US2767042A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

@ci'ifi, 1955 K. K. KEsuNG 2,767,942

- REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1955 INVEVTOR.

5 Keiih K. Kesiing REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Keith K. Kesling, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors (Iorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application March 18, 1953, Serial No. 343,145

1 Claim. (Cl. 312-313) This invention relates to refrigerators and particularly to refrigerator cabinets of the vertical home freezer type.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered in the use of home freezer refrigerator cabinets, particularly of the vertically elongated front opening type provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed vertically spaced apart food supporting shelves, wherein a near zero temperature is maintained throughout the storage chamber thereof for the freezing of various food products and for the reception and storage of prefrozen packaged frozen foods. Wrapped or packaged frozen foods are ordinarily placed one upon another in vertical adjacent tiers or stacks within the compartments or on shelves in refrigerators of this type as distinguished from higher temperature refrigerator cabinets wherein food products are spread or spaced apart over food supporting shelves. One of the dficulties arises by virtue of the fact that it is troublesome and uncomfortable for the user to hold frozen food packages when the freezer cabinet door is opened and a package in the central portion of a tier or stack thereof Within the refrigerated chamber is to be removed therefrom. Another difiiculty is that some of the frozen food packages and particularly the uppermost packages of tiers or stacks thereof at the front of the refrigerated chamber are jarred loose and slide forwardly of the chamber against the cabinet door during the act of closing this door. Consequently when the refrigerator cabinet door is again opened the loosened package abutting against the inner face of the door falls out of the chamber. The falling package or packages may strike and injure a housewife and at best the housewife does not favor the frozen food packages falling upon and sliding across the floor.

It is an object of my invention to provide in a vertical home freezer refrigerator cabinet a single device which in addition to improving the same in eliminating the aforesaid difiiculties also serves a dual purpose for the user thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a vertical home freezer refrigerator cabinet with a readily accessible auxiliary food shelf which may be utilized during the act of rearranging packaged frozen products in the refrigerated chamber as a support for packages removed from the chamber.

Another object of my invention is to provide means within a vertical home freezer refrigerator cabinet for preventing packaged frozen foods stacked in the storage chamber thereof from shifting toward the front of the chamber and against the chamber door.

A further object of my invention is to provide in the refrigerated chamber of a vertical home freezer refrigerator cabinet a substantially flat reticulated member which when in one position serves to prevent packaged frozen foods from shifting forwardly of the chamber against the chamber door and when adjusted to another position serves as an auxiliary food supporting rearrangement shelf or ledge at the front of the refrigerator cabinet.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a still further rates atcnt G i and more specific object of my invention to provide a swingable auxiliary food supporting shelf in the refrigerated chamber of a vertical home freezer cabinet which when not utilized as a food support can be adjusted and locked in another position at the front of packaged frozen foods located in the chamber to thereby form a barrier or stop for packages between the front of the chamber and the chamber door while at the same time providing passages for the flow of air from one portion to another portion throughout the height of the chamber.

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

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a vertically elongated home freezer refrigerator cabinet having my invention embodied therein and showing the cabinet door in open position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the refrigerator cabinet shown in Figure 1 taken on the line 22 thereof and disclosing the cabinet door in closed position with an auxiliary shelf located vertically between the door and packaged frozen food in the cabinet;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the auxiliary shelf raised to an unlocked position;

Figure 4 is also a view similar to Figure 2 showing the shelf swung about its mounting into a substantially horizontal position; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2 showing the mounting means for the shelf at one side of the refrigerator cabinet.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawing I show a vertically elongated home freezer refrigerator of the type wherein the entire food chamber therein is maintained at subfreezing temperatures, to which my invention is particularly applicable, as distinguished from a conventional household refrigerator having a main unfrozen food storage chamber and a small freezing compartment therein. This home freezer refrigerator comprises a cabinet having outer shells or panels 11, an inner metal liner 12 and any suitable or conventional insulating material 14 (see Figure 2) disposed therebetween. Liner 12 forms the top, bottom, back and side walls of a frozen food storage chamber Within the refrigerator cabinet. This chamber is divided into a plurality of superimposed compartments 15 by vertically spaced apart food supporting surfaces or shelves 16. These shelves or surfaces 16 may or may not be directly refrigerated as desired. The chamber is provided with an access opening in the front of the cabinet which is normally closed by an insulated door structure 17. A closed refrigerating system associated with the home freezer cabinet includes a refrigerant translating device, usually located in a machine compartment below the refrigerated chamber, and an evaporator or cooling means for refrigerating the interior of the chamber and foods stored in all of the compartments 15 thereof to a subfreezing temperature. In the present disclosure this evaporator or cooling means is in the form of a refrigerant evaporatin conduit 19 (see Figure 2) wrapped or coiled around the liner 12 and preferably secured in intimate thermal contact with the outer wall surfaces of liner 12. The cabinet construction includes any suitable or conventional insulating breaker strip structure 21 disposed between the front edge of liner 12 and the front edge of outer walls 11 at the access opening of the refrigerated chamber.

Since the refrigerator cabinet disclosed is of the type employed to receive prefrozen packaged foods such as ice cream, various fruits, vegetables, canned concentrated juices, canned precooked meats or fowl and thereto.

wrapped or packaged fresh meat, fowl, fruit, vegetables, etc., to be frozen and stored therein such packages, indicated by the dot-dash lines 23 in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing,.are placed one on top of the other in tiers or stacks. This is done by reason of .thefact that these food products are cooled or refrigerated by conduction and radiation rather than primarly by ther- 7 of the front opening type the cartons or packages 23 are susceptible of being'movedor slid relative to one another. For example, the uppermost packaged food products 23 of a stack thereof on the supporting surface 16 at the front of a compartment of the present refrigerator, particularly those recently placed in the cornpartments 15, will readily slide from' a lower package of the stack. Consequently, any minor jars or vibrations may cause the uppermost cartons or packaged food 23 in a compartment 15 to slide outwardly thereof against the inner face of door 17. The mere closing of door 17 of the refrigerator'cabinet herein disclosed frequently causes a carton or package 23 to move into the position just described. Thus a subsequent opening of door 17 will cause the slid carton or packaged frozen food product 23 abutting the door to fallout of the refrigerated chamber.

In accordance with my invention 1 provide means which in addition to forming a rigid barrier or barricade within the refrigerator cabinet, intermediate door 17 and the ,forwardrnost stacks of cartons or packaged foods 23, is also adjustable to provide an auxiliary shelf or transfer ledge at the front of the chamber of the refrigerator cabinet for supporting packages of frozen food while rearranging other of the packages within compartments 15, placing packages therein and/or removing packages therefrom. permit air in the refrigerated chamber to flow at will from one compartment 15, above a supporting surface 16, into another of the superimposed compartments so as to reduce to a minimum any temperature gradient between the compartments 15. In the present disclosure this means is in the form of a substantially flat reticulated or perforated member generally represented by the reference character 25. One of these members 25 is associated with each of the compartments 15 (see Figure 1) and extends across the refrigerated chamber. Each member 25 comprises a wire bounding rim or frame 26 having a plurality of spaced apart wiresi? extending thereacross and welded or otherwise suitably secured Eac member 25 also includes a fiat metal leg 28 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the side portions of bounding frame 26 thereof. The end of. each leg 28, projecting outwardly from member 25, is enlarged and includes a straight edge urface 29 utilized for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed. A substantially keyhole-shaped opening 31 is provided in the end portion of each leg 23. A stud or pin 32 is passed through a suitable opening provided in each of the side walls of liner 12, adjacent the access opening of the refrigerated chamber, and is threaded into a flat piece of metal 33 lying along the outer surface of liner 12 to reinforce the same at the point of mounting the members 25 thereto (see Figure 5). This stud, 32 hasra head portion 34 vertically elongated to provide flat side walls thereon. The opposed studs 32 serve as hinge pinsto. permit pivotal swinging movement of the members 25 in a vertical direction atthe front of the cabinet. A stop stud36, disposed below the head 34 ofstud 32, passes through a hole in liner 12 and is also threaded In storing food This means is of a type that will' into the metal reinforcing piece 33. These stationary studs 32 and 36 project inwardly from the side walls of the refrigerated chamber and are employed to support each member 25 in two different positions as will be opening 31 in legs 28 of member 25 is made large enough to receive the elongated head 34 of stud .32. In assembling a member 25 to the refrigerator it is held at the front of the refrigerated chamber and its legs 23 are manually sprung toward one another so as to position the enlarged rounded portion of openings 31 in registration with the head 34 of the opposing studs 32 Upon releasing the legs 28 they will spring outwardly'relative to one another and cause the wall of openings 31 to slip over the head of studs 32 to thereby pivotally mount a member 25 upon the cabinet. In Figure 2 of the drawing 1 show a member 25 disposed in an uprightposition in the upper compartment 15 intermediate the stacked packaged foods 23 and the chamber door 17 to form a barrier therebetween. In this position ofmem ber 25 the elongated fiat wall portions of keyhole-shaped opening 31 fit over and engage the fiat'walled sides of the elongated head 34 of stud 32 to prevent movement of member 25 about its' mounting stud 32. Thus member 25 is locked in an upright position to provide a rigid barrier between the stacked frozen packaged food .23 in compartment 15 and chamber door 17. While in this position the barricade provided by member 25 prevents any of the packages 23 and particularly the uppermost packages in the front tiers or stacks thereof from sliding forwardly against the inner face of door. 17 upon closing this door or upon the occurrence on any other jars or vibrations transmitted to the refrigerator cabinet. The member 25 being reticulated or perforated, by virtue of the open wire mesh thereof, permits air to flow from one. compartment 15 into another so as to prevent the occurrence of temperature gradients between the compartments. In order to unlock member 25 and swing the same about its pivotal mounting the chamber door 17 is opened and this member is raised or elevated so as to bring the enlarged round portion of the keyholeshaped opening 31 in legs 23 thereof into registration with the length of the elongated head portion 34 of stud 32 as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. Thereafter member 25 may be swung outwardly of the refrigerated chamber about its pivotal mounting studs 32 and downwardly until the straight edge surface 29 on legs 28 engage the stop studs 36 (seeFigure 4). This po-' sitions the member 25 in a substantially horizontal plane adjacent the front of the refrigerated chamber and slightber 25 may thereafter be rotated about its pivotal mounting back into its vertical position shown in Figure 3 of the drawing whereupon it will move downwardly to cause registration of the elongated flat wall portions of opening 31 with the flat wall surfaces of head 34 of stud 32 to again lock the member 25 in its vertical barricade forming'position (see Figure 2). The cabinet door 17 may thereafter be closed.

it should be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided an improved vertically elongated refrigerator of the domestic or home freezer type. My improvement in addition to-forrning a barrier for preventing packaged frozen foods from sliding forwardly of the refrigerated chamber, against the chamber door where they may fall out of the cabinet upon the floor when the chamber door is subsequently opened, also serves as a transfer ledge at the front of a compartment for receiving packaged frozen articles during rearrangement thereof in the compartment while being supported from within the chamber. By virtue of the novel mounting of the combined auxiliary shelf and barrier forming member it has little contact with walls of the refrigerated chamber and even if frost or ice should build up about this mounting to bind the member such frost or ice bond can be readily broken by the leverage applied to the member during the act of initiating movement thereof.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted as may come within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is as follows:

A refrigerator cabinet of the vertically elongated home freezer type including an insulated chamber provided with a front access opening, a door normally closing said chamber access opening, a plurality of vertically spaced apart supporting surfaces in the chamber dividing same into superimposed compartments adapted to receive and support packages of frozen food in stacked one upon another relation on the supporting surface thereof, a substantially fiat member associated with the front of one of said supporting surfaces, said member extending substantially across said chamber and terminating in the vicinity of the supporting surface next above said one supporting surface, means for pivotally mounting said member within said chamber for vertical swinging movement, said mounting means comprising hinge pins separate from and independent of said one supporting surface and said member, said hinge pins being stationarily secured to opposed side walls of said chamber below said one supporting surface, each of said hinge pins including a head having vertically disposed fiat walled sides, said mounting means also comprising legs on said member, the outer end portion of each leg on said member having a keyhole shaped opening therein, said keyhole shaped opening in the legs of said member fitting over the head of said hinge pins, the flat walled portions of said keyhole shaped opening in said legs normally engaging the flat walled sides of the head of said hinge pins to lock said member in an upright position intermediate said closed door and the stacked frozen packaged food on said one of said supporting surfaces to form a barrier therebetween, said barrier preventing packages of a stack thereof at the front of said one supporting surface from moving relative to other packages in said stack into engagement with said door, said member being liftable upwardly relative to said one supporting surface to release the flat Walled portions of the keyhole shaped opening in said legs from the flat walled sides of the head on said hinge pins and to move the rounded part of the opening into registry therewith, said member thereafter being swingable outwardly of said chamber and downwardly around the front edge of said one supporting surface about said hinge pins when said door is opened, and means for stopping the downward swinging movement of said member to position same in a substantially horizontal plane at the front of said one supporting surface whereby it provides a transfer ledge for receiving and supporting packagesof frozen food during rearrangement thereof in the part of said chamber above said one surface, said stopping means comprising a stud stationarily secured to the cabinet below each of the opposed hinge pins for engagement by an edge of the legs on the member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,335,999 Stover Apr. 6, 1920 2,092,430 Stratton Sept. 7, 1937 2,118,735 Money May 24, 1938 2,124,857 MacGrath July 26, 1938 2,222,201 Ito Nov. 19, 1940 2,287,611 Harbison June 23, 194-2 2,470,956 Savidge May 24, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 875,760 France June 29, 1942

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