US3280583A

US3280583A - Combination refrigerator

Info

Publication number: US3280583A
Application number: US455231A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gary D Jones; Harold A Nason; Joseph A Shier
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1965-05-12
Filing date: 1965-05-12
Publication date: 1966-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-25
Also published as: SE323697B; NL6606490A; GB1137148A; DE1501054A1

Description

Oct. 25, 1966 G. D. JONES ETAL COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1965 H 2 I /.o W a a Q Q U N 1 Q 8 Q Q a I M INVENTOR.

GARV D. IOU ES HAROLD A. NASON Oct. 25, 1966 JONES ETAL 3,280,583

COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR Filed May 12, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IG.2

I NVE NTOR.

GARY D. TOMES, HAROLD A. NAsoN & JOSEPH A. SHHER THEIR ATTORUE'Y 1966 e. D. JONES ETAL COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 12, 1965 INVENTORS GARY D, JONES, HAROLD A. M N

BYgyPH A. SH\ER THER ATTORQEH United States Patent Ofiice 3,280,583 Patented Get. 25, 1966 3,289,583 CGMEINATIGN REFREGERATOR Gary D. Jones, Harold A. Nason, and Joseph A. Shier, Louisville, Ky., assignors to General Electric Qompany, a corporation of New York Filed May 12, 1965, Ser. No. 455,231 3 Claims. (Cl. 62-285) The present invention relates to a combination refrigerator including a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment and is more particularly concerned with a refrigerator of this type in which the two compartments are cooled by means of air circulated over an evaporator contained within a partition dividing the two compartments.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved combination refrigerator including a liner forming the exterior walls of both compartments of the refrigerator and a new and improved partition for dividing the liner volume into a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment and including an evaporator and air circulating means for cooling the two compartments.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination refrigerator including a partition dividing the refrigerator cabinet into a lower fresh food compartment and an upper freezer compartment, the partition being arranged to house an evaporator and air circulating means for cooling the two compartments and being so constructed that the various refrigerating and control components contained therein can be readily serviced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination refrigerator of simple and low cost construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a combination refrigerator comprising a one-piece liner having top, bottom and vertical rear and side walls defining a storage volume having an access opening at the front thereof. A horizontal partition spaced from the top and bottom walls of the liner divides the interior of the liner into an upper freezer compartment and a lower fresh food compartment. The partition comprises a lower member of sheet material secured to one or more of the vertical walls of the liner and adapted to form the top wall of the fresh food compartment. A removable body of rigid foamed plastic insulating material supported on this lower member provides an insulating barrier between the two compartments. This body includes wall portions defining a recess separated by insulating portions of the body from the liner side and rear walls. A removable cover of foamed plastic insulating material in cooperation with the recess forms an evaporator chamber for housing an evaporator. An upper.

member of sheet material which overlies the cover and which is removably supported on the upper side and rear edges of the body forms the bottom wall of the freezer compartment. A fan including a frame that is molded in and is supported by the rear wall portion of the body of insulating material positioned forwardly from the rear edge of the body provides means for circulating air from the two compartments through the evaporator chamber. The air circulating means also includes a first passage defined by a space between the front edges of the cover and upper member and the front wall portion of the body insulating material for conducting freezer air to the evaporator chamber, a second air passage between the rear edge of the upper member and the rear edge of the body of insulating material for conveying cooled air to the freezer compartment, a third air passage extending through the lower member and the front wall portion of the body of insulating material for conducting fresh food compartment air to the evaporator chamber, and a fourth passage extending through the bottom portion of the insulating body rearwardly from the fan for conveying cooled air to that compartment. in accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the bottom portion of the insulating body below the evaporator is of a concave configuration or shape and a metal pan positioned thereon is designed to receive defrost water from the evaporator, this water being drained through a drain opening in the bottom wall portion of the insulating body onto a channel formed in the top surface of the lower member.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FiGURE 1 is a vertical side sectional view of a two temperature refrigerator embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally along line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of certain portions of the partition of FIGURE 2.

With reference to the drawings, there is illustrated one embodiment of the present invention in the form of a refrigerator comprising insulated walls including a onepiece liner 1 defining the total storage volume within the refrigerator and a horizontal partition 2 generally indicated by the reference numeral 2 dividing this storage volume into an upper freezer compartment 3 and a lower fresh food compartment 4. The access openings above and below the partition are respectively closed by a freezer compartment door 5 and a fresh food compartment door 6. The partition 2 is a unitary structure adapted to be positioned at any vertical point within the liner 1 to divide the volume thereof into freezer and fresh food compartments of any desired relative volumes.

A single evaporator 7 for refrigerating both of the compartments 3 and 4 is contained within the partition 2 and this evaporator forms part of a refrigeration system including a compressor 3, a condenser 9, and suitable flow restricting means (not shown) connected in closed series flow relationship to form the usual refrigerant circuit.

The partition 2 comprises a lower member of sheet material, such as enameled sheet steel, including vertically ex ending rear and side flanges 11 and 12 by means of which the member 10 is suitably secured to the rear wall 14 and the opposed side walls 15 of the liner 1. The member 10 is substantially coextensive with the interior of the liner 1 and forms the top wall of the fresh food compartment 4.

A body 16 of rigid foamed plastic insulating material, such as Styrofoam or a rigid polyurethane foam, preferably a fire-retardant foam, is supported on the lower mem ber 10. This body 16 is also substantially coextensive with the cross section of the liner so as to thermally separate or insulate the two compartments 3 and 4. If necessary any spaces between this body and the liner 1 may be sealed by suitable sealing material 13. The body 16 is preformed to define a major portion of a chamber for housing an evaporator and for insulating the evaporator from the fresh food compartment 4. More specifically the body 16 includes a bottom wall 17, opposed side Walls 18, a rear wall 19 and a front wall 20 defining a recess for containing the evaporator 7. A removable cover 21 of foamed plastic insulating material covers most of the recess and is supported upon and extends between the side walls 18 of the body 16, and an upper member 22 of sheet material such as enameled sheet steel is removably positioned over the cover 21 forms the bottom of the freezer compartment 3.

The insulating cover 21 and the upper sheet member 22 substantially covering the recess in the body 16 cooperate therewith to form an evaporator housing or chamber 24 1 for containing the evaporator 7 and separating the evaporator from the two compartments 3 and 4. Specifically, the bottom wall 17 of the body 16 is formed to include a concave portion 25 in the forward portion of the housing 24 and a metal drain pan 26 supported on this concave portion 25 serves as means for collecting condensate from the evaporator 7 during the defrosting thereof and also provides a base on which the evaporator 7 is directly supported. An opening 27 in the drain pan 26 and an opening 28v in the bottom wall 17 of the body 16 provides a passage for the draining of the defrost water into a channel 29 provided in the upper surface of the lower member 10, the channel being so constructed that the defrost water collecting therein is conducted rearwardly and discharged onto the rear wall 14 of the liner. This water flows downwardly along the liner and out of the lower compartment 4 through the drain 30 into a suitable container (not shown) in the machinery compartment where it is evaporated by the heat from the compressor 8 and the condenser 9.

By means of a motor driven fan generally indicated by the numeral 32 and suitable air passages or ducts, air from the two compartments 3 and 4 is passed in cooling relationship with the evaporator 7 and the cooled or refrigerated air returned to the two compartments. The fan 32 includes a supporting frame 33 supported by and molded into the rear wall 19 of the body 16 in such a manner that the fan motor 34 is positioned within the chamber 24 while the air withdrawn from the chamber by the fan 32 is discharged into a space 35 between the rear wall 19 and the rear edge 36 of the body 16.

To this end the composite partition 2 is formed to include or define suitable air passages connecting the chamber 24 with the compartments 3 and 4. The air passages forming. part of the unitary partition 2 are designed to connect the two compartments 3 and 4 to the evaporator chamber 24 in such a manner that the fan 32 will circulate air from the two compartments through the evaporator chamber 24 and supply cooled air to the compartments. A first passage 40 in the upper front portion of the partition 2 formed by a spacing of the front edge 41 of the cover 21 and the front edge 42 of the upper member 22 from the upper surface of the front wall portion 20 connects the front portion of freezer compartment 3 to the forward portion of chamber 24 for the flow of air from compartment 3 into the chamber 24. This passage 40, extending substantially the entire width of the partition 2, is provided with a decorative grille structure 45 forming part of a plastic mullion 46 enclosing the front wall portion 20 and forming a sealing surface for the, adjacent portions of the upper and lower freezer and fresh food compartment doors and 6.

r A portion of the rear edge of the upper member 22 includes a recess rearwardly from the fan 32 which defines the air passage 48 for conducting refrigerated air from the fan to the freezer compartment 3. Any suitable means may be provided for distributing the air thus supplied to the freezer compartment to the various portions thereof. One such means comprises a tunnel member 49 provided with a plurality of side louvers 50 and front louvers 51 overlying the passage 48 and adapted to house one or more freezing trays 52.

Air from the fresh food compartment 4 is conducted to the evaporator chamber 24 through a plurality of spaced openings 55 in and adjacent the forward edge of the lower member and communicating passages 56in the front wall portion of the body 16. As is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawing, these passages 56 extend upwardly and then rearwardly through the wall portion 20 so that the fresh foodair entering the evaporator chamber 24 is directed toward the evaporator and is prevented from coming into contact with the relatively cool louvers 45 within the passage 40 leading from the freezer compartment 3 thereby avoiding frost accumulation adjacent these passages.

Refrigerated or cooled air withdrawn from the chamber 24 by the fan 32 is conducted to the fresh food compartment 4 through a passage 58 in the bottom of the body 16 communicating with the space 35 rearwardly of the fan 32 and a communicating passage 59 in the rear portion of the bottom member 10.

As is more clearly shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, 7

the evaporator 7 is positioned within chamber 24 by means of a projection 61 formed on one of the side walls 18 and extending between two adjacent passes 62 and 63 of the evaporator on one side thereof while the opposite side of the evaporator is positioned within a recess 64 including wall portions designed to receive two adjacent end turns 65.

The refrigerant lines 66 connecting the evaporator to the compressor and condenser are channeled through a groove 67 in the top portion of the side wall 18 while additional grooves generally indicated by the numeral 68 are provided for. receiving the electrical connections to the various control and other electrically operated components contained within the partition 2. More specifically, such leads include leads to a radiant heater defrost element 69 extending across the width of the evapo-.

rator in a position to warm all areas of the evaporator and also the drain pan 26 to defrost temperatures when defrosting is required, a defrost terminating thermostat 70 adapted to terminate defrost operation of the heater 69 when the pan 26 is up to defrost temperatures and a fuse 71 designed to interrupt the operation of the heater in the event of abnormal temperatures resulting, for example, from a defrost terminationfailure. The leads for connecting the fan to a source of power also extend through some of the channel or groove portions 68..

A slot 75 in the bottomof wall portion 20 adapted to receive the upturnedflange on the forward end of the lower member 10, serves to properly position the member 16 on the member.

From the above description, it will be seen that there has been provided a partition for separating the volume within a single-liner of a household refrigerator into an upper freezer compartment and a lower fresh food com partment. It includes an insulating evaporator housing for containing the evaporator, fan and certain other components of the refrigerator and is so designed that these components can bequickly reached for servicing. The housing not only provides thermal insulation between the two compartments but also is so constructed as to provide an air seal such that the compartments can be operated satisfactorily at different temperatures. In addition, the housing includes most of the air ducts or passages providing for the intake, mixing, cooling, and dis-, charge of both fresh food and freezer air. Easy access to the evaporator housing and its contents is obtained simply by removing the upper member 22 and the foam cover 21 working through the access opening to the freezer compartment 3. The particular type of thermal insulation employed for the body 16 will depend upon the insulation requirements. In general a foamed polystyrene provides suflicient thermal insulation although if desired all or certain portions of the body 16 may be composed of a polyurethane foam in which the foam cells are filled with a gas having a higher insulating value than air. Also some or all of the surface areas of the body 16 may be surfaced with metal foil which will act as a mold release during the molding of the body, as a heat reflector, a temperature shield and also as a moisture barrier to prevent moisture from being absorbed by the foam body.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention it will be understood that it is not limited thereto and is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A refrigerator comprising a liner having top, bottom and vertical rear and opposed side walls defining a storage volume having an access opening at the front thereof,

a horizontal partition spaced from the top and bottom walls of said liner dividing the interior of said volume into an upper freezer compartment and a lower fresh food compartment,

said partition comprising:

a lower member of sheet material mounted on said vertical walls and forming the top wall of said fresh food compartment and'including a rearwardly sloping channel in the upper surface thereof,

a body of rigid foamed plastic insulating material supported on said lower member substantially coextensive with the cross section of said liner and including bottom, front, rear and spaced side wall portions defining a recess in said body, said rear wall portion being spaced from the rear edge of said body,

a removable cover of foamed plastic insulating material covering the front portion of said recess and supported on the opposed side wall portions of said body,

an upper member of sheet material overlying said cover, removably supported on the upper side and rear edges of said body and forming the bottom wall of said freezer compartment,

an evaporator supported on said bottom wall portion within the forward portion of said recess and beneath said cover,

said bottom wall portion including a concave area below said evaporator,

a metal drain pan in said concave area,

a drain opening in said pan and said bottom wall portion for draining defrost water from said evaporator into said channel in said lower member,

a fan including a supporting frame,

said frame being molded in and supported by the rear wall portion of said body so that said fan discharges air into the space between said rear Wall portion and the rear edge of said body,

the upper portion of said front wall portion of said body being spaced from the front edges of said cover and said upper member to form a first passage connecting said freezer compartment to said recess,

the rear edge of said upper member being spaced from the rear edge of said body to provide a second air passage for conducting air from said fan to said freezer compartment,

a third air passage in said lower member and said body extending upwardly and rearwardly through the front wall portion of said body for the passage of air from said fresh food compartment to said recess,

a fourth passage in the bottom portion of said body rearwardly from said fan and a cooperating opening in said lower member interconnecting said fan discharge with said fresh food compartment.

2. A refrigerator comprising a one-piece liner having top, bottom and vertical rear and opposed side walls defining a storage volume having an access opening at the front thereof,

said partition comprising:

a lower member of sheet material mounted on said vertical walls and forming the top wall of said fresh food compartment,

a fan including a frame,

the rear edge of said upper member being spaced from the rear edge of said body to provide a second air passage for conducting the air from said fan to said freezer compartment,

a fourth passage in the bottom portion of said body rearwardly from said fan and a cooperating opening in said lower member interconnecting said fan dis charge with said fresh food compartment.

3. A refrigerator comprising a one-piece liner having front thereof,

a horizontal partition spaced from the top and bottom walls of said inner dividing the interior of said volume into an upper freezer compartment and a lower fresh food compartment,

said partition comprising:

a lower member of sheet material mounted on said vertical walls and forming the top wall of said fresh food compartment and including a rearwardly sloping channel in the upper surface thereof,

said bottom wall portion including a concave area below said evaporator,

a metal drain pan in said concave area,

a fan including a frame supported by the rear wall portion of said body so that said fan discharges air 7 8 into the space between said rear Wall portion and References Cited by the Examiner the rear edge of saidbody, said partition including a first passage connecting said UNITED STATES PATENTS freezer compartment to said recess, a second air 3,063,253 11/1962 Dickson et a1 62419 X passage for conducting air from said fan to said 5 freezer compartment, a third air passage in said References Cited by the Applicant lower member and said body extending upwardly v and rearwardly through the front wall portion of UNITED STATES PATENTS said body for the passage of air from said fresh 3,050,961 8/1962 Mann et al.

food compartments to said recess, and a fourth pas- 10 3,090,209 5/ 1963 Hubacker. sage in the bottom portion of said body rearwardly 3,093,981 6/1963 OGrady.

from said fan and a cooperating opening in said 3,105,364 10/1963 OConnell, lower member interconnecting said fan discharge 3,107,502 10/1963 Herndon et a1. with said fresh food compartment, 3,110,158 11/1963 Kuhn et a1.

7 said first and third passages respectively directing air 15 streams therefrom in parallel paths towards said ROBERT A O,LEARY Primary Examiner evaporator thereby preventing frost accumulation adjacent the outlet ends of said first and third pas- N. R. WILSON, Assislant'Examiner.

sages due to mingling of said air streams.

Claims

1. A REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING A LINER HAVING TOP, BOTTOM AND VERTICAL REAR AND OPPOSED SIDE WALLS DEFINING A STORAGE VOLUME HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING AT THE FRONT THEREOF, A HORIZONTAL PARTITION SPACED FROM THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS OF SAID LINER DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF SAID VOLUME INTO AN UPPER FREEZER COMPARTMENT AND A LOWER FRESH FOOD COMPARTMENT, SAID PARTITION COMPRISING: A LOWER MEMBER OF SHEET MATERIAL MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICAL WALLS AND FORMING THE TOP WALL OF SAID FRESH FOOD COMPARTMENT AND INCLUDING A REARWARDLY SLOPING CHANNEL IN THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, A BODY OF RIGID FOAMED PLASTIC INSULATING MATERIAL SUPPORTED ON SAID LOWER MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID LINER AND INCLUDING BOTTOM, FRONT, REAR AND SPACED SIDE WALL PORTIONS DEFINING A RECESS IN SAID BODY, SAID REAR WALL PORTION BEING SPACED FROM THE REAR EDGE OF SAID BODY, A REMOVABLE COVER OF FOAMED PLASTIC INSULATING MATERIAL COVERING THE FRONT PORTION OF SAID RECESS AND SUPPORTED ON THE OPPOSED SIDE WALL PORTIONS OF SAID BODY, AN UPPER MEMBER OF SHEET MATERIAL OVERLYING SAID COVER, REMOVABLY SUPPORTED ON THE UPPER SIDE AND REAR EDGES OF SAID BODY AND FORMING THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID FREEZER COMPARTMENT, AN EVAPORATOR SUPPORTED ON SAID BOTTOM WALL PORTION WITHIN THE FORWARD PORTION OF SAID RECESS AND BENEATH SAID COVER, SAID BOTTOM WALL PORTION INCLUDING A CONCAVE AREA BELOW SAID EVAPORATOR, A METAL DRAIN PAN IN SAID CONCAVE AREA, A DRAIN OPENING IN SAID PAN AND SAID BOTTOM WALL PORTION FOR DRAINING DEFROST WATER FROM SAID EVAPORATOR INTO SAID CHANNEL IN SAID LOWER MEMBER, A FAN INCLUDING A SUPPORTING FRAME, SAID FRAME BEING MOLDED IN AND SUPPORTED BY THE REAR WALL PORTION OF SAID BODY SO THAT SAID FAN DISCHARGES AIR INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID REAR WALL PORTION AND THE REAR EDGE OF SAID BODY,