US2131587A

US2131587A - Refrigerator display case

Info

Publication number: US2131587A
Application number: US752486A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter A Ellsworth; Swedman Enoch
Original assignee: Seeger Refrigerator Co
Current assignee: Seeger Refrigerator Co
Priority date: 1934-11-10
Filing date: 1934-11-10
Publication date: 1938-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1955-09-27

Description

Sept. 27, 1938. w. A. ELLswoRTH ET AL REFRIGERATOR DI SPLAY CASE 5 Sheets--She/rl l Filed NOV. l0, 1954 Sept. 27, 1938. w. A. ELLswoRTH Er Al. 2,131,587

REFRIGERATOR DISPLAY CASE FiledNov. ll0, v1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4Q (H 575,9 i9 535 y y Sept. 27, 1938. w. A. ELLswoRTl-l ET AL 2,131,587

REFRIGERATOR DISPLAY CASE Filed Nov. 10, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 www Patented Sept. 27, A1938 REFRIGERATOR DISPLAY-CASE e Company,y St. Paul, Minnesota Minn.,V acorporation of Application November-1o, 1934, serial No. 752,486..

7 Claims.

This is a refrigerator shoW case Whereinan illuminated means which is sealedfrom the inside and outside of the case is provided, to illuminate the contents o-f the case whenV it 'is desired.

A feature resides in rproviding an illuminating means built into the rrefrigerator case orcabinet and wherein the heat from the illuminating means is insulated from the refrigerator chamber of the cabinet to prevent the light from raising or influencing the temperature in the'refrigerating case.

A further feature resides in providing a means of dissipating the heatk from the illuminating means Without Ventilating. openings, from .the light Well, to the outer atmosphere. The illuminating means is sealed in the light vWell andfis kept clean and free of dust or foreign matter which might otherwise be inclined tofcollectin the light Well and on the illuminating means.

This is an'important feature in that it overcomes the disadvantages found in prior refrigerator constructions where'the illuminating means Wasbuilt into the refrigeratoricabinet and-where ventilating openings have been provided to permit .the heat to be carried out of theflightwell.

The invention further provides ameansf-of ac- Cess to the -light Well 'so that the electric lights used therein may bereplaced whenfdesired. This accessible means tothe light well may lie-through the--insidey -of c the refrigerator chamber of `the showcase, .or it maybefrom the outside, sothat .whenever itis desired;r newelectric dightsmay be put inwplace. W-h'en ytheflightfvvell -isfclosedg howeverfthelights are sealedfrom the inner :refrigerating chamber ofthe-show case and the outer atmosphere.

It is also-a feature --to provideanzinsulation `of a `transparentnatureon .the'insideffof' .-the light Well so that the. lightfrom the electric lights,- in thesame Will. shine ,into the. refrigerator .chamber.. This.insulatingmeansvisof a certain character so .as to prevent any. of the heat generated by thefelectric lights` in theY light Well from entering the refrigerating. chamber. The inner v or upper end -of Vthe YWell Yis. direot1y connected .to

a the outer metal casing of the refrigerator cabinet,

WhileY the inner shellof thelightwellis made of arheat conducting metalgsuch'as copperor .other similar4 material, so as todissipate the heat generated by ,the lights vin the light Wellgto the outer casing of the refrigerator. Then the casing ofthe refrigerator acts as a radiator, disposingof.. the heat by radiating it away from the light. Well. YIn this marinera virtually hermeticallyV sealed light Well may bek providedwhich isa material advantage over fth'ezold yforms:whichz have ybeen-used: to I' Figure 4 isanenlargedv longitudinal sectionnon the lines 4-4 of Figure.

Figure 5 isa transverse:enlargedsectional:detail l of f another formof attaching vthelight: well and giving accessfto thefsame.

Figure 6 .is a 'longitudinal section `on :the lines 6-6 of Figure 5.

The drawings illustrate-our refrigerator show caseA Which'is designeditov-provide-iacmeans of displaying .perishablegoodssuchv as meatsfvegetables, `fruits,` andl other similarr foods, fWhe-reeit is desirable to keep the same under refrigeration and v at the Sametime.' display fthe goods :to nfthefcuse tomers.. The refrigerator-A has aflarge showwvin= dow y-I 0 inz-the .ffrontof. the same. :s This fwindow vis made `of .severalispaced' apart paneswfof glass ieI I which. have-.dead air; spacesrl 2..:between ftheA same so vas. to thoroughly z insulate .z the `refrigerator chamber ..B- .Within .the cabinet 1`Af-fromathe. -outer atmosphere. The Window I0imayzbe=ofanyrsuitable size .in .accordanceWi-ththe design fand' constructionf of.- therefrigeratoricabinet A.-

.Access tothe. refrigerator-'chamber B fisfzmade t through the sliding .doorsfC fat thevbackiof-the refrigerator show.v case A.-. The r:doors C have Windows I.3..th'erein so,.that. the'y contentsrofith refrigerator chamber .Br is :also-visible :fromfthe loick ofthe refrigerator throughthe door windows The refrigerator: A tis -providedwith two" top rails I 4 and I5. .which are spaced apart and provide the longitudinally?extending? insulatingitop rail portion for. vthe.freirigerator:cabinet .Be tween these -rails .the desired forn'rof .insulating material .is provided .fto'form .the toprfshelfa!! of tthe refrigerator A.v

At intervals betweenxthe rails Hiand lslight wellsare providedbyfleaving out the insulating material betweentherails Ital-1d. I 5I for a distance as. illustratedinFigures 4 and 6to-give the (de.- sired .length4 to `the light well D.. Several @ofy ithese lightwel-ls may .beformed in'L thetop .gframefof the refrigerator cabinet A, and` in the construction of the same illustrated in Figure 1 I have shown two of the light wells D. The light wells D are adapted to inclose the electric lights E within the light chamber I6.

Suitable light reflectors I'I are mounted upon the bracket I8 which is adapted to secure the light reflecting shield I'I directly to the light well hood I9. The hood I9 is made of suitable metal, such as copper or other metal being of a good heat conducting character, so that the heat from the lights E which is carried on through the bracket and dissipated to the reflector I'I may be picked up by the hood I9.` The hood I9 is formed with depending flanges 29 on the sides of the same, which extend down on all sides of the reflector I'I and which are spaced therefrom to provide the air space 2I between the same, The depending flanges 20 of the heat collecting hood I9, which are made of copper or similar heat conducting material, are also spaced from the sides 22 of the light well D so as to form the air space 23 about the flanges 20 of the hood I9, thereby providing an air space about the same.

The heat collecting hood I9 is formed with a marginal top viiange 25 which projects about the same and is adapted to form a comparatively wide metallic contact or heat conducting contact with the metal outer sheathing 26 of the refrigerator case, which extends over the outside of the top of the refrigerator A. In this form of the constructiomthe heat collecting hood I9 is secured in place by bearing strips 2I upon which the outer enamelled sheathing 28 rests. Suitable screws 29 hold the bearing strips 2l in intimate contact with the ange 25 to press the same tightly against the edge of the outer sheathing 26, thereby making a substantial contact which will readily carry the heat from the hood I9 to the sheathing 26.

The bracket I 8 extends through the light shield I 'I and the hood I 9 and is secured in place by the lock nuts 30. The electric wires 3| for the lights E extend out through the bracket I8. The upper 'end of the hood I9 is adapted to be covered by an outer cover 32 held by the screws 33 to the enamelled casing 28. The cover 32 may be enamelled in the same manner as the casing`28 and may be formed with Ventilating openings 34 therein, if it is desired, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. In the form illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the cover 32 is not Yprovided with the ventilating openings 34.

The light well D is closed on the inside by the window 35 which is made up of the hard rubber frame 36 having an attaching flange 31 which holds the frame 36 by the screws 38 in place to close the lower or inner end of the light well D. The window 35 is composed of a series of transparent window panes 39 which are held spaced apart in the frame 36 to provide the dead air spaces 40, thereby thoroughly insulating the light well from the refrigerating chamber B.

In Figures 3 and 4 of the refrigerator A, the lights E' may be changed when it is desired, by removing the frame 36 by loosening the screws 38. Thus whenever it is desired to replace the lights E in this form of the refrigerator A, the frame 36 is removed from the inside of the chamber B. In this form of the light well D, a wide bearing flange 25 dissipates the heat from the light well D to the outer casing'26. The casing 26 is of metal or other heat conducting material and is adapted to carry the heat along the top of the refrigerator on the outside of the same.

This outer casing 26 which is preferably of metal, is adapted to be covered by the outer enamelled casing 28 which is held spaced away from the metal covering 26, and thus the heat from the lights E may be carried to the outer metal covering and dissipated into the outer atmosphere. The heavy window insulating means 35 on the inside of the light well D, prevents any of the heat from the lights E entering the refrigerating chamber B'. The lights E are sealed in the light well Dv and are thus kept clean practically as long as the lights will last, thereby giving a good, clear,

clean light into the refrigerator compartment B.

In the construction illustrated in Figures and 6, the heat deflecting hood, together with the light reflector, is removably secured by means of the screws 42. The screws 42 hold the flange 25 of the heat deilector hood I9 in intimate contact with the metal sheathing 26, so that any heat gathered by the hood I9 is conducted out from the same into the metal sheathing 29 which extends longitudinally along over the beams` I4 and I5. In this construction, the cover 32 is removable so that they heat deflecting hood I9 maybe removed to permit new electric lights E to be placed in the supporting bracket I8. This gives easy access to the lights E when it is desired to change the same. In this construction, the window 35 remains fixed in position to close the inner end of the light well D.

The window 35, made up of the multiplicity of panes 39 provides a very efficient insulating means to prevent any heat from the light well entering the compartment B. This is more essential where the light well is sealed from the outer atmosphere, otherwise the heat might penetrate into the refrigerating compartment B. lThe light supporting bracket I8 is made of a hollow tubular nature and is adapted to provide inlet and outlet means for the electric wires 3|- and also provides a radiating means to carry off some of the heat from the lights E to the outer atmosphere. 'I'his hollow bracket I8, however, is sealed by the lock nuts 39 from the inner chamber of the light well so that no dust or dirt can be directed into the same through the bracket I8. The hollow and metal nature of the bracket I8 provides an additional means of radiating the heat out of the light well D.l

The sealed lighting means for refrigerator show cases is also more desirable because itpermits the greatest efficiency to be obtained from the lighting means. No dust or dirt can enter the light Welland settle upon the glass which is between the light well and the refrigerator'compartment, like in the old forms of show case refrigerators where a light well with a Ventilating opening to the outer atmosphere was provided. Neither can any foreign matter, gnats or bugs enter the light well and interfere with the passage of light from the light well to the refrigerator compartment in our hermetically sealed light well.

1. The combination of, an insulating frame adapted to provide a refrigerator show case, a

refrigerator compartment within said showcase, a shoW Window, a heat radiating covering on said insulating frame, a light well in said frame sealed from the atmosphere, a heat collecting means in said light well adapted to support electric lights therein, and means connecting said heat collecting means to said outer heat radiating covering to provide a radiating means for radiating the heat away from said light Well.

2. The combination, a display refrigerator case, an insulating body adapted to form said case, a display window, an outer metal sheathing for said body, light Well means formed in said body, electric lights positioned in said light well, an insulating window sealing said light well on the inside toward the refrigerating compartment of said show case, and means for collecting and radiating the heat from the electric lights in said light well means to the outer metal sheathing of said case, said heat collecting means closing said light well means to the outer atmosphere.

3. The combination, a refrigerator show case having an insulated body, an insulated display window adapted to insulate the refrigerator compartment on the inside of said case from the outer atmosphere and providing a transparent window to display the contents of said case, a light well formed in said body having an insulated Window to direct light into the refrigerating compartment of said case and having a nature to insulate the light well from the refrigerator compartment, a heat conductor hood of copper or the like, a light reflector mounted in said hood, electric lights mounted in said reflector, a bracket for supporting said lights having a hollow nature and extending through said reflector and said heat radiating hood, said heat radiating hood closing said light well to the outer atmosphere, and means connected with said heat radiating hood to provide an outer additional heat radiating means adapted to carry away the heat from the electric lights in said reflector to the outer atmosphere while said light well is hermetically sealed.

4. A light well for a refrigerator including, a light reflecting member, means for mounting electric light means in said reflector, an air space about said reflector, a heat radiating hood spaced from and extending about said reflector, an insulating, transparent window at the open side of said reflector and said heat radiating hood, iiange means for supporting said heat radiating hood to hold the same spaced from the side Walls of said light well to provide an air space thereabout, and

means for clamping said flange means to the outer heat radiating surface of said case, whereby heat from the light well is radiated to the outer atmosphere with said light well hermetically sealed.

5. The combination, a refrigerator body having an insulating character, a light well hermetically sealed from the atmosphere formed in said body having electric lights therein, a light reflector, an air space about said reflector, a heat radiating and heat collecting hood spaced from and extending about said reflector, means for spacing said heat radiatinghood from the inner Walls of said light well, an insulating transparent window on one side of said light well to transmit'light from the electric lights to the refrigerating compartment of said refrigerator case, and means for holding said Window removable to give access to the electric lights in said Well.

6. A light well for a refrigerator display case orv the like, including, a hermetically sealed light Well, electric light means in said light Well, light reflector means, means insulating said light well by a transparent window to direct light to the refrigerating comparment, means connecting said light well to the refrigerator outer surface for radiating heat from said light well to the outer atmosphere along the surface of the display case, and guard means over the outer portion of said light Well to conduct heat away from the light Well.

7. A light well for a refrigerator including, an insulating Window having dead air spaces therein and adapted to permit light to be projected into the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator, a light reflector hood, and a heat collecting and radiating hood connected together and spaced apart to provide air spaces therebetween and adapted to close one side of the light Well, and means contacting with said heat collector and radiating hood to provide a conducting contact outside of the refrigerator to radiate heat away from said hood which is shut up in said light well.

WALTER A. ELLSWORTH. ENOCH SWEDMAN. f