US2715817A

US2715817A - Portable refrigerator

Info

Publication number: US2715817A
Application number: US264940A
Authority: US
Inventors: Brodheim Morris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-01-04
Filing date: 1952-01-04
Publication date: 1955-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 1972-08-23

Description

M. BRoDHElM 2,715,817

Aug. 23, 1955 PORTABLE REIFRIGERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 4, 1952 USN li INVENTOR United States Patent Clice PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR Morris Brodheim, Philadelphia, Pa. Application January 4, 1952, serial No. 264,940

1 Claim. (ci. 62-116) This invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to 'a portable electrically operated refrigerator.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved portable electric refrigerator which -is simple in construction, which is compact in size, and which is light in Weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irnproved portable electric refrigerator which may be easily transported from place to place, which utilizes the food storage space therein in a very eiiicient manner, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is entirely selfcontained.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved portable electrical refrigerator which isof relatively small bulk, which provides convenient access directly to all the food storage compartments thereof, and which employs inexpensive and readily available components.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of an improved portable electric refrigerator constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the portable electric refrigerator of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a top view of the portable refrigerator of Figures l and 2 with the top and front covers in open positions.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure l.

Figure 7 is a schematic view showing the electrical wiring connections and the conduit connections of the elements of the refrigerating mechanism employed in the portable refrigerator of Figures 1 to 6.

Referring to the drawings, the refrigerator is designated generally at 11 and comprises a generally rectangular housing 12 having front and

rear walls

13 and 14,

end walls

15 and 16, a bottom wall 17, and a top wall 18 which is hinged at 19 to the rear longitudinal top corner of the rear wall 14 so that the wall 18 defines a hinged top cover. The walls and top cover are suitably insulated to minimize heat ow therethrough, and may include suitable heat insulating material such as cork, mineral wool, or other well known insulating material.

Designated at 20 is a transverse vertical partition wall provided in the housing 13 defining a food compartment 21 on one side thereof and a compressor compartment 22 on the other side thereof. As shown in Figure 3, the compressor compartment 22 is dened between end wall 15 and partition wall 20, and the food compartment 21 is defined between end wall 16 and partition wall 20.

The food compartment 21 is provided at front wall 13 with a hinged cover 23 communicating with the lower portion of the food compartment 21. The cover 23 is provided with a latch 24 of the type which locks when the cover is moved into closed position and which may be opened by rotating the latch handle, shown at 25A Mounted in the opening receiving the cover 23 is a lamp bulb 26 which is connected in series with the door-operated switch, of conventional construction, as shown at 27, to the

line wires

28 and 29, as shown in Figure 7. The

line wires

28 and 29 form part of a conventional line cord extending from the refrigerator and adapted to be plugged into a convenient electric socket at the location where the refrigerator is to be used. As in the case of a conventional refrigerator, when the door 23 is opened, the switch 27 closes energizing the lamp 26 and lluminat ing the interior of the food compartment of the refrigerator.

Designated at 29 is the evaporator compartment which contains the refrigerator evaporator coils and which is provided with shelves for receiving trays 30 for making ice cubes. The evaporator unit 29 is mounted on the upper portion of the partition wall 20 against the upper portion of rear wall 14, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Evaporator unit 29 is rigidly secured to

walls

14 and 20 and is of conventional construction. Mounted on a bracket 31 secured to the partitionv wall 20 under the evaporator unit 29 is a removable defrost tray 32 which is employed for the collection of moisture dripping from the evaporator unit 29 when the refrigerator is defrosted.

Designated at 33 is a horizontal food supporting tray which is removably mounted on inwardly projecting lugs 34 provided on the inside surfaces of the

walls

16 and 14 and on the evaporator unit 29, said lugs 34 being arranged to support the food tray 33 in a horizontal position. The food tray 33 is shaped to cover substantially the entire horizontal cross sectional area of the food compartment 21 and is formed to fit around the evaporator unit 29, as illustrated.

Secured to the end wall 16 in the lower portion of the food compartment 21 is a clamping bracket 35 provided with opposed resilient

arcuate clamping iingers

36, 36 arranged to clampingly receive the neck of a milk bottle 37 therebetween, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. It will be further apparent from Figure 3 that when thedoor 23 s opened, convenient access is provided to the milk bottle, said bottle being located adjacent the door opening. Access is provided to the upper portion of the food compartment, namely, the food supported on the tray 33 by opening the hinged top wall 18. Access to the freezer trays 30 is similar provided by opening either the door 23 or the hinged top cover 18. For convenience in reaching the lower freezer tray 30, the door 23 may be employed, and similarly, to reach the upper tray 30, the hinged top cover 18 may be opened.

Mounted in the compressor compartment 22 are the components of a conventional mechanical refrigeration system including the compressor 35, the accumulator 36, the drier 37 and the blower fan 38. Mounted in the rear wall 14 is the condenser 39', the blower fan 38 being arranged to blow air through the condenser 39 to cool the refrigerant, in the well known manner. Also mounted in the compressor compartment 22 is a thermostat control device 39 comprising a thermostatically operated switch connected in series between the motor of the compressor 35 and the

line wires

28 and 29 and provided with conventional means for adjusting the temperature at which the switch contacts thereof close. The operating means for the thermostat includes a conventional bulb device 40 located adjacent the evaporator unit 29 and connected by a conduit 41 to the thermostat switch unit 39 so as to operate the contacts thereof. As shown in Figure 7, the evaporator is connected to the condenser 39 by the capillary refrigerant ow control line 42, the condenser 39 Patented Aug. 23, 1955 3 being-sin .turn lconnected"bytherconduit 43 to the low pressure side. of-theompressor The highpressure. port of the compressor is connected by a conduit 44 Vthrough the drier 37, the conduit 45 and the accumulator 36e toA the' evaporator *unitij 29j Y therebyl completing; the refrigerationcircuit. The `blower motor-38 iseconnected" in 'parallel withithe 'linewires 28 `and'29b`ythe `respectivee lwires 46 andf`47; asshowniin FigureJ/Lj Whenitheline wires'28 -and 29f are connected'to an"e1e'ctricsock`et,- the' compressor'SS Lbecomes energized and continues tojopcrf ate untiliitscircuiteisfopened `byithe opening of-the con@ Vtactsof the thermostat Vunit 39; namelyywhen the -desiredf temperature of'the evaporator unit -29has been reached,

inv accordance'with' the -vsetting o'f' the-thermostat-unitrl Y the louvered opening 47 so that air may ow through;

l walls'-15"and 16' are the'respective handles 49;'49,enablingV` the refrigerator to be'readily lifted'vand carried.

Whi1e-a lspecific embodiment of animprovedfportable electric refrigeratorjhas been disclosed iny the'foregoing` description, it will be understood that vvarious ymodificationswithinthe spiir-t oithe inventionY may occur to-V those' skilled inthe art:Y Therefore, it is-intended'that Y nof-limit`ations beplaced onthe'invention-except asde-j' Yfined byv the scope Vofthe-appended claim.

What is claimed is: Y In.a,portab1e,refrigerator,.arectangulaphousinghaving an open top, a bottom wall, affront wall, a rear wall, and end walls, a cover hinged on the housing and closing the open top thereof, arverticaltransverse partition wall inV Y said housing extending the full width and height of the interior of the housing and dividing the interior of the housing into a food compartment and a compressor conipartrnent, an evaporatorassemblysecurecLtompper portions of said partition wall"'arid said 'rear walland spaced from said bottomgwallgandgfrom@theradjaeentiend wall,

a food trayspaced AVupwardlyfrom said bottom wall and t extending `between' said `front and rear'wallsv and "between said adjacent endwalLandsaid'.,evapplator assembly, means supporting said food tray on said front and rear walls and on said adjacent end wall and said evaporator assembly, said front wall having an opening providing laccess to the food compartment, and a door hinged` on said housing and closingsaidaccess` openingfa-cempressror l assemblyY in said tcompressopcompartmenty said freapwparlli having a condenser openingf'intoth'eecomp'ressordcompartmenand a condenser-mountedWithinzsaid "'corxelenseif-l` opening andV connecte'df to th'e-lcompressorf'-assembly References iCitedfinz the :le (o otitis:patenti; UNITED ,sTArEsTATENTs' prima