US2566340A

US2566340A - Freezing compartment structure

Info

Publication number: US2566340A
Application number: US4547A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kogel Wilhelm George
Original assignee: Electrolux AB
Current assignee: Electrolux AB
Priority date: 1947-01-28
Filing date: 1948-01-27
Publication date: 1951-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1968-09-04

Description

Sept. 4, 1951 w. G. KOGEL FREEZING COMPARTMENT STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1948 1 4, 1951 w. G. KOGEL FREEZING COMPARTMENT STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1948 D NVEN 0R. J g 4 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 FREEZING COMPARTMENT STRUCTURE Wilhelm Georg Kiigel, Stockholm, Sweden, as-

slgnor to Aktiebolaget Elektrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application January 27, 1948, Serial N o. 4,5i7

In Sweden January 28, 1947 12 Claims. (Cl. 62126) My invention relates to refrigeration, and more particularly concern transmitting of cooling effect to different parts of a freezing compartment when the cooling element of a refrigeration system is associated with the bottom of such a 5 compartment.

When a cooling element of a refrigeration system is only associated with the bottom supporting surface of a freezing compartment of adequate depth to receive ice trays, frozen food packages and other matter to be frozen, cooling effect is readily transmitted to matter which rests di rectly against the bottom supporting surface. However, difficulty has usually been encountered in transmitting cooling effect to such matter which is stored in the upper part of the freezing compartment and does not rest directly against the supporting surface.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improvement for transmitting cooling-eilect to matter stored in the upper part of a freezing compartment of this type, whereby food products may be effectively preserved and maintained at a desired low temperature in all parts of the freezing compartment. I accomplish this by providing removable structure in such a freezing compartment which provides one or more vertical walls therein and serves as a heat conductor in heat transmitting relation with the bottom supporting surface, whereby such structure is capable of transmitting cooling effect to the upper part of the compartment when in functioning relationship.

More particularly, I provide a removable structure which forms an enclosure for housing matter to be stored therein, such structure having spaced apart walls of good heat conducting material which are connected at their upper parts and in heat conducting relation with the supporting surface at their lower parts when in functioning re- 40 lation with the surface, thereby promoting transmitting of cooling effect from the surface t matter in the upper part of the enclosure.

The invention, together with the upper and other objects and advantages thereof, will 138*:

more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and, of which':

Fig. 1 is a front elevation. pattlfbriiken away and in section, of a portion of a refrigerator embodying the'invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates more or less diagrammatically an absorption refrigeration system of the inert gas type which may be employed in the refrigerator shown ixfFi'g. l

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken at line 3-3 of Fig. 1, to illustrate details more clearly;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the sliding drawers or receptacles adapted to be positioned in the refrigerator shown in Figs. 1 and 3; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a modified form of the drawers or receptacles shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, I have shown the invention embodied in a refrigerator comprising a cabinet to having an inner metal shell ll arranged to be supported within an outer metal shell I2 and insulated therefrom with any suitable insulating material The inner metal shell define a thermally insulated storage space 15 int which access is afforded by a door Ii hinged to the front of the cabinet. A horizontally disposed partition I1 is provided in the storage space I 5 to subdivide the space into upper and lower compartments I8 and [9, respectively.

The partition I! comprises a box-like container 20 which is formed of suitable sheet metal and is of such size that it extends substantially over the entire width of the space I 5 and from the rear wall thereof toward the open front of the cabinet to a region at which it is relatively close to the rear face of the cabinet door, when the latter is in its closed position, so that circulation of air between the upper and lower compartments l8 and I9 is substantially prevented. If desired, suitable rails 2| may be provided at the side walls of the inner metal shell II for supporting the container 20.

Evaporator or cooling structure 22 comprising a pair of cooling elements 22a and 221), which are in the form of looped coils. are embodied in the container 20. The cooling element 22a is thermally connected to the underside of the top surface of the container 20 and is primarily effective to abstract heat from the upper compartment 18, and the cooling element 22?) is thermally connected to the upper side of the bottom surface of the container and is primarily effective t abstract heat from the lower compartment 19. If

a desired, the container 20 may be filled with a suitable insulating material 23 for thermally shielding the cooling elements 22a and 22b from one another Even when no insulating material 23 isemployed, the stagnant body of air in the container 20 effectively shields the cooling elements 22a and 22b thermally from one another.

The cooling element 22a is adapted to be operated at a lower temperature than the cooling element 22b. Since the cooling element 22a is utilized to effect cooling of the upper compartment 3 it, this compartment may be referred to as a freezing space adapted to receive ice trays, frozen food packages and other matter to be frozen. The freezing compartment It may be provided with a hinged door 24 at the forward edge of the container 29 which may be spring biased to its closed position in any suitable manner (not shown) and readily opened by grasping a part thereof. The cooling element 22b is adapted to be operated at a higher temperature than cooling element 22a and is effectively utilized to cool air in the lower compartment l9. If desired, the bottom surface of the container 29 may be provided with fins to provide a relatively extensive heat transfer surface for effectively abstracting heat from the lower compartment l9.

The cooling elements 22a and 22b may form the cooling structure of an absorption refrigeration system of a uniform pressure type, like that diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2, in which an inert gas or pressure equalizing fluid is employed. In order to simplify Fig. 2, the cooling structure 22 has been illustrated in a more or less conventional manner apart from the refrigerator cabinet illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. In a refrigeration system of the type shown in Fig. 2 a refrigerant fluid, such as a liquid ammonia, for example, is introduced through a conduit 25 into the evaporator structure 22. The refrigerant fluid evaporates and diffuses in the evaporator structure 22 into an inert gas. such as hydrogen, for example, to produce refrigeration and abstract heat from the surroundings.

The resulting gas mixture of refrigerant and inert gas flows from the cooling structure through an outer passage of a gas heat exchanger 26 and vertical conduit 21 into an absorber comprising a vessel 29 and a looped coil 29. In the absorber vessel 28 and coil 29 the refrigerant vapor is absorbed by a suitable absorbent, such as water, for example, which is introduced into coil 29 through a conduit 30. The hydrogen or inert gas, which is practically insoluble and weak in refrigerant, returns to the cooling structure 22 from coil 29 through an inner passage of the gas heat exchanger 25 and a conduit 3|.

From the vessel 29 enriched absorption liquid flows through a conduit 92 and inner passage of a liquid heat exchanger 33 into the lower end of a vapor lift tube 34 of a generator or vapor expulsion unit 35. The generator unit 35 comprises heating flue 36 havingthe vapor lift tube 34 and a boiler pipe 91 in thermal exchange relation herewith, as by welding, for example. By heating generator unit 35, as by a gas burner 38, for example, liquid from the inner passage of the heat exchanger 39 is raised by vapor lift action through tube 94 into the upper part of the boiler pipe 31. The liberated refrigerant vapor entering boiler pipe 31 from the tube 34, and also vapor expelled from solution in the boiler pipe,

, flows upwardly into an air cooled condenser 39 provided with a plurality of heat dissipating members or fins 40. Refrigerant vapor is liquefied in the condenser 39 and returns to the cooling structure 22 through the conduit 25 to complete the refrigerating cycle.

The weakened absorption liquid, from which refrigerant vapor has been expelled, is conducted from boiler pipe 31 through a conduit 4|, outer passage of the liquid heat exchanger 99 and conduit 39 into the upper part of the coil 29. The lower end of the condenser 39 is connected by a conduit 42 to the gas circuit, as to the upper part of absorber coil 29, for example, so that any non- 4 condensable gas which may pass into the condenser can flow to the gas circuit and not be trapped in the condenser.

The cooling elements 224 and 22b are connected in series relation with inert gas from conduit 3| flowing upwardly through cooling element 22a in the presence of and in counterfiowto liquid refrigerant which is introduced through conduit 25. Unevaporated liquid refrigerant is conducted from the lower part of cooling element 22a through a conduit 43 from which liquid refrigerant passes into the lower cooling element 22b for downward flow in the latter in the presence of and in parallel flow with the inert Since the inert gas flows successively through the cooling elements 22a and 22b, the gas in the upper cooling element 22a contains a lesser amount of refrigerant vapor than the gas in the lower cooling element 22b. The partial vapor pressure of the refrigerant is a gradient, so that the temperature of liquid refrigerant in the cooling elements is also a gradient, the evaporating temperature of the liquid being lower in the upper cooling element 22a which constitutes the freezing portion of the cooling structure.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the cooling elements 22a and 22b are in the form of looped coils each of which is positioned in a single substantially horizontal plane and adapted to extend from one side wall to the opposite side wall of the storage space ii. In order to position the container 20 and cooling elements 22a and 22b therein in the storage space l5, the rear wall 44 of cabinet I0 is formed with an opening 45 defined by a rectangular wooden frame 45. The container 20 forms a part of a cover or closure member 41 for the opening which is arranged to bear against a gasket 48 of suitable insulating material and is removably secured at 49 to the rear wall 44. The cover 41 contains a suitable insulating materialand parts of the refrigeration system extend'therethrough which connect the cooling elements with other parts disposed exteriorly of the cabinet I0.

In accordance with my invention removable heat transfer structure in the form of a number of receptacles or drawers 50 are provided in the freezing compartment l9 for transmitting cooling effect from the top surface 5| of the container 20 to the upper part of the compartment. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, eachreceptacle 50 comprises an inner shell which is rectangularshaped in transverse section and includes a flat bottom 52, spaced apart vertically extending walls 53 and a connecting top 54. The inner shells are formed of material having good heat conducting properties, such as aluminum, for example, and may be shaped from metallic sheeting in such manner that the connected edges form a lap joint 55 at the top 54.

An outer housing 55 is provided for each receptacle 50 which may be formed of synthetic resinous material or metal, such as aluminum, for example, and fixed to the inner shell and held in spaced relation therewith by a number of rivets or studs 51. The studs 51 provide poor heat conducting paths between the inner shells and outer housings 55 of the receptacles, and such poor thermal conducting paths, together with the air gaps 58 formed between these parts, effectively insulate and thermally shield the interiors of the receptacles from the portions of the freezing compartment l8 surrounding the receptacles. When the receptacles 59 are positioned in the freezing compartment ill, the flat 5 bottoms 52 are in good thermal contact with the bottom supporting surface 5! while the lower extremities or edges 5! of the outer housings ii are spaced therefrom, as best seen in Fig. 1.

In order to facilitate the breaking of an ice bond which may be formed between the receptacles 50 and the supporting surface 5|, each receptacle is provided with a release device comprising a U-shaped handle having a cross-arm 62 which extends across the front of the receptacle and parallel side arms 63 which project into the air gap 58 and are pivoted at 54 to the outer housing 58. The side arms 63 are formed with .legs 65 which are arranged to bear against the supporting surface 5| and exert force against the latter when the cross-arm i2 is raised upwardly, thereby effectively breaking any ice bond formed between the receptacle and the supporting surface and loosening the receptacle for easy removal from the freezing compartment.

When a receptacle 5| is positioned on the supporting surface 5| of the freezing compartment II and loaded with ice trays, frozen food packages or other matter to be frozen, cooling effect is effectively transmitted to the matter resting against the bottom 52 because the latter is substantially flat and in good thermal contact with the supporting surface-5|. Since the vertically extending walls 53 are in good heat conducting relation with the supporting surface, cooling effect is also efi'ectively transmitted to the matter housed in the upper part of the receptacles through the walls 53 which essentially serve and act as heat conductors. By providing receptacles ill in which air gaps 58 are formed between the inner shells and outer housings 56, the matter stored in the receptacles is thermally shielded to such an extent from the surroundings that the matter stored in the upper part thereof can be effectively maintained at a desired low freezing temperature even when the cooling structure of the refrigeration system is only associated with the bottom supporting surface of the freezing compartment. In Fig. 1 the receptacles 50 take up substantially the entire space across the freezing compartment l8 and are not only thermally shielded from one another but also from the side walls and top of the freezing compartment by the air gaps of the receptacles.

The advantage just mentioned is realized even when the receptacles 50 are open-ended because the vertically extending walls 53 essentially form vertical walls which subdivide the freezing compartment l8 into a plurality of spaces alongside of each other between which circulation of air is restricted. Hence, the walls 53 desirably are of such height that they extend for a major portion of the distance from the bottom supporting surface 5 i to the top of the freezing compartment. In the preferred embodiment illustrated and just described, the receptacles 50 are of optimum height with the vertical walls 53 extending substantially from the bottom to the top of the freczlng compartment l8, sufficient clearance being provided to enable the receptacles to be readily inserted into and removed from the freezing compartment as well as permit operation of the cross-arms B2 of the release devices, as best shown in Fig. 3.

A further advantage realized is that frozen food packages can be readily inserted into and removed from the receptacles 50 when the latter have been withdrawn from the freezing compartment. Hence, loading of the freezing compartment is simplified and matter stored at the rear thereof is easily accessible by simply removing a particular receptacle, thereby eliminating the necessity of individually removing a number of frozen packages directly from the refrigerator and rearranging a considerable number of such packages after a particular package sought has been found.

If desired, the air gap between the inner shells and outer housings of the receptacle 50 may be filled with a suitable insulating material. such as glass wool, for example. Such an embodiment is shown in Fig. 5 in which insulating material 86 is retained in the gap between the inner shell and outer housing. Further, the inner shells and outer housings of the receptacles 5. may be formed to provide a rear wall il having insulation therein, as shown in Fig. 5. Such rear wall construction also may be embodied in the receptacle first described in which an insulating air gap is formed between the inner shell and outer housing. When the outer housing is formed of material having poor thermal conducting properties, such as a synthetic resinous material, for example, the outer housing may overlie and bear directly against the irmer metallic shell.

By way of example and without limitation, a receptacle embodying the invention which has been found extremely satisfactory was formed entirely of aluminum sheeting, the thickness of the inner shell being about 2.5 mm. and that of the outer housing about 0.5 mm. Such receptacle is substantially like that shown in Figs. 1 and 4 having an air gap of about 5 mm. between the inner shell and outer housing. A receptacle of this kind is extremely light and easy to handle and facilitates loading and unloading of food products and other matter to be stored in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator. When ice trays for producing ice are positioned in such a receptacle rather than on an open shelf of a freezing compartment, the ice freezing time is materially reduced. Further, it was found that ice trays and frozen food packages and other matter stored in such a receptacle and held fast by an ice bond can be removed more readily than when stored directly in an open freezing compartment by virtue of the fact that the receptacle and matter housed therein can be withdrawn from the freezing compartment as a complete unit through the front access opening.

Although I have shown and described my invention in connection with a particular type of refrigeration system, I do not wish to be limited thereto since any type of refrigeration system or systems may be employed to provide a low temperature cooling element for a freezing compartment of a refrigerator. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as pointed out in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a household refrigerator comprising a cabinet providing a freezing compartment having a heat conducting bottom supporting surface and means to eifect cooling of such surface, said compartment having an access opening, of removable structure in said compartment which provides one or more vertical walls therein and serving as a heat conductor in heat conducting relation with said surface for transmitting cooling effect to the upper part of said compartment when in functioning relationship, said structure being lnsertable into said compartment through the access opening areas-1o thereof to position said structure in functioning relationship with said supporting surface, and means forming a part of said structure for insulating said heat conductor from the surroundings in said compartment when said structure is positioned in said functioning rentionship, the exterior surface of said last-mentioned means being in poor heat conducting relation with said heat conductor.

2. For use in a household refrigerator providing a freezing compartment having a, substantial- 1y flat bottom supporting surface and means to effect cooling of such surface, sush compartment having a front access opening, removable structure insertable into said compartment at the front opening to house a plurality of items stacked upon one another including packaged food products and the like or such products and one or more ice trays, such items having a poor heat conducting path in an upward direction from said surface to the upper part of said compartment, said structure including spaced apart vertically extending walls which are connected at their upper parts and in heat conducting relation with said supporting surface at their lower parts when in functioning relationship therewith, thereby promoting transmitting of cooling effect from said surface to items in the upper part of the structure, and means at the exterior of said spaced apart walls and connection therebetween for insulating the latter from the surroundings in said compartment when said structure is nositioned in said functioning relationship, the exterior surface of said last-mentioned means being in poor heat conducting relation with said spaced apart walls.

3. For use in a household refrigerator providing a freezing compartment having a substantially flat bottom supporting surface and means to effect cooling of such surface, such compartment having a front access opening, removable structure insertable into said compartment'at the front opening to house a plurality of food items stacked upon one another or such items and one or more ice trays to produce ice cubes, such items having a poor heat conducting path in an upward direction from said surface to the upper part of said compartment, said structure being constructed and arranged to provide a receptacle defined by a bottom and spaced apart vertically extending walls possessing good heat conducting properties which are connected at their upper parts and in heat conducting relation with said supporting surface at their lower parts when in functioning relation with said surface, and an insulating hood overlying said receptacle and forming a unitary part of said structure for insulating the latter from the surroundings in said compart ment when said structure is positioned in said functioning relationship, the exterior surface of said hood being in poor heat conduct ng relation with the walls of said receptacle.

4. For use in a household refrigerator providing a freezing compartment having a substantially flat bottom supporting surface and means to effect cooling of such surface, such compartment having a front opening affording access therein for inserting and removing food products nd other matter, removable structure for housmg such matter when inserted in said compartment, said structure having a height which ex tends for a major portion of the distance from the supporting surface to the top of said compartment and being constructed and arranged to provide spaced apart vertically extending walls comprising inner members of good heat conducting material which are connected at their upp parts in heat conducting relation with said supporL-sg surface at their lower parts when in functioning relation therewith, and an outer shell disposed about said innermembers in poor heat conducting connection therewith.

5. The combination with a refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a horizontally extending freezing compartment and means to effect cooling of the bottom supporting surface of such compartment, the compartment having a front access opening and closure member therefor, of a plurality of receptacles adapted to be positioned in the compartment to house a plurality of items stacked upon one another including packaged food products and the like or such products and one or more ice trays, such items having a poor heat conducting path in an upward'directicn from said surface to the upper part of said compartment, each of said receptacles having a height which extends for a major distance from the bottom to the top of the compartment and including spaced apart walls of good heat conducting material which are connected at their upper parts and in heat conducting relation with said supporting surface at their lower parts when in functioning relation therewith, and means cooperating with said receptacles for insulating the spaced apart walls thereof from the surroundings in said compartment when said receptacles are in functioning relation with the supporting surface, the exterior surface of the last-mentioned means being in poor heat conducting relation with said spaced apart walls.

6. For use in a freezing compartment of a refrigerator having means to effect cooling of the bottom supporting surface thereof, a receptacie for housing food products and other matter adapted to be positioned on said supporting surface, such receptacle comprising an inner metallic shell having a bottom and top and vertical side walls formed of good heat conducting material, and an outer housing disposed about the top and side walls of said shell in poor heat conducting relation therewith, said housing being out of thermal contact with the supporting surface when the receptacle is positioned thereon.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which said housing is formed of sheet metal and surrounds the top and side walls of said shell in spaced relation therewith to provide a narrow gap therebetween, the bottom edges of the portions of said housing overlying said side walls being spaced from the supporting surface when the receptacle is positioned thereon.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which insulating material is disposed in the gap between sald sheil and housing.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 including a device pivotally mounted on sa d receptacle adapted when turned :.0 forcibly loosen the receptacle from the supporting surface when an ice bond is formed therebetween.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which said shell is f rmed of a1um:num and said housing is formed of aluminum and dis sed closely adjacent to and about the top and side walls 031 said shell, and means providing poor heat conducting paths for attaching said housing to said shell, the b-xwtom edges of the portions of said housing ove-:ying said side walls being spaced from the supporting :urface when the receptac-e is positione? thereon.

ii. In combination with a refrigerator including a cabinet having a freezing compartment immediately below the top wall thereof, such compartment having a front access opening and a substantially flat bottom surface, and cooling means in thermal exchange relation with the bottom surface of said freezing compartment, of removable structure within said compartment to promote cooling of food products and other matter at regions removed from said surface and between which at least one ice tray may be disposed, said removable structure including one or more vertical walls and serving as a heat conductor in heat conducting relation with said surface for transmitting cooling effect to said reions when in functioning relationship therewith, said structure being insertable into said compartment through the access opening to position said structure in functioning relationship, and an insulating outer shield for insulating said heat conductor from the surroundings in said freezing compartment when said structure is positioned in said functioning relationship, the exterior surface of said shield being in poor heat conducting relation with said heat conductor.

12. The combination with a refrigerator including a cabinet having thermally insulated top and spaced apart side walls, a horizontally extending member having a relatively flat top supporting surface which is in poor heat conducting relation with the walls of said cabinet, said member defining the bottom of a freezing compartment whose top and spaced apart side surfaces are at the immediate vicinities of the top and side walls, respectively, such compartment having a front access opening and a substantially flat bottom surface, and cooling means in thermal ex- 10 change relation with the bottom surface of said freezing compartment, of removable structure insertable into said compartment at the opening to promote cooling of food items stacked upon one another or such items and one or more ice trays, such items having a poor heat conducting path in an upward direction from said surface, said structure including spaced apart vertically extending walls in heat conducting relation with said bottom surface at their lower parts when in functioning relation therewith to promote transmitting of cooling efllect from said surface to items in the upper part of said compartment, and means at the exterior of said structure for insulating the walls thereof from the surroundstructure is positioned in said functioning relation, the exterior surface of said last-mentioned means being in poor heat conducting relation with the spaced apart walls of said structure.

WILHELM GEORG KOG-EL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ings in said freezing compartment when said