US2509404A

US2509404A - Thermostatic control means for bottle coolers

Info

Publication number: US2509404A
Application number: US35599A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harland W Whitmore
Original assignee: Motor Products Corp
Current assignee: Motor Products Corp
Priority date: 1948-06-28
Filing date: 1948-06-28
Publication date: 1950-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1967-05-30

Description

y 0, 1950 H. w. WHITMORE 2,509,404

THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR BOTTLE COOLERS Filed June 28, 1948 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTOR. HARLAND w. WHITMORE ATTORNEYS May 30, 1950 H. w. WHITMORE THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR BOTTLE CQOLERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1948 MUM FIG.3.

INVENTOR.

HARLAND W. WHITMORE ATTORN EYS Patented May 30, 1950 THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR BOTTLE COOLERS Harland W. Whitmore, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Motor Products Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of New York Application June 28, 1948, Serial No. 35,599

7 Claims.

The invention relates to refrigerators more particularly designed for the storage of beverage containing bottles and for maintaining the same at a temperature suitable for the dispensing of the liquid content.

It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction in which the temperature is substantially uniform in all portions of the storage space and is maintained at all times within predetermined maximum and minimum limits.

It is a further object to provide for the rapid cooling of the bottles when first loaded into the storage chamber, while guarding against the freezing of the liquid content.

It is a further object to prevent accumulation of frost on a cooling surface and also to remove any moisture condensation which may occur.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction and automatic cooling means therefor as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through the refrigerator; and

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the inner casing member and its refrigerating coil, illustrating diagrammatically the switch for the refrigerating motor and the thermostatic control therefor.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the switch which controls the motors and the thermostatic elements for actuating the switch.

The apparatus comprises a base section A in which the mechanism is located and a cabinet section B above and supported upon the base section. The section B includes an outer cylindrical casing C having a bottom portion and an inner cylindrical casing D within and spaced from the casing C. A slab E of thermal insulating material is pressed upon the bottom C and supports the inner casing D. The latter has helically wrapped thereabout a tube F forming the evaporator, which tube is preferably soldered or otherwise held in heat conducting contact with the wall of the inner casing. The lower end of this helical tube is connected with an accumulator F, which extends vertically adjacent to the wall of the casing D and is connected at its upper end to a suction tube F This tube is return bent to extend downward into the base section through a sealing grummet C in the bottom 0' of the outer casing. The upper end of the helical tube F is connected with a capillary tube G, which is wound around the suction tube 1 and preferably soldered thereto. The lower end of the tube G passes through the grummet C and is connected to the outlet tube H for liquid refrigerant from the condenser H. The space between the concentric walls of the casings C and D is filled with thermal insulating material. The top of the inner casing D is closed preferably by a pair of lids I, which are hinged to each other and mounted on an annular cap member J. The latter has a depending flange J connected to the outer casing C and has another depending flange J extending into alignment with but spaced from the inner casing D. An annular member J of angle cross-section formed of rubber, or other resilient material of low thermal conductivity, bridges the space between the casing D and the portion J of the cap and overlaps the latter to form a seat for the peripheral edges of the lids I. A metallic ring J lines the rubber ring J and has a flange J imbedded in the top flange of the latter.

The height of the inner casing D is sufficient to receive a plurality of tiers of bottles and, as shown, there are two tiers. The upper tier is supported by a shelf K which includes a narrow stationary shelf section K extending diametrically across the casing D, and a pair of substantially semi-circular shelf sections K on opposite sides of the section K and pivotally mounted to be movable from horizontal to upright positions, thus giving access to the lower compartment. A blower casing member L is mounted on the shelf K to be suspended therefrom and located therebeneath. This casing has a stack portion L extending through the shelf and upward, being provided at its upper end with a cap L for deflecting air from the stack radially outward. The blower L has an operating motor L which is electrically connected to be energized or deenergized simultaneously with a motor M, which is in the base section A and operates the refrigerating mech- 'anism.

With the construction as thus far described, it will be evident that when the motor M is energized the refrigerating apparatus will be operated and the evaporator coil F will cool the cylindrical wall of the inner casing D. If, at the same time, the motor L is energized this will circulate air in the chamber within the casing F forcing it upward through the stack L and radially outward by the defiector cap L against the cooled wall of the casing and then downward to the storage chamber below the shelf. The same circulation would be effected without the use of the blower as the cooled air adjacent to the cylindrical Wall would naturally drop and the warmer air in the center would rise. However.

one responding to the temperature of the air and the other to the temperature of the wall of the inner casing. sive means is adapted to de-energize the motors M and L at a predetermined minimum temperature of the air, stopping further refrigerating action, while the wall temperature responsive means energizes these motors upon a predetermined maximum temperature of the wall renewing refrigerating operation. Due to the fact that the heat of the bottles is dissipated into the -air,: the setting of the -.air temperature responsive means at a predetermined minimum temperature will avoidnovercooling or freezing of the liquid.

On the other hand, the temperature of the wall may at timesv belower than the. freezing point of water without detriment, thereby producing more'rapid cooling. A1so,.when the motor M is tie-energized, thermal responseto the wall temperature may be set at a point which is above. the freezin point of water, so that there will be an interval-during which any frost on the wallwill bd-removed. In other words, the temperature .of thewall-may fallv below the freezing point duringithe operation of the motor M but after said motor-is de-energizeddt can not be re-energized until the temperature of the wall is ata predetermined point above freezing.

Themeans preferably. employed for this automatic control is of the following construction. Nis an-electric switch controlling the motors M -21lld-L WhiGh is actuated to, respectively,.close and open themotor circuits-by thermal responsive means generally designated as O andP. As

the-specific construction of this switch and its operating means-is nota part of the invention, it is unnecessary to describe the same in detail. .It

will-be sufficient to state that each of the.e1e- .ments and? includes a capillary tube which .extendsfrom the-casing of the switch N .to the point at which it responds to temperature change. The capillary tube of the element O is insertable through a guide tube Q which extends from the compartment A upward throughthe insulation between the outer casing C and inner casing D to apoi-nt where it i soldered or otherlwise thermallyconnected with the casing D. This tubeis installed during the assembly of the structure and extends downward into the base section A. Thus the capillary tube when inserted in the tube Q will be guided thereby upward .to the point where itresponds to the temperature of the. casing-D. Inlike manner the. capillary tube of the thermally responsive element P is insert- -able: through;.a guide tubeQ leading from within the section .A upward through the casings. C and 'D .and into the stackL. Thus the end of the capillarytube will be exposed directly to the air -within the. stack so that at a predetermined minimum temperature of the air the motor switch N .willbe opened and themotor M ole-energized, thereby stopping refrigerating operation. The motor L preferably connected to be controlled by the switchN and to be energized and de-energized simultaneously with the motor M. -I-To,w-

.ever, there .will. still 'be some circulation of the air 1 The air temperature respon- 4 when the blower is not in operation due to the cooling and dropping of the air adjacent to the casing D, the temperature of which is lower than that of the air within the stack.

From the above it will be understood that the temperature of at least half the stored bottles may be maintained at any desiredpoint above freezing. Also that there is asuificient interval of time during which the temperature of the easing D is above freezing for defrosting. The resulting water will be removed from the casing through a drainage conduit B.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a refrigerator, a cabinet having a storage .-.chamber .therewithin, intermittently operated reirigerating means connected to directly -.co.ol,the wall of said cabinet surrounding said chamber, means responsive to a predetermined maximum temperature of said wall for starting said refrigerating means, means for circulating airwithinsaid chamber to-pass upward centrally thereof and-then radially outward to said wall, andmeansresponsive to a predetermined minimum temperature of air centrally within said chamber for stopping said refrigerating means.

;Z.-'In a refrigerator having spaced inner and outer casings and thermal insulating means ;therebetween, .a cooling coil surroundingsaid inner casing inheat, conducting contact therewith,

intermittently operating refrigerating .means .outside said casings butconneeted to said coil,

thermally responsive means for starting and stopping said refrigerating means and including a pair of flexible capillary tubes and guide-tubes :ior. receiving said capillary tubes both extending from withoutvsaid casings, the one into the space therebetween and into heat conducting contact withsaid inner casing and the other extending .thmuglrthe bottoms of said casings centrally '40.

thereof .andupward within the inner casing, the capillary tube extending through the last-mentioned guide tube being efiective'to stop the refrigerating means upon a predeterminedminimum temperature of air within the-cabinet, and

the other capillary tube causing the starting of said inner casing in heat conductingcontaet therewith, intermittently operating refrigerating means outside said casings but connected --with said coil, aneleetrical-motor for operating said refrigerating means,--an.--electrical switch for controlling said motor, thermally responsive "means for operating said switch including a pair of capillary tubes, the one for opening'the switch, the other for closing the same, and a pair el -guide tubes-for respectively-receiving said capillary tubes, the guide tubefor the capillary tube which 'closesthe switch-extending from without said casings into-the space between the same and into heatconducti-ng contact with the inner casing and the guide tube for the capillary tube which opens the switch-extending through the bottoms ofsaid casings centrally thereof and up wardinto the space within the inner casing.

4. in a refrigerator, a cabinet having -.a storage chamber therewithin, an evaporator upon 'the outerside-of and adaptedto directly cool t'he wall of said cabinet surrounding saidstorage chamber, intermittently operated refrigerating meansconnected tosaid evaporator meanswe,

sponsive to a predetermined maximum temperature of said wall for starting said refrigerating means, and means entirely independent of said evaporator and responsive to a predetermined minimum temperature of air centrally within said chamber for stopping said refrigerating means.

5. In a refrigerator, a cabinet having spaced inner and outer casings and thermal insulating means therebetween, a cooling coil surrounding said inner casing in heat conducting contact therewith, intermittently operating refrigerating means outside said casings but connected with said coil, thermally responsive means in thermal contact with said inner casing and responsive to a predetermined temperature thereof for starting said refrigerating means, means for circulating air centrally of said inner casing, and means entirely independent of said cooling coil and wall for starting said refrigerating means, an air stack located centrally of said chamber, and means responsive to a predetermined tempera ture of air in said stack for stopping said refrigerating means.

7. In a refrigerator, a cabinet having a storage chamber therewithin, an evaporator in thermal contact with a wall of said chamber to cool the chamber, intermittently operated refrigerating means connected to said evaporator, means responsive to a predetermined temperature of said wall for starting said refrigerating means, means 3 providing for the upward flow of air centrally within said chamber, and means entirely independent of said evaporator and responsive to a flowing air for stopping said refrigerating means.

responsive to a predetermined temperature of 20 the circulated air centrally of said inner casing for stopping said refrigerating means.

6. In a refrigerator, a cabinet having a storage chamber therewithin, an evaporator in thermal contact with a wall of said chamber to cool the 25 chamber, intermittently operated refrigerating means connected to said evaporator, means responsive to a predetermined temperature of said HARLAND W. WHITMORE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,101,498 Grooms Dec. '7, 1937 2,213,505 Raney Sept. 3, 1940 2,319,890 Swart May 25, 1943