US3359755A

US3359755A - Refrigerator cabinet

Info

Publication number: US3359755A
Application number: US546931A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond J Creech
Original assignee: Carrier Corp
Current assignee: Carrier Corp
Priority date: 1966-05-02
Filing date: 1966-05-02
Publication date: 1967-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-26

Description

Dec. 26, 1967 R. J. CREECH REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed May 2, 1966 INVENTOR.

J. CREECH.

RAYMOND wzzzw ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,359,755 REFRIGERATOR CABINET Raymond J. Creech, Tyler, Tex., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 2, 1966, Ser. No. 546,931 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-441) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A refrigerator apparatus of the type having two compartments, each with an individual access door, having a check valve control designed to close the air passage leading from one compartment to the second compartment at the occurrence of a pressure surge in one compartment to prevent the door to the second compartment from being forced open.

This invention relates to a cabinet for refrigerating apparatus and, more particularly, to a cabinet usable in combination refrigerator-freezer units.

In refrigerating units such as combination refrigeratorfreezers, the cabinet thereof is partitioned into refrigerator and freezer compartments each with its own access door. These doors are normally held closed by a magnetic type latch. Where a single cooling component, for example, an evaporator coil, is used, the evaporator coil is normally placed in the freezer compartment and one or more passages in the cabinet permit circulation of cold air from the evaporator coil to both freezer and refrigerator compartments. In this type of unit, however, closure of the door to one compartment, for example, the refrigerator compartment, often creates a pressure surge sufiicient to overcome the magnetic latch holding the door to the other compartment closed causing the door to that compartment to pop open.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cabinet construction for refrigerating apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cabinet construction for a two-door combination refrigerator-freezer unit incorporating an arrangement for preventing opening of one door upon closure of the other door.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for interrupting the passage connecting refrigerator and freezer compartments in a combination refrigerator-freezer apparatus on the occurrence of a pressure surge in one compartment to delay transmittal of the pressure surge to the other compartment.

This invention relates to a two compartment refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, cabinet means forming an insulated chamber, the cabinet means including a partition separating the chamber into individual first and second refrigerating compartments and doors permitting access to each of the first and second compartments; refrigeration means including an evaporator arranged in the insulated chamber; means for circulating cold air from the evaporator to the compartments, the cold air circulating means including a passage communicating the first compartment with the second compartment; and means adapted to prevent the pressure surge created in one of the compartments by closure of the door thereto from forcing open the door of the other of the compartments, the pressure surge preventing means including a valve arranged to close the passage in response to the pressure surge.

Other objects and advantages will be perceived from the ensuing description and drawing in which the figure is a view partly in section of a combination two-door re- 3,359,755 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 frigerator-freezer apparatus incorporating the cabinet construction of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a combination refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 incorporating the door control arrangement of the present invention. The refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 includes a double-walled shell or cabinet 12 which may be provided with a suitable decorative finish on the exterior walls thereof. A suitable thermal insulation, for example, polystyrene foam 14, is disposed between the walls of cabinet 12. An insulated partition 16 separates cabinet 12 into upper refrigerator compartment 20 and lower freezer compartment 22. Refrigerator and

freezer compartment doors

25, 26, which may be double-walled with insulation 14 between the walls thereof, are provided.

Doors

25, 26 are suitably hinged to cabinet 12 to permit access to refrigerator and

freezer compartments

20, 22 respectively.

In the refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 illustrated, refrigerator compartment 20 is larger than freezer compartment 22. Access door 25 to refrigerator compartment 7 20 is correspondingly larger than door 26 of freezer compartment 22. The relative sizes of refrigerator and

freezer compartments

20, 22 respectively may vary and freezer compartment 22, and door 26, thereof, may be equal in size or larger than refrigerator compartment 20, and door 25 thereof. Although a particular type of cooling device, a combination refrigerator-freezer, is illustrated and described, any compartmentized cooling device with separate doors for each compartment may be envisioned.

Refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 includes a refrigera- 1 tion system '30 with compressor 31, condenser 32, capillary 33, and evaporator 34. Evaporator 34 may be arranged within freezer compartment 22 adjacent rear wall 36 of cabinet 12 and behind panel 37. Panel 37 cooperates with wall 36 of cabinet 12 to form a passage 39 through which air to be chilled is brought into heat exchange relation with evaporator 34. Fan 40 circulates air drawn from refrigerator and

freezer compartments

20, 22 respectively through passage 39 acros evaporator 34, cold air discharging from passage 39 into the lower part of freezer compartment 22.

Partition 16 has an opening 43 therethrough at the junction of partition member 16 with wall 36 of cabinet 12. U-shaped member 45 extends through opening 43 into compartment 20. Member 45 tightly engages wall 36 of cabinet 12 to form therewith a passage 46 leading from compartment 22 into the upper part of refrigerator compartment 20. Return air opening 50 in partition 16 communicates refrigerator compartment 20 with freezer compartment 22. Opening 50 permits return flow of air from refrigerator compartment 20 to fan 40.

Fan 40, when actuated, discharges air drawn from freezer compartment 22 and, by means of return air passage 50, from refrigerator compartment 20 into

passages

39, 46. Air flowing through passage 39 is chilled by evaporator 34 and is discharged into the lower part of freezer compartment 22. A damper 48, responsive to temperature conditions within refrigerator compartment 20, regulates the quantity of air discharged from passage 46 into compartment 20. A suitable control circuit (not shown) for energizing compressor 31 and fan 40 in response to the cooling demands of the refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 is provided.

In the combination refrigerator-freezer apparatus of the type shown, air trapped within compartment 20 by closure of door 25 creates, particularly when door 25 is rapidly closed or slammed, a relatively high pressure surge within

compartments

20, 22. While the pressure surge occasioned by closure of door 25 is soon dissipated within the apparatus 10, the pressure surge may cause freezer compartment door 26 to pop open.

To inhibit transmittal of the pressure surge generated by closure of refrigerator compartment door 25 to freezer compartment 22, pressure responsive check valve 55 is arranged in return air passage 50. Check valve 55, which is held open by spring 56, closes when pressures within refrigerator compartment 20 exceed pressures in freezer compartment 22 by an amount predetermined by the pressure bias of spring 56. Spring 56 is selected to maintain valve 55 open during the normal operating pressure conditions prevailing in compartments 219, 22. On a pressure surge in refrigerator compartment 20 created by closure of door 25 thereto, valve 55 closes passage 50 and prevents transmittal of the pressure surge to freezer compartment 22.

Passage 46, which communicates the upper part of refrigerator compartment 20 with freezer compartment 22 and fan 40, has, relative to return air opening 50, a substantial length which effectively delays transmittal of the pressure surge therethrough from refrigerator compartment 20 to freezer compartment 22. Passage 46, by virtue of its relatively small size when compared to the size of compartment 20, helps dissipate the pressure surge by permitting the relatively high pressure gas in compartment 20 to bleed into freezer compartment 22.

It is understood that a second check valve may be provided to close return air passage 50 at the occurrence of a pressure surge in freezer compartment 22 created by the closure of door 26 thereto in place of or in addition to check valve 55. Where it is desired to prevent transmittal of door generated pressure surges from either

compartment

20, 22 to the other compartment, a single double acting check valve control may be provided for return air passage 50.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a two compartment refrigerating apparatus, the combination of cabinet means forming an insulated chamber, said cabinet means including a partition separating said chamber into individual first and second refrigerating compartments, and doors permitting access to each of said first and second compartments; refrigeration means including an evaporator arranged in said insulated chamber; means for circulating cold air from said evaporator to said compartments, said cold air circulating means including a passage communicating said first compartment with said second compartment; and means adapted to prevent the pressure surge created in one of said compartments by closure of the door thereto from forcing open the door of the other of said compartments, said pressure surge preventing means including a valve arranged to close said passage in response to said pressure surge.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said cold air circulating means passage is in said partition.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said cold air circulating means includes a fan in said second compartment, and a second passage leading from said fan through said partition into a region of said first compartment remote from said partition, the length of said second passage being substantially greater than the length of said first passage whereby transmittal of said pressure surge from said one compartment through said second passage to said other compartment is delayed to enable said pressure surge to dissipate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 including magnetic means for holding said compartment doors closed, said first refrigerating compartment being sized substantially larger than said second refrigerating compartment, said valve comprising a check valve disposed between said first compartment and said passage with spring means opposing closing of said check valve, a pressure surge in said first compartment overcoming said spring means to close said valve and interrupt said passage to prevent transmittal of said pressure surge to said second compartment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,546,363 3/1951 Jaeger 62447 X 2,595,874 5/1952 Nason 62-447 X 3,812,642 11/1957 Jacobs 62441 X 3,004,400 10/1961 Mann et al 62-441 X LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A TWO COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION OF CABINET MEANS FORMING AN INSULATED CHAMBER, SAID CABINET MEANS INCLUDING A PARTITION SEPARATING SAID CHAMBER INTO INDIVIDUAL FIRST AND SECOND REFRIGERATING COMPARTMENTS, AND DOORS PERMITTING ACCESS TO EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENTS; REFRIGERATION MEANS INCLUDING AN EVAPORATOR ARRANGED IN SAID INSULATED CHAMBER; MEANS FOR CIRCULATING COLD AIR FROM SAID EVAPORATOR TO SAID COMPARTMENTS, SAID COLD AIR CIRCULATING MEANS INCLUDING A PASSAGE COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT WITH SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT; AND MEANS ADAPTED TO PREVENT THE PRESSURE SURGE CREATED IN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS BY CLOSURE OF THE DOOR THERETO FROM FORCING OPEN THE DOOR OF THE OTHER OF SAID COMPARTMENTS, SAID PRESSURE SURGE PREVENTING MEANS INCLUDING A VALVE ARRANGED TO CLOSE SAID PASSAGE IN RESPONSE TO SAID PRESSURE SURGE.