US2515212A

US2515212A - Refrigerating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2515212A
Application number: US763431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Giffard Whitney
Original assignee: Nash Kelvinator Corp
Current assignee: American Motors Corp
Priority date: 1947-07-24
Filing date: 1947-07-24
Publication date: 1950-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1967-07-18

Description

July 13, 1950 w. GIFFARD 2,515,212

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS A Filed July 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WHITNEY GIM-mao HTTcmNs-Y Patented July 18, 1950 2,515,212 V REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Whitney Giiard, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Nash- Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Maryland Application July 24, 1947, Serial No. 763,431

4 9 Claims.

This invention relates generally to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refrigerators of the household type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement in a household refrigerator to prevent condensing of air entrained moisture in the cabinet insulation so as to keep the insulation dry and effective.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement in a household refrigerator to effect flow of air entrained moisture by diffusion from the cabinet insulation to a cold condensing surface which is readily accessible for removal of frost therefrom without need of closing down the refrigerating system.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement in a refrigerating apparatus having a two temperature system in which air entrained moisture seeping into the cabinet insulation in the vicinity of the food storage compartment is caused to flow away from the insulation and freeze out on the inner surface of a freezing compartment liner.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view with doors open of a refrigerator partly broken away and in section, embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the refrigerator taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the refrigerator, taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view of the refrigerator, taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the refrigerator, taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical view of the refrigerating system;

Fig. 'I is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view of the refrigerator, taken along the line 1 1 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the refrigerator, taken along the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

In the drawings there is shown a household type of refrigerator having a cabinet, designated generally by the numeral 28. The cabinet 20 has a food storage compartment 22, a freezing compartment 24 and a machinery compartment 26. In the present arrangement, -the freezing compartment 24 and the machinery compartment 26 are located below the food storage compartment 22 with the machinery compartment disposed behind the freezing compartment at one corner of the cabinet. Doors 21, 29 are provided respectively for closing the access openings to the fond compartment 22 and the freezing compartment 26.

The cabinet 20 comprises, in general, a sheet metal casing 30, an upper metal liner 32 and a lower metal liner 34. These

liners

32 and 34 respectively form the food storage compartment 22 and the freezing compartment 24;.the liners being spaced from each other and from the casing 38. Insulation 35 is interposed between the

liners

32, 34 and the casing 30 and isalso inten posed between the bottom and top walls respectively of the liners to provide a horizontal, insulation partition 31 therebetween. Embedded in the horizontal insulation partition, is a horizontally disposed baille 38 arranged to prevent air. which may seep into the insulation above the baille, from passing below the baille into the insulation around the freezing compartment 24. This baille 38 may be a metal plate or sheet extending to the side and rear walls of the casing 28 and to the front facing of the partition 35. To insure a fluid tight Joint between the edges of the baille plate 38 and the inner surface of the casing 30, a, cementitious material 39 may be used which may be any suitable'joint sealer, such as, asphalt cement.

The refrigerating system includes a relatively high temperature refrigerant evaporator 48 for absorbing heat from the food storage compartment 22 and a relatively low temperature refrigerant evaporator 42 for absorbing heat from the freezing compartment 24. In the present arrangement, the

evaporators

40, 42 are connected together in series. The evaporator 40, preferably in the form of a sinuous or serpentine conduit, is attached to and preferably in direct contact with the outer surface of the food storage compartment liner 32 to absorb heat therefrom. Preferably, the evaporator conduit 40 extends. as shown, along the top, rear, sides and bottom walls of the food storage compartment liner 32. Similarly, the relatively low temperature evaporator 42, preferably a conduit, is attached to the outer surface of the freezing compartment liner 34 in good heat exchange relation therewith; the evaporator or conduit 42 preferably extending along the top, sides, rear and bottom walls of the liner 34, as shown.

The above arrangement of the

evaporators

40, 42 on the outer surfaces of the liners is, of course desirable since more usable space in the compartments formed by the liners is made available for storage purposes. However, as is well known, where evaporator conduits are disposed on outer surfaces of refrigerator liners, the cabinet insulation is likely to be wetted by condensate of moisture laden air seeping into the cabinet casing and condensing on the cool surfaces of the relatively high temperature evaporator and associated liner, thus decreasing the affect of the insulation. To overcome this objection, I arrange for flow of air by diffusion away from the relatively high temperature evaporator 40 toward the relatively low temperature evaporator 42 and further arrange for the passage of the water vapor into the freezing compartment 24 to freeze out the moisture on the inner surfaces of the liner 34 where the resultant frost is readily accessible through the freezing compartment door opening for convenient removal, for example, with a warm wet cloth instead of defrosting by shutting down the system. To this end, I provide a passage 50 formed by a tube 52 establishing communication between the evaporator 40 and the interior of the freezing compartment 24 through the horizontal, insulation partition 35. The tube 52 is preferably made of low heat conductive material, such as phenolic plastic. I arrange the tube 52 to extend vertically through the insulation partition 35 and fit tightly in a flanged aperture provided in the barile plate 38 and I seal the joint between the baille flange and the tube with a cementitious material, preferably an asphalt cement. In order to expedite flow of moisture from the insulation above the baille 38 into the freezing compartment 24, one or more passages or channels 54 may be provided in the insulation 35 in open communication with the evaporator 42 and with the passage 50. Preferably, the channel 54 extends along the top of the liner 32, down the rear and along the bottom walls thereof communicating with the upper end of the tube 52. Moisture above the baille 38 will pass by diffusion from the insulation 35 into and down the channel 54 and will flow through the passage 50 into the freezing compartment 24 where the moisture will freeze on the inner surfaces of the freezing compartment liner 34.

In the machinery compartment 26. a refrigerant, motor-compressor unit 58 is operatively connected to the

evaporators

40, 42 and iS also operatively connected to a condenser 60. The condenser 60 is preferably attached to the inner surface of the cabinet casing 30 so as to use the large surface of the cabinet casing to dissipate the heat of condensation of the refrigerant. The condenser El! is preferably a conduit arranged in sinuous form extending along the top and rear walls of the cabinet casing 30. Refrigerant is supplied from the condenser 60 to the relatively high temperature evaporator 40 absorbing heat from the food storage compartment liner 32. Flow of refrigerant to the evaporator is controlled by a capillary tube connecting the condenser 60 and the evaporator Il). From the other end of the evaporator 40, the refrigerant passes through a restricting or pressure differential tube B4 into the relatively low temperature evaporator 42 wherein evaporation of the refrigerant absorbs heat from the freezing compartment liner 34. The degree of restriction of tube 64 determines the difference in temperatures in the two evaporators. From an accumulator 66, at the outlet of the evaporator 42, gaseous refrigerant is withdrawn and returned through a conduit 68 to the motor-compressor unit 58. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the restricting tube 64 and the condenser conduit 60 extend along the rear inner surface of the cabinet casing 30 outwardly of the baille rear edge; the cabinet casing 36 having an outwardly directed oil-set portion 56 to receive the conduit and provide clearance between the conduits and the baille rear edge. :The casing oilset portion 56 may be filled, as shown in Fig. i with a cementitious material, such as asphalt cement 5l, to seal the opening or joint between le conduits, casing portion 56 and the baille As shown in Fig. 3, the freezing compartment liner 34 is offset inwardly at one corner thereof to provide space within the cabinet for the machinery compartment 26. This provides a compartment 10 of reduced depth at the front of the cabinet suitable to receive ice trays 12. A metal partition 14 may be provided to separate the ice making `compartment 10from the remainder of the freezing compartment, the latter of which may be used for the storage of foods, etc. to be frozen.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that I have provided an improved arrangement in a two temperature refrigerator to cause flow of moisture by diifusion from the region of the cabinet insulation around a liner and evaporator so as to prevent wetting of the cabinet insulation. It will also be seen that I have arranged for the moisture in air seeping into the cabinet to freeze out on the inner liner surface that forms the freezing compartment so that the frost mayY be conveniently removedwithout need of shutting down the system.

Although only a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated, and that form described in detail. it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: c

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet having a food compartment liner and a freezing compartment liner, refrigerant evaporating means in heat exchange relation with circulating air within the compartments formed by said liners, insulation extending around and between said liners, a sealing member between exterior surfaces of said liners to prevent flow of air in the region of said insulation from adjacent the exterior of one liner to adjacent the exterior of the other liner, and means providing a passageway extending from the region of the insulation about said food compartment liner through said sealing member to the interior of said freezing compartment.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet casing, a, cabinet liner forming a food storage compartment, a second cabinet liner forming a freezing compartment, insulation interposed between said casing and said liners and also interposed between said liners, a relatively high temperature refrigerant evaporator in heat exchange relation with saidA first liner, said refrigerant evaporator being interposedbetween said rst liner and'said casing exposed to air circulating therebetween, a relatively low temperature refrigerant evaporator and disposed externally of and in heat exchange relation with said second liner, said second refrigerant evaporator being disposed externally of said freezing compartment to avoid collection of frost on said second evaporator, an air baille disposed between said evaporators and extending substantially to said casing and an aperture in said second liner and in said baille establishing a communicating path for flow of air from the relatively high temperature evaporator to the interior of said freezing compartment.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet casing, a cabinet liner forming a food storage compartment, a second cabinet liner forming a freezing compartment, insulation interposed between said liners and between said liners and said casing, a relatively high temperature refrigerant evaporator attached to the outer surface of said first liner, a relatively low temperature refrigerant evaporator attached to the outer surface of said second liner, refrigerant condensing means operatively connected to said refrigerant evaporators, a baille member interposed between said liners, and a passage through said baille and through said second liner establishing communication between said relatively high temperature evaporator and the interior of said freezing compartment.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet casing, a. cabinet liner forming a food storage compartment, a second cabinet liner spaced from said first liner forming a freezing compartment, insulation interposed between said liners and said casing and also interposed between said liners, a relatively high temperature refrigerant evaporator attached to the outer surface of said food storage compartment liner exposed to the insulation, a relatively low temperature refrigerant evaporator attached to the outer surface of said freezing compartment liner exposed to said insulation, a baille interposed between said food storage compartment liner and said freezing compartment liner extending to the inner surface of said casing, sealing means sealing the joint between said baille and said casing, an open ended tube extending through said baille establishing communication between said relatively high temperature refrigerant evaporator and the interior of said freezing compartment, and sealing means sealing the joint between said tube and said baille.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet casing, a liner within said casing forming a storage compartment, a second liner within said casing spaced from said first liner and forming a storage compartment, a baille interposed between said liners extending to the inner surface ofsaid casing, a refrigerant evaporator on one side of said baille in heat exchange relationship with one of said liners, a refrigerant evaporator on the other side of said baille in heat exchange relationship with the other of said liners, a conduit connecting said evaporators, an outwardly directed offset in said casing at said baule receiving said conduit, and a sealing material sealing the joint between said baille, casing offset and said conduit.

6. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a. casing, a food storage compartment liner within and spaced from said casing, a freezing compartment liner within and spaced from said casing and also spaced from said nrst liner, cooling means in heat exchange relationship with said food storage compartment liner, cooling means in heat exchange relationship with said freezing compartment liner and disposed externally thereof, air bailie means between said rst and second cooling means, and an air passage through said air baille means and through said freezing compartment liner establishing communication between the interior of said casing and the interior of said freezing compartment.

7. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet casing, an upper cabinet liner forming a food storage compartment, a lower cabinet liner forming a freezing compartment and an ice making compartment, a relatively low temperature refrigerant evaporator absorbing heat from said lower liner and disposed externally thereof, a relatively high temperature refrigerant evaporator in heat exchange relationship with said upper cabinet liner, an air baille cooperating with said lower liner separating said ice making compartment from said freezing compartment, a second air baffle disposed between said liners bailling passage of air in the space between the upper liner and the casing from passage to the relatively low temperature evaporator, and an air passageway establishing a path of air flow from the space between said upper liner and casing through said second baffle and through said lower liner on the opposite side of said first bailie from said ice making compartment.

8. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a food storage compartment liner, a freezing compartment liner, cooling means in heat exchange relationship with said liners, heat insulation embracing said liners and interposed therebetween. an air baille member interposed between said liners baffling circulation of air between the exterior surfaces of said liners, and an air passage leading from the insulation adjacent the food storage compartment liner into the 'interior of the freezing compartment.

9. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet casing having side and rear walls, an upper food storage compartment liner within said casing having a bottom wall, a lower freezing compartment liner within said casing having a top wall spaced from the bottom wall of said upper liner, cooling means in heat exchange relationship with said upper liner, cooling means in heat exchange relationship with said lower liner, said upper liner bottom wall and said lower liner top wall having relatively 'inturned flanges partly forming the front edge of a. partition between said compartments, an air baille interposed between said liner bottom and top walls extending substantially from said flanges to said casing rear wall and substantially to said casing side walls. said air baille separating said cooling means from each other, means communicatively connecting said first and second cooling means, and an air passage leading from the region of said first cooling means through said baie and through said lower liner into said freezing compartment.

WHITNEY GIE'FARD.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name, Date 2,133,958 Kalischer Oct. 25, 1938 2,411,461 Phillipp NOV. 19, 1946