US2417123A - Forced air bottle cooler - Google Patents

Description

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BYW MLM nfrorlvey Patented Mar. il, 1947 FORCED AIR BOTTLE COOLER Lawrence A. Philipp. Detroit, Mich., assigner to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Maryland Application May 31, 1944, Serial No. 538,161

l(Cl. 6ft- 102) 3 Claims.

My invention pertains to refrigeration apparatus and more particularly to refrigeration apparatus for storing and cooling bottled merchandise.

It is an object of my invention to provide imscope of the invention, such as relate to the ar-l rangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements, per se, and to economics of manufacture and numerous other kfeatures as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification in conjunction with, the drawing disclosing specific embodiments of the invention in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, showing my improved refrigeration apparatus installed in a thermal insulating cabinet for storing and cooling bottles, the door being removed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View partially sec.n tioned and broken away along line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing the construction of one of bottle supporting racks l or shelves; and

' Fig. 4 is an end view of said rack.

Referring more specifically to Figs 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that my improved refrigerating apparatus comprises a thermally insulating cabinet il enclosing a storage space or compartment it, and which may be of any conventional construction in accordance Withthe usual practice in providing household and other refrigerator cabinets having a door l5 which may be opened to provide convenient access thereto.

In accordance with my invention, I provide, a plurality of bottle receiving racks or shelves 'Il mounted inthe storage space i3 in the cabinet, in any suitable manner, as by supporting the ends upon pins I9 projecting inwardly from the walls of the cabinet, so that bottles 20 may be conveniently inserted or removed from the front of the cabinet while providing for free circulation of the air around the bottles, and also providing for the storage of a maximum number of bottles which may be so Varranged in a storage compartment. Also the stored bottles are all supported in predetermined positions in the storage compartment, as is subsequently described in detail.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that I provide air circulating means for causing air to circulate about the compartment. As shown I have disclosed an air impeller 2|, which may be a centrifugal or "Sirroco type fan.

The air impeller is preferably mounted in an intermediate or central portion of the compartment for drawing in air from the central portion of the storage space, as shown. As the air is thrown laterally or radially from this air im peller, its delivery is controlled by means of air conduits 23 passing up and down the back wall of the cabinet and extending along the top and bottom thereof to near the front part of the cabinet and opening through registers 25, for delivering and directing the 'air downwardly against and around the bottles, substantially in the manner represented by the arrows. The air delivery conduits 23 may be made of any crosssection to suit the particular cabinetand storage space, as will be understood, but as shown it is'usually preferable to utilize a cross-section which is rather shallow in front andback and up and'down directions while making it several times greater in its lateral dimensions. The

front walls of the conduits 23, in the intermediate portions vof the cabinet, are provided with for ward curved portions 23 defining the intake port for the air impeller and also serving as a support for a cooler element 21 disposed therein for intimate contact with the air entering the air impeller in order to absorb heat therefrom. For this purpose the cooler element 21 may be a nned refrigerant evaporator, and it may be sup plied withrefrigerant condensate from any suitable refrigerant compressor unit (not shown) which may be installed in the bottom compartment 28 of .the cabinet or remotely, in accordance with usual practice. Preferably the evaporator is operated above the freezing point of water. An inturned flange 29 may be provided for receiving and securing the nned evaporator element in the intake port, which may also be provided with an annular apron or vane 3| for efficiently directing the air into the air impcller.

To mount and drive the air impeller, an electric motor 33 may be utilized and it is preferably mounted outside and on the back of the cabinet with its shaft 35 extending in and supporting and driving the impeller secured thereon as by a set screw or key in a well known manner. For convenience in assembly, the motorized air impeller unit is preferably mounted in the back of a removable wall block 37 having suitable thermal insulating characteristics and preferably covered front and back with suitable sheet metal in accordance with the usual construction of the cabinet walls. Additional bearing means 39 may be provided in the front or inner side of the wall block, if the additional stability is desired.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, each bottle supporting rack i1 comprises a frame having a pair of side rods or members 43 joined at the front end by end rod or member 4|. The side rods 43 are joined by vertical rods 5| which in turn are connected by transverse rod 49. Rods 4|, 43, 49 and 5| are preferably joined of a continuous piece of metal. A cross rod 42 extends between rods 43 at the lower rear part of the rack I1. A plurality of bottle supporting loops 45 are mounted in the frame in a series relation between the two end members 43. For this purpose the loops 45 may be formed of a semi-flexible member such as a thick wire or a light weight rod and additional or intermediate supports 41 are provided between each pair of adjacent loops 45. The intermediate supports 41 extend between the two side members 4| and 42. Preferably rods 42 and 45 are secured to rods 43 and rods 41 secured to rods 42 and 4| by welding. The bottle support loops 45 are disposed at a proper position between the two side members so that each bottle received in the frame rests with its bottom abutting the back one 42 of the side members with the neck of the bottle extending toward the front side member 4| and being slightly inclined and elevated, as represented in Fig. 2. The bottle support loops 45 are also suitably conformed to support the bottles slightly spaced apart for the circulation of air there between. The second or extra back rail 49 is provided to pass parallel to and spaced above the back one 42 of the frame side members in order to support the bottoms of extra bottles 20' which may be piled upon and between each adjacent pair of bottles resting in the regular support loops 45, as shown,

The main frame members 4|, 42, 43, and 49 of the bottle supporting rack are made of any suitable rod or bar structural metal of a size to provide sufficient strength and rigidity for supporting a full load of bottled goods. This frame can be actually formed or fabricated in various ways one of which consists in bending a unitary piece to form the front side member 4|, the two end members 43, and then turning it up and along the back to form the upperor extra back side frame member 49. The ends of this unitary piece are brought together and joined at any suitable point, asv by welding. The back side frame member 42 may be then inserted andsecured in between the back ends of the end members 43, where it may be secured, as by welding. Alternatively, the two long back members 42 and 49, with their end joining p ieces 5|, may be formed of a single piece, and then another piece may be bent to form the front side frame member 4| with two backwardly turned end pieces 43 welded thereto. Still another form may con- 4 sist of single piece bent and joined at Ithe ends to form a rigid frame 4|, 43, and 42, and then the extra or upper back rod 49 may have down turned end pieces 5| welded thereto at the back.

It is apparent that within the scope of my invention modifications and different arrangements may be made other than herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending variations thereof.

I claim:

l. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet having insulated walls enclosing a storage compartment, article supporting means mounted in said compartment in vertically spaced apart relation, duct means extending across the rear wall, top wall, and bottom wall of said compartment and having its .inlet end substantially midway between the top and bottom walls with an outlet at the top wall and another outlet at the bottom wall, a refrigerant evaporating element extending across said inlet end, air impelling means positioned immediately at the rear of said element and being arranged to cause air to move simultaneously toward said top and bottom walls through said duct means and out said outlets, and a motor positioned outside of said cabinet and being operatively connected with said air impelling means.

2. A bottle receiving and supporting rack comprising, a rectangular frame having two side members and two end members arranged on the same horizontal plane, a plurality of bottle support loops extending in series arrangement between and below and connected thereto said two end members adapted to receive a plurality of bottles side-by-side and spaced apart with the bottoms of the bottles when placed on the rack being adapted to engage one of the side members lah the necks of the bottles slightly inclined upwardly. and said necks being adapted tc rest on the other of said side frame members.

3. A rack for refrigerators for supporting bottles on an inclined angle comprising, a flat rectangular frame having two side members and two end members arranged on the same horizontal plane with the two side'members being arranged in parallel relation and spaced apart less than the length of the bottles adapted to be supported, a looped member extending between and below and connected to said side members to provide pockets adapted for receiving portions of the hottie: to be supported while the remaining portions thereof may rest on one of said side members on an inclined angle, adapted to engage the bottoms of bottles placed on top of theflrst bottles.

' LAWRENCE A. PHILIPP.

REFERENCES CITED l The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name D. 30,331 Walker Mar. 14, 1899 2,005,939 Hibbard, Jr June 25, 1935 2,008,315 Schmidt July 16, 1935 l2,018,002 Avery Oct. 22, 1935 2,279,483 Munshower Apr. 14, 1942 2,241,558 Read May 13, 1941 2,013,264 4Buder- Sept. 3, 1935 Tanner Oct. 23, 1945

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