US2150064A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1939.

9 R. JOHN ET AL REFRIGERATOR Filed Feb.l a, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mental Maut- 19616l leli'prE-'tl'rJ OFFICE 2,150,064 q aEFaIGEnATon Bobex-6 John, New Yori, N. Y., and Edmund n.. Boots, Short Hills, N. J.; said John asaignor n sala B066;

Application February s, 1933,' semi No. 655,836

` s claims. ',(ci ez-ss) This invention relates tothe art of refrigera- Ition and has particular reference to refrigerators of the domestic type in which the temperature reduction of the food compartment is effected by mechanical means. It is well known that a domestic refrigerator is opened very frequently :during the day which permits the entrance of warm air to-the confines of the cabinet which considerably lowers the efficiency of the rem frigerator.

An object of the invention is to provide a suitable storage placefor'certain articlesot-food which do not require extreme cold for their preservation, said secondary vstorage compartment being separate from theprimary food compartment, and-to lprovide separate means of- I reading of the following description in conjunction with the drawings attached hereto andformy ing a part hereof in which:

Figure 1 isa perspective view. Figure 2 represents a fragmentary horizontal section.

Figure 3 is 'a vertical section of the inner door.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the hinge structure. i

Figure 5 is aneniarged fragmentary section of the latch mechanism.

Figure 6 is adetail view thereof.

Figure 7 is a'separate detail view. v

Figures 8 and 9 are detail views of an attachment which may be employed for preventing the outside air from entering, therefrigerator when the auxiliary door is open. l

Referring now 'tothe drawings wherein like reference characters A represent corresponding parts, numeral I designates a cabinet of any de- .50 sirable kind having an evaporator 2 at any convenient piace therein. 3 4is the primary door hinged, as at l, which is formed to define an auxiliary food` compartment 5 which may have shelves B` positioned therein. 'Ihis primary door is adapted to receive and retain objects which do not require extreme cold for their preservation but which `do require freuent use by a housewife. y The inner wall of the door which is represented by the referencenumeral 1 is provided with means for permitting the circulation of cold air therethrough -which means may take the form ofy a series ofY apertures 8 positioned at the top and bottom thereof and extending inwardly into the confines of the primary food compartment 9. When the primary .door is closedas shown in Figure 2, the air may circulate upwardly through the door food compartment 5, and if desired, we may place apertures I0 in the food shelves 6. The primary door is provided with sealing means II for engaging the frontl'wall ofthe refrigerator cabinet, as at I2. In order that the Wall 1 of the primary door-mayserve as an insulator we coat the same with metallic foil or. use a bright plating of any suitable metal, said foil or said metal having a high refractive power and indicated by 20 reference numeral I 3.

A supplemental door for closing the auxiliary compartment, aforesaid, is provided and is indicated generally by reference numeral I4.- Bothv doors are hinged to the same pintle as shown in Figure 4. 'Ihis supplemental door I4 is lined on the inside with insulating material such as paper or cork I5 and is provided with an intermediate sheeting of bright metallic foil I6 of high refractive power. The supplemental door also is pro- 30 vided with a rubber sealing strip I1 which fits into tight abutting relationship with the flange I9 of the inner primary door 1. Wehave provided a single latch actuating means'whereby a move- `ment 'in one direction will release the supple- 35 mental door I4 whereby access may be had to the food compartment in the door without necessitating the opening of the primary door which means when turned in a different direction actus ates the latch for the primary door so that both /4 the primary and secondary doors move outwardly as a unit to permit access to the main storage compartment.

'I'he latch mechanism comprises a keeper 23 secured to the wall I2 of the cabinet. A spring 45` 'rhe 50.

shaft 2l is provided with a rapid pitch thread 29 which engages a similarly pitched internal thread orfthe handleshaft 30. The handle I0 is connected to the supplemental door Il so that it may rotate with respect to this door.

With both doors in their closed positions the threaded connection between the shaft 25. and the handle 30 retains the supplemental door I4 in its closed position. I'he bolt 24 retains the primary door in its closed position. To open the supplemental door, the handle I0 is rotated to the right or clockwise to disconnect the threaded Joint between the handle and the shaft 2l. When the handle 30 is rotated clockwise the pawl 28 engaging the notch 21 prevents clockwise rotation of the shaft 25. With the handle 30 and shaft 25 connected, the bolt 24 may be retracted by rotation of the handle 30 in a counter-clockwise direction. t

It is obvious thatthe space between the inner wall of the primary door and the supplemental door Il, aforesaid, is of sumcient depth to accommodate bottles of milk, packages of butter, bacon and the like and that the holes or apertures l, herein referred to, are suillcient to permit cold air-, l set up by the evaporator, to-enter the compartment within the door at the top thereof to displace warmer air downwardly and outwardly in the main food compartment of thev 'I'here is thus a,K circulation of air 4which necessitates an, increase of refrigerative such as butter, milk, eggs, bacon, etc., bringY about, by far. the greatest percentage of door openings. Such articles donot require extreme cold for their preservation and it is proposed under our invention to store them in the intramural space of our improved door. Such articles may be inserted and removed without .opening the complete double door of the refrigerator whereby the energy required to keep the main food compartment at thedesirable temperature is materially lessened; further such articles as are stored inv said intra-murall space are conveniently displayed on their shelves, in full sight when the outer door is opened therebyl addin'g to the convenience of the refrigerator from the l users standpoint. Further by providing insulating means as described we actually increase the storage space of a refrigerator equipped with our improved door without reducing the effectiveness of the insulation.

Further it will be Aunderstood'that instead of using apertures 8 inthe shell'of the primary door, slots or other lforms of communication may be provided for permitting the circulation of cold air into the door compartment from the' main cabinet compartment. Moreover, if desired, means may be provided for closing oif the apertures to prevent circulation of air throughthe compartment formed in the main door when the secondary door is opened thereby to prevent warm air from rushing into the door compartment and from thence into the refrigerator cabinet. Such A means are roughly illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 and comprise shutter coveringsv 2l mounted von the main door and adapted to close the apertures By our invention the supplel 2| when the supplemental door i4 is opened independently of the main door. A spring may be provided for normally urging the shutters into their closed positions as shown in Figure- 9. When, however, the supplemental door is closed, as shown in Figure 8, the same engages the iinger 22 and swings the hinge shutter 20 to the positon shown in Figure 8 whereby air is permitted to circulate in the manner above described. -1

Various changes may be made without departinstance, about two-thirds of the way across the y door and in staggered relation may be employed to take careI of ventilation. Thus it would allow for the shelf means to extend the full depth of the door, which isquite desirable. yOur claims,

may be physically expressed in various structural environments.

We claim:

1. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a front opening formed therein anda door hinged to the cabinet for closing said opening, said door having an inner wall located within said cabinet and outwardly extending end walls defining an open-faced. auxiliary food compartment. means for cooling said compartment and panel means for closing the'same from the outside, said last-named means being hingedly supported and common latching mechanism adapted to release either the panel or the door.

- 2. In arefrigerator, a cabinet having a back and side walls with an opening in the front Wall,

a. door hinged to the cabinet for closing said opening, said door being shaped to provide an auxil- -iary food compartment and extending'substantially into the .cabinet through said opening, a panel adapted to be opened from the outside to expose said auxiliary food compartment, said panel and door being hinged on a common axis and latching means permitting either the panel erable to permit the door and the auxiliary food compartment to simultaneously move when access to the cabinet is desired.

4. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet provided with cold-producing means situated therein which causes a. circulation of air therein, a movable door, an auxiliary food compartment associated therewith, so constructed and arranged as to be affected by the circulation of air within the cabinet, control instrumentalities operable from the outside of the door for flxedly securing the auxiliary food compartment to the cabinet whereby the door may be opened to permit access to the food compartment'from the outvside'of the cabinet, said control instrumen-talities Aturbing the fixed relationship. of the auxiliaryfood compartment relative to the cabinet or opbeing also operable to release the ilxed position of the auxiliary food compartment with respect to the cabinet whereby the door and auxiliary food compartment may be both moved when access to the interior of the cabinet is desired.

5. A domestic refrigerator comprising"a cabinet provided with cold-producing means for causing a circulation of air therein, said cabinet having an opening in one of its walls and a movable door tor saidA opening, an auxiliary food compartment associated with the door. for maintaining theauxiliary food compartment in a fixed position relative to the cabinet when the door is opened whereby access to the food compartment can be obtained from the outside of f the auxiliary food compartment in nxed relation with respect to the cabinet whereby the door may be opened to expose the auxiliary food com ment without disturbing its closed position, said latching means being operable to release the auxiliary food compartment and to permit it to be opened when access to the cabinet is desired.

securing means frame, pivoted closureV means '1. In a refrigerator, the combination, with a casing having a cooling compartment and provided with an opening in one wall forming the entrance to said compartment, of an auxiliary compartment structure swinginsly mounted for movement into or out ot said opening, said structure comprising a frame denning a cooling space normally in communication with said compartment, an outer door movable with respect to said frame, pivoted closure means movable into .one position to establish such communication and into another position to interrupt the same. means urging the closure means to the second named position and means operated by the closing 4of said door i'or moving the closure means to the ilrst position.

8. In a refrigerator, the combination. with a casing having a cooling compax'tl'nentI and provided with an opening in one wall forming the entrance to said compartment, ot au auxiliary compartment structure swinsinly mounted for movement into or 'out of said opening, said structure comprising a frame denning a cooling space normally in communication with said compartment, an outer door movable with respect to said movable into one position to establish such communication and into another position to interrupt the same, and means operated by the closing of said door for moving the closure means to the nrst position.

ROBERT JOHN'. EDHUND. R. BOOTS.

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