US2449094A - Evaporator construction - Google Patents

Description

various forms and Patented Se t. 14, 1948 i -2,g44 ,o94

Harold E. Wlecler, Chicago, lil. Application April 7, 1944, Serial No.` &29,965

This invention relates to refrigerator constructions in general. and more particularly to the construction on the inside of the refrigerator. More specincally. the invention relates to an arrangement of shelving and cold plates within the interior ot the refrigerator.

The primary object .of the present invention is the provision oi a new and improved method'and arrangement of positioning cold piates continuously by bending the cold plate back and forth upon itself so as to provide for the proper amount of reirigeration area within the box or refrigerator, and at the same time use the cold plate as shelving.

A- further important object of the invention resides in the arranging and positioning of a cold plate within the inside of the refrigerator by bending the cold plate in step formation so as to provide shelves within the interior of the refrigerator. and at the same time insure a suflicient amount of cold piate area so that the proper refrigerationwithin the refrigerator may be obtained. A

numerous other obiects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the foliow ing speciiication. g

The accompanying drawing illustrates a' selected e'mbodiment of the invention, and the views' thei-ein are as foilows:

Fig. 1 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the interior of one form of refrigerator with which the invention is inco-porated:

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view showing one form of cold plate material which is bent' back and forth upon itself to provide spaced parallel shelving:

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4-4 of Pie. 3: and e Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing grill or mesh-work which may be applied on top of the projections or protuberances if desired. The particular construction herein shown for the purpose of iilustrating the' invention comprises a refrigerator i having enclosing wails 2. One wall is provided with an opening therein to permit access to the interior of the reirigerator, there being one or more doors I provided for closing the opening; v

A practical application for arranging a surface of suflicient cooling area in the interior of the ref-igerator is by means of a cold plate construction. The cold plate construction may assume adaptations and may consist 2 Claims. (Ci. (iz-428) of cold `plate has been cut of sheets Secured together with proper channels between the sheets so as 'to permit proper flow of refrigerant material through the cold plate construction. The particular type of cold plate construction herein shown for illustrative purposes comprises an extruded metal cold plate construction, whereby there isformed by the extrusion process a cold plate construction 4 comprising opposed surfaces 5 and 8. Protuberances or pro'- ;lectio'n 'I spaced a predetermined distance apart extend upwardly from the surface I. These 'spaced iongitudinai projections or protuberances'. during a continuous ext-ruding process. are formed integral with the piate construction 4 and are provided with longitudinal bores or openings I to permit the flow of refrigerant therethrough.

The protuberances T are spaced close enough together so that the entire surface is adapted to be cooled by the refrigerant passing through the longitudinal openings i. The cold plate construction of the above type has been used for refrigerator cooling purposes; however. a certain length to the desired length andpositioned within the refrigerator. particularly in close proximity to the interior' walls of the refrigerator. The shelves, usually of metal mesh or wire, have' been supported on clips or brackets so that articles to be cooled may be supported by these shelves.

The present invention contemplates the use of a cold plate construction whereby a continuous or single length of cold plate material is bent back and !orth upon itself to provide not only the required cooling surface, but also to provide shelves.

There is disclosed in Fig. 3 a single length of cold plate construction 4 arranged paralle to the upper and lower surfaces of the box to provide a shelf 9. The sheet of cold plate material 4 is bent at lil to provide an end section ll. The material is then again bent at Iz to provide a shelf ll which is paraliel to the shelf 9. The material is then bent at l4 to provide an end section iS. The material is again bent at i! to provide a shelf i'l 'which is parallel to the shelves !3 and 9. If additional shelves are required, they are formed by bending the material along the lines i! and i! to provide spaced lower shelves 20. There may be as many benda in the single continuous length of cold plate material 4 as is suflicient cooling area. as well as to provide sumcient shelving space.

A relatively deep only require a certain area of cooling surface to cool the box properly, and therefore it may be desirabie not to have the cold plate construcnecessary to provide' box i, as herein shown, may

tion i s, width equal to the full depth of the box. In such cases the back and forth flat plate con- 'truction may be provided to extend outwardly a predetermined distance, as shown in Fix. 2, and the shell space supplemented by conventional grill or wire shelves Zi, 22, and 23 in elinement with the cold plete shelves a. |1 and 20, respectively.

The bending book and forth oi' a continuous sheet of cold plete construction material -6 will in elternete shelves such es e end I'i, have the protuberonces 'i p'oiccting upwerdly from the upp-er surface E. In such cases e, wire mesh or grill section 26 may he supported on the top of the protuberonces 'i to provide a !lush surface for the material which is to be supported.

The invention 'provides en extremely economioel method for the interier construction oi' a refrigeretor -wherein the shelves ect as the cooling eres, or. steting ii; in the reverse, Wherein the cooling pletes act es the shelves for the refrigerator. The Construction herein shown has been embodied, in e. praotioel device and it hes been found that the cost of the interier sheiving end cooling errengement of e. refrigeretor has been reduced by epproximoteiy two-thirds Also, in standard boxes the material may be cut to single iengths so that it may be economicelly stored without taking up much room, and, in feet, the material may be so shipped with the reirgerator and then bent et the time the reirigerator is installed for use. In most instenoes, ho ivever, it has been found desirebe to bend the material to the proper configuretion and install it within the box by means of suitable supporting breckets 253. Figs. 1 and 2.

The pipe connections from the compressor for communication with the openings 8 are not herein shown but it is, of course, understood that the proper refrigerent supply lines ere properly connected'to permit e. oirculation of fluid from the compressor through the cold pletes, then draining back to the oompressor.

The invention provides for the use of a single section of cooling plete Construction bent back and forth upon itself to provide supporting shelves, all of which ere properly cooled and all of which provide for the proper cooling area required, thereby conserving space and reducing costs to e. minimum.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and orrangement of the perts without departing rrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make ei such changes es feirly fell within the scope oi' the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed es i'ollows:

1. A refrigerator comprising a cebinet and a plurelity of refrigerated shelves mounted within the cobinet and made i'rom e. single strip of extruded material bent to provide e, plurality of horizontal shelf portion oonnecting a pair of said shelr portions, said strip having spaced longitudinel ducts formed therein and extending in said horizontal shelf and riser portions for the pessageo refrigerant therethrough, and e foraminous grill forming a shelf extension supported in coplaner alinement'with at least one of said horizontal shell' portions.

2. A refrigerator comprising e cebinet and e. plur'ality of r'efrigerated shelves mounted within the cebinet and made from a single strip of extruded material having a piurelity of speced longitudinaily e'xtenoling ribs in a surface thereoi', said ribs being formed with channels therein for the accommodation of e refrigereting medium, said strip being =bent back and forth upon itself to provide horizontally extending and verticelly spaced shelf and interconnected riser portions. some of seid shelf portions having said ribs at the upwardly facing suriieces thereof, a. foreminous floor member supported on said ribs to form an article carrying shelf. and e ioramino s member formine e sheli extension mounted at an edge of et least oneof said shalt portions and in coplenar alinement with the *foreminous floor member thereon HAROLD .E. WHEELER.

REFERENCE CITED The following referenoes are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- portions and an integral riser

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