US1829410A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

()Ct. 27, 193.1. J; K 1,829,410

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Get. 27, 1931. J. G. KING REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \lli/l/ @c't. 2?, M331 entree ZFESSE G. KING, OF DAYTON, OHIO,,ASSIGNOR, BY IEESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FEIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A CGEPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGEBATING A'PEARAT'US Application filed November 80, 1927.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus and more particularly the refrigerating means used for the production of cold in mechanically refrigerated cabinets. v

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a relatively long compact and narrow evaporator of the flooded type which, although utilizing only a small quantity of refrigerant, provides relatively long horizontally disposed and large heat absorbing section. In carrying out'this object I provide an elongated finned section forming the greater part of the length of the evaporator and the greater part of the metallic heat abso'rbing surface of the evaporator and 1 cool this long large finnedsection by long slender and horizontally disposed refrigerant conveying tubes.

Another of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerating means particularly suitable for use in mechanically refrigerated display counters or the like which refrigerating means is constructed and arranged so as to provide a portion or portions for maintaining a certain temperature for general refrigeration within the display counter-and another portion or portions for insuring a relatively colder temperature for maintaining another part of the cabinet at a relatively colder temperature. This invention contemplates the use of the refrigerating means in which the relatively cold part thereof is disposed substantially intermediate the end walls of the display counter whereby such intermediate portions may be maintained at a relatively lower temperature than the end parts of the cabinet.

Another object of the present invention is to providea relatively compact long and narrow refrigerating element particularly adaptable to display counters and the like having adequate refrigerating surface and which will notobstruct vision. One manner of carrying this out is to provide duct loops for circulat- Serial No. 236,720.

ing refrigerant in which the loops are so arranged that thebends therein are reduced to a minimum and to which loops fins are attached, which fins extend a substantial distance beyond the end of the loops thereby increasing the refrigerating surface of said loops.

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

- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents atop view of the improved refrigerating element of the invention in broken separated arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 shows a complete side view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the refrigerating element as a complete unit;

Fig. 4 illustrates a type of display counter showing the improved refrigerating element of the invention in operative position therein; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the same.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the improved refrigerating element comprises a header 10 shown complete in Fig. 3 but in fragmentary section in Figs. 1 and 2 which serves as a container for a refrigerating medium, for example liquid sulphur dioxide. This header'serves to distribute the refrigerant to pipes or ducts hereinafter described. The refrigerating medium is led into the header by means of a pipe 11 and is conducted away therefrom above the liquid level by means of a pipe 12, a suitable float valve diagrammatically represented by 9 in Fig. 3 being used to control the flow of refrigerant to the header and maintain a constant level of tile liquid in the latter.

A series of cooling coils or refrigerant circulating ducts formed of a plurality 'of pipes frigerating' element during handling.

or tubes are connected to the header in' parallel circuit relation as shown in the drawings in Fig. 3; These ducts extend outwardly into the air cooled] by the refrigerating element. In the preferred embodiment of the invention these ducts are constructed to form loops of pipes which are arranged substantially as follows: Each loop has a long substantially horizontal leg or tube 13 extending longitudinally outwardly from one end of the header which is bent around at its remote end'14 and which continues on back to the header as pipe or duct 15 entering the header at a point on its side 16, said point of entry beingsubstantially adjacent the end of the header to which the inlet and outlet refrigerant pipes are attached, the particular side wall being hereinafter referred to as a lateral wall of the header. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, three loops ofthis character are shown although of course a greater or lesser number may be used as desired. As shown in Fig. 1 these loops where they enter the lateral side wall of the header have their terminal ends radiating outwardly. This arrangement prevents the bridging of frost across the loops and fins and a consequent impeding or obstruction of the air circulating through the system since the fins as arranged are spaced at such a distance that during normal operation frost will not bridge across.

A long fin 20 composed of a good heat conducting material such as copper is attached to the duct s stem as by soldering so as to insure good t ermal contact with the duct, and this fin 20 as shown in Fig. 3, extends substantially beyond the horizontal limit of the duct system itself.

The fins are preferably connected or held together by means of tie bars 21 or similar means, so as to prevent damage to'the re- In order to secure a pro er flow of refrigerant the ducts should pre erably slant somewhat with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fins as shown in Fig. 3 where the pipe or duct 13 slopes from the top of the fin wall nearest the header to the bottom of the fin wall most remote from the same.

This feature is also shown in Fig. 3 by the dotted lines of the ducts, the len h of the ducts themselves precluding the s owing of a connected view. In practice, if the ducts were connected to the Wall of the header so as to constitute a perfectly. horizontal prolongation thereof, refrigerant may become trapped in the looped end if the duct is tilted upwardly when the element is installed in a cabinet. Hence if the extremity of the loop system is disposed above the liquid level in, the header the refrigerating efliciency of the element may decrease.

By inclining the duct this difiiculty is obviated since even if the element is not positioned horizontally, the ducts will possess sufiicient tilt of their own. Inclining the ducts moreover provides for the natural upward flow of the gaseous refrigerant and facilitates the return of bubbles to the header.

By this arrangement a long horizontal finned section provides the main heat ab sorbing surface of theevaporator and the long horizontal runs or tubes, although they contain only a small quantity of refrigerant, provide the major heat transfer section of the evaporator which is in contact with the refrigerant. Thus I have provided a long horizontal evaporator 'of the flooded type which utilizes only a small quantity of refrigerant and insures eflicient refrigeration in Figs. 4 and 5 the case comprises .a structure adapted for cooling foodstuffs while maintaining the same on display. The case itself may consist of an elongated cabinet having a substantially rectangular ground plan. The-bottom is indicated by 30 and the front side wall which may slant and which faces the customers is represented by the numeral 32. The latter may be equipped in the well-known manner with air insulated spaced glass panels, While doors 35 and 36 similarly glazed may be provided in the rear of the counter to permit access to the interior. A top 31 and lower rear side wall 33 as well as the portion of the rear wall above the rear doors, together with the floor of the food compartment 46 are thoroughly heat insulated as by corkboard or the like 38. An impervious lining 37 is provided in the interior of the food compartment 46. If desired, the

display counter may be divided into a plurality of compartments, as for example 46, 45, or more. In the preferred embodiment of the invention 46 designates the food display compartment or chilling chamber and 4.5 the storage compartment in which the compressor and motor may be located.

The improved refrigerating element'of the invention is mounted in the food display comartment in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. n the preferred embodiment shown, two of such elements are shown mounted with their header members placed substantially end to end in the center of the counter and the longitudin ally extending ducts pointing towards the ends of the case or counter. By thus 10- eating the header means intermediate the ducts it is possible to produce a relatively colder zone in the portion of the cabinet immediately below said headers since the headers are the coldest portions of the refrigerating means. In this manner is provided a refrigerating means which will permit foodstuffs to be so disposed in a display counter as to subjectcertain substances to one degree of temperature and other substances to another de ree of temperature.

The refrigerating e ement may be mounted within the display compartment by being suspended from the inside top thereof as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A. strap 39' or the like may be passed around each header body and bolted to the ceiling of the counter, while similar strap hangers 41 may be used for supporting a drip pan and bafiie plate or deflector 42 upon which the finned body of the element outside of the header may be placed. The deflector late or bafiie which may serve as a drip pan or preventing the moisture due to defrosting of the element from falling on the displayed foodstufis may have one of its sides, e. g. that facing the customers, extend upwardly to a substantial extent, partly to form a deflecting means for the circulating air and partly to hide the lower portion of the refrigerating elements from view, the upper parts being substantially-hidden by the upper portion of the glazed front.

The circulation of air in the interior of the display case is substantially that shown by the arrows in Fig. 5 the cold air descending from the rear of the top of the display counter, passing over the foodstuffs and thence upwardly up along the front wall back to the refrigerating element.

The refrigerating elements are connected with a suiiable compressor unit, not shown, by means of pipes 43, 44 connected to the inlet 11 and outlet 12 respectively of the respective headers of the elements.

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. Refrigerating means for mechanically refrigerated cabinets comprising a header, a plurality of ducts connected wit said header for circulating refrigerating medium, said ducts extending horizontally a substantial distance beyond the header and being provided with fins in good thermal contact with said ducts. said fins extending longitudinally substantially beyond the extremities of said ducts.

2. Refrigerating means for mechanically refrigerated cabinets comprising a header, a plurality of ducts connected with the header for circulating refrigerating medium, per tions of said ducts being connected to one wall of said header and other portions being connected to a lateral wall of said header, fins attached to said ducts in good thermal contact to said ducts, said fins extendin substantially beyond the extremities 0 said ducts.

3. Refrigerating means for elongated mechanically refrigerated cabinets for stores or the like com rising header means adapted to contain liquid refrigerant and extending longitudinally of the cabinet, means for preventing the refrigerant from rising above a certain level in said header means, a plurality of ducts connected with the opposite walls of the header means and extending longitudinally of the cabinet in opposite directions for circulating the liquid refrigerant substantially throughout the length of the cabinet.

4. An evaporator disposed in the path of air for directly cooling the air, said evaporator comprising a finned section forming the greater part of the length of the evaporator and the greater part of the metallic heat absorbing surface of the evaporator, said finned section including a plurality of vertically extending fins anda compact group of long slender and horizontally disposed refrigerant conveying tubes intimately connected with the fins, certain of said tubes being disposed at higher planes than others and certain being arranged to the side of others, and a cylindrical header containing a quantity of volatile liquid refrigerant, certain of said tubes being connected with an end wall of the header and certain of said tubes being connected with the cylindrical wall of the header.

5. An evaporator disposed in the path of air for directly cooling the air, said evaporator comprising a finned section forming the greater part of the length of the evaporator and the greater part of the metallic heat absorbing surface of the evaporator. said finned section including a plurality of vertically extending fins and a compact group of long slender and horizontally disposed refrigerant conveying tubes arranged in the form of loops and having the horizontal portions of the loops in intimate contact with the fins, certain of said tubes being disposed at is higher planes than others and certain being arranged to the side of others, and a cylindrical header containing a quantity of volatile liquid refrigerant, the ends of the loops being connected with an end and a cylindrical .1.

wall of the header respectively.

6. An evaporator disposed in the ath o for directly cooling the air, said evap rator comprising a finned section forming greater part of the length oi the evapc. and the greater part of the metallic heat sorbing surface of the evaporat 1 section including a plurality ct 1 tending fins and a compact group slender and horizontally disposed conveying tubes intimately connected with the fins, certain of said tubes being disposed at higher planes than others and certain being arranged to the side of others, and a cylindrical' header containing a quantity of volatile liquid refrigerant, said tubes being connected to form at least one circuit for refrigerant having-the ends thereof connected with an end wall and a cylindrical wall of the header.

' In testimony whereof I hereto aifix my signature.

JESSE G. KING.

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