US2724241A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 22, 1955 J. w. JACOBS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 13. 1952 ENTOR. W Jacobs I 9 my James ment at sub-freezing temperatures.

United States Patent Office 2,724,241 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS James W. Jacobs, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application June 13, 1952, Serial No. 293,369.

.4Claims. (c1. 62-103) .This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to food freezing or frozen food storage refrigerators.

In a low temperature refrigerator cabinet such as food freezers or frozen food storage cabinets, frost or ice not only accumulatesaon theinterior of the food compartment but also accumulates on the cold outer wall surfaces thereof and on an evaporator about the compartment employed to maintain the interior of the compart- The frost or ice may be formed on the interior of the compartment by condensing moisture from air entering the same when the compartment access door is open. Such frost or ice also forms on the outer wall surfaces of the compartment and on the evaporator about the same by the low temperature of the evaporator condensing moisture out of air infiltrating outer walls of the-cabinet and entering the space or chamber containing insulating material which surrounds the compartment. While it has been common not to recommend that the temperature of the evaporator of such refrigerators be increased above freezing, for fear of thawing and damaging frozen foods contained in the storage compartment thereof, such temperature increase of the evaporator may occasionally be desired or caused unavoidably in which case ice or frost within the low temperature compartment on outer wall surfaces thereof and on the evaporator thereabout will thaw and melt. Such increase in temperature of the evaporator may occur accidentally by power line failure during summer storms or the. like. This presents the problem of disposing of the water resulting from defrosting of the ice or frost from exterior surfaces of the food storage compartment as well as from interior surfaces thereof. The defrost water from melting frost or ice within the space or chamber about the food compartment containing insulating material must be removed to the exterior of the cabinet in order to prevent this water from corroding and rusting walls of the cabinet. I therefore contemplate the provision of means in such low temperature refrigerators for conveying thedefrost water both from the interior of the food storage compartment and from the insulating spaces or chambers about the same. n

An object of my invention is to provide an improved food freezing and frozen food storage refrigerator which will overcome difficulties encountered in the construction of prior refrigerator cabinets of this type.

Another object of my invention is to provide a double drain device in a freezing or frozen food storage refrigerator with a common outlet whereby a single receptacle may be employed for receiving defrost water flowing from both the interior of the food storage compartment of the refrigerator and from the insulating chamber or chamthe cabinet at the front thereof concealed by lthe food compartment access opening door and readily accessible for removal from the cabinet upon opening the door to permit emptying of its contents.

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

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a frozen food storage refrigerator cabinet having my invention embodied therein and showing the food compartment door in open position; and,

Figure 2 is a broken fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the refrigerator cabinet disclosed in Figure 1 and is taken on the line 22 thereof.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating the invention, I have shown in Figure 1 thereof a refrigerating apparatus including a vertically elongated front access opening rectilinear shaped refrigerator cabinet of the type adapted to freeze foods and store frozen food products in the refrigerated storage compartment thereof. The refrigerator cabinet is generally represented by the reference character 10 and comprises outer metal walls or panels 11, a metal liner 12 therein spaced from the cabinet outer walls and having insulating material (see Figure 2) disposed in the space or chambers between the cabinet outer Walls 11 and liner 12. This insulating material may be in bag or package form and may comprise glass or mineral Wool 14 hermetically sealed within flexible casings of some suitable material. The sealed casings containing the insulating material 14 can be made of polyethylene or polyvinylidene chloride which prevents breathing of air and consequently moisture into and out of the insulation 14 disposed therein. Liner 12 forms the top, bottom and upright back and side walls of a food storage compartment 15 within cabinet 10. Compartment 15 is provided at the front of the cabinet with an access opening normally closed by an insulated door structure 16. The food storage compartment liner 12 is supported along its top and side front edges from the outer front wall of cabinet 10 at the access opening thereof by any suitable or desirable moldings or insulated breaker strips as is conventional in refrigerating system associated with cabinet 10 may be mounted in the machine compartment 17. This refrigerating system also includes an evaporator connected to the refrigerant translating device in any well-known or conventional manner. The evaporator in the present disclosure comprises a plurality of conduit looped portions 21 contacting and extending along a plurality of walls of the food compartment 15. The refrigerant evaporator also has other looped conduit portions 22 entering the compartment 15 and secured to horizontally'disposed sheet metal plates 23, mounted in this compartment, to

provide therewith a plurality of freezing food supporting shelves within the food compartment. The conduit portions 21 and 22 of the evaporator of the refrigerating system are adapted to maintain the interior of compartment 15 at subfreezing temperatures for freezing foods placed therein and to preserve frozen food products stored therein.

Although such a refrigerator cabinet as is herein disclosed is usually well sealed, it is diflicult, if not impossible, without involving great expense to prevent infiltration.

of air intothe spaces or chambers about the food compartment 15 containing the insulating material 14. The sub-freezing temperature of the evaporator conduit portions 21 and 22 causes any moisture in air infiltrating. the cabinettocondenseandfreezeinthe form of'frostor ice on the evaporator and on outer surfaces of liner 12 forming walls of'the'compartment 1-5. Also, air entering the compartment15 has itsmoisture content deposited in the form of frost or ice on inner surfaces of the food compartment. Shouldthe evaporator, comprising the refrigerant evaporating conduits 21 and 22, be increased above 32 F.-for any reason such as by power line failure and. the like leading to the motor compressor-condenser unit of the refrigerating system, the frost or ice accumulated both on the inside of compartment 15 and on the outer surfaceof' walls. thereof will thaw or melt. I have provided means for draining the water resulting from the melting frost or ice bothfrom theinterior of compartment 15'and from'outer surfaces'of walls thereof to the exterior of cabinet 10. This means includes a plurality of elements which will now be described.

A trough-like insulating breaker strip 26, preferably formed of molded plastic material such, for example, as polystyrene, is interposed between the outer front metal wall 11 of cabinet and the front edge of the bottom wall of liner 12 (see Figure 2). This trough-like breaker strip 26 is provided with an opening 27. A pan 28, also preferably formed of molded plastic polystyrene material, is positioned under liner 12 in spaced relation to the bottom wall of compartment 15. This pan 28 extends continuously from a point in front of compartment beneath breaker strip 26' beyond upright back and side walls of the compartment into the space or chambers between theouter metal walls 11 of cabinet 10 and the liner 12, containing the insulating material 14. Fan 28 is disposed intermediate the insulating material 14 along the bottom of compartment 15 and the liner 12 forming the compartment. Both the trough-like breaker strip 26 and pan 28 may, if desired, be slightly inclined upwardly from the front portion toward the rear portion of the refrigerator cabinet 10. An opening 29 isprovided'in the front part of pan 28'. It will be noted that the opening 27 in the'trough-likebreaker strip 26 communicates with the space between pan 28 and the bottom wall of compartment 15. A molded plastic, preferably polystyrene, conduit 31 has its upper end- 32 secured to pan 28, in any suitable ordesi'ra'ble manner, so as to be in communication with or connected to the opening 29'provided therein. Conduit 31 has its other'or'lower end 33 projected or extended through a hole in the metal outer'front" wall 11 of cabinet 10; Means is provided to normally close the passageway extending through conduit 31 so as to prevent air aswell as insects or the like from passing upwardly therethrough into food compartment 15. This closure means comprises a valve seat 36 formed integral with the conduit 31 and a float valve 37 disposed within conduit 3'1' and adapted to rest on the seat 36. Float valve 37 may also be fabricated of molded plastic material. The nonmetallic molded plastic trough-like breaker strip 26, pan 28 and' conduit 31 retards the transference of heat from the cabinet outer walls 11 adjacent to or into compartment 15. A covered receptacle 39 is detachably mounted upon the outer front wall 11 of cabinet 10 at a substantial distance. below the. access opening of compartment 15, and the open lower end 33. of conduit 331 communicates with the interior of this receptacle. The detachable mounting of receptacle 39 upon cabinet 10 may be of any conventional or Wellknown design. The receptacle 39 is preferably tall and narrow and may, if desired, extend substantially throughout the width of the front of cabinet 10. The food compartment access opening closing door 16' is projecteda substantial distance below compartmenflsand its projected portion is hollowed out as at 41"t0 receive and cover or conceal the receptacle 39.

Thus, receptacle 39v is accessible for detachment and removal from cabinet 10 only when door 16 is opened.

Upon power line failure or opening of the electric circuit leading to the motor-compressor-condenser unit of the refrigerating system associated with cabinet 10, the evaporator of the refrigerating system will increase above 32 F. Thereupon frost or ice both within compartment 15 and on the outer surface of'walls thereofwill thaw and melt. it be intentional or accidental, will flow out of compartment v15 at the front of its bottom wall and be received in the trough-like breaker strip 26. Water will also flow down the outer'surfaces of walls of'compartment 15 into pan 28. This water will be conveyed from breaker strip 26, through the opening 27 therein, and from pan 23 through the opening 29 therein and caused to flow into the common outlet conduit 31. The water upon attaining a predetermined level in conduit 31, in the vicinity of the float valve; will cause the valve 37 to float and thereby be raised from its seat 36 whereupon water may flow out of the open end 33 of, conduit 31 into the water collecting receptacle 39. Water accumulated in receptacle 39 may be inspected when door 16 is open, and if the receptacle 39 is substantially filled, it may then be detached from the refrigerator cabinet and emptied. It will be understood that should a frozen food storage refrigerator of the type herein disclosed be recommended for intentional periodic defrosting then such defrostingmay be augmented bysome conventional or well known heating means for rapidly applying'heat directly to the surfaces to be defrosted to'quickly melt the accumulation of frost or ice so as to reducethe defrosting operation to:a minimumof time and thereby prevent unduly warming of food products stored in the refrigerator.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that I have provided an improved refrigerating apparatus of the type wherein sub-freezing temperatures are maintained. The defrost water draining device incorporated in the refrigerator disclosed prevents water being trapped within walls of the cabinet and conveys the water to the exterior thereof. Accidental defrosting of the food compartment and the evaporator associated therewith may occur without causing deterioration of or damage to walls of the cabinet. By fabricating the various elements of the water draining device from molded plastic material, such elements do not appreciably add to manufacturing costs of the refrigerator.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmightbe adopted as may come within the scope of-the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerator comprising in combination, a cabi-- net of rectilinear shape having metal outer walls and a metal linerspaced therefrom and forming the top, bottom and upright back and side walls of a food storage compartment in said cabinet, insulating material in the space between said cabinet outer walls and said liner, said compartment having an access opening in the front of said cabinet, a door normally closing said compartment access opening, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet, said system including an evaporator contacting and extending along a plurality of walls of said food compartment for cooling the interior thereof, a nonmetallic pan intermediate the insulating material and saidlliner at thebottom of said compartment, said pan being spaced from the bottom wall of said compartment and extending continuously from a point in front of said compartment beyond its upright back and side walls into the space between said liner and said cabinet outer walls, aninsulating breaker strip interposedbetween the front metal wall of said cabinet and the bottom wall of said compartment, said breaker strip having an opening therein communicating 'with the space between said pan and'said compartment bottom wall, said pan having The water resulting from this defrosting, whether one; e

an opening therein, a nonmetallic conduit having one end thereof communicating with the opening in said pan and having its other end extended through the outer front wall of said cabinet, a float valve in said conduit normally closing the same, a receptacle detachably mounted upon said cabinet front wall, said other end of said conduit communicating with the interior of said receptacle, and said food storage compartment door being projected downwardly from said compartment access opening over said receptacle for normally concealing the same.

2. A refrigerator comprising in combination, a cabinet of rectilinear shape having metal outer walls and a metal liner spaced therefrom and forming the top, bottom, and upright back and side walls of a food storage compartment in said cabinet, insulating material in the space between said cabinet outer walls and said liner, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator contacting and extending along a plurality of walls of said compartment for maintaining sub-freezing temperatures therein, a molded plastic pan intermediate the insulating material and said liner at the bottom of said compartment, an insulating breaker strip interposed between the front metal wall of said cabinet and the botom wall of said compartment, said pan being spaced from the bottom wall of said compartment and extending continuously from a point beneath said breaker strip beyond the upright back and side walls of said compartment into the space between said liner and said cabinet outer walls, said breaker strip having an opening therein communicating with the space between said pan and said compartment bottom wall, said pan having an opening therein, a nonmetallic conduit having one end thereof communicating with the opening in said pan and having its other end extended through the outer front wall of said cabinet, means within said conduit normally closing the same, a receptacle detachably mounted upon said outer front wall of said cabinet, and said other end of said conduit communicating with the interior of said receptacle.

3. A refrigerator comprising in combination, a cabinet of rectilinear shape having metal outer walls and a metal liner spaced therefrom and forming the top, bottom and upright back and side walls of a food storage compartment in said cabinet, insulating material in the space between said cabinet outer walls and said liner, said compartment having an access opening in the front of said cabinet, a door normally closing said compartment access opening, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet, said system including an evaporator having portions thereof extending along a plurality of said compartment walls for maintaining sub-freezing temperatures therein, said evaporator also having other portions entering said food compartment and providing freezing food supporting shelves therein, a nonmetallic pan intermediate the insulating material and said liner at the bottom of said compartment, an insulating breaker strip interposed between the front metal wall of said cabinet and the bottom wall of said compartment, said pan being spaced from the bottom wall of said compartment and extending continuously from a point beneath said breaker strip beyond the upright back and side walls of said compartment into the space between said liner and said cabinet outer walls, said breaker strip having an opening therein communicating with the space between said pan and said compartment bottom wall, said pan having an opening therein, a molded plastic conduit having one end thereof communicating with the opening in said pan and having its other end extended through the outer front wall of said cabinet below said food compartment, a float valve within said conduit normally closing the same, a receptacle detachably mounted upon said outer front wall of said cabinet, said other end of said conduit communicating with the interior of said receptacle, said food storage compartment door projecting downwardly from said compartment access opening and being hollowed out to receive and conceal said receptacle, and said receptacle being accessible only when said door is opened for detachment from said cabinet front wall.

4. A refrigerator cabinet having a plurality of stationary outer walls and a liner spaced therefrom forming the top, bottom, back and side walls of a food storage compartment therein, insulating material in the space between said cabinet outer walls and said liner, the front stationary outer wall of said cabinet having an opening therein providing access to said food compartment, a door hingedly mounted upon said cabinet for horizontal swinging movement normally closing said compartment access opening, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator contacting and extending along outer surfaces of walls of said food compartment for cooling the interior thereof, a pan disposed intermediate the insulating material and the bottom wall of said liner, said pan being spaced from said liner bottom wall and extending continuously from a point at the front of said cabinet beyond the back and side walls of said food compartment into the space between said liner and outer walls of said cabinet, said pan having an opening therein, a conduit having an inlet end communicating with the opening in said pan and having a discharge end extended through the stationary outer cabinet front wall, a receptacle associated with the discharge end of said conduit, said receptacle being detachably mounted on the stationary outer front wall of said cabinet and projecting forwardly thereof, said food compartment door having a portion thereof depending a substantial distance downwardly beyond said compartment access opening, said depending portion of said compartment door being hollowed out to receive and fit over said receptacle for concealing the same, and said receptacle being accessible for detachment from said cabinet front wall only when said food compartment door is swung open.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,515,892 Philipp July 18, 1950 2,592,233 Atchison Apr. 8, 1952 2,594,073 Robbins Apr. 22, 1952 2,617,268 Ashby Nov. 11, 1952

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