US2972238A

US2972238A - Combined refrigerating and defrosting system

Info

Publication number: US2972238A
Application number: US711404A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richelli Federico; Wiesner Alfredo
Original assignee: A I F E L APPARECCHIATURE IND
Current assignee: A I F E L APPARECCHIATURE IND; Aifel-Apparecchiature Industriali Frigorifere E Lattiere SpA
Priority date: 1957-01-26
Filing date: 1958-01-27
Publication date: 1961-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 1978-02-21

Description

Feb. 21, 1961 F. RICHELLI ETAL 2,972,238

COMBINED REFRIGERATING AND DEFROSTING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ZFEIDERICO PICH'ELL! =+LReoo W: GSA/FR Feb. 21, 1961 F. RXCHELLX ETAL 2,972,238

COMBINED REFRIGERATING AND DEFROSTING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 27, 1958 9 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

FEm-tmco R m! M'FREDO WIGSA/ER United. States. Patent COMBINED REFRIGERATING AND DEFROST- IN G SYSTEM Federico Richelli, Milan, and Alfredo Wiesner, Rome,

Italy, assignors to A.I.F.E.L;-Apparecchiature Industriali Frigorifere e Lattiere Societa per Azioni, Rome, Italy Filed Ian. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 711,404

Claims priority, application Italy Ian. 26, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-262) The present invention relates to a combined refrigerating and defrosting system which utilizes externally located evaporators for refrigerated rooms. In known types of refrigerated rooms cooled by externally located evaporators, the latter are usually defrosted by causing a periodical flow of relatively warm external air through the evaporator coils to thus bring about a defrosting of the same.

Hitherto, the casing of such externally located evaporator coils was usually connected to the refrigerated room by conduits and insulated doors were provided so as to allow the closing of for conduits from and to the refrigerated room and the opening for access and exit of the warmer external air through the evaporator coils.

However, the operation of such doors was rather complex, impractical and too troublesome to be suitable for actuating them automatically.

These and other disadvantages are overcome by the system constructed in accordance with the present invention, which allows for periodical passage of warmer external air through the evaporator coils and which may be actuated by extremely simple means so as to be suitable for automatic operation as well.

The system constructed in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that the evaporator is contained in an insulated casing displaceable toward or from a window in the insulated wall of the refrigerated room.

The casing has an open side facing the Window and is rigidly connected with a stopper plate located at the inner side of the window formed in the wall of the refrigerated room.

Thus, by moving the evaporator casing toward the window frame in the wall of the refrigerated room the evaporator is brought into contact with the air in the refrigerated room because the stopper plate is simultaneously moved away from the window whereby the refrigerating cycle can take place.

By moving the evaporator casing away from the window in the wall of the refrigerated room, the stopper plate will close the window from the inside and the evaporator coils will be exposed to the flow of warmer air arriving from outdoors through the clearances formed between the evaporator casing and the wall of the refrigerated room.

The casing is provided with a blower to bring about a forced flow of air through the evaporator coils either during the defrosting cycle or during the refrigerating cycle while the means for moving the evaporator casing can be controlled manually or automatically.

The system of this invention is capable of many modifications, both with regard to the displacement of the evaporator casing to and from the refrigerated room, and also with regard to the arrangement of the various parts.

Only by way of example, two embodiments will be now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are similar sectional views of one embodimcnt comprising a device for displacing the evaporator casing toward and away from the refrigerated room by 2,972,238 Patented Feb. 21, .1961

moving the casing along a curved path, Fig. 1 showing the evaporator in operative position and Fig. 2 in the position during defrosting.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a device for rectilinearly displacing of the evaporator casing with respect to the refrigerated room into refrigerating position and the position in which the evaporator is defrosted, respectively.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the evaporator casing and of a supporting frame therefor, the frame also serving as a support for the condensing unit reciprocable in the manner as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 66 of Fig. 5 as seen in the direction of arrows.

With reference to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is a wall of the refrigerated room a, 2 the casing of the

evaporator

3, and 5 is a projection or extension of the casing supporting the stopper plate 5' and passing through the window 4 in the wall 1. The open side of casing 2 faces the wall 1.

According to this embodiment, the frame 2' supporting the casing 2 is pivoted at 6 and is designed to contain the condensing unit, while the hollow casing 2 contains the evaporator 3 and the blower 8 which latter forces the air through the coils of the evaporator 3.

Blower 8 is driven by motor 9. As is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the frame 2' supports conventional parts such as a compressor 10, driven by motor 11, and connected to an air-cooled condenser 12 and a water cooled condenser 12', which can be designed so as to operate simultaneously or separately.

In the refrigerating position, which is that shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the air flow induced by the blower 8, after passing through the evaporator is returned into the refrigerated room a through the open side of the casing 2 and the window 4 as is indicated by arrows X.

When it becomes necessary to defrost the evaporator 3, the casing is brought into the position shown in Fig. 2. To attain this result, a crank type system 14 is provided, this system being pivotally connected at one end 15 to the wall 1, and at the other end to an eccentric 16, actuated by the motor 17.

In the position of Fig. 2, the stopper plate 5' completely closes the window 4 of the refrigerated room a, and the evaporator 3 communicates now with the surrounding atmospheric air through the clearances or passages 18 formed between wall and casing as shown by arrows X with the result that the evaporator 3 is rapidly defrosted.

Of course, instead of a crank drive, a telescopic device could be adopted, for instance one consisting of a cylinder with piston and a piston rod, using a hydraulic or pneumatic drive.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a slight modification of the invention according to which the evaporator casing is displaceable between an operative position (Fig. 3) and a position in which the evaporator unit is ready for defrosting (Fig. 4). The extension 5 which constitutes a means for connecting the casing 2 with the stopper or sealing plate 5 is slidably received in the window 4 and thus guides the assembly or"

parts

2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 between the positions of Figs. 3 and 4. The means for reciprocating the assembly between such positions is not illustrated as it may be similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Though only two embodiments of the device constructed in accordance with the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many additional constructional variations are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A combined refrigerating and defrosting system comprising a refrigerated room having a wall formed withrarwindow; a hollow casing externally adjacent said 7 open side and said window and, the casing forming with said wall at leastione passage connecting its interior with the surrounding atmosphere through said open side when the casing is in said second position; an evaporator in said casing for cooling the interior of said room when the casing is in said first position and defrostable by atmospheric air when the casing is in said second position; and a stopper plate connected to said extension in said room and spaced from said window when the casing is in said first position to form with the wall at least one air passage between said room and said evaporator by way of said window and said open side whereby the evaporator cools the interior of said room, and the plate abutting said wall to seal the window from the interior of said room when the casing is moved into said second position.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1. further com- I, prising means for reciprocating the casing and the stopper plate to movements in a substantially rectilinear path between said first and second positions.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a supporting frame having one end fixed to said casing, another end, and pivotable with said casing about said last mentioned end in directions to move the casing between said first and second positions; and means operating between said wall and said frame for pivoting the latter about said last mentioned end.

4. The structure as set forth in claim}, wherein said means comprises a motor carried by said frame; an eccentric operatively connected to and rotatable by said motor; and crank means operatively connected with said eccentric and swingably fixed to said wall for pivoting the casing between said first and second positions when the eccentric is rotated 'by said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,433,655 Di Zoppola Dec. 30, 1947 2,436,713 Cody Feb. 24, 1948 2,525,868 Corhanidis Oct. 18,1950 2,647,376 Carlsson Aug. 4, 1953 2,717,508 Loveley Sept. 13, 1955 udvumm