US2678544A - Portable electric refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

R. G. sHElDLER. ErAL 2,678,544

PORTABLE ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR 5 sheets-sheet 1 M m T May 18, 1,954.

Filed Jim@ 15, 1952 May 18, 1954 R. G. SHEIDLR ETAL PORTABLE; ELEc'rRIc- REFRIGERATOR -5 Slineets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1952 uk Il llllllllllllllll I4 9 Fama/7B. (Var/ y@ A17/wam May 18, 1954 R. G. sHElDLER Em. 2,678,544

l PORTABLE ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR y Filed June 1:5I 152 l I 5 Sheets-Sheet 31 R. G. sHElDLER vE1- AL 2,678,544 PORTABLE ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR May 13, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 15, 1952 May 18, 1954 R. G. sHElDLER ETAL 2,678,544

PORTABLE ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 15, 1952 "vt Ti;

,lill\llll lllll \l\llll||\\ Illini E Patented May 18, 1954 `PORTABLE ELECTRIC REFRIGERATTOR Robert G. Sheidler and Truman B. Clark, Mansfield, Ohio, assignors to The Tappan Stove Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 13, 1952, Serial No. 293,373

9 Claims.

This invention relates to electric refrigerators which are especially adapted for military use in transport airplanes when ferrying personnel from place to place. Although the refrigerator was particularly designed for military use it is equally Well adapted for civilian use.

Military transport planes vary greatly in size and capacity and are sometimes used to ferry personnel several thousand miles, and at other times to ferry personnel only a relatively short distance. Precooked meals for the personnel being transported are kept in a refrigerator aboard the plane during iiight. Before taking off, the refrigerator is stocked with meals in accordance with the number of persons being flown and the distance of the flight. Sometimes food must be carried for boththe outgoing and the return iiight. In transport airplanes the Weight and size of equipment are of prime consideration. Consequently, refrigerators therefor should be of such size as to carry only the required number of meals for a given flight, and they should be constructed as lightly as possible to give the required service.

In certain parts of the World when a military transport plane stands in the sun on the ground for only a short time the ambient temperature therein sometimes reaches 166. Therefore refrigerators for military transport planes must be so constructed that they will operate equally Well in both 10W ambient temperature and in extremely high ambient temperatures. They should also be so constructed that the refrigerating mechanism therefor can be quickly and easily removed as a unit and replaced with another unit in the case of damage or failure.

With the foregoing in mind We designed a mobile refrigerator of large capacity, but which is relatively small in size, which is relatively light in weight, Which will operate equally Well in both low and `extremely high ambient temperatures, in which the refrigerating mechanism can be quickly removed and replaced as a single unit, and in which the capacity and size can be varied as desired. p

Our new and improved design of refrigerator comprises generally a base section, a top section, one or more intermediate sections and an electric refrigerating mechanism of conventional type. The base section, which is mounted upon a pair of spaced parallel rails Whichextend out beyond one side thereof, comprises a bottom wall,

a rear Wall, a pair of spaced side Walls connected to the bottom and rear Walls and a door which deiine` a storage compartment open at the upper end thereof. The intermediate sections each comprise a rear Wall, a pair of spaced side Walls connected to the rear wall, and a door which defines a storage compartment open at the top and bottom and having the same horizontal dimensions as the compartment in the base section. The top may be removably clamped to the upper end of the base section to close the compartment therein, or an intermediate section may be removably clamped to the upper end of the base section and then the top removably clamped to the upper end of the intermediate section. The bottom of the top section has a shallow upwardly extending recess therein which is adapted to register with the upper end of the storage compartment in the base section or an intermediate section. If more than one intermediate section is used they are removably clamped together and to the base section, and the top is then removably clamped to the upper end of the uppermost intermediate section. When intermediate sections are used the compartments therein align with each other and with the compartment inthe base section to provide a single compartment of greater height and consequently greater storage capacity. By adding or subtracting intermediate sections the storage capacity of the refrigerator may be varied as desired to suit the requirements of a particular flight.

The base section has a closed chamber Within the storage compartment which extends from the front to the rear of the compartment along one side wall and the bottom wall. Access is had to the chamber through a rectangular opening in the adjacent side wall. There is an air intake duct into the chamber through the lower end of the inner transverse Wall of the chamber, and there is an air discharge duct which extends upwardly from the chamber along the adjacent side Wall of the base section and terminates iiush with the upper end of the side wall. Each intermediate section has a duct extending from the bottom to the top thereof along one side Wall Which are adapted to register With each other and with the duct in the base section.

The refrigerating mechanism is of conventional type and comprises the usual evaporator, compressor, condenser, storage tank and electric motor all of Which are mounted upon a suitable platform which is adapted to seat upon the rails which extend out irom under the base section. The refrigerating mechanism also includes a motor driven fan which is mounted in front of the evaporator in position to draw air through and around the evaporator. When in operative position the evaporator and fan are disposed within the chamber in the base section, being insertable thereinto through the opening in the side wall of the base section. The platform also carries a plug door which closes the opening into the chamber. Suitable clamping means are provided to removably clamp the platform and the mechanism and door thereon in position. When it is desired to change the refrigerating mechanism the clamps are released and the platform and the mechanism carriedV thereby are moved. outwardly as a single unit upon the rails until the evaporator is withdrawn from `the chamber after which the unit may be carried away and a new unit installed.

Food is stored in the storage compartment 4 refrigerator as shown in Fig; 1 from the front to the rear thereof, the planes of the sections being indicated by the lines 5 5 and G respectively on Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing an intermediate section applied to the base section in which the refrigerator of our invention is upon a plurality of sheet metal trays which are slidably mounted upon suitable tracks which are secured to the side walls and extend from the front to the rear of the compartment. The peripheries of the trays are spaced from the walls of the compartment to provide unobstructed paths for the downward passage of air along the walls. VThe trays also have a plurality of slots therein through which air may flow. The slots in one tray are arranged to vertically align with the slots in the other trays to provide additional paths for the down ow of air.

In operation the fan draws air downwardly from the top of the compartment along the various paths and into the evaporator chamber through the air inlet port at the bottom of the chamber. The air is then drawn through the evaporator, where it is cooled, and forced up through the discharge duct into the shallow recess in the top section which diffuses the air over the top of ,the compartment. A continuous cir.- culation and cooling of the air Within the storage compartment is thus maintained.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mobile refrigerator having a large storage capacity, but which is relatively light in weight and small in size as compared to the capacity thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator of this type which is so constructed that the capacity thereof can be Vquickly and easily varied in accordance with particular requirements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator of this type which will operate eiciently in either low or extremely high ambient temperatures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator of the aforesaid type in which the. refrigerating mechanism can be quickly and easily removed and replaced as a single unit.

Other and more limited objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator, constructed according to our invention, showing the base section and the top section only being used to provide the minimum storage capacity;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Figs. 1 and 4;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 4; Y

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the refrigerator as shown in Fig. 1 from side to side thereof, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 4 4 of Figs. 2 and 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sections through the shown as adjustedY for its minimum capacity, by reference characters, the numeral I indicates a base section, 2 a top section, and the numeral 3 indicates generally the refrigerating mechanism. The base section I comprises a bottom wall 4, a rear wall 5, and the side walls 6 and i which are all joined together to provide a storage compartment 8 which is open at the top and front thereof. The front of the compartment 8 is closed by a door 9 which is secured to the side wall S by hinges I0. The door 9 is held in closed position by a suitable latch I I which is arranged to be released by a handle I2 which is disposed in a recess I3 in the front of the door. The walls 4, 5, 6 and 1 and the door 9 are all made up of spaced inner and outer sheet metal casing I4 and I5 with the space therebetween packed with suitable insulating material Iii. The forward edges of the walls li, 6 and 'l and the upper edges of the walls 5,'6 and 'I are all faced with thin Vstrips I'I of plastic material such as Bakelite A sealing gasket I8 of heat-insulating material is secured to the inner face of the door 9 in position to tightly seal the front of the compartment 8. lThe top of the compartment 8 isclosedby the top section 2 which is removably secured in place by clamps I9 and dowel pins I9a carried by the side walls 5 and 1. The top section 2is made up of the spaced upper and lower sheetY metal walls 2@ and 2i which are connected together by the sheet metal peripheral wall 22. The space between the walls is packed with insulating material 23, and the front of the top section2^ is faced with a thin strip 24 of plastic similar to the strips il. an upwardly extending rectangular recess 26 formed ther-ein which is adapted to register with the upper end of the storage compartment 8. A sealing gasket 25 of suitable heat insulating material is permanently secured to the upper edges of the walls 5, 6 and I Vover the facing strips il thereon.

A vertical sheet metal partition 3e extends upwardly from the bcttomwall d and inwardly from the side wall I at the forward edges thereof. The inner edge of the partition 3d is connected to the rear wall 5 by a transverse vertical sheet metal partition 3I, and the'upper edges of the partitions 30 and 3l are connected to the rear walls 5 and the side wall 'l by a horizontal sheet metal partition 32.V The partitions SEB. SI and 32 and the walls 5 and 'I dene a chamber 33 within the storage compartment 8. Access is had to the chamber 33 through an enlarged rectangu lar opening 29 through the side wall '1. A horizontal sheet metal partition 34 which extends between the partition 3l and the walls 5 and 3 slightly above the bottom wall 4 provides an air TheV bottom of the top section 2 hasY intake duct 35into the chamber 33.` Elongated slots 36 are provided in the partition 34 for the entrance of air into the `duct35. Some air can also enter the chamber 33 through an elongated slot 28 in the .horizontal partition 32. A vertical `sheet metal partition 3l which extends upwardly from the chamber 33 te the upper end of the base section I in slightly spaced relation to the side wall .'I provides an air discharge duct 38 from the chamber 33.

Food is stored in the compartment 8 upon a plurality of similar rectangular trays 46 which are slidably mounted upon tracks il which are secured to the wall 6 and the partitions 3i and 3l and extend from the front to the rear of the compartment 8. The tracks 4I are spaced from the wall 6 and the partitions 3i and 31 except at the ends 42 and 43 thereof which are offset to engage the wall or partitions and be secured thereto. The spacing of the tracls 4l from their supporting wall` or partition provides uninterrupted paths along the wall 5 and partitions 3| and 31 for the downward flow of air. The inner edges of the trays 4B are spaced from the rear wall 5 by a pair of spaced parallel vertical ribs Lili, to provide a path along the rear wall 5 for the downward flow of air. When the trays 46 are in position with the inner edges thereof in contact with the ribs 44, the forward edges of the trays terminate inwardly of the door 9 so that a path for the downward flow of air is also provided along the door 9. Latching means (not shown) are provided for locking the trays in position. The trays 4D have a plurality of spaced parallel elongated slots i5 therein which are so arranged that the slots in any tray are in vertical alignment with the slots in the other trays. Additional paths are thus provided for the downward flow of air. The slots 36 in the partition 3d, and the slots 4.5 in the trays d. are rimmed by upturned flanges 46. The base section I is mounted upon a pair of spaced parallel rails il which extend out from under the basesection I beyond the lside l thereof.

The refrigcrating mechanism generally inclicatefi by the numeral 3 is a conventional` electric refrigerating mechanism which comprises the usual evaporator, compressor,` condenser, refri erant storage tank and motor which are mounted upon a platform 55 which is adaptedto seat on and siide along the railsll'. All of the refrigeratlng mechanism` with the exception of the evaporator are enclosed by a removable cover 5i having venting louvers 52 therein. The evaporator 53 is disposed within the chamber 33, being inserted thereinto through the opening 29 in the side wall i. The opening 29 is closed by a plug door 54 which is also carried by the platform 5d. The refrigerating mechanism also includes a mctordriven fan 55 which is disposed between the evaporator 53 and the plug door 54 within the chamber 63. The platform 56 and the refrigerating mechanism and the plug door 54 are locked in position by a pair of releasable latches 5t.

.ln operation the fan 55 draws air downwardly along the various paths described and into the evaporator or cooling chamber 33 through the intake duct 35. The air is then drawn through and around the evaporator 53, which cools it, and forced up through the discharge duct 38 into the recess 26 in the top section 2 which diffuses the cooled air over the tcp of the compartment 6. In this way a continuous circulation and cooling of the air within the refrigerator is 6.. maintained. Conventional means (not shown) is provided for regulating the operation of the refrigerating mechanism in order to maintain the desired temperature within the storage compartment 8.

If the refrigerating mechanism 3 should become damaged or out of order it can be removed as a single unit by releasing the latches 56 and sliding the platform 56 back along the rails il until the evaporator has been removed from the compartment 33. The unit can then be taken away for repairs and a new unit placed upon the rails fil and slid into position.

When it is desired to enlarge the storage compartment 8 the tcp section 2 is removed from the base section l and one or more intermediate sections are clamped to the top of the base section and then the top section 2 is clamped to the top oi' the uppermost intermediate section. Each intermediate section comprises a rear wall and two side walls which constitute extensions of the rear wall 5 and the side walls 6 and of the base section I. Each intermediate section also has its own door.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 7 to lo cf the drawings which show one intermediate section 66 interposed between the base section i and the top section 2. The section 66 comprises the rear wall 6i, the side walls 62 and. 63 and a door 64 which is secured to the forward end of the side wall 62 by hinges 65 and is held in closed position by latching means 46 which is actuated by a handle 6T disposed in a recess 68 in the front of the door 64. The construction of the walls 6I, 62 and 63 and the door 64 is similar to the construction of the walls and door of the base section I in that they comprise inner and outer sheet metal casings 68 and I6 with the space therebetween packed with insulating material 7|. The upper edges of the walls si, 62 and 63 and the forward edges of the walls 52 and` 63 are faced with plastic strips t2, similar to the strips I1 on the base section i. The doors 64 carries a sealing gasket 73 similar to the gasket I8 on the door 9, and a sealing gasket I4 similar to the gasket 25 is permanently secured to the upper ends of the walls 6i, 61 and 63 over the facing strips 12. The forward ends of the walls 62 and 63 are connected together at the lower ends thereof by a sheet metal tie bar 15 which is also faced with a plastic strip l2. The intermediate section 66 is removably secured to the upper end of the base section. i by the clamps I9 and the dowel pins lila carried by the base section. The top section 2 is removably secured to the intermediate section 66 in position to close the upper end thereof by clamps 'iti and dowel pins 'H carried by the intermediate section 65. A vertical sheet metal partition 56 which extends from the bottom to the top of the intermediate section 66 in closely spaced relation to the side wall 63 dennes an air discharge duct 6I which registers with and constitutes an extension of the air discharge duct 36 in the base section I. Trays 156 are slidably sup ported in the intermediate section upon tracks 62 which are identical in construction and instalu lation with the tracks 4I in the base section i. The intermediate section 60 thus constitutes an upward extension of the base section. i and storage compartment 8 therein, and increases the capacity of the storage compartment S by the capacity of the intermediate section. lf still further capactiy is required, additional intere 7c mediate sections may be interposed between the base section I and the top section 2.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that we have provided a very simple and eicient mechanism for accomplishing the objects of the invention.

It is to be understood that we are not limited to the specific construction shown and described herein as various modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A refrigerator comprising a bottom section having a bottom wall, a rear wall, two side walls and a door defining a storage compartment open at the upper end thereof, a top section remov ably secured to the upper end of said bottom section in position to close the upper end of said storage compartment, partitions in said storage compartment defining a chamber at a lower corner of said storage compartment, an air inlet from said compartment into said chamber, an air outlet from said chamber into said storage compartment, a refrigerating mechanism including an evaporator and a fan, said evaporator and fan being disposed within said chamber and said fan being operative to induce a flow of air from said compartment into said chamber through said inlet and past said evaporator and out through said outlet back into said compartment, a pluraliti7 of trays disposed in said storage compartment, and means by which said trays are removably supported in vertically spaced relation in said storage compartment with the peripheral edges thereof spaced from the bounding walls of said compartment to provide uninterrupted paths for the downward flow of air along the inner faces of said bounding walls.

2. A refrigerator as dened in claim l in which each of said trays has a plurality of elongated slots therein, the slots in one tray being disposed in vertical alignment with the slots in the other trays to provide additional paths for the downward iiow of air.

3.V A refrigerator comprising a bottom section having a bottom wall, a rear wall, two side walls and a door, an intermediate section having a rear wall, two side walls and a door, said intermediate section being removably secured to the upper end of said bottom section with the rear and side walls thereof in vertical alignment with the rear and side walls of said bottom section, the said walls and doors of said bottom section and said intermediate section defining a storage compartment open at the upper end thereof, a top section removably secured to the upper end of said intermediate section in position to close the upper end of said compartment, partitions in said storage compartment dening a chamber at a lower corner of said storage compartment, an air inlet from said compartment into said chamber, an air outlet from said chamber into said storage compartment, a refrigerating mechanism including an evaporator and a fan, said evaporator and fan being disposed within said chamber and said fan being operative to induce a flow of air from said compartment into said chamber through said inlet and past said evaporator and out through said outlet back into said compartment, a plurality of trays disposed in said storage compartment, and means by which said tra s are removably supported in vertically spaced relation in said storage compartment with the peripheral edges thereof spaced from the bound ing walls of said compartment to provide unin- Y along the inner faces of said bounding Walls.

4. A refrigerator as defined in claim 3 in which each of said trays has a plurality of elongated slots therein, the slots in one tray being disposed in vertical alignment with the slots in the other trays to provide additional paths for the downward flow of air.

5. A refrigerator comprising a bottom section having a bottom wall, a rear wall, two side walls and a door defining a storage compartment open at the upper end thereof, a top section removably secured to the upper end of said bottom section in position to close the upper end of said storage compartment, a Vertical partition extending upwardly from said bottom wall and forwardly from said rear wall and a horizontal partition extending forwardly from said rear wall between the upperrend of said vertical wall and one of said side walls, said partitions defining a chamber within said storage compartment, a second horizontal partition extending between said vertical Vpartition and the other of said side walls in slightly spaced relation to said bottom wall and defining an air inlet duct from the bottom 0f said storage compartment into said chamber, a sec-V ond vertical partition extending upwardly from said horizontal partition in slightly spaced relation to the said one of said side walls and dening an air discharge duct from said chamber into the upper end of said storage compartment, a refrigerating mechanism including an evaporator yand a fan, said evaporator and said fan being disposed within said chamber and said fan being operative to induce a flow of air from the lower end of said storage compartment through said inlet duct into said chamber and past said evaporator and out from said chamber through said discharge duct into the upper end of said storage compartment, a plurality of trays disposed in said storage compartment, and means by which said trays are removably supported in vertically spaced relation in said storage compartment with the peripheral edges thereof spaced from the bounding walls of said compartment to provide uninterrupted paths for the downward dow of air along the inner faces of said bounding walls.

6. A refrigerator as defined in claim 5 in which each of said trays has a plurality of elongated slots therein, the slots in one tray being disposed in vertical alignment with the slots in the other trays to provide additional paths for the downward flow of air.

7. A refrigerator comprising a bottom section having a bottom Wall, a rear wall, two spaced side walls and a door defining a storage compartment open at the upper end thereof, a vertical partition extending upwardly from said bottom wall and forwardly from said rear wall and a horizontal partition extending forwardly from said rear wall between the upper end of said vertical wall and one of said side walls, said par- Y titions deiining a chamber within said storage compartment, a second horizontal partition extending between said vertical partition and the other of said side walls in slightly spaced relation to said bottom wall and defining an air inlet duct from the bottom of said storage compartment into said chamber, a second vertical partition extending upwardly from said horizontal partition in slightly spaced relation to the said one of said side walls and dening an air discharge duct from said chamber into the upper end of said storage compartment, an intermediate 9 section having a rear wall, two spaced side walls, a door and a vertical partition which is slightly spaced from one of said intermediate side walls and defines an air discharge duct in said intermediate section, said intermediate section being removably secured to the upper end of said bottom section with the rear and side walls thereof in vertical alignment with the rear and side walls of said bottom section and the discharge duct therein in register with the discharge duct in said bottom section, a top section removably secured to said intermediate section in position to close the upper end thereof, a refrigerating mechanism including an evaporator and a fan, said evaporator and said fan being disposed within said chamber and said fan being operative to induce a flow of air from the lower end of said storage compartment through said inlet duct into said chamber and past said evaporator and out from said chamber through said discharge duct into the upper end of said storage compartment, said refrigerating mechanism being mounted upon a platform which is removably secured to one of the walls of said bottom section,

8. A refrigerator comprising a bottom section having a bottom wall, a rear wall, two spaced side walls and a door defining a storage compartment open at the upper end thereof, a vertical partition extending upwardly from said bottom wall and forwardly from said rear wall and a horizontal partition extending forwardly from said rear wall between the upper end of said vertical wall and one of said side walls, said partitions deiining a chamber within said storage compartment, a second horizontal partition extending between said vertical partition and the other of said side walls in slightly spaced relation to said bottom wall and dening an air inlet duct from the bottom of said storage compartment into said chamber, a second vertical partition extending upwardly from said horizontal partition in slightly spaced relation to the said one of said side walls and deiining an air discharge duct from said chamber into the upper end of said storage compartment, an intermediate section having a rear Wall, two spaced side walls, a door and a vertical partition which is slightly spaced from one of said intermediate side walls and defines an air discharge duct in said intermediate section, said intermediate section being removably secured to the upper end of said bottom section with the rear and side walls thereof in vertical alignment with the rear and side walls of said bottom section and the discharge duct therein in register with the discharge duct in said bottom section, a top section removably secured to said intermediate section in position to close the upper end thereof, a refrigerating mechanism including an evaporator and a 1an, said evaporator and said fan being disposed within said chamber and said fan being operative to induce a flow of air from the lower end of said storage compartment through said inlet duct into said chamber and past said evaporator and out from said chamber through said discharge duct into the upper end of said storage compartment, a plurality of trays disposed in said storage compartment, and means by which said trays are removably supported in vertically spaced relation in said storage compartment with the peripheral edges thereof spaced from the bounding walls of said compartment to provide uninterrupted paths for the downward iiow of air along the inner faces of said bounding walls.

9. A refrigerator as deiined in claim 8 in which each of said trays has a plurality of elongated vslots therein, the slots in one tray being disposed in vertical alignment with the slots in the other trays to provide additional paths for the downward W of air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,321,097 Gonzalez Nov. 11,1919 1,730,494 Dyer Oct. 8, 1929 2,013,264 Buder Sept. 3, 1935 2,089,608 Horlacher Aug. 10, 1937 2,152,291 Starr Mar. 28, 1939 2,217,222 Hall Oct. 8, 1940 2,484,894 Lindsay Oct. 18, 1949 2,489,009 Corhanidis Nov. 22, 1949 2,536,287 Higgins Jan. 2, 1951

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