US1951456A

US1951456A - Refrigerator defroster

Info

Publication number: US1951456A
Application number: US634337A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Toy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-09-22
Filing date: 1932-09-22
Publication date: 1934-03-20
Anticipated expiration: 1951-03-20

Description

Marc 2Q, 1954. J. TOY 1,951,456

REFRIGERATOR DEFROSTER Filed Sept. 22, 1932 [nvenfon chm/#75 y 5 +2 Patented Mar. 20, 1934 REFRIGERATOR DEFROSTER John 11. Toy, Indianapolis, 'Ind.

Application September 22, 1932, Serial No. 634,337

6 Claims.

In modern refrigerators which have their own refrigerating devices it is common to have a super-freezing compartment for the quick freezing of ice cubes, salads, pastries, desserts, etc., the

walls of which compartments become so encrusted with frost and ice as to require frequent removal. This has usually been accomplished by shutting oil. the refrigeration until the refrigerator has warmed up from the surrounding at- 10 mosphere sufficiently to melt the frost and ice or by the introduction of hot water or air to hasten the operation.

This is attended by damage to the food contents of the refrigerator and by the cost of restoring the refrigeration after the defrosting has been accomplished. 4

The object of this invention is to apply an electric heating element to the interior of the super-freezing compartment and close off the compartment from ,the rest of the refrigerator interior toheat and defrost the interior of the super-freezing compartment without heating the rest of the refrigeratorinterior.

The object, also,.is to provide a portable defroster which may be applied to any refrigerator as an attachment.

A further object is to provide a device that will retain in the compartment all of the heat generated by the heating element of the device and to provide an inexpensive quick acting and durable defrosting device.

I accomplish the above and other objects which will hereinafter appear, by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation and partial vertical section of a refrigerator with my defroster operatively applied thereto;

Fig. 2, is a detail in front elevation of a superfreezing compartment with my defroster applied-the latter being broken away at one corner, and

Fig. 3 is a view in inside elevation of my inventhe interior is reached and within the interioris a super-freezing compartment 3, with the usual hollow walls for the circulation of the refrigerant. The surfaces of these walls become so encrusted with frost and ice as to interfere with the proper functioning of the super-freezer and it is to remove this condition that my invention is particularly directed. It is accomplished by placing an electric heating element or resistance 4 in ide of the compartment 3, preferably as near the middle as possible to reach all of the walls alike.

The element 4 is of any usual and suitable con- 65 struction here shown as wound on a horizontal cylindrical insulation which is fixed to a socket 5. The socket 5 is supported by posts 6, 6, from a vertical door '7 made out of any sufliciently strong material which is also a good non-conductor of heat, such as a composition board containing asbestos, a board of wood or the like, adapted to close the open end of the compartment 3 and retain therein the heat from the element 4. The board is preferably provided on its outer side with a metal facing to give added strength and a better finish to the door.

The door '7 is removably attached to the compartment 3, here shown as by four metal leaf springs 10, which have to be compressed for insertion into the compartment. One end of each spring 10 has a laterally bent end which is secured by a bolt 11 to the inside of the door 7. The other end of each spring is curved inwardly to facilitate the insertion of the springs in the compartment.

The heating element is connected by suitable wires with the service wires of the building. They are contained in a cable having a fiat portion 12 for passage without damage under the door 2 when the door is closed. Or the wires may be connected with a plug 13 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which is permanently and suitably installed in the refrigerator.

The door has a handle 14 by which the door is placed in position against the super-freezing compartment and removed therefrom.

In some refrigerators the super-freezing compartment is divided by a sub-floor into two separate compartments which requires that my device comprise a removable door with two vertically spaced-apart heating elements attached thereto to be placed-one in each of the two compartments of the super-freezer.

It will be apparent that my invention may be used as an attachment with any of the refrigerators in common use having their own refrigerat ing devices. It is placed in position and electrically connected when needed and will operate without heatingthe rest of the refrigerator and U without stopping the regular refrigeration or causing detriment to the food contained in it. It is removed when defrosting is accomplished, which ordinarily occurs in about thirty minutes.

While I have shown and described the best embodiment of my invention now known to me it is possible to vary the structure in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention and I therefore do not desire to be limited to the structure here shown or any more than is required by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator having a super-freezing compartment open at one end, a removable door closing the open end of the compartment, an electric heating element supported within the compartment by the door and an electric circuit including said heating element.

2. In a refrigerator having a super-freezing compartment open at one end, a door closing the open end of the compartment, fasteners for removably securing the door to the compartment, an electric heater supported within the compartment by the door and an electric circuit including said heating element.

3. In a refrigerator having a super-freezing compartment open at one end, a door closing the open end of the compartment, spring operated fasteners for removably securing the door to the compartment, an electric heater supported within the compartment by the door and an electric circuit including said heating element.

4. In a refrigerator having an opening closed by a hinged door and having a super-freezing compartment open at one end, a removable door closing the open end of the compartment, an electric heating element supported within the compartment by the last door, an electric circuit including said heating element and a cable through which the circuit passes, said cable having a thin flat portion passing the hinged door in closed position of the door.

5. In a refrigerator having a super-freezing compartment open at one end, a removable door closing the open end of the compartment, said door being formed on its side next to the compartment of a good non-conductor of heat, fasteners for removably securing the door to the compartment; an electric heater secured to the non-conducting side of the door and projecting into the compartment and an electric circuit including said heating element.

6. In a refrigerator having a super-freezing compartment open at one end, a door closing said compartment formed of non-heat conducting material on the side next to the compartment and faced on the other side with metal, a plurality of spring straps secured to the door and removably securing the door by resilient engagement with the inner walls of the compartment, an electric heater secured to the door and projecting into the compartment and an electric circuit including the heating element.

JOHN H. TOY.