US1999839A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

A ril 30, 1935. A. LAMBERT 1,999,839

REFRIGERATOR Filed May 17, 1933 s Sheets-Sheet 1 s WE 4:1

fir 4% I z i A. L. LAMBERT A ril 30, 1935.

REFRIGERATOR F-iled May 17, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 mire-M01? Z. ZamerZ I April 1935. A. LAMBERT I 1,999,839

REFRIGERATOR Filed May 17, 1935 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M/L Q Z 52/ I v Alfierf Z; Zamberf;

Patented pr. 30, 1935 REFREGERATOR Albert L. Lambert, Narberth Borough, Pa., as-

signor to Heintz Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 17, 1933;Serial No. 671,426

16 claims. (oi. 62-46) This invention relates to an improvement in refrigerator constructions, and the improvement is particularly adapted to ice refrigerators where'- in an enclosing cabinet is formed with two compartments, an upper compartment for the reception of the ice, and a compartment therebelow for the reception of foodstuffs and other products to be preserved.

In refrigerators of this general type, it has ordinarily been regarded as essential that either the ice or the ice compartment be in such communication with the food compartment as to permit circulation of air from the food compartment into contact with the ice, thence back into the food compartment. This circulation of air in direct contact with the ice results in a very rapid melting of the ice, and also results in an irregular melting of the block or blocks of ice in the ice compartment. Furthermore, it has been diflicult, with the means heretofore provided in many of such structures, to produce sufficient circulation of air in contact with the ice to properly cool the air so as to secure efficient refrigeration in the food compartment.

It is one of the primary objects of this invention to provide a refrigerator structure in which a current of air may be induced to circulate within the food compartment so as to refrigerate the contents thereof without coming into direct contact with the ice, and without circulating through the ice compartment. It is also an object of the invention to provide a refrigerator structure in which a high degree of refrigeration is secured in the refrigerating compartment without circulating the air therein in contact with the ice or through the ice compartment. It is a further object of the invention to provide a refrigerator structure in which the melting of the block of ice utilized as the refrigerant is effected almost entirely upon its lower surface, thus eliminating the accumulation in the refrigerant chamber of a plurality of pieces of ice of irregular size and shape, and making it less difiicult to replenish the supply of ice therein. It is a still further object of the invention to provide improved means for inducing circulation of air in the food compartment of a refrigerator so as to obtain more efficient refrigeration,

Still other objects of the invention will be ap- 50 parent as the description thereof proceeds. In

order that the improvement may be clearly understood, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings wherein: e

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigera- 55 tor with the improvements embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, partly cut away to show details of construction, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, partly cut away, taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view of the drip I pan outlet. a

While the improvement described herein may be adapted to other types of refrigerators, it is shown herein embodied in a. cabinet of the front icer type. This cabinet comprises an outer casing it and an inner casing ll separated therefrom to provide a space for insulating material i2 of any kind desired. .Preferably the inner casing H is formed from an upper casing section is and a lower casing section It, the meeting edges of these sections being inwardly turned to provide engaging flanges I5 and 56 which extend entirely around the interior of the refrigerator and are separated from each other by means of insulation I1 and are secured together by rivets i8 as shown.

The meeting edges of the upper casing section and the lower casing section constitutes a line of division between the compartment l9 for ice and the food compartment 2| of the refrigerator. The front wall of the cabinet is provided with an opening 22 providing access to the ice compartment l9, and this opening is closed by means of a door 23 as shown in Fig. 4. 'The front wall of the cabinet is also provided with an opening 24 giving access to the food compartment 2!, and this opening is closed by means of a door 25 as shown in Fig. 4.

Extending across the cabinet and dividing the interior thereof into the ice compartment 99 and, the food compartment 2! is an ice tray 25. This tray is preferably formed from a single sheet of non-corrosive sheet metal, and is of such a size as to reach entirely across the cabinet between opposing end walls, as shown in Fig. 1, and en tirely across the cabinet between the front and rear walls, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Preferably the ice tray is so formed that the two opposite end portions thereof 2? and 28 slope downwardly toward the central portion 29 to assist in providing a head for inducing circulation as hereinafter described, and to center the ice in the ice compartment. These sloping end portions are provided with depressed channels 30 having perforations therein through which water from the melting ice may drip. The outer edge of the tray 26 is provided with a downwardly turned flange 32 which rests upon the inwardly turned flange I 5 on the bottom edge of the upper casing section i3 and thereby retains the tray in position in the cabinet.

In order to provide for proper circulation of air within the food compartment, an air iiue 33,

or a plurality of such flues if desired, is secured to the under side of each of the inwardly and downwardly sloping end portions 21, 28 of the ice tray. These flues should be made of heat conducting material and should have a heat conduct ing connection with the ice tray in order that the air may be properly cooled as it passes therethrough. As shown herein, two such flues 33 are utilized on each end portion of the tray, and these flues are arranged in pairs with respect to the flues on the opposite end portion of the tray. It will be understood, however, that the precise number of these flues, and the arrangement thereof may be varied within a wide latitude without departing from the invention to which the improvement pertains.

As illustrated herein, the flues on each end portion of the ice tray are formed from a blank oi. thermally conductive sheet metal having the ends thereof bent upwardly as shown at 34, thence outwardly into flanges 35 which are secured to the under side of the tray 26 by means of rivets 36. The central portion of this sheet is formed into an inverted channel substantially U-shaped in cross section, having the bottom 31 thereof riveted as at 38 to the under side of the ice tray as shown clearly in Figs. 5 and 6. The width of the sheets from which the flues are made is sueh that the outer ends 39 of the flues terminate a ta substantial distance from the ends of the ice tray to thereby provide air passageways 40, and the inner ends 4| are located at a substantial distance from the center of the tray. As will be clearly understood from the showing in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the inner ends of the oppositely arranged flues on the inwardly and downwardly sloping end portions of the tray are spaced a substantial distance from each other in order to provide an open passageway 42 for the two combined currents of air as they emerge from the inner ends of opposing flues. v A drip pan 43 is supported in the upper portion of the food compartment beneath the ice tray 26 and in spaced relation to the air flues 33.

-This drip pan is preferably a double structure and comprises a lower pan 44 having an outwardly turned flange 45 extending around its upper edge, and an upper pan 46 slightly shallower than the lower pan, and having an outwardly turned flange 41 extending around its upper edge and resting upon the flange 45 of the lower pan. Such a construction, as is well understood, provides a space 48 for a layer of insulating air between the pans and thus prevents the condensation of moisture on the outside of the lower pan above the food compartment.

The drip pan 43 is held in position in the cabinet by means of metal angle strips 49 secured to the front and rear walls respectivelyof thefood compartment. In order that the drip pan may be inclined toward the rear of the cabinet to provide for proper drainage therefrom. the angle strip 49 on the front wall of the cabinet is preferably located somewhat higher than the angle strip 49 which supports the. rear edge of the drip pan. As shown in Figs. 4 to 7 of the drawings, the width of the drip pan from front to rear is such as to reach entirely from the front wall to the rear wall of the cabinet. The length of this pan, however, is such that the ends thereof terminate at a substantial distance from the end walls of the cabinet, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This relation of the ends of the drip pan to the end walls of the cabinet therefore provides passageways 59 for the upward circulation of air along the end walls of the food compartment.

An opening 51 is provided transversely of the drip pa; at the central portion thereof, through both the upper and lower pans, and the edges of these pans, surrounding the opening, are bent upwardly and inwardly as indicated at 52 and 53 to prevent the outflow of water through the opening. The purpose of this opening is to provide a passageway for the downward current of air formed by the two inwardly directed currents through the oppositely arranged flues.

In order that the upward currents of air along the end walls of the food compartment may be properly directed into the outer ends 39 of the flues, it is preferable to provide a partition member or deflector 54 between the outer end of the drip pan 43 and the lower edges of the outer ends of the flues. This deflector may be in the form of a strip of sheet metal having a lower vertically arranged portion '55 resting upon the bottom of the upper drip pan, and an upwardly and inwardly inclined portion 56 extending to the lower edges of the outer ends of the flues. The opposite ends of this inclined portion are provided with upstanding tabs 51 for closing the space between the outer walls of the flues and the walls of the cabinet. As shown herein, these tabs are supported within notches 58 in a downwardly and inwardly inclined drip plate 59 extending around the cabinet and formed on the inner edge of the inwardly turned flange IS on the bottom edge of the upper casing section l3. These tabs may be provided with cut-away portions 69 to receive the superposed flanges I5, IS on the meeting edges of the upper and lower casing sections.

In order that the currents of air emerging from the inner ends of the flues may be properly directed downwardly through the opening'5l in the necessity of providing a separate deflector plate to connect the outer walls of oppositely arranged flues.

A nipple 63 is secured in the upper drip pan 46 adjacent the rear edge of the bottom thereof, and this nipple extends downwardly into a similar nipple 64 secured in the bottom of the lower drip pan 44 adjacent its rear edge. The lower nipple 64 projects downwardly into the upper open end of a drain-pipe 65 which extends downwardly to a trap 66 of any well known construction in the bottom of the foodcompartment. Water flows outwardly from the trap through a pipe connection 61 as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to prevent any moisture which condenses on the under side of the central portion 29 of the ice tray from dripping through the central opening 5| in the drip pan into the food compartment, a deflector plate 68 having the outer edges thereof inclined downwardly and extending outwardly over the edges of the opening in the drip pan is secured transversely of the central portion oftheice tray by rivets 69 or otherwise, and this moisture deflector is preferably separated from the ice tray by suitable insulating material 10 so as to prevent the condensation of moisture on the lower face thereof.

Suitable shelves or trays 1| of grill construction are provided in the food compartment, and these shelves may be supported on metal angle pieces 12 or other equivalent means secured to the endwalls of the cabinet in any known manner.

The operation of the invention will be clear from the above description taken with the accompanying drawings. As indicated by the arrows 73 on Fig. l, the improved structure induces currents of air upwardly along opposite ends of the food compartment through the passageways 50 between the ends of the drip pan and the cabinet wall. These currents are then directed into the outer ends of the fiues by means of the deflectors 54, and as the air passes through the fiues it gives up its heat to the thermally conductive walls of the fiues and to the thermally conductive ice tray, this heat being utilized in melting the ice as is well understood. These currents of air, highly cooled in their passage through the fiues, emerge from the inner ends of the flues and are directed downwardly through the opening in the central portion of the drip pan. After circulating downwardly through the food compartment, these currents are again directed upwardly along the end walls of the food compartmentand into the outer ends of the fiues as above described. It will thus be seen that these currents of air do not come into direct contact with the ice in the refrigerant chamber. Inasmuch as the air gives up its heat to the thermally conductive flues and this heat is then transferred in a more or less uniform manner to the lower face of the block of ice, the ice melts uniformly upwardly from the bottom of the block, and there is relatively no melting of the ice along the side edges of the block and on the upper face thereof. In consequence, the block of ice, as it melts away from the bottom, merely drops downwardly in the ice compartment, and retains substantially its original upper surface area throughout the period of melting. It is therefore comparatively easy to renew the ice inasmuch'as the melting of the ice in this manner prevents the accumulation of irregular pieces of ice in the ice compartment, and a new block may be placed on the top of the wafer-like residue of the old block.

It will be noted that the perforations in the ice tray are positioned so that the drip there through from the melting ice is into the air fiues. Preferably, the lower walls of the flues slope inwardly and downwardly with the inwardly and downwardly sloping end portions of the ice tray, so that the drip from the melting ice flows downwardly to the inner ends of the fiues, thence drips into the drip pan. The crosssectional area of each flue is preferably uniform from end to end thereof. The slope of the fiues produces the necessary head to assist in inducing circulation, and the uniform cross-section provides uniform movement of the air and keeps it in contact with the thermally conductive walls of the flues so that the air becomes highly cooled in passing therethrough. Inasmuch as the block of ice rests upon the tray while melting, and the area of the lower surface of the block is not materially reduced as the block melts, the

' from the drip plate into the drip pan.

While a preferred form of refrigerator in which the improvements are embodied is shown herein, it is to be understood that the invention contemplates and is intended to include such other forms as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an ice tray of heat conductingmaterial extending thereacross and dividing the same into an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, a laterally closed open-ended flue of heat conducting material inclined downwardly from one end to the other and secured to the under side of said tray to direct the air current in said food compartment across the lower surface of said tray, means for deflecting the air current into said flue, said tray having -a plurality of perforations therein opening into said flue, and a drip pan beneath the lower end of said flue.

2. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an inclined ice tray of heat conducting material extending thereacross and dividing the same into an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, a laterally closed, open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to the under side of said tray and inclined therewith to confine and direct the air current in said food compartment across the lower surface of said tray, said tray having perforations therein opening into said flue, and a drip pan beneath the lower end of said flue.

3. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an inclined ice tray of heat conducting material extending thereacross and dividing the same-into an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, a laterally closed, open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to the under side of said tray and inclined therewith to confine and direct the air current in said food compartment across the lower surface of said tray, said tray having perforations therein opening into said flue, a drip pan beneath the lower end of said flue, a deflector between said flue and said drip pan for directing said air current into the upper end of said flue, and means for directing the air current downwardly from the lower end of said flue.

4.-In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, an ice tray of heat conducting material extending between the opposite walls thereof and forming an upper ice compartment and a lower food com- ,partment, a pair of laterally closed, open-ended fiues of heat conducting material secured to the 'under side of said tray by a heat conducting connection, the outer ends of the fiues being spaced from the walls of the cabinet to provide air inlets, and the inner ends being spaced from each other to provide an air outlet, and means for directing the current of air in said food compartment into the outer ends of said fiues.

5. In a refrigerator constructioma cabinet, an ice tray of heat conducting material extending between the opposite walls thereof and forming an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, said tray sloping downwardly from the opposite ends thereof toward the center, and a laterally closed, open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to the under side of each sloping portion of said tray and having its outer end spaced from the wall of said cabinet to form an air inlet from the food compartment, the inner ends of said fiues being spaced from each other to form an air outlet into the food compartment. I

6. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, a perforated ice tray of heat conducting material extending between the opposite walls thereof and forming an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, said tray sloping downwardly from the opposite ends thereof toward the center, an open-ended flue of heat conducting matcrial secured to the underside of each sloping portion of said tray beneath the perforations therein and having its outer end spaced from the wall of said cabinet to form an air inlet from the food compartment, the inner ends of said fiues being spaced from each other to form an air outlet into the food compartment, and a drip pan extending across said cabinet beneath the said flucs and having the edges thereof adjacent the outer end'; of said ilues spacd from the walls of the cabinet to provide passageways for air into the outer ends of the fines, the central portion of said drip pan having an opening therein to provide a passageway for air from the inner ends of said flues.

'7. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, a perforated ice tray of hzat conducting material extending between the opposite walls thereof and forming an upper ice compartment and a lower food compartment, said tray sloping downwardly from the opposite ends thereof toward the center, an open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to the under sid: of each sloping portion of said tray beneath the perforations therein and having its outer end spaced from the wall of said cabinet to form an air inlet from the food compartment, the inner ends of said flues being spaced from each other to form an air outlet into the food compartment, a drip pan extending across said cabinet beneath the said flues and having the edges thereof adjacent the outer ends of said flues spaced from the walls of the cabinet to provide passageways for air into the outer ends of the fiues, the central portion of said drip pan having an opening therein to provide a passageway for air from the inner ends of said fines, and means between said drip pan and said flues to direct the air from said food compartment into the outer ends of said flues.

8. In a refrigerator construction, a cabinet, a drip pan extending between and supported by the front and rear walls thereof and having its ends spaced from the end walls to form air passages, an ice tray of heat conducting material (Xtendlng entirely across said cabinet above said drip pan, a pair of flues of heat conducting maiii) terial secured to said tray and having the outer ends thereof spaced from the end walls of said cabinet to provide air inlets and the inner ends spaced from each other to provide an air outlet, said drip pan having an opening .therethrough adjacent the inner ends of said dues to provide a passageway for air, and partition means between said drip pan and the outer ends of said flues to direct the air from said passages into said flues.

9. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting material having a plurality of spaced perforations therein and having the opposite end portions thereof sloping downwardly toward the center, and an air flue of heat conducting material secured to the lower side of each of said opposite end portions beneath said perforations, the outer ends of said flues terminating inwardly of the ends of said tray and the inner ends of said flues being spaced from each other.

10. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting material having the opposite end portions thereof sloping downwardly toward the center and provided with perforated depressions extending in the direction of the slope, and an open-ended air flue of heat conducting material secured to the under side of each of said end portions beneath the perforations therein whereby said tray forms the top wallof said flue, the outer ends of said flues being spaced inwardly from the ends of said tray and the inner ends of said flues being spaced from each other.

11. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting material provided with elongated perforated depressions, and an air flue of heat conducting material secured to the under side of said tray longitudinally of said depressions with the perforations, therein opening into said flue, said flue being closed at its sides and bottom and open at its ends to provide a passageway therethrough for air in contact with said tray.

12. In a refrigerator structure, an ice tray of heat conducting material and having a plurality of spaced drip perforations therein and a flue of heat conducting material secured to the under side of said tray whereby said tray forms the top wall thereof and said drip perforations open into said flue, said flue being closed at its sides and bottom and having open ends to provide a passageway therethrough for air in contact with said tray.

13. In a refrigerator structure, the combination of an ice tray of heat conducting material having the opposite end portions thereof slop ing downwardly toward the center and provided with drip perforations, an open-ended flue of heat conducting material secured to the .under side of each of said end portions, the outer ends of said flues being spaced inwardly from the outer edges of said tray and the inner ends being spaced from each other, a drip pan supported beneath said fiues with its ends spaced inwardly from the ends of said tray and provided with an opening extending transversely across the center thereof, and a deflector plate for closing the space between the outer end of each flue and the adiacent end of the drip pan.

14. In a refrigerator structures. casing comprising a lower open-ended casing section having an inwardly turned flange on the edges of the walls surrounding the open end thereof and an upper open-ended casing section having an inwardly turned flange on the edges of the walls surrounding the open end thereof and supported upon the flange on the lower section, means for securing said flanges together, and an ice tray extending across said casing and having its opposite edges supported upon said flanges.

15. In a refrigerator structure, a casing comprising a lower open-ended casing section and an upper open-ended casing section, a drip plate secured to and extending inwardly from the edges of the walls surrounding the open end of the upper easing section and means for securing the edges of the open ends of the'casing sections together.

16. In a refrigerator structure, a casing comprising a lower open-ended casing section and an upper. open-ended casing section, a flange extending inwardly from the edges of the walls surrounding the open end of each of the casing sections, a drip plate formed on and extending inwardly and downwardly from the flange on one of said sections, and means for securing said flanges together.

ALBERT L. LAMBERT,

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