US1952148A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1934. E. o. sToUT REFRIGERAT'ING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 1, 1929 Mdm,

//5 A TTORNEYS Y INVE OR March `27, 1934. E, o, STQUTV 1,952,148

REFRIGERATING APrARATU's Filed July l, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheetv 2 BY wwwa.

f//S ATTORNEYS.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS INVENTO a y ,zy/.s ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934` 1,952,143IA l PATENT OFFICE nErmGEaA'rmG APPARATUS Elmer o. stout, Dayton, ohio, assigner u Frigidaire Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application' AJuly 1, 152e, serial No. 375,081 `z claims. (c1. sz-'12s) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to cooling units for such apparatus.

` One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved evaporator which is smooth and Y, readily cleaned, and of pleasing appearance.

Another objectl of the invention is to provide an improved fabricated cooling unit preferably constructed of sheet metal, which will readily withstand. abnormalhigh pressures and which provides intimate thermal contact between the substance to be cooled and the refrigerant therein and insures even distribution of refrigerant throughout like portions thereof.

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

20 In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved evaporator installed in a refrigerator of a household type.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view thru the evaporator. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the evaporator taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4'is a view of a plate employed in the construction of the evaporator. Fig. 5 is a view of the same plate after the initial forming ope/ration has been made thereon.

Fig. 6 is a view of another plate employed in the construction of the evaporator.

Fig. 7 is a view of the plates shown in Figs. 5 and 6 secured together before being formed into the desired shape and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on theline8`-8ofFig.3.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 discloses a section of a cabinet illustrating-the installation `of a' cooling unit made in accordance with the invention.V The cooling unit is herein shown as an evaporator including a header or tank 10 and a hollow wall enclosure 1l depending therefrom both of which will be more fully described herein. Brackets 13 and 14 supportthe evaporator in the l cabinet and are attached to the inner lining 15 of same. Also disclosed is the insulation 16 and the outer frame work or covering 17 for the in- .stallation. An L-shaped partition 18 fprovides\ 5o a compartment for the evaporatorand has opention of air thru the compartment for cooling the Connections 23 and 24 extend to any type of Ieings' 20 and 21 located therein for the vcircula-` ture from the evaporator dripping` on the food..

' suction valve 27 located on the valve plate has a passage way to the suction pipe 23 having an oil over-110W hole 28 therein. Below the suction tube is the baille 29 to prevent liquid refrigerant splashing directly into the tube. A liquid valve 30 is also located on the valve plate and has a liquid port or entry31 with the screen 32 and' perforated cone 33 to catch any dirt in the refrigerant and prevent entry of same into the boiler. Bracket 34 supports a needle valve 35 which is in turn controlled by the oat ball 36 on the float ball arm 37. A liquid refrigerant 38 preferably sulphur dioxide, is contained within the boiler during operation. Some oil also is Adepressions 39 and has a short tube projecting thru the hole. 'I'he exposed partsnof the ele- 85 ments thus far described and generally referred to as a boiler are covered with a metal of high polishability, preferably chromium altho others such as nickel might also be used. 'I'his surface, which is preferably plated, constitutes a very smooth, hard, non-rusting, finish which is very easily cleaned. y l

Depending from the boiler 10 thus described ls preferably the hollow wall enclosure 11 forming a. freezing zone and adapted to receive ice making receptacles such as icetrays. In the preferred embodiment, the hollow wall enclosure is formed of an outer sheet metal wall 50 and an inner sheet metal wall 51 preferably welded together and formed to provide the oblong enclosure 11 as dis- 100 closed in the drawings. The inner wall 51 is provided by forming two groups of oorrugations 52 in a flat plate (see Fig. 4) and folding this plate .along the lines A-A, B-B, C-C, on one side and along the other side in a like manner 'as at AA', 105

B'-B', C-C' to form the projections 53- (see Fig. 5)'. This plate also has angle iron members 54 'secured thereto, the utility of which will be later described. y f The outer wall or plate'o is provided with a llt` raised portion 56 and corrugations 57 leading therefrom in opposite directions (see Fig. 6). The plates 50 and 51 are then secured together so as to provide a unitary structure as shown in Fig. 7.

,` Plate 50 is slightly wider than plate 51 and this excess width is folded over and welded to the edge of plate 51 (see Fig. 8). After the two plates 50 and 51 are secured together, the structure shown in Fig. 7 is folded on the lines E--E and F-F to form the top and side walls of the enclosure 11 and is folded along the lines G-G and I-li---H to form the bottom wall of the oblong enclosure l1 as shown in the drawings. The ends of the structure which are folded adjacent each other at the bottom of the enclosure are butt welded together to provide a rigid unit.

The projections 53 formed in the plate 51` serve as a shelf 58 Within the enclosure l1 for receiving an ice tray. It is apparent from the above description that the method of simultaneously folding the sheet metal members 50 and 51 forms the enclosure or freezing zone 11 and the shelf 58 divides the zone into compartments 59 and 60. The corrugations 52 along the under side of shelf 58, by virtue of folding the plate 51 as described, communicate with the corrugations 57 in the side walls of the enclosure 11 and permit refrigerant to enter the interior of shelf 58. The refrigerant in shelf 58 increases heat transfer from an ice tray supported by the shelf. The corrugations in plate 50 have their troughs preferably contacting with theinner wall or plate 51 and thus forming passageways or duct channels 6l by means of theirv crests and the space between the troughs in com bnation with the inner wall or plate 51. The troughs ofthe duct channels 61 are spot welded at convenient places or roll welded to the inner wall of plate 5l. This or some equivalent operation is desirable to prevent bulging of the sheet metal walls if subjected to high pressure refrigerant.

By employing one plate having a flat surface at the points where the bends are to be made and another corrugated plate I have found that relatively sharp corners of an evaporator of the type shown in the drawings can be formed without danger of closing the passages formed by the corrugations at the corners thus produced. These passage ways extend from opposite sides of the raised portion or manifold 56 outwardly along the top of the freezing zone or enclosure ll and vertically down the two sides of the enclosure. As shown in the drawings passage ways also extend around the corners of the freezing zone and along the bottom thereof to a point near the ends of the structure which are welded together. In the top of the enclosure are one or more and preferably two holes 63. Collar 64 is welded with a small portion projecting thru these holes but the larger portion of the collar projects upwardly into the indentation 39 when the enclosure is assembled to the boiler. This collar 64 has interior screw threads forming a fastening means whereby the enclosure may be attached to the boiler. A washer 65 is preferably placed between the collars 4t and 64 and connecting member 66 having screw threads thereon to cooperate with the .screw threads on collar 64 constituting in combination therewith a fastening means for the boiler and enclosure. The connecting member 66 has a hollow and preferably hexagonal passage way cooperating with the central passage way of the collar 64 to provide means whereby the liquid refrigerant may descend into the manifold 56 and thence into the duct channels 61 of the enclosure.

aaoaiae The manifold 56 serves as an inlet to uniformly distribute liquid refrigerant thru the duct channels 61 and also as an outlet for permitting uniform exit of gaseous refrigerant from these channels which extend from the manifold and encircle the enclosure 11. The corrugated structure provides duct channels presenting a large heat absorbing surface that isfeasily cleaned and affords means for conveniently spot and roll welding the walls 50 and 51 of the enclosure and provides a very efficient distributing system for the liquid refrigerant about the top, sides and bottom wall of the enclosure 11 'and in the shelf 58.

The angle iron members 54 are welded to the plate 51 and are located on the inner wall of the compartment 60 and serve as ledges upon which the shelf may be supported when it is desired to insert two shallow ice trays into this compartment instead of the one deep tray as shown in the drawings. The ice trays have fronts 68 secured thereto and provided with handles. These tray fronts 68 preferably extend so close to one another that no additional dividing means is necessary between the trays on the front side of the freezing zone or enclosure l1. If desired aback 69 may be placed on the enclosure preferably by welding corner strips 10 to the rear comers of the enclosure l1 and by placing the bolts or other fastening means 71 thru the back and corner pieces. Thus the interior of the freezing 105 zone or the enclosure 11 is protected from the circulating air Within the cabinet which is normally at a relatively higher temperature than that within the enclosure.

The walls of freezing zone or enclosure 11 are coated with a vitreous enamel baked in a high temperature, preferably porcelain, and this constitutes a beautiful and easily cleaned surface for the enclosure. The tray fronts and shelves may be coated or covered also with vitreous enamel baked in a high temperature to correspond with the surface of the exterior or they may be instead covered with the same metal of high polishability that with which the boiler is plated.

1t will thus be observed that I have provided a very eicient evaporator which may be easily cleaned and which occupies a minimum amount of space in a refrigerator cabinet. It is also apparent that the individual refrigerant duct channels extending around the corners of the evaporator eliminates the danger of the sheet metal walls bulging under the pressure of the refrigerant in the corners at which point the metal is likely to be weakened by the bending operation. These individual duct channels prevent the refrigerant from applying pressure upon a large area of the sheet metal at the weakened corners thereby providing an evaporator of increased strength. Furthermore this construction provides an 135 evaporator in which substantially the entire cooling surfaces thereof are in intimate thermal contact with liquid refrigerant.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, 140 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. An evaporator comprising a sheet of metal, a 145 second sheet of metal separate from said rst named sheet of metal but cooperating therewith to provide a plurality of double walls of a freezing compartment, said separate sheets of metal being joined together at their corresponding ends and l50 edges and having portions thereof spaced apart to form refrigerant conveying duct means be- Itween said double walls, the inner of the sheets of metal of said doublewalls having oppositely disposed and inwardly extending reverse bent portions formed integral therewith, each' of said reverse bent portions forming refrigerant conveying duct means, the duct means formed by said reverse bent portions being separated from one another and each being in communication.

- tions cooperating with one another to provide a plurality of double walls of a freezing chamber, 'said cooperating sheet metal` portions being joined at their edges and having portions'thereof between their edges spaced apart to form refrigerant conveying duct means between said double walls, the inner of the cooperating sheet metal portions lof said double walls having oppositely disposed and inwardly extending reverse bent portions formed integral therewith, each of said reverse bent' portions forming refrigerant conveying duct means, the duct means formed by said reverse bent portions being sepa-L rated from one another and each being in communication with the first named duct means and extending horizontally a substantial distance inwardly of the walls ofthe freezing chamber, and said integral reverse bent portions cooperating with one another to bridge substantially the entire width of the freezing chamber to provide a refrigerated shelf within the chamber for supporting a receptacle to be cooled and to divide the

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