US1696459A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

flDec. 25, 1928.

O. M. SUMMERS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 51, 1927 n mlm llllll Mo Ma .WM-

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,Patented Dec. 2 51, 1928.

UNITED STATES i 1,696,459 PATENT OFFICE..

OT'I'O M. SUMMERS, OF DAYTON, OAHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MES'NE ASSIGNMENTS, TO .FRIGIDAIBE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REFRIGERATING APIPARATUS.

application mea' October` si, 1927. serial No. 229,901.

This inventionv relates to refrigerating apparatus particularly to the form of refrigerating element and its arrangement in household refri erator cabinets.

One of the o jects of the invention is to provide an improved and Simplified form of evaporator which is effective to oool circulating airl in a cabinet and to freeze ice for table use, andwhich may be placed within a lconfined space.`

Another object of the invention is to improve and simplify the arrangement and construction of evaporators to reduce their cost of manufacture. v

Further objects and advantages of the present invention IWill be apparent from the following description, reference being had to. the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

v In the drawings-A o Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator cabinet having the improved refrigerating element therein; f

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the cabinet showing the refrigerating element in elevation;

fFig.. 3 is a section of a refrigerating element on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a bottom lan view of the refrigerating element; an

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a refrigerating element.

Evaporators for the dual purpose of chillcirculating air to cool a refrigeratng in r cabinet. and for freezing ice for table use have 'heretofore been constructed in accordanw with the application of Jesse G. King, Serial No. 666,257 ,filed (Iflctober 3, 1923, and usually include a header which forms a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, and a number of loops of tubing depending from the header for circulating refrigerant. These loops are arranged to enclose a freezing space, in which are placed shallow pans for freezing ice for table use, and also extend `outwardly beyond the freezing space to chill circulating air for cooling the cabinet. The freezing space has been comparatively sheltered from circulating air, one set of tubes being provided principally for ice freezing, and anothenset for the principal purpose of cooliiig the circulating air. These evaporators have usually been placed in a corner of the cabinet and leave an L-shaped storage compartment for food as shown in the application of Harry B. Hull,

Serial No.. 642,869, filed May 30,, 1923- While this arrangement is very effective, the refrigerating element 'occupies a 'rather large amount of space. In the case of small cabinets, vfor instance for apartment house use, the provision'of considerable space for food storage is very important. This reduces to -with my invention` I providegan evaporator i Which is very coinpactand fiat, and Which may be disposed entirely across the top of a cabinet thus leavingy aV substantially cubical space for the storage of food.` I also construct the evaporator so that the ice freezing and air 'cooling elements are combined and space is thus conserved. f

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figs. 3 and 5, my evaporator includes an elongated and preferably cylindrical horizonta-l header 10 lwhich forms a reservoir for li uid refrigerant, and conduit means for circu ating refrigerant which exteiids laterally beside the header. The conduit means includes a single tube 11 which is connected at both ends 12 and 13 to the header below the level of the liquid. The tubing is formed, onv each side of the header, into a pair of fiat, substantiallyhorizontal coils 14, 141' and 15, 15'. Preferably the tube is connected to the header approximately at its center by a conduit 16. The tube 11 may be in a single integral piece. with the conduit 16 connected between it and the header, or as shown in the drawing, the conduit 1l,mayibe formed of two separate pieces which are intefrrally united by being soldered in openings formed in the side of conduit 16. The end of the conduit 16 may be conveniently closed'by a plug 18. The loops or coils 14 and 14' are vertically spaced to permit the insertion between them of a compartment 20' for an ice-making container 21. i The compartment is supported on the loop 14" and is thermally connected to both loops 14 and 14' by soldering. similarly the ice cient space must be left around the evap'orator for this frost to form without touching the walls of the cabinet, for if it were permitted to touch the walls, this would increase the -heat leakage into the cabinet and also cause the walls to sweat. Accordingly a space indicated in Fig. 2 is left between the header and the top of the cabinet.

Surrounding the evaporator within the cabinet isa U-shaped partition which separates the cabinet into a cooling compartment 31 and a storage compartment 32. This partition extends substantially across the entire width of the cabinet leaving only air circulating fiues 33 on either side. The partition is provided at or near its upper ends with openings 34 which admit warm ar from the cabinet to the cooling compartment andhas an opening 35 admitting cold air from the cooling compartment to the storage compartment. Preferably the bottom wall of the partton is provided with a drip pan 36` and a bafiie 37 for the opening, the drip pan being separated lfrom the partition by an insulating air space 38 as more fully described in the application of George Hoferberth, filed February 28, 1927, Seri'il No. 171,437. The front of the n cooling compartment is preferably closed by a wall 3 9 Which has openings to admit the ice-v making containers 21.

The air circulates as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, upwardly through the fiues 33 and I downwardly over the enclosures for the icemaking containers, th'ence under the coils 14:' and 15' and out through the opening 35. In this manner the coils'serve two purposes, namely, cooling the conpartments for the icemaking receptacles and cooling the circulating air which flows under and in contact with them. It will be noted, however, that the compa'tments themselves form large surfaces projecting into the path of the circulating air. Consequently these compartments also serve "to cool the circulating air.

It will be observed that the evaporator above described effectively cools circulating `air and that it is provided with considerable ice capacit Nevertheless the entire evaporator may e contained within a small height and consequently may be installed in a thin space. This is a decided advantage .in the case of small cabinets as it increases the space available for the' storage of food and permits the construction of a food compartment of a convenient and economcal shape. j

nagsawa -While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

' What is claimed is as follows:

1. A. refrigera-ting element for 'refriger-` ating apparatus including ahorizontal header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, conduit means for circulating refrigerant connected to the header and including a pair of spaced substantially horizontal coils extending laterally from the header, and a compartment for an ice-making .container disposed between the coils and thermally connected to both of the coils. i

2. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus including a header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, conduit means extending laterally from the header and including a pair .of spaced substantially horizontal coils on each side of the header, and compartments for ice-making containers, one compartment being disposed between the coils of each-pair and thermally connected to both coils of the pair.

3:'A 'refri-gerating element for refrigerating apparatus including a header for liquid refrigerant, a continuous tube connected at its i ends to theA header and. formed into two pairs of spaced si bstantially horizontal coils, one

pair beingdispo'sed'on each side of the header, and a 'connection from the tube to the headthe cabinet into a storage compartment and a cooling com artment which occupies substantially the entire width of the cabinet, and providing passages for the circulation of air between the compartments; and a shallow fiat refrigerating element extending substantially the entire width of the cooling compartmentI and including al header, conduit means for circulating refrigerant connected to the header and formed into a pair of spaced substantially horizontal coils on either sde of' the header, and a conpartment for an icemaking receptacle supported between and thermally connected to each of the coils of each pair, saidcoils andcompartments projecting into the path jof air circulating through the cooling compartment.

` 6. refrigerating element for refri erating 'apparatus including a header for 'quid refrigerant and a continuous tube connected at. its ends to the header and formed into two pairs of spaced substantially horizontal coils, one pair being disposed on each side of the 5 header. i

7. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus conprising in combination a header, a conduit loop for circulating refrigerant extending laterally from the header' and forming anfenclosure for an ice-making container, 'said loopincluding a pair of vertically spaced substantially horizontal ducts, and a compartment for an ice-makin coi tainer d i'sposed Within the enclosure an thermally connected to both of the ducts.

In testimony Whereof I hereto afix my signature.

' OTTO M. SUMMERS.

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