US2534546A - Two-temperature table top refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 H. M. DUNLAP TWO-TEMPERATURE TABLE TOP REFRIGERATOR FIE- m- 3mm HUEEFET MULJNLQF Patented Dec. 19, 1950 TWO-TEMPERATURE TABLE TOP REFRIGERATOR Hebert M. Dunlap, Jackson, Mich., assignor to The Sparks-Withington Company, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Ohio Application November 15, 1946,-Serial No. 710,010

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in table top refrigerators and particularly to the incorporation of a substantial frozen food storage compartment in a table top refrigerator. In conventional refrigerators in which a frozen food storage compartment is incorporated where access to the frozen food storage compartment is had through the same door as give access to the normal temperature refrigeration compartment, a loss of efiiciency and consequently an overtime running of the refrigeration unit is found, due to the warming of the refrigerator by the frequent opening and closing of the single door. It therefore seems advisable to manufacture a refrigerator in which two different doors or openings are provided, one for the conventional or normal temperature refrigeration compartment and one for the frozen food storage compartment. Another disadvantage found in the conventional type of the electric refrigerator is that the cabinet design does not blend in well with the other fixtures in the modern design of kitchens, modern kitchen equipment as designed in the table top style for maximum efliciency in the kitchen and for beauty of lines. Therefore a refrigerator of the table top design would blend in very well with the other equipment of the table top design.

It is an object of this invention to provide a practical and inexpensive arrangement, whereby a frozen food storage compartment of a capacity sufficient for the average family is combined with a conventional household refrigerator of comparable capacity in a small, eificient cabinet.

A further object is to provide plate evaporator means for cooling the refrigeration compartment, the evaporator being arranged so as to operate in the most efficient manner while functioning as a divider or wall between the two compartments.

Other new and useful improvements in my invention will appear from the following speciaccess to the low temperature compartment [6. Cabinet 10 is also constructed with a front opening door l8, hinged at one edge and retained in a closed position by a conventional latch 20, and giving access to the normal temperature refrigeration compartment 22, adjacent low temperature compartment 16. Positioned below low temperature compartment I6 and beside normal temperature refrigeration compartment 22 is compartment 24 in which is housed the refrigerating unit. The entire cabinet is supported by a recessed kick plate 26,

Compartment I6 is illustrated as having a four sided tank type evaporator 28 which cools compartment IS. The four sided tank type evaporator 28 is not essential to the invention, because a single flat plate evaporator positioned between compartment is and compartment 22 would be sufficient to cool the two compartments. Located within compartment '22 and positioned against evaporator means 28 is an ice making compartment 30.

This normal temperature compartment 22 is easily adaptable to the use of my improved removable shelving, which is more fully described in my copending application, Serial No. 710,008, filed Nov. 14, 1946, now abandoned, entitled Shelvin for Refrigerators and the Like. In order to incorporate this type of shelving in compartment 22, a number of supporting members 32 are installed within the insulated walls of compartment 22. These supporting members 32 are constructed with slots or holes 34, into which the hook ends of shelves 36 may be received. As described in my co-pending application, cited above, this type of shelving gives a maximum variety of shelvin combinations without wasting space in the refrigerator.

Positioned below ice making compartment 30 is a series of drawers 38 which may be used for the storage of vegetables and fruits in the normal manner.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A table top refrigerator cabinet enclosing a compartment for a refrigerating unit, a shallow top opening low temperature compartment above said first compartment, a front openin normal temperature compartment and disposed at the side thereof adjacent said compartments, a vertical heat exchange dividing wall between said low temperature compartment and said normal temperature compartment, and an ice making compartment within said normal temperature compartment and in heat exchange relationship with said heat exchange dividing wall.

2. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a top opening low temperature compartment, a front opening normal temperature compartment adjacent said first compartment and at one side thereof, a vertical heat exchange dividing wall between said low temperature compartment and said normal temperature compartment, and an ice making compartment within said normal temperature compartment and in heat exchange relationship with said heat exchange dividing wall.

3. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a low temperature compartment, a normal temperature compartment adjacent said first compartment and at one side thereof, a vertical heat exchange dividing wall between said low temperature compartment and said normal temperature compartment, and an ice making compartment in said normal temperature compartment and in heat exchange relationship with said heat exchange dividing wall.

HOBERT M. DUNLAP.

REFERENCES CITED Ihe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,287,681 Hazard June 23, 1942 2,302,051 Philipp Nov. 17, 1942

Images