US2408582A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

Oct. l, 1946.

H. E. RosEBRoYoK ET'AL 2,408,582

REFRIGERATOR f Filed Nov. 5, 1942 z'sheets-sheet 2l Patented Oct. 1, 1946 REFRIGERATQR;

Homer Rosebrook andA Herschel, Powell,4

Grreenville, Mich., assignoisbymesne assign-j ments,Y to, Gibson Refrigerator Company, Greenville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan yApplication November 5, 1942,ser`i1'N0.,4e4,6o8

1o'oiaims'. (c1. '62;103)

This invention relates particularly to the provision of separatefreezing and chilling and cooling compartments within the storage chamber.

As is well known, different temperature and humidity conditions are required for the proper preservation of the Various foodstuffs and other articles commonly placed in a refrigerator by the user thereof; For example, a freezing tempera- Y to refrigerators and more rangement whereby such different conditions can begreadilygobtainedby the use of a single evaporating unit. This objectV is attained by dividing the 'interior of the storagechamber into a plugl rality of compartments, disposing lthe refrigerant evaporating unit in one of the compartments, and

e providing for a limited circulation of air between the several compartments;-

vMore specifically, the principal object of the invention is attained by providing a vertical shield to'close a portion of the door opening, arranging substantially imperforate. partitions behind the shield to form a pair of spaced compartments, and placing the refrigerant :evaporating unitvin the upperof said compartments. The Vertical shield serves to prevent the loss of cold airmfro'm these compartments when MVthe `refrigerator door is opened and aids in controlling and directing the now of air within the storage chamber between andY among the several compartments. It also enhances the appearanceof the refrigerator. By providing separate doors in the vertical shield which afford access to each of. 1

the compartments therebehind independently of the other, a more ecient and uniform refrig- Aerating effect is obtained in each of these compartments. Y l Y Other objects'and advantages of the inven-v tion will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

, Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator with the 'storage chamber door removed to show the interior of the storage chamber;

` Figure 2 is a vertical section of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1, taken on substantially the line`2 2 thereof; ,l Y Y Figure `3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the-line 3-3 of Figure 1.;

Figure 4 isvan enlarged sectional View taken on the line 4.--4 of Figure 1; and l Figure 5 isl .anl enlarged sectional view taken onthe line 5-5of Figure 1. Y

The refrigerator shownin the accompanying drawings includes 'an inner shell or liner I0 which'denes a storage chamber, an outer shell I I surrounding the inner shell in spaced relation, insulation I 2 between the two shells, and a breaker strip I3 which spans the space between the free edges of the shells and defines a door opening for the storage chamber. An insulated door i4 .for closingthe door opening is secured to the refrigerator in the V usual manner. As best shown in Figures, 4 and5, the breaker strip I3 overli'es4 and is secured to the edge portionslpf v,tneinner and outer shells by screws I5. .`,A-verticalshield lIii is Vdisposed within the -storagechamberfand so arrangedras to vclose the upperlportionofrxthe door opening. The shield is of'gnerally pan shape including'a flange II across its top, which is received between the breaker'strip ,ISand the inner shell I0 and is secured in position xby. the screws I.5 (see Figure 5). Alongfitsy Vertical edges the Vshield is provided with llanges'fl whichwfare' received between the edge of breaker strip' I3 and theinner shell I0 (see Figurelj."V Acrossv its .bottom edge' the shield is provided` withay generally kU #shaped irib I 9 which lseI'-v.es v to strengthen the shield in that region. Thus,`fit will'belseen that While the shield ,only covers the upper"part of the door opening to the storage chamber, itI does completely cover that part', extending to andbeing supported by the walls which define the upper part of the door Way. A

' ASI` previously mentioned, the shield I 6 is of generallylpan shape, the vvcentral portion being disposed'reai'wardly of the perimeter. Substantially midway between its upper and lower extrerniti'es the shield is provided with an outwardly projecting horizontally extending U-shaped rib 2lb-generally similar tothe rib I9, at the bottom ofthe shield. Above the rib 2l)A and in 'spaced relationto the edges of .the shield there ,ispprovi'o`ledfaA horizontally elongated opening injthe shield which is' defined by arrearwardly extending angeZI. 4 Between ribsy I9'and20 andin'spaced relation to the sides of the shield there is provided another horizontally elongated opening in the shield which is defined by the inwardly extending flange 22.

The upper opening in the shield I6 is closed by a door 23, and the lower opening vis closed by a door 24. Preferably the doors are formed of glass or other transparent material and supported by channel shaped frames and 26. The frames are connected to the shield IS by hinges as shown whereby the doors may be swung outwardly about a pivot line along the bottom edge thereof (see Figure 3). Adjacent their upper edges the doors are provided with handles 21 and 28 respectively. The shield I@ together with the doors 23 and 24 form a substantially imperforate vertically extending partition across the upper part of the door opening which serves as an auxiliary closure for that part of the opening.

Behind the shield I6 and in the uppermost part of the storage chamber there is located a refrigerant evaporating unit comprising a generally tubular shell 2.9 and an evaporator coil 3U secured to the outside of the shell. The evaporating unit is secured in place in a conventional manner by hangers extending downwardly from the top of the liner IU. The evaporating unit is substantially coextensive with the horizontal cross-section of the storage chamber and is so arranged that the front and open end of shell 29 is aligned with the opening in the shield I6 which is closed by door 23. Thus, access may be had to the interior of shell 29 for the installation and removal of freezing trays or substances to be frozen. Liquid refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator coil 3 0 by a capillary tube 3| and gaseous refrigerant is withdrawn from the evaporator coil through a suction line 32 in a conventional manner by a condensing unit, not shown.

Below the evaporator and in closely spaced relation thereto 4,is a drip pan 33 in the form of a substantially imperforate partition. Pan 33 has upturnedflanges about its perimeter and is of a horizontal extent sufficient to collect moisture which Ydrips from the evaporator during defrosting. Thus, the rpan 33 is also substantially coextensive horizontally with the cross-section of the storage chamber.

.Pan 33 `is supported at the frontby connection with the evaporator and at the rear by a support secured to the. liner. The pan is preferably inclined downwardly from the front to the rear and is provided with a small opening (not shown) at the lowest point to drain off the moisture collected therein into any suitable receptacle. This inclination also serves to promote the circulation of air along a predetermined pathway. `Provision is made for the limited circulation of ,air lbetween the space above and below the pan 33 by the slight spacing of the yedges of the pan from the liner walls. In order to increase the Ycirculation of air between these two spaces it may also be desirable to provide the pan 33 with `an opening 33a toward the front thereof. The opening 33a is surrounded'byan upstanding flange to prevent the moisture .collected in the pan from dropping through this opening, Also, the pan is preferably provided with an upstanding baille 331) over the opening to prevent the moisture .which drips `from the evaporator during defrosting `from falling through the opening.

Positioned below the drip vpan 33 is a horizontally extending irnperforate shelf in the form of a .partition '34 which issupported from the liner bv the usual shelf supports. Partition 34 is 0f a horizontal extent to locate the perimeter thereof in closely spaced relation to the side walls of the storage compartment and the shield I6 to provide for but a limited circulation of air between the 5 space above and below this partition. The space between the rear edge of the shelf and the adjacent liner wall being greater than the space between the other edges. of the shelf and the adjacent vertical walls to aid in directing the circulation of air between the spaces above and below the shelf. While some moisture may collect on the under surface of pan 33, such will not be the case with `shelf 34.

' Partition 34 forms with the liner I0, the partition 33 and the shield I3 a chilling compartment immediately below the freezing compartment to which access is had through door 24. The remainder of the storage chamber below the partition 34 constitutes a cooling compartment, and is provided with conventional shelves formed to provide for circulation of air between the lseveral spaces defined thereby. Access is had to the cooling compartment by opening the main refrigerator door I4.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the single evaporator will maintain the freezing chest itself at a lower temperature than the remainder of the storage chamber; that he chill compartment (the space between pan 33 and shelf 34) by reason of its close proximity to the evaporator and the limited circulation of air between that space and the space occupied by the evaporator, will be maintained at a temperature only slightly above freezing; and that the food storage or cooling space below the shelf 34 will be maintained at atemperature somewhat higher than that of the remainder of the storage chamber by reason of the fact that the circulation of air between the space above and below the shelf is restricted. Furthermore, it will be apparent that by reason of the different temperatures prevailing in the different spaces the relative humidity in the chilling compartment (the space between shelf 34 and pan 33) will be relat-iveiy higher than the humidity in the cooling or storage `compartment comprising the space below partition 34. Thus, merelyby the use of -a novel arrangement of partitions and baffles it is possible to obtain different temperature and different humidity conditions within separate zones of a refrigerator storage compartment by means of a single refrigerant evaporator located in but one of said zones.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims. y

We claim:

1. Avmechanical refrigeratorcomprising a storage chamber, a `refrigerant evaporator disposed in the chamber, a drip pan disposed below and in closely spaced relation to the evaporator lfor collecting the drip from the evaporator, a substantially imperforate food storage shelf positioned below vand in spaced relation to the drip pan, said pan and said shelf being constructed and arranged in relation to the storage chamber to pro- Vide ypassageways adjacent the perimeters thereof for a limited circulation `of Vair between the spaces thereabove and therebelow, the cross .fseetional area of the passageway for the circulation of air adjacent one portion of the perimeter of the ,shelf being larger than the cross sectional area of the passageway adjacent the vcorresponding portion of the perimeter o f the drippan, and the cross sectional area of the lpassageway adjacent another and remote portion of the perimeter of the shelf being smaller than the cross sectional area of the passageway adjacentthe corresponding portion of the perimeter of the drip pan.

2. A mechanical refrigerator as defined in claim 1 wherein the storage chamber is provided with an access opening and wherein means are provided closely adjacent the edge of the shelf nearest the access opening for restricting the circulation of air between the access opening and the space above the shelf.

3. A mechanical refrigerator as defined in claim 1 wherein said storage chamber is provided with an access opening, a door for closing the access opening, and means in addition to the door and located closely adjacent the edge of the shelf nearest the access opening for restricting circulation of air between the access opening and the space above the shelf.

4. A mechanical refrigerator' as defined in claim l wherein the storage chamber is provided with an access opening, a door for the access opening, and a shield interposed between the access opening vand the space above the shelf arranged closely adjacent the edge of the shelf nearest the access opening to cooperate with the shelf to restrict circulation of air between the spaces above and below the shelf adjacent the access opening.

5. A mechanical refrigerator comprising a storage chamber having an access opening, a refrig- V age chamber to provide for limited circulation of erant evaporator disposed in the upper part of the storage chamber, a drip pan disposed below and in closely spaced relation to the evaporator, Y

said drip pan being constructed and arranged in relation to the storage chamber to provide for a limited circulation of air between the spaces thereabove and therebelow, a substantially imperforate food storage shelf positionedbelow and in spaced relation to the drip pan, said shelf being constructed and arranged in relation to the storage chamber to provide for limited circulation of air between the spaces thereabove and therebelow, and vertically arranged means interposed between the access opening and said drip pan and said shelf to cooperate therewith to restrict the circulation of air between the access opening and the space above the shelf and between the spaces above and below theshelf in the zone adjacent the access opening.

6. A mechanical refrigerator as deiined in claim 5 wherein said means interposed between the access opening and the drip pan and the shelf comprises a shield which-is itself provided with movable portions affording access to the space above the drip pan and to the space between the drip pan and the shelf, respectively.

7. A mechanical refrigerator as defined in claim 5 wherein the drip pan is provided with an opening adjacent one edge thereof for the circulation of air between the spaces thereabove and therebelow which opening is surrounded by a Y flange of lesser height than the sides of the pan.

air between the spaces thereabove and therebelow, a substantially imperforate food storage shelf positioned below and in spaced relation to the drip pan, said shelf being constructed and arranged in relation to the storage chamber to provvide for a limited circulation of air between the spaces thereabove and therebelow, and vertically arranged shield means `interposed between the access opening and the space above the food storage shelf to restrict circulation of air between the access opening and said space and between the spaces above and below the shelfin the zone adjacent the access opening, said drip pan being constructed and arranged to collect drip from the evaporator and from the upper portion of said shield means.

9. A mechanical refrigerator comprising a storage chamber divided into an upper compartment, an intermediate compartment, and a lower compartment by a pair of vertically spaced substantially imperforate partitions intermediate the top and bottom of the chamber, said partitions forming the top and bottom walls of the intermediate compartment, an evaporator in the upper compartment, said intermediate compartment having an aperture in the top adjacent a horizontal extremity thereof and within the vertical projection of the evaporator for the passage of air from the upper compartment to the intermediate compartment, said compartment having another aperture at the perimeter thereof remote from said first mentioned aperture for the passage of air from the intermediate compartment yto the lower compartment.

10. A mechanical refrigerator comprising a chamber, an evaporator disposed in said chamber, a drip pan disposed below and in spaced relation to the evaporator and arranged to collect the drip therefrom, and an imperforate shelf disposed below the drip pan and in spaced relation thereto, said shelf and said drip pan being substantially coextensive horizontally with the chamber, said drip pan being constructed and arranged in relation to the chamber walls and the Vevaporator to provide an air passageway adjacent one edge thereof substantially within the vertical projection of the shelf, said shelf being constructed and arranged to .provide an air passageway adjacent one edge thereof located at least partially within the vertical projection on said drip pan, whereby to permit the circulation of air horizontally through the space between the Vshelf and the drip pan.

HOMER E. ROSEBROOK. HERSCI-IEL F. POWELL.

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