US2285701A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

REFRGERATO R 4. nu u n.

. ATTORNEYS.

me 9i, 1942e c. R. DIQLJVE ETAL,

Filed Aug. 2, 1939 Patented June 9, 1942 UNITED j STATES.- Y,PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOB Charles R. DOlive and Roland Bl. Money, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Crosley Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 2, 1939, Serial No. 298,002

(ci. esa- 116) y 7 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to two-temperature'refrigerators wherein a certain portion of the space within the refrigerator is maintained at a consider ably lower temperature than the other portion of the space within the refrigerator.

There has been considerable development in various types of refrigerators wherein a cold com- .partment is chilled by the direct expansion 'of refrigerant gas in an evaporator associated with the cold compartment and wherein a secondary system is established from the'v evaporator to another portion of the refrigerator wherein evap-v orating coils are positioned so that thespace a minimum of effort, and which will an the same nation and-arrangement of parts of which'we have shown a preferred example.

Referring'to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator` illustrating our invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the refrigerator shown inl Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2 of Figure. 1..

Ordinarily the refrigerating system having its evaporator in a casing. insulated from the main body of the refrigerator is called the primary system. The secondary system has its evaporator exposed within the refrigeratorproper with its condenser element in thermal contact with the evaporator ofthe primary system, and it will be understood that this secondary system is normallyarranged for unthrottled cycling under the sole influence of theheat of liquid refrigerant therein. Thus the secondary system is maintained in operation by the condensation of the refrigerant gases by means of the a-bstraotion of heat therefrom' by the evaporator of the primary system.

Such an application is described in the Money and Craig application, Serial No. 284,676 filed July 15, 1939, and it is toward improvements in the construction of such refrigerators that the invention `set forth herein is directed.

It is an object of our invention to provide an evaporator extending medially down through the middle of the refrigerator casing sothat there will be an equal distribution of Acooling effect on both sides of the partition and so that the bottom coil or header of the evaporator will extend down below the main body of the refrigerator and chill' compartments in the lower end of the box which are maintained as moist compartments. Y

It is a further object of our invention in connection with such an extension of the secondary coil or evaporator of the refrigerator' to provide a drip pan which will catch the water condensed Figure 3 is a perspective'detail view showing a preferred manner of mounting the shelves within the main body of the refrigerator.

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary view of the bottom shelf which subdivides the main body of the refrigerator from the moist compartments located in the bottom of the box.

' Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of 'la 111g fOr Supporting a hinged .shelf such as is shown in the combination illustrated.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a back wall supporting lug. The refrigeratorillustrated comprises a casing.r

I having a front opening 2 with a hinged doorv 3 arranged to close the front opening.

An insulated panel 4 extends out from the back wall forming a cold compartment 5 in the on the surface of the lower end of the evapora-A j tor without flooding the box.

It is a further object of our invention to pro- A top part of the box for the primary refrigerating system and its evaporator.-

The cold compartment is closed by means of an insulated door 6 mounted on av horizontal hinge 1 and with chains 8 for limiting the downward movement of the insulated door 6.

The primary refrigerating systemin the embodiment of the invention illustrated has a compressor 9 located inthe bottom of the refrigerator, the compressor and assembly being mounted on a shelf HL Compressed gas passes through the conduit Il to a condenser of suitable type which may be mounted at the rear of the casing I as indicated in Fig. 2,- and thence to the evaporator I2 which is supported on brackets I3. The suction line to the compressor is illustrated at Il.

The cold -chamber evaporator has a shelf-like construction which makes it possible to place aluminum ice cube trays inmetal-to-metal contact with the walls of the evaporator. Belowthe shelf-like'extension of the evaporator there is a chamber within which ice cream may be frozen or otherA frozen foods or confections prepared. The details of the various elements vof the refrigerating system are not given as they form no particular part of this invention.

The main body of the refrigerator in which foods to be maintained at a normal temperature slightly' above freezing is indicated at I4, the

space being subdivided and made accessible for storage of various articles 'by shelving which will be subsequently described.

A discharge forthe secondary refrigerating system evaporator is indicated at I5, the refrigerant fluid passing to the conduit I5 from a header I8 of a secondary condenser disposed in thermal contact with the primary evaporator I2 as described and claimed in the copending application of Money and Craig above referred to. The secondary system evaporator consists of two metal plateswelded together and having cavities arranged between the plates to permit the ow of the refrigerant gases. Referring to Figure 2, a bottom header II is formed into which the refrigerant fluid passes from the conduit I5.

'Ihe refrigerant fluid expands up through the recessed portions I8 to the top' header recess I9 from which a conduit 20 returns to the primary evaporator through the header 2I in the secondary condenser. y

As illustrated,` the medially upright evaporator forming the cold producing means/'for the sec'- ondary cooling system subdivides the main sterage ,portion of the refrigerator into two compartments.

Referring to the detailed drawing in Figure 3,

v we have shown wall brackets 22 which preferably' areof hard rubber or Bakelite and which have grooves 23 therein into which the end bars 24 f shelf assemblies are housed.

The shelf assembly illustrated in Figure 3 has a stop 25 which abuts against a latch 26 when the shelf assembly is withdrawn from its normal position in the box. The stop 25 prevents the shelf from being drawn clear out of the box, and is a convenient arrangement when it is desired to clean the various parts of the box. If it is desi-red to completely remove the shelf assembly,

' the latch 26 is elevated which permits the stop bar 251:0 pass underneath the latch. Inthis position of adjustment the shelf assembly may be completely withdrawn from the box.'

' Arranged along land riveted or bolted to the secondary evaporator walls we have shown the brackets 22a which serve the samepurpose as the brackets 22 excepting that they provide the supportsfor the inner bars of the upper shelf assembly.

Below the slidable shelf assembly illustrated in Figure 3 we have shown hinged shelf-like members 21 having end .bars 28 which pass through openings 23 in .the bracket lugs 30. These lugs are secured to the outer side walls of the box and along the medially arranged secondary evaporator. As illustrated in Figure 1 these shelves may be swung upwardly to provide ,spaces for taller articles than will be received betweenthe shelves, such as milk bottles or soft drink bottles.

At the bottom of the refrigerator the lugs 22b'are arranged to support slidable glass panels 3l which insulate the bottom compartments 32 within which we have shown pans 33 which provide moist compartments.

It will be observed that the lugs 22a and 22h arranged along the refrigerator walls and the secondary evaporator casing together with theA glass plates 3| insulate the chambers 32 from the refrigerator proper.

I'hese moist compartments are provided with foodstorage baskets 24 having handles 35by which the baskets may be withdrawn from the refrigerator.

The lower end of the medially arranged secondary evaporator 36 forms a little independent refrigerating system in the lower compartment. When moisture condenses on the lower end 36 -of the medially arranged secondary evaporator,

a pan 31 is provided to catch the drip.

The glass panels 3l which insulate the moist compartments in the base of the refrigerator have stops 38 which abut against latches 26a of the lugs 22a and 22h,- and which may be elevated to permit the glass panels to be 'withdrawn for cleaning. f

In the case of the intermediate shelves 21 which are pivoted at the sides to swing upwardly, we have shown brackets 39 formed of Bakelite or-hard rubber which` support the inner ends of the shelves. when they are lowered to receiving position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.In a refrigerator having a primary refrgeration system including an evaporator, an insulated compartment in which said evaporator is located, aclosed secondary system4 including a condenser arranged in thermal contact with the primary system evaporator, and an evaporator located in the main compartment within4 the refrigerator lnitride of said insulated compartment, said evaporator forming a vertically extending medial wall in said main compartment, and having a lower end extending beyond said main compartment and insulated therefrom, and moist compartments arranged alongside of said extension of said evaporator.

2. InV a two-temperature refrigerator havingY an insulated freezing compartment which contains an evaporator of a primary refrigeration system, a closed secondary system which contains an evaporator which extends beyond the tem evaporator having its lower end extending freezing compartment medially down the refrigerator subdividing the refrigeratorinto two rcold compartments, and -a moist compartment below said two cold compartments, said secondary sysj ment into two compartments.

4.4In a two-temperature refrigerator having l an insulated freezing compartment which contains --an evaporator of a primary refrigeration system, a clo'd secondary system'which contains an evaporator which extends beyond the freezing compartment medially down the refrigerator subdividing the refrigerator into `two cold compartments, and a moist compartment below said two cold compartments. said secondary system evaporator having its lower end extending down into the space occupied'by said moist com-L partment, and panels of non-conducting 'matel rial arrangedhorizontally between said secondary system evaporator-and the side walls of the refrigerator, therebyinsulating said moist compartment.

5. In -a two-temperature refrigerator, a primary system having an1evaporator and a condenser, a-secondary" system comprising a condenser in heatexchange relationship with the evaporator 'o'f the primarysystem and also com--A vprising -an evaporatorextending vertically with-4 in the interior oi the refrigerator, and shelves of:

insulating material Qsecuredbetween said secat a point somewhat above the lowermost portion of' said, evaporator' whereby there -is Vformed in the lower part of the refrigerator a pairof moist compartments from which heat is extracted only .portion of said secondary evaporaton. f v

- In a two-temperature refrigerator, a primary system having an evaporator and a condenser, a secondary system comprising a ,con-

denser in heat exchange relationship with the' ondary evaporator andthe side walls of the reary evaporator and the side Walls of the refrig frigerator at a point only slightly abovethe lowis formed vin. the lower part of the refrigerator a substantially independent moist compartment portion of said secondary evaporator.

l ermost portion of said evaporator whereby 'there `from which heat is -extracted only by the lower v portion of' said secondary evaporator,- and means Y disposed below said secondary evaporatorforcatching .the drip therefrom and serving to maintain humidconditionswithi s'aid c'ompart ment.'

evaporator of the primary system and also'comprising an evaporator extending vertically within the interior of the refrigerator, shelves of insulating material secured between said'seconderatorat a point 'somewhat above the lowermo'st portion of said 4evaporator whereby there is formed in-the lower part .oft the refrigerator a substantially independent moist compartment from which heat is extracted onlyby the lower "'CHARLESR. DoLIv'E'.

ROLAND H. MONEY.

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