US2869331A

US2869331A - Refrigerator with freezing and normal cooling compartments

Info

Publication number: US2869331A
Application number: US533631A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond E Koon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-09-12
Filing date: 1955-09-12
Publication date: 1959-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 1976-01-20

Description

1959 RE. KOON 2,869,331

REFRIGERATOR WITH FREEZING AND NORMAL COOLING COMPARTMENTS Filed Sept. 12. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 INVEN TOR.

fay/22mm [1. K00 W 1 FM Jan. 20, 1959 R. E. KbON 2,869,331

REFRIGERATOR WITH FREEZING" AND NORMAL cooLmc COMPARTMENTS Filed Sept. 12, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I i 77 /6 {W \16 I 4/ J I I n v 55 57 2/ a; 36 a5 1 E a Z6 Z7 i R I1 15 '54 a; 57 i 2/ 56 35 I: M 20 I E INVENTOR. fymafla 5/?00/7 Jan. 20, 1 959 iq; O 2,869,331

REFRIGERATOR. WITH FREEZING AND NORMAL COOLING COMPARTMENTS,

Fild Sept. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 6/ 62 66 i F5 -2 I 3 5 ,64 J 7 I I 60 V v I 6Z\ .53 I 5 A 54 v I INVENTOR. Roy/220012. /f00 7 WWW United States Patent C REFRIGERATDR WITH FREEZING AND NORMAL COGLING COMPARTMENTS Raymond E. Koon, Scottville, Mich.

Application September 12, 1955, Serial No. 533,631

10 Claims. (Cl. 62207) ting against the exposed sides of the refrigerator.

Fourth, to provide a combination cooling and freezing refrigerator in which the freezing section is normally positioned behind the regular cooling section and is read- .ily accessible through the single door of the refrigerator by rotating the shelves of the refrigeratorin the insulating compartment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a-consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, of which there are three sheets, illustrate two practical forms of the refrigerator.

.Fig. .l is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of the refrigerator mounted in the corner of a room with cabinets located adjacent to the exposed sides of the through the refrigerator taken along the plane of the line'55 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross sectional view through a modified form ofthe refrigerator taken along'the plane of "the line 6-6 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken along the plane of the 'line 7-7 in Fig. 6.

As appears more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 the first design of'the refrigerator is particularly adapted for mounting in the corner of a room. However, as will be pointed out presently the invention is not limited to this feature of therefrigerator. The adjacent walls of a room which join to form a corner are indicated at 1 with the refrigerator cabinet'generallyindicated at 2 mounted in the corner. The exposed side walls of the cabinet extend perpendicularly with respect to the room walls and with respect to each other and are joined by a curved front wall 4. An access opening 5 in the front wall is closed by a door 6. A utility drawer 7 is mounted in the cabinet below the door and a removable panel 8 above the door provides access to a motor compartment in the top of the cabinet.

'The standard width kitchen cabinets 9 may abut directly "ice against the sidewalls 3 withoutzinterfering with the opening motion of the door 6.

The cabinet walls are supported by a sultable inner frame work, portions of which are indicated at 10. No

claim is made to the specific arrangement of the supporting frame work so it is not described in detail. Positioned within the cabinet and the frame work 10 is a cylindrical body 11 having an outer cylindrical wall 12 and an inner .cylindrical wall 13. The ends of the body as appears in Fig. 5 consist of inner and outer

lower walls

14 and 15 respectively and inner and outer

upper wall

16 and ,17 respectively. The space between the inner and outer walls is packed with a suitable insulating material 18. The door 6 is also of double walled construction and provided with insulating material as at 18. Suitable flexible seals are provided around the door 6 as at 19 to close on the wall of the cabinet.

The

lower walls

14 and 15 and the

upper walls

16 and 17 are apertured centrally of the cylindrical body and receive non-heat conducting annular bearings 20 that are aligned vertically. The bearings rotatably receive and support a tubular column 21 that has its ends insulated against conduction of heat through the end walls of the body. An insulating thrust block 22 in the bottom of the column is supported on roller bearings 23 carried by a cross member 24 of the cabinet frame.

The space within the cylindrical body is divided by an upright partition .25. The partition 25 includes spaced front and'back

walls

26 and 27 respectively with insulating material 28 therebetween. The opposite sides of the par- .tition may extend diametrically through the compartment or may be angled to greater or lesser extent as appears in Fig. '2 depending upon the proportion of space to be allotedto the two sections of the refrigerator. The front walls 26 and rear walls'27 of the partition are conveniently wrapped around the column 21 as a finishing surface therefore.

The side edges of the partition 25 are provided with deformable sealing strips 29 which slidably engage the cylindrical inner wall 13 of the body. These sealing strips are conveniently made of rubber and desirably have 'two spaced ribs as illustrated to provide a double seal along the sides of the partition. The upper and lower edges of the partition 25 are similarily provided with sealing strips as at 30 (see Fig. 3) so that the partition and its sealing strips effectively divide the compartment within the cylindrical body into a forward normal cooling section 31 having rear freezing section 32.

Secured to the partition 25 and the column 21 by means of suitable brackets 33 are a number of segmental shaped shelves 34 and an evaporator or cooling unit 35 also in the form of a shelf. Secured to the other side of the partition by brackets 36 are a plurality of shelves 37 several of which have'cooling units or evaporators 37 on their undersides.

The upper portion of the cabinet above the cylindrical body 18 forms a motor-or compressor compartment 39 within which a motor and compressor compartment conventionally illustrated at 40 is mounted. The compressor unit-40 is arranged to operate the

evaporators

35 and 37 at two different cooling rates or capacities. A variety of refrigerating systems will perform this function so the refrigerating circuit or system is not described in greater detail. -By way of example refrigerant lines 41 to and "from the cooling evaporator 35 may extend upwardly through the tubular column 21 to flexible conduits 42 extending to a control conventionally illustrated at 43 to the compressor. Refrigerant lines 44 extend upwardly through the tubular column from the evaporators 38 to flexible conduits 45 and the refrigerator control 43. The compressor 40 may operate two separate pump sections or may operate through'the control 43 to create different tion engineers.

suction pressures in the

evaporators

35 and 38 or the size 'to cool the compressed refrigerator gases as is common in mechanical refrigerators the rear side of the cylindrical body 12 is provided with a triangular flue 46 that projects into the corner of the room behind the refrigerator. A condenser coil 47 positioned in the flue is connected to the compressor and the remainder of the refrigerator system, as will be understood by refrigera- Air for cooling the condenser enters through louvers 48 in the utility drawer 7 and passes rearwardly to the bottom of the flue from where it may rise over the condenser.

In order to prevent continued rotation of the column 21 and shelves 34 from twisting the flexible conduits 42 and 45, the interior of the cylindrical body is provided with a stop 49 (see Fig. 2) that coacts with a stop 50 on one of the evaporator shelves 37 to limit rotation of the column and the refrigerator shelves to about one revolution.

In operation the freezer evaporators 38 maintain the 'rear freezer section 32 at a low freezing temperature while the evaporator 35 maintains the cool section 31 at normally cool temperatures for mechanical refrigerators. Those articles of food commonly and frequently used or needed from a refrigerator are readily accessible through the door 6 at the front of the refrigerator. At less frequent intervals frozen foods stored in the back freezer section 32 may be reached by rotating the partition and shelves until the freezer shelves 37 are temporarily presented at the access opening 5. After putting in or taking out the desired frozen foods the user returns the partition and shelves to normal position with the shelves 34 again positioned in the regular cooling section 31.

The modified form of the refrigerator shown in Figs. 6 and 7 has a cabinet 51 that is rectangular in cross section with an access door 52 in one side. If desired the door may be provided wiht shelves 53 on the inside. Positioned in upright relation within the cabinet 51 is an insulated partition 54 that is rotatably supported as by a central post 55. The post need not be centered from front to rear of the cabinet but may be located closer to the front as illustrated. Semicircular shelves 56 are carried on the back side of the partition and rounded shelves 57 are carried on the front side of the partition. The outer edges of the shelves 57 are cut off or flattened as at 58 to clear the door 52. It will be understood that when the shelves 56 are rotated to the front they project through the open doorway. Triangular filler shelves 59 may be mounted in the corner of the cabinet.

Cooling of the refrigerator is accomplished by one or more evaporators 60 positioned in the rear corner of the cabinet where they do not interfere with the rotation of the partition and the shelves. The evaporators are connected by conduits 61 to suitable refrigeration apparatus not illustrated. The size and cooling capacity of the evaporators 60 is such as to keep the temperature of the rear compartment of the cabinet at relative low temperatures for keeping frozen foods. The temperature in the front compartment of the cabinet between the door 52 and the partition 54 is kept at a normally cold temperature for domestic refrigerators by one or more of several different cooling devices.

One method for cooling the front compartment of the refrigerator is to provide coolant tubes 62 in closed circuit with reaches 63 extending vertically through the rear compartment and reaches 64 extending vertically through the front compartment. The tubes 62 are filled with a heat transfer liquid such as brine for normal heat and gravity circulation of the brine through the vertical loops will cool the front compartment from the rear compartment. Automatic or manually adjustable controls 65 4 positioned in the coolant loops will regulate the temperature in the front compartment by regulating the flow of the liquid.

Another method of cooling the front compartment from the rear compartment is to provide vertically spaced

openings

66 and 67 in the upper and lower portions respectfully of the partition and to provide these openings with adjustable doors 68 that can be opened and closed to adjust the amount of gravity air circulation from the relatively warm front compartment through the relatively cold rear compartment.

Since the partition 54 will effectively separate the cabinet into two compartments only when the partition is engaged with two opposite walls, the seals between the cabinet and the partition are positioned along the opposite side walls of the cabinet as at 69 and also along the top and bottom of the partition as at 70.

Various combinations and modifications of the several features of the refrigerators described can be combined as desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

- each other and tangent to said body and open at the bottom to the front of the cabinet through openings formed in the lower portion of the cabinet, said side walls and said body forming a flue at the rear of the cabinet, a hollow column rotatably mounted in an upright position centrally of said body and having a nonheat conducting portion extending through the top wall of the body, an insulating partition carried by said column within said body and having angularly spaced seals along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves secured to said column and partition on opposite sides of said partition to rotate with said column within said body, evaporators secured to the shelves on one side of said partition and to at least one of the shelves on the other side of the partition, refrigerant conduits carried within said column and connected to said evaporators, a V compressor positioned in the upper end of said cabinet, a condenser positioned in said flue and connected to said compressor, said conduits extending through said nonheat conducting portion of said column and having flex- 50 ible sections connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the wall of said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution and control means connected to regulate operation of said compressor and said evaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

2. A refrigerator comprising a cylindrical insulated body having insulated top and bottom end walls and a door opening in the front of the body closed by an insulated door, a cabinet enclosing and supporting said body and having side walls extending at right angles to each other and tangent to said body at opposite sides of the door, a flue secured in upright position on the back of said body and open at the bottom to the front of the cabinet through openings formed in the lower portion of the cabinet, a hollow column rotatably mounted in an 7 upright position centrally of said body and having a nonheat conducting portion extending through an end wall of the body, an insulating partition carried by said column within said body and having angularly spaced seals along its edges slidably engaged wiht the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves secured to said column on opposite sides of said partition to rotate with said column within said body, evaporators secured to the shelves on one side of said partition and to at least one of the shelves on the other side :of the partition, refrigerant conduits carried within said column and connected to said evaporators, a compressor positioned in one end of said cabinet, a condenser positioned in said flue and connected to said compressor, said conduits extending through said non-heat conducting portion of said column and having flexible sections connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the wall of said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution and control means connected to regulate the operation of said compressor and said evaporators tomaintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

3. A refrigerator comprising an insulated body having a cylindrical inner wall and insulated top and bottom end walls and a door opening in the front of the body closed by an insulated door, a cabinet enclosing and supporting said body and having side walls extending at right angles to each other and tangent to said body at opposite sides of .the door, aflue secured in upright :position on the backrof said body and open at the bottom to the front of the cabinet through openings formed in the lower portion of the cabinet, a hollow column rotatably mounted in an upright position centrally of said body, an insulating partition carried by said column within said body and having seals along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves mounted on opposite sides of said partition to rotate with said column within said body, evaporators secured to the shelves on one side of said partition and to at least one of the shelves the other side of the partition, refrigerant conduits carried by said column and connected to said evaporators, a compressor positioned in one end of said cabinet, a condenser positioned in said flue and connected to said compressor, said conduits having flexible sections connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the Wall of said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution, and control means connected to regulate the operation of said compressor and said evaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

4. A refrigerator comprising an insulated body having a cylindrical inner wall and insulated top and bottom end walls and a door opening in the front of the body closed by an insulated door, a cabinet enclosing and supporting said body, a flue positioned in upright position on the back of said body, a hollow column rotatably mounted in an upright position centrally of said body, an insulating partition carried by said column within said body and having seals along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves mounted on opposite sides of said partition to rotate with said column within said body, evaporators mounted on opposite sides of the partition, refrigerant conduits carried by said column and connected to said evaporators, a compressor positioned in one end of said cabinet, a condenser positioned in said flue and connected to said compressor, said conduits having flexible sections connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the wall of said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution, and control means connected to regulate the operation of said compressor and said evaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

5. A refrigerator comprising an insulated body having a cylindrical inner Wall and insulated top and bottom end walls and a door opening in the front of the body closed by an insulated door, a hollow column rotatably mounted in an upright position centrally of said body and extending through an end wall of the body, an insulating partition carried by said column within said body and having seals ,along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves carried by .said column on opposite sidesof said partition to rotate with said column within said 'body, evaporatorstsecured to opposite sides of said partition, refrigerant conduits carried within said column and connected to-said evaporators, a compressor and a condenser positioned outside of said body, said conduits extending through a portion of said column and having flexible sections connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the wall of said body limiting rotation ofthe partition to less than a complete revolution, and control means connected to regulate "the operation of said compressor and saidevaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of saidpartition.

6. A refrigerator comprising an insulated body having a cylindrical inner wall and insulated top and bottom end walls and a door'opening in the front of the body closed by aninsulated-door, a hollow column rotatably mounted in an upright position centrally of said body, an insulating partition carried by said column within said body and having seals along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the 'body, shelves carried by said column on opposite sides of said partition to rotate with said column within said body, evaporators secured to opposite sides of said partition, refrigerant conduits carried within said column and connected to said evaporators, a compressor and a condenser positioned outside of said body, said conduits having flexible sections connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the wall of said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution, and control means connected to regulate the operation of said compressor and said evaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

7. A refrigerator comprising an insulated body having a cylindrical inner wall and insulated top and bottom end walls and a door opening in the front of the body closed by an insulated door, a column rotatably mounted in an upright position centrally of the body, an insulating partition carried by said column within said body and having seals along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves carried by said partition on opposite sides of said partition to rotate with said column within said body, evaporators secured on opposite sides of said partition, refrigerant conduits connected to said evaporators, a compressor and condenser positioned outside of said cabinet, said conduits extending through said body and having flexible sections and being connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the wall of said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution, and control means connected to regulate the operation of said compressor and said evaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

8. A refrigerator comprising an insulated body having a cylindrical inner wall and insulated top and bottom end walls and a door opening in the front of the body closed by an insulated door, a column mounted in an upright position centrally of the body, an insulating partition carried by said column to rotate within said body and having seals along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves carried by said partition on opposite sides of said partition to rotate within said body, evaporators secured on opposite sides of said partition, refrigerant conduits connected to said evaporators, a compressor and condenser positioned outside of said cabinet, said conduits extending through said body and having flexible sections and being connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and the wall of said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution, and control means connected to regulate the operation of said compressor and said evaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

9. A refrigerator comprising an insulated body having a cylindrical inner wall and insulated top and bottom end walls and a door opening in the front of the body closed by an insulated door, a column mounted in an upright position centrally of the body, an insulating partition carried by said column to rotate within said body and having seals along its edges slidably engaged with the inner cylindrical wall and inner end walls of the body, shelves secured on opposite sides of said partition to rotate within said body, evaporators positioned within said body on opposite sides of said partition, refrigerant conduits connected to said evaporators, a compressor and condenser positioned outside of said cabinet, said conduits extending through said body and being connected to said compressor and said condenser, coacting stops on said partition and a part fixed on said body limiting rotation of the partition to less than a complete revolution, and control means connected to regulate the operation of said compressor and said evaporators to maintain different temperatures in said body on opposite sides of said partition.

10. A combined normal temperature and freezing temperature refrigerator comprising a cylindrical body having insulated side and end walls with an opening in the side wall, an insulated door mounted in closing relation to said opening, a column rotatably mounted in upright position centrally of said body, an insulated partition mounted on said column in chordal relation to said body to rotate within the body, evaporators positioned on opposite sides of said partition to cool the space within said body on opposite sides of the partition when the partition is generally parallel to the door, seals positioned around the edges of said partition to wipingly engage the walls of said body as said partition is rotated and to close one side of the body from the other, and refrigeration apparatus connected to operate said evaporators at different cooling rates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,115,343 Scurlock Apr. 26, 1938 2,297,631 Mitchell Sept. 29, 1942 2,588,563 Paul Mar. 11, 1952 2,728,199 Kurtz Dec. 27, 1955