaged behind the inner face of the flange 1 la (see Figure 6).
• the spacing means provides an insulating air gap between the engaging faces, it functions further to reduce heat transfer between the upper part of the freezer and the inner walls, further increasing the efficiency of the freezer.
• the insulating member is provided with a convoluted or serpentine region 26, providing an extended thermal path between the upper margin of the inner wall 8 and the lower margin of the frame assembly 10.
• the insulated packing material 15 is retained within the space at the upper region of the freezer between the outer wall, the upper frame assembly, and the insulated member 16.
• the amount of heat transferred from the upper frame assembly to the interior of the freezer is significantly reduced, significantly increasing the efficiency of the freezer, albeit with a small increase in temperature in the immediate vicinity of the lower surface of the lid.
• the insulating member is produced by moulding, conveniently extrusion, of plastics material, it may of course be produced by other means, and if desired may be prefabricated from one or more parts secured together, conveniently by a process such as welding. Additionally the insulating member may be produced in an aesthetically pleasing colour to enhance the appearance of the interior of the freezer.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Refrigerator Housings (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10859932

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1999
  • 1999-08-28 GB GBGB9920330.9A patent/GB9920330D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2000
  • 2000-08-23 AU AU68534/00A patent/AU6853400A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-08-23 WO PCT/GB2000/003271 patent/WO2001016540A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-08-23 EP EP00956660A patent/EP1208340A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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