US1827809A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20, 1931. T. L CHISHIOLM 1,827,809

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 31, 1927 4 6: 22. z/ Jgmfm l atented Get, 2, lgdll were srras matte rrar THEODORE CHISHOLM, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENT$, TO ERIGIDAIRE CORPOBATION,'A CORPORATIGN' 0F DELAWE EEFRIGEBATING APPARATUS Application filed January 31,

This invention relates to cooling units for mechanical refrigerators, and more particularly to cooling units which are adapted to be installed in refrigerating cabinets ofthe household type. However, it is to be understood that the present invention may be adapted for refrigerating appartus of other types.

It is among the objects of the present in-' vention to provide a cooling unit of simple and economical structure, which will quickly congeal or freeze substances placed within a freezing compartment provided by the unit, and which will ellectively cool the food compartment-of the cabinet.

Another object is to improve the efliciency of the cooling unit by reducing its tendency to become coated with frost.

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

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet with the door open in order to show the food compartment and a cooling unit within a cooling compartment;

Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale than Fig. 1, showing the front View of the cooling unit supported within the cooling compartment of a cabinet, the walls of which are show in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cooling unit drawn to the same scale as Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4* is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken along the lines ll of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, designates a refrigerating I cabinet having an L-shaped food compartment 21 separated from a cooling compartment 22 by horizontal partition 23 and a vertical partition 24. The partition 24 is provided with a flue 25 which admits relatively warm air from the food compartment 21 to the cooling compartment 22. Partition 23 provided with-a flue 26 admits cooled air from the compartment 22to compartment 21. The partition 23 supports a bafile 27 which prevents any moisture which 1927. Serial No. 164,746.

should happen to drip from the cooling unit above from entering the flue 26. The baifie 27 directs such moisture upon the upper sur face of the partition 23, from which it is conducted away by a drain pipe 28.

The cooling unit located within the cooling compartment 22, includes a boiler or header 30 attached to the top wall of cabinet by bracket members 31 and 32. Liquid refrigerant is conducted to the header 30 from a compressor and condenser, not shown, through a pipe 33 and a fitting 34- Refrigerant is admitted from the fitting 34, as

needed, by a float controlled valve, not shown, located within the header 30. Ex-

panded refrigerant is conducted to the compressor through a fitting 35 and a pipe 36. The refrigerating compressor and condenser with which the pipes 33 and 36 communicate may be located outside of the cabinet, if desired, or may be placed within a machine compartment located below the food compartment 21, said compartment having a removable wall 37 provided with louvers 38.

The cooling unit includesa plurality of ducts 40 and 41, of elongated cross section and preferably arranged in. longitudinal rows along the header. The elongated section of the ducts provides a relatively large surface area and a relatively small volume, which reduces the quantity of refrigerant required to produce a given amount of cooling. The ducts 40 of the two inside rows provide a freezing zone or space 42 which may contain one or more metal sleeves 43 for the reception of freezing trays 4.4. The loops 40 are arranged with their fiat sides in alignment so as to bring the ducts closetogether and occupy as much of the side of the freezing space as possible. Preferably the flat sides are soldered to the sleeves, and thus provide a large heat exchange area in contact with the sleeves.

I In order to facilitate proper sliding of the trays inside the sleeves the bottom wall of each sleeve may be provided with a plurality of extending portions43a providing slides for said trays.

Ducts 41 depending from the header extend outwardly into the cooling chamber,

remote from the freezing space and ducts 40. The ducts also have an elongated cross-section, but the flat sides are perpendicular to the direction of the rows, in order to increase the distancebetween adjacent ducts. Likewise the ducts '41 are spaced between ducts 40 along the length of the header to increase the distance between ducts 40 and 41.

Manufacture and assembly of the cooling unit are considerably cheapened and facilitated by making the ducts in pairs, in the form of equally spaced U-shaped loops one arrangement of which is shown in Fig. 3.

Equally spaced round holes are formed in the header and the upper end of each duct has a rounded portion 45- which fits into a hole. Thus while the ducts are equally spaced along the header at their points of attachment thereto, the inner ducts 40 are relatively close together throughout their length, and the outer ducts 41 are relatively erant vapor through the pipe 36 only after the 1 ducts 40 and 41 reach a temperature slightly above freezing point, for instance 32- F. The compressor will then continue to operate until the refrigerant in the cooling unit reaches a desired minimum temperature, for instance 12 F when automatic controls will stop the compressor. Such auto matic controls for starting and stopping the compressor at the desired maximum and minimum temperature are well known in the art and hence will not be herein described. Now during the greater portion of one complete cycle-of such a system the refrigerant in the cooling unit will be greatly below freezing point and hence frost will form and build up on the outside of the entire unit. However, during that part of the cycle when the re frigerant is at a temperature at or slightly above freezing point this frost will be melted by the circulating air which ordinarilyis considerably above the freezing point. Since the circulating air comes into intimate contact with the exposed portions 41, these portions can be defrosted at each cycle. However, the ducts 40, being much less exposed to the circulating air and having a large duct surface within a relatively small compact space will not be defrosted at each cycle. Therefore, frost can gradually build up all around these ducts and form a shield around the freezing space against the circulating air. Hence the refrigerant in the ducts may have a maximum temperature slightly above 32 F.

for a short period of time without tending to.

of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A cooling unit for a refrigerator comprising a refrigerant supply member and refrigerant ducts connected to said member and co-operating to provide a freezing zone, an ice tray support adapted to support an ice tray within said zone, said ducts being of elongated cross-sectional shape, the broader sides being adjacent said freezing zone and thermally connected with said support.

2. A cooling unit for a refrigerator having cooling and freezing spaces comprising a refrigerant supply member and refrigerant ducts leading therefrom, certain of said ducts co-operating to enclose the freezing space, said ducts being of elongated cross-sectional shape, the broader sides lying adjacent the freezing zone, the other ducts extending into the cooling space of the refrigerator.

3. A cooling unit for a refrigerator having freezing and cooling spaces comprising a refrigerant supply member and conduits in the form of loops extending therefrom, portions of said loops being elongated in cross section and having their broader sides adjacent the freezing space.

4. A cooling unit for a refrigerator having freezing and cooling zones comprising a refrigerant supply member and conduits in the form of loops extending therefrom, said conduits being elongated in cross-section and having the broader sides of some of said conduits providing the freezing zones, the broader sides of the other conduits being arranged angularly to the broader sides of the first mentioned conduits and lying outwardly of the freezing zone to provide a cooling zone.

5. A coolin unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, a refrigerant supply member and a plurality of rows of conduits elongated in crossv section communicating with. said member, some of said conduits being arranged so that the broader sides of the conduits co-operate to provide a freezing zone, other of said conduits being located so as to, be substantially entirely exposed to air adjacent the cooling unit.

accuses 6. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, a refrigerant supply memher and a plurality of ll-shaped conduits communicating with said member, said conduits including branches and connecting yoke portions, both portions being of an elongated cross-sectional shape, some of said conduits being arranged in parallel rows so that the broader sides of the branches lie in a plane parallel with the axis of refrigerant supply member and cooperate therewith to provide a freezing zone and other of said ill-shaped conduits having their branches spaced from the freezing zone so as to be entirely exposed to air adjacent the coolingunit.

7. A cooling unit for mechanical 'refrigera tors, comprising a refrigerant supply mem-- her and plurality of lit-shaped conduits including branch portions and a connecting yoke portion, both portions being of an elongated cross-sectional. shape, certain of the con-. duits having their broader sides in alignment so as to co-op-erate to provide a freezing zone.

and the other conduits having their broader sides arranged angularly to the first mentioned conduits and being spaced remote from said freezing zone.

8. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, a refrigerant supply member and a plurality'oit conduits of an eloncross-sectional shape certain of said conduits having their broader sides aligned so as to provide a freezing zone, the broader sides of the other conduits being arranged at right angles to the broader sides of the first mentioned conduits and spaced remote from the freezing zone, the remote conduits lying in planes passing midway between the first mentioned conduits. v

9. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators including freezing and cooling zones and comprising, an elongated header and a plurality oi conduits of elongated cross section.

depending "from said header, the broader sides of certain conduits being aligned parallel with the axis of the header and co-operating with said header to rovide the freezing zone.

10. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators including freezing and cooling zones comprising an elongated header and a plurality of conduits of elongated cross-section depending from said header, the broader sides of certain conduits being aligned parallel with the axis of the header and cooperating with said header to provide the freezing zone, the other of said conduits being arranged so as tohave their broader sides at right angles to the first mentioned conduits and being spaced remote from the freezing zone.

11.. A cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of the medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit including heat exchange means in intimate contact with a refrigerant and with said medium to be cooled, said heat exchange means including a portion providing a freezing zone, a support in intimate thermal contact with said portion and adapted to support an ice tray within said freezing zone, and a plurality of duct portions of elongated cross sections disposed angularly of the freezing zone and providing a cooling zone for said medium, said last portions lying outwardly Or the freezing zone With the broader sides of said portions in intimate thermal association with the medium rou being arranged transverse to the broader sides of the first row.

13. A cooling unit for cooling circulating air in a refrigerator cabinet comprisingheat exchange means in intimate contact with a refrigerant and with the medium to be cooled, said heat exchange means including a plurality otelongated portions arranged in a plurality of rows, the broader sides of the v elongated portions of one row being arranged in alignment, and the broader sides of the elongated portions of another row being arranged transverse to the broader sides of the.

first row.

14. A cooling unit for ratus comprising heat exchange means in intimate contact with a refrigerant and With the medium to be cooled, said heat exchange means including a plurality of elongated portions arranged in a plurality oi? rows, the broader sides of the elongated portions of one row being arranged in alignment, and the broader sides of the elongated portions of another roW being arranged transverse to the broader sides of the first row and disposed in planesbetween the portions of the first row.

15; A cooling unit "for refrigerating apparatus comprising a header and a plurality of ducts extending therefrom, portions of the heat absorbing'suriaces of some of the ducts being relatively, closely spaced from one another and provide a freezing zone adapted to receive an ice tray, and heat absorbing surface of other of the ducts providing a cooling zone, said last ducts lying outwardly of the "freezing zone and being relatively widely spaced "from one another.

16. A cooling unit for refrigerating apparatus comprising a header and a plurality of rows of ducts extending therefrom, portions of the heat absorbing surfaces of the ducts in one or more of the rows being relatively closely spaced from one another and refrigerating appaill) provide a freezing zone adapted to receive an ice tray and portions of the heat absorbing surface of the ducts in one or more other rows providing a cooling zone, said last ducts lying outwardly of the freezing zone and being relatively widely spaced from one another.

17. A cooling unit for cooling circulating air in a refrigerator cabinet comprising a plurality of flat ducts, the broader sides of certain of said ducts being arranged lengthwise of one another and cooperate to provide a freezing zone, and certain of said ducts being arranged in more intimate thermal relation with the air flowing thereover, the broader sides of said latter ducts being arranged transversely of the broader sides of the first ducts. I

18. A cooling unit for cooling circulating air flowing thereover comprising a plurality of ducts, portions of said ducts being flat and the broader sides thereof being arranged lengthwise of one another and cooperate to provide a freezing zone, and portions of said ducts being arranged in more intimate thermal relation with the air flowing thereover, said latter portions being flat and having the broader sides thereof 'arran ed transversely of the broader sides of the first portions.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

THEQDORE L. CHISHOLM

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