US2631442A - Automatic defrosting system and assembly - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1953 c. MELCHER AUTOMATIC DEFROSTING SYSTEM AND ASSEMBLY Filed May 22, 1951 m ...hhbll INVENTOR CYRIL MELGHER.

BY if TTORNEYS DNA mimbk QS @QQKMQ Hldfmwj@ Nil! `Patented Mar. 17, 1.9513

AUTOMATIC DEFROSTING SYSTEM AND ASSEMBLY Cyril Melcher, Bally, Pa., assignor to Bally Case Y and Cooler Company, Bally, Pa.

Application May 22, 1951, Serial No. 227,620

1 Claim. (Cl. 6.2-115) YThis invention relates to'refrigerating equipment and more particularlyr to a defrosting system and assembly for use in a refrigerator.'

In a particular form of domestic or commercial refrigerator, there is experienced periodical diculty due to the formation of ice on its partition, trays and other incidental interior surface. `This is the result of the freezing action by the coiling coils continuing for a length of timesufficient to' cause a covering of ice on these parts without a tendency to melt off by itself or underthe conditions which the refrigerator is employed. The covering of'ice reduces the efficiency of the refrigerator from the beginning and more so, as the iceV accumulates and increases in thickness. Therefore, the user is directed by the instructions of the manufacturer, to take steps from time to time. to eliminate the covering of ice. To do so, the user frequently turns oif the motorand unit that provides the refrigeration andleavesit off until the temperature rises within the refrigerator suioiently to melt off all the ice, or in Some instances thev at predetermined intervals without the help of the user and heat the components covered or about to be covered, with ice in the form of frosting. The timing device controls the period of such defrosting and then stops it to permit the normal process of refrigerating to proceed. This is done effectively in a short period without materially affecting the refrigerating conditions of parts and items within the refrigerator.

With these features in mind it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved refrigerating system and assembly-that will avoid one or more, of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved refrigerating system and assembly that will automatically operate to overcome frosting in an eifective and expeditious manner.

A further object of the inventionV is to .provide a new and improved refrigerating assembly in a refrigerator that will include a self contained defrosting arrangement in conjunction with the refrigerating unit,- arranged to counterprovide a new and improved defrosting assemthe user for quite some period of time, depending on 4the type of cabinet, the' room temperature, the amount of food in the cabinet, and other factors. In the interim of defrosting, there is a possibility of some of the articles'of food, medicine or otherwise becoming spoiled by being uncooled too fast or too long, and also the water from the melting ice may spill over and cause inconvenience.

This invention is designed to take care of the defrosting automatically at predetermined intervals. The user is vfreed from the trouble of watching the interior condition as to frosting, andthe labor and attention and time required to personally attend to the process of defrosting. The system .employed is simple and requires little additional room vwithin the refrigerator for itsuse therein. It consists primarily of a system embodying a series of defrosting piping coils located in alternate orY adjacent-rows between the piping coils'of 'the refrigerating line. The coils are'placed close enough t'o induce a transfer' of heatv (or cold) from one class of coils to the fother, when. the 4time,.,comes for this to be done. f In additiona timing device is embodied in the;` systemto activatethe defrosting piping bly incorporatable into the cooling system of a refrigerator that will directly'control such system at designated periods to eliminate frosting or icing induced thereby. V

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the details of a structure embodying its principles are outlined herein. In order that a full understanding of .this invention may be had, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein a particular form thereof is indicated. The description following, in conjunction with these drawings, indicate the principles and operation of the in; vention, while the appended claim emphasizes the scope thereof.

Referring to the drawings: 1 Figure l is -a diagrammatic picture of a de- `frosting system and assembly embodying this invention, and

Figure 2 is a side elevational section taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1. Y

Similar reference numerals designate the same parts throughout the drawings. p p l In Figure 1, is shown acooling coil IU forthe conveyance of a refrigerating liquid or refrigerant through it for cooling the interior of a refrigerator or freezingcabinet not shown.k The coil consistsof a plurality of parallel spaced runs of piping I i, leading from a compressor I2 with which the usual components of a driving motor i3, condenser and expansion valve are included, although not indicated in the drawing. A suitable refrigerant of any well known type commonly used for the purpose is used in this piping and cools the articles in the refrigerator to a set temperature while it ilows through the system during the refrigerating cycle. The motor i3 is under the control of a timing switch Ill that shuts it off and turns it on at designated times through the use of a clock mechanism, not shown.

A defrosting coil 2G for conveying a heated defrosting liquid, preferably of a standard antifreeze nature, consists of a series of runs of piping 2| parallel to those of the coil It. rihe runs of piping 2| are alternately spaced in the same plane With the runs of the Piping II and placed relatively close to them. ln addition a series of heat dissipating iins i5 of metal or heat conducting material are mounted on all of the runs I I and 2l at right angles thereto in such a manner as to tie them conductively together and for the purpose of keeping them in line with one another as Well as structurally strong and rigid. The piping 2l leads to a pump 22 for forcing the defrosting liquid through it when its driving motor 23 is operating. A tank 25 contains an adequate quantity of the defrosting liquid for this system. This defrosting liquid is raised to a suitable temperature by an electrical heating element 26 during the time it is flowing and the pump 22 with its motor 23 are in operation. When it is in operation, the compressor l2 with its motor I3 stops operating and the coolant flow of the refrigerant is prevented from circulating during the period. rIhe defrosting cycle likewise is stopped when the refrigerant cycle is flowing.

Ordinarily the refrigerant passes through the coil Iii and cools the interior of the refrigerator until such time as the frosting or icing tends to become excessive. At the time set by the timing device. I4, which is adjusted to act when such frosting is determined or empirically found to take place, the refrigerant cycle motor I3 is stopped and the defrosting cycle motor 23 started up. The heating element 26 is also put in` operation and warms up the defrosting liquid. This liquid is forced through the defrosting coil 2i) and transmits its heat to the ice in the refrigerator and to the refrigerant in the coil lil. This removes the ice by melting it and does it quickly. The defrosting coil 20 being close the refrigerating coil Ill, quickly transfers its heat to it and the ice formed by the latter. The nhs I5 cooperate in this by conducting the heat quickly Iand effec-tively to the ice as the conducting material or metal of which they are composed, permits it. As the work of defrosting is done expeditiously by this arrangment, the food items in therefrigerator being located at some distance from the coils, do not have the time to lose their lowered or storage temperature, and therefore are not materially affected by the system. As long as the water derived from the ice is at 32 degrees Which will be for a relatively short time, the food Will not be warmed up by the defrosting system. Therefore the defrosting arrangement is safe and convenient to use.

The manner of placing the combination coil in a refrigerator offers no problem because it is al1 together and can be compactly constructed. If placed horizontal, the iins will facilitate the warming of the refrigerant section by conduction.

In vertical placement of the plane of the combination coil, the ns will be augmented in their work by convection from the currents of air rising from the defrosting section.

If the service supplying current to the motors, heating and clock should be interrupted at the source, all components of `the system will be'out of service together, so that it will not be liable to damage from that situation. The arrangement is so simple that designs including itI can be readily incorporated into conventional equipment now available. It is effective, and does its work quickly, with a minimum amount of energy to operate it. It is therefore economical from the practical points of View arising in adapting the system to present needs.

While but one form of the invention is disclosed in this particular outline of the invention, it is not intended to limit this application for Letters Patent to ths special form, but to such structures and systems that would employ the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is A refrigerating system and defroster comprising a refrigeration line consisting of tubing having portions thereof bent to form a coil, the convolutions of which are straight throughout, the length of the coil and extend horizontally in a single vertical plane one above another in spaced parallel relation to each other and connected at their ends by arcuate portions of the tubing, a compressor connected with ends of said refrigeration line and serving to circulate a cooling medium through the refrigeration line, a defrosting line consisting` of tubing having portions bent to form a coil, the convolutions of which are straight throughout the length of the coil and extend horizontally and longitudinally of the convolutions of the coil ofthe refrigeration line andare located directly between and in spaced parallel relation to the said convolutions of the refrigeration line and at their ends are connected with each other by arcuate portions of the tubing, a container for a defrosting medium, a pump for withdrawing the defrosting medium. from said container supported thereon andr forcing the de*- frosting medium through the defroster line, the outlet end of the defroster line communicating with said container through the top thereof, a heater in said container, motors for individually driving said compressor and said pump., a switch for controlling operation of said motors adapted for shutting ofi the motor for the compressor when the motor for the pump and the. heater in circuit therewith are started, and thin plates disposed vertically and spaced from each other longitudinally of the coils and formed midway their width with openings through which the convolutions of the said coils pass in close tting contactF ing engagement with the plates.v

CYRIL MELCHER.

REFERENCES CITE The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,513,823 Shreve July 4 `1950. 2,522,199 Shreve. Sept. 12,1950 2,551,153 Rickert etal. -.May 1,1951 2,554,848 Warren. May 29, 19.51=

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