US2003492A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1935. H, REEVES 2,003,492

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 31, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l v NVENTOR BY Mi flww A TTORNEYS June 4, 1935. H, REEVES 2 ,003,492

REFRIGERAT I NG APPARATUS Original Filed July 31, 1933 S-Sheets-Sheet 2 a .4 .1 L4 4 u 55 J\ J; 1k 4k J\9l J I J I '1 M a so 1. I ,86 42 9o -54 7 E I 9z ll /9 1 l i 1 4L INVENTOR a 1 WWAV ATTORNEY;

June 4, 1935. D H, REEVE 2,003,492

REFRI GERATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 31, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 wwww A TTORNE Y3 Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,003,492 REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Application July 31, 1930, Serial No.'471,927 Renewed May 18, 1934 6 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to cooling units for household refrigerators.

Prior to applicants invention iceless refrigf erators have been built similar to the ice cooled refrigerators and in the majority of cases the cooling unit of the iceless refrigerator merely replaced the ice in the ice chamber of the ice cooled refrigerator. This construction is not economical in its use of space in the refrigerator cabinet and furthermore the ice freezing trays, which were situated within the cooling unit, were often in an undesirable position. Also many of the cooling units were of such a construction and in such a location that they were unattractive in appearance and hard to clean.

Consequently, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a cooling unit of a new and attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit which is easy to wash and keep clean.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit which will require a minimum amount of space within the refrigerator cabinet.

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 is a front view of one type of refrigerator with the door open showing applicants improved cooling unit;

Fig. 2 is a section through a portion of the refrigerator cabinet including the center of the ice freezing portion of the coolingunit and showing the box cooling portion in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment in its upper portion is shown. Within the food storage compartment is a cooling unit comprising a freezing chamber 2, which rests upon the bottom of the food storage compartment and which contains a plurality of ice trays l3 and a plate type heat absorbing member H which cools the food storage compartment and which preferably extends above one side of this unit and forms a partition between two sides of the food storage compartment. The plate type heat absorbing member I4 is connected at its lower end to the ice freezing chamber l2 and is suspended at its upper end by the brackets l5 which are bolted to the top of the food storage compartment of the refrigerator cabinet.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 for the details of construction, the chamber I2 is shown having a sleeve l6 which forms an inner 5 casing and has an outwardly turned flange H at its front end. This inner casing l6 has a rear wall [8 of sheet metal having a flange I9 around its edge which is fitted within, and welded to, the inner casing i6. Within the inner casing I6 10 are the shelves 20, 2|, and 22 which are made of sheet metal and which have their side edges turned up, as indicated by the reference characters 3|, 32, and 33, and welded to the side walls. The shelves 213, 2|, and 22 each have refrigerant passages 23, 24, and 25 therein, formed by the welding of sheet metal members 26, 21, and 28, which have serpentine depressions therein of the configuration shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, to the under surface of the shelves 20, 2|, and 22. The refrigerant passages of the shelves 2!! and 2| are connected by a refrigerant duct or tube 29 and the refrigerant passages 24 and 25 are connected by the refrigerant duct 30. In order to make the bottom of the assembled inner 25 casing approximately flat and to enable the assembled inner casing to be slipped into and withdrawn from the outer casing 40 which is described hereunder, the shelf 20 has its center portion bent upwardly, as shown at 34, so that the bottom of the sheet metal plate 26 will be raised above the side portions of the shelf 20 which form the supporting surface.

For covering the inner casing l6 and for preventing the air within the refrigerator from contacting therewith, an outer casing or shield is provided which covers the inner casing l6, as well as refrigerant ducts and valves which will be later described. The outer casing 40 has an in-turned flange 4| having gaskets 10 and H on 40 either side of it. The inner casing I6 is adapted to slide within the outer casing or shield 40 and its out-turned flange i'l rests against the gasket 10 in front of the flange 4| of the outer casing.

A rectangular supporting ring 12 rests against the gasket H in back of the flange 4| and has threaded holes therein for receiving the screws 42 which pass through and bind the flanges l1 and 4| to the supporting ring 12.

The front end of the freezing chamber is supported by the bracket 43 which is connected to, but insulated from, the supporting ring 12. The gasket 13 insulates the bracket 43 from the supporting ring I2. The bracket 43 rests on the bottom of the cabinet and is fastened thereon by a cap screw 44. The rear end of the inner casingplug has a conical recess in its end which cois supported by a pair of brackets 45 which are secured by bolts which pass through the flange I 9 of the rear wall I8. The inner casing I6 is insulated from the brackets 45 by the gaskets 83. The outer casing or shield 40 is supported at its rear end by the flange 84 which protrudes from the rear wall of the food storage compartment. The side flanges 85 maintain the rear end of the shield in proper lateral position. The shield is insulated from the flanges by the gasket 86.

Surrounding this outer casing, troughs 46 are provided in the bottom of the food storage compartment of the refrigerator for receiving condensed water vapor and moisture which may be deposited upon the outer casing 40 and which will, in that event, run down the sides of this casing. The trough 46 is deepened at its front end so as to provide a catch basin, as shown at 41, and provided with a drain pipe 48, which extends through the bottom of the food compartment,

' underneath which means may be provided for disposing of this water.

Within the rear portion of the casing 40 out of sight behind the rear wall I8 an automatic expansion valve 50 responsive to pressure of the expanded refrigerant may be positioned. Refrigerant is conveyed to the expansion valve from the refrigerant liquefying unit preferably in the compartment beneath the food storage compartment by a pipe 5|. The refrigerant liquefying unit may include a compressor driven by an electric motor. The compressor delivers compressed refrigerant to a condenser, and from thence the refrigerant is conveyed to the expansion valve. After passing through the expansion valve the refrigerant is conducted by the connection 52 to the refrigerant passages 23 in the lower shelf 20 in the inner casing l6 and after passing therethrough passes upward through the vertical tube 29, through the refrigerant passages 24 in the shelf 2|, upwardly through the vertical duct 30, and thence through the refrigerant passages 25 of the upper shelf 22. From the refrigerant passages 25 in the shelf 22, the refrigerant is conducted by the conduit 53 through the rear wall I8 of the inner casing I6 and through the top of the outer casing H to the rear connection 54 to the refrigerant passages in the heat absorbing, or box cooling, member I4. After passing through the refrigerant passages in the heat absorbing member l4 and the front connection 55, the refrigerant passes through the top of the outer casing 4| and is returned by means of the duct 56 to the compressor.

A thermostat is held by the-bracket III on the plate member l4 and has its lower end 92 projecting through the outer casing 46 to which lower end a tube 93 is connected to a snap switch or the like for controlling the operation of the motor which drives the compressor. The thermostat 90 controls the operation of the compressor and associated mechanism beneath in accordance with the temperature of the food storage compartment so that the proper amount of refrigerant is supplied to keep the food storage compartment at the temperature desired. a

The connection 55, as well as the connection 54, consists of a member I5 which has an aperture I6 having a portion of reduced diameter 11 adapted to fit into the opening I8 in the plate member I4 as shown in Fig. 3. The other end of this member I5 is adapted to detachably receive a screw plug I9 which has an aperture larger than the aperture 16 for receiving the tube 56. This operates with a conical boss within the member I5. The tube 56 passes through the screw plug I9 and has its projecting end flared out against the sides of the conical recess. When the screw plug I9 is screwed into the member I5 this flared end is held tightly between the conical recess in the plug I9 and the conical boss in the member 55. This makes a tight joint and together with a gasket 8 I, which is positioned between the member I5 and the shoulder on the screw plug I9, leakage of gaseous refrigerant is prevented. The plate member I4 and the connection 55 are insulated from the casing 46 by the gasket 82 between the member I5 and the outer casing 40 of the freezing compartment. The connection 54 is similarly insulated;

As stated before, the heat absorbing member is supported at both of the upper corners by the brackets I5 which are secured to the top of the food storage compartment by the screws 66 and which are secured to the member I4 by the bolts 6|. The heat absorbing member I4 consists of two sheet metal plates each having a serpentine depression therein similar in size and shape which are assembled together with their depressions adjacent each other and welded around the edges of the sheet metal members and also between the serpentine depressions within these members. If desired, the sheet metal members may be made exactly the same in order to render them interchangeable and to enable them to be made from a single set of dies. The front edge of the heat absorbing member I4 has a reinforcing strip 65, binding its edges thereby covering the welded joints, and having fastened thereto the hooks 66 which extend on both sides of the re-enforcing strip 65 for supporting the shelves 61 within the refrigerator cabinet. Hooks 68 are fastened into the walls of the refrigerator cabinet at suitable places and cooperate with the hooks 66 to support the shelves 67.

Since the ice freezing chamber is insulated from the plate type box cooling unit and the refrigerator cabinet by gaskets heretofore described and has an enclosed air space between the inner and outer casings, the temperature within the food storage compartment is not appreciably affected by the freezing of liquids as desired from time to time within the freezing chamber. Rapid freezing of liquids placed within the ice trays I3 takes place because the refrigerant first passes through the passages within the shelves upon which the ice trays I 3 rest' before it is conducted to the plate type box cooling member I4.

During idle periods of the compressor the temperature of the plate type cooling member I4 rises above freezing temperature, and at this time the condensed water vapor which is frozen or frosted thereon melts and runs down the sides of the member l4 as well as the shield 40, is collected in the catch basin 41, and is withdrawn through the drain connection 46. The freezing chamber, however, being insulated from the member I4, as well as the food storage compartment, retains its cold freezing temperature during the off cycle when the member I4 is automatically defrosted.

The heat absorbing or box cooling member I4 and the outer casing or shield 40 may be either coated with porcelain or enamel or plated with a suitable substance. Inasmuch as the only exposed portions of the cooling unit are the plate type box cooling member I4 and the outer casing or shield 40, all of which have broad flat surfaces,

the cooling unit may be easily cleaned. Since the shield 40 extends to the rear wall of the food storage compartment and abuts tightly thereagainst, the necessity for cleaning the rear por-, tion of the ice freezing chamber, which would be difficult, is obviated.

In medium and large size household refrigerators the cooling unit is placed so that the plate type box cooling member l4 serves as a center partition. In small household refrigerators the cooling unit is placed at the side of the refrigerator. It may also be used in commercial refrigerator cabinets.

While the several forms of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitute 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. In a cooling unit for refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a freezing chamber having an inner casing and a sheet metal shield enclosing said inner casing, refrigerant passages within said inner casing, refrigerant ducts for cooling the food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet extending above said shield and separated therefrom, and means connecting said refrigerant passages within said inner casing and said refrigerant ducts extending thereabove; said connecting means being insulated from said shield.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein, a freezing chamber comprising an inner casing having refrigerant passages therein supported upon the bottom of the food storage compartment and a sheet metal shield enclosing said inner casing, means including' a plate type cooling member extending vertically above said shield for keeping cool the food storage compartment, said cooling member having integral connections resting upon said shield, means between said shield and said inner casing for conducting refrigerant to said refrigerant passages within said inner casing, means within said shield for conducting refrigerant to said integral connections and means within said shield for conducting refrigerant from said integral connections.

3. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein, a plate type cooling member suspended from the top of the food storage compartment, a sheet metal freezing chamber supported upon the bottom of said food storage compartment, said freezing chamber having an opening therein adapted to detachably receive a portion of said cooling member, means within the freezing chamber for conducting refrigerant to the cooling member, and means within the freezing chamber for conducting refrigerant from said cooling member, both of said means being detachably connected with said cooling member to 5. Refrigerating apparatus including a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein and a cooling unit having a plurality of ice tray shelves in superposed relation supported upon, but insulated from, the bottom of the food storage compartment, said ice tray shelves having refrigerant passages therein, an inner sheet metal casing enclosing said ice tray shelves, an expansion valve positioned to the rear of said ice tray shelves, a conduit connecting the expansion valve and a refrigerant passage in one of the ice tray shelves, conduits between the shelves for conducting the refrigerant from one shelf to another, a plate type cooling member having refrigerant passages therein extending vertically above the ice tray shelves, said plate type cooling member having connection projections extending downwardly, a conduit connecting the refrigerant passage in one of the shelves with one of said connecting projections so that refrigerant after passing through the shelves will then pass through the plate member outer casing surrounding said inner casing but spaced therefrom, and extending to the rear wall of the food storage compartment, said outer casing enclosing said expansion valve and the connecting refrigerant conduits, said projections of said plate member resting upon the top of the outer casing, a return conduit extending within the outer casing and connecting with one of the projections of said plate member.

6. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerator cabinet having an insulated chamber therein, an evaporator supported within said chamber for cooling same, said evaporator being spaced from the vertical side walls of the chamber and dividing said chamber into a plurality of food storage compartments, said evaporator also being spaced from a horizontal wall of said chamber to provide communication between said compartments whereby the temperatures thereof are substantially equalized, the bottom of said insulated chamber having means beneath said evaporator for receiving condensed water vapor, and a drain conduit extending through the bottom wall of said insulated chamber for removing water received in said means therefrom.

DONALD H. REEVES.

Images