US2607204A - Dispensing case for frozen foods - Google Patents

Description

' Aug. 19, 1952 H. w. KLElsT DISPENSING CASE FOR FROZEN FOODS 5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed NOV. 18, 1949 vlll Il I Aug. 19, 1952 Wy KLElsT 2,607,204

DISPENSING CASE FOR FROZEN FOODS Filed Nov. 18, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. w. KLElsT 2,607,204

DISPENSING CASE FOR FROZEN FOODS l 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug'. 19, .1952

Filed Nov. 18, 1949 n ww -TMF uw f a e 6 n f r n o .nf/g m ha n 6 ,wu 2 3. .Y f \m\\\\\\\\\\\\\\w\\\ Patented Aug. 19, 1952 DISPENSING CASE FOR FROZEN FODS Herman WQKleist, Chicago, Ill., assignorto Dole A Refrigerating Company, Chicago, lill., a corpio.

ration of Illinois l Y Application November 1s, 1949, serial No. 128,221

' 4 claims. (c1. ca -ne).

My invention relates .to an improvement in refrigerating-,devicea and has for one purpose to .provide an improved dispensing refrigerator. Another purpose is to providean open top refrigerator and refrigerating means therefor.

`.Another purpose is to. provide a refrigerating unit. in: which the .evaporator component is mounted. on and movable with the refrigerator cover. a

Other purposes willappearfrom time to time in the course of the specification and. claims.

.The .present invention is a. continuation-inpart of my copending application, Serial No. 767,924, filed August 11, 1947, now abandoned.

- I illustrate the invention more or lessdiagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts in vertical section;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

vFigure 3 is ure 1;

Figure 4 is .a partial view, like Figure 1, illustrating a variant formof my invention;

Figure 5 `is a side elevation, with parts in vertical section, illustrating a variant form of the device; and Y Figure 6. is a section on theline B-B of Figure l5. l

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates a iioor or .any suitable surface on which my refrigerator is mounted. 2, 2 are ground-engaging supports. A `generally indicates an open-top refrigerator housing having a rear wall 3, a bottom wall 4, a front wall 5, an vend wall 6, an opposite end wall Land a horizontal, intermediate wall 8,-which, with a wall 9, denes an engine space I0, as will be clear from Figure 1, y.All the `alcove,-mentioned walls, are of ,suitableheat-insulating material.

Y ,HingedV at I I, tothe rear wall 3, is the heatinsulatedtop;c1p su re I2., The Vfront-wanA 5V is shown as having..a plurality` of insulated doors I3,- fIA-eiectiveto give access to the lower part of the Jstorage space within the housing A. This 'lower part ofthestoragespace 'is shown as separatedfrom, the` upper door part byyahorizontal grille l 5V, shown as lying in the plane of the upper PMTFQL the. intermediate wall A8. `The engine CQmpartment is bounded vby any suitable noninsulatingwalls; including a bottomwall I6 and anAIend-wall I'I, I8 indicates any suitable motor compressor unit which receives evaporated re.-

a/.section on the lines- 3 of Figand which delivers it through the pressure duct 20, throughthe condenser 2 I and the pressure line 22. 2 3 is any suitable pressure reduction means from which liquid refrigerant, at reduced pressure, flows along the duct 24. A battery o' evaporator plates, generally indicated at C, is

located above the grille I5. It may include a plurality of evaporator plates v25, withiny which the volatile refrigerantis circulated, by any suitable means, and is evaporated. It will be understood that the refrigerantflows through the plates 25 and evaporates therein, with a consequent abstraction of heatV from the interior of the housing.

In the form of Figures 1 to 3, I illustrate an additional evaporator plate D, secured to the lower surface of the hinged cover I2. It is shown as receiving a volatile refrigerant from the terminal plate 25 of the C-series o-f plates, through the duct 26`and its eXible continuation 2I. A second flexible duct 28 returns the evaporated refrigerantto Vthe suction line I9, and thus back to the compressor. The cycle or circuit is completed by any suitable intermediate ducts 3D, connecting adjacent plates 25. Whereas I have shown a practical arrangement of plates, it will be understood that the plates may be connected otherwise thanin series,` .depending upon the design of the unit and the needs of the operator. However, in Figures 1 to' 3, I illustrate the refrigerating container in which a single compressor-condenser unit supplies a volatile refrigerant, :for evaporation, to one or more plates or `evaporator elements mounted in or 'xed in the container., and to a plate mounted on and movm able with thecontainer closure. Whereas I have shown but a single plate D, it will be understood that a multiple of plates may be employed on the closure I2. s Y u In Figure 4, I illustrate a structure, shown as identical with Figure 1,1 except for the elimination of the .series-,of plates C in the container A. In the formof Figure 4, a singleplate or series of .p latesJtIJ,k mountedk von. the container cover B, givesthe entire refrigeratingeffect,V I may nd it advantageous togprovide end plates or plate portions 36 which extend downwardly into the interiorwof the container-,Hor these end `portions may be.- omitted.`v `l/Vlifen used, it is practical to provdefwhat.is,1inefect, a U-shaped plate.'A In either form, the grille Iii may `be used.y or omitted. ,as desiredandinsulating portions I 3 and I4. may be 4,errmlciyed-.for lateral access, tothe space within the container A- l inthe form cfFigures 5 and Y6, 1 illustrate-subirigerantiithrough the suctionv orv return duct I9, Stantially the Structure 0f Figures 1 and ,2. but I employ end closures IDU at each end of the unit.

I illustrate the members as depending from the cover B, and as being formed and positioned to penetrate within the space surrounded by the insulated container A when the cover B is in closed position. 'I'he members IDD may be of plastic or any4 other suitable material, their primary function being to prevent the movement of air through orv out of the ends of the space defined or covered by the cover B when it is in elevated position. In order to provide room for the closure members |00, I illustrate the end plates, in Figure 5, as spaced somewhat inwardly from the end walls 6, 1 of the insulated container A.

It will be realized that, whereas lI have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be madel weight or a spring, or other suitable means, for

maintaining the cover B in raised position when kit has been elevated, without the necessity of in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I, therefore, wish my description and drawings te be taken as ina broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of my device are as follows:

I employ a heat-insulated storagecontainer, generally indicated at A,'with a hinged or removable insulating lid, generally indicated as B. In Vthe drawings as they appear, I provide a double refrigerating system in which evaporators or cold plates are grouped as at'C, in the storage interior, and in which one or more plates D are mounted on the lower surface of the cover B. My invention is adapted to at least two major uses. In the first place, the user may employ the plate D on the cover B to supplement'the evaporator system C within the cabinet or container A. This is useful in dispensing containers such as `are used in the storage and sale of frozen foods in retail'stores. Where a succession of customers have access to the interior of the container A, the cover B may be elevated, and moved over center, if necessary. When the cover B is open, the effective refrigerating effect of the plate D is small. Of course, cold air will flow downwardly from the plate D into the interior of the cabinet, but the primary purposeof the plate D is to serve as a cold wall or refrigerating element 4when the cover B is only partly open, as in Figure 2, or is entirely closed, asin the dotted-line position of Figure 2. y y

However, I find it advantageous, under some circumstances, to omit the plate or evaporator system C, and to rely upon only the plate D of the -cover B. This is practical and useful where the cover is normally closed, and where only occasional access is had to the interior ci' the container A. In that event, the evaporator-or plate D performs its refrigerating function, and especially where relatively high storage temperatures are satisfactory, as in cooling milk or the like, no additional refrigeration is necessary. But where a temperature of below freezing, and, particularly, of substantially below freezing, is necessary, I prefer to employ also the lower plate or evaporator plate C. r

Whereas, in the drawings, I illustrate simply a flat plate D which is parallel with the plane of the lower side of the cover B, it will be understood that I may employ one or more plates depending from the cover B, for example, at the ends of the interior of the cabinet A. Such a form. is shown, for example, in Figure 4, where the plate is, in effect, U-shaped, with depending arm portions or arms at each end.

While, in the use of my invention, I may employ any desired type of evaporator or cold plate, I find it frequently advantageous to employ a socalled hold-over plate, in which an eutectic is enclosed within the plate in connection with any suitable coil or duct system. When a volatile refrigerant is evaporated in the coil, one effect is to freeze the eutectic, whichy then serves as a hold-over.

I may find it advantageous to employ a countermoving it over center. Preferably, the lid is kept in such fai-position that the top plate D overlies, to some substantial degree, the refrigerated space, and4 assists in refrigerating it. 1

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, I find it advantageous to provide closure means for the space overlaid by the closure B when the closure is in raised position. 'I'he members |00 constitute end closures for .preventing currents of air from wasting or dispersing cold air. Even when the closure B is elevated to the position" in which it is shown in Figures 5 and 6, the user hasunimpeded access from the front, butithe frontn access' constitutes substantially the entire open space. Thus, there is a minimum disturbance` orwastage of cooled air, and a body of cooled air is hastened beneath the upper plate D, which disperses much less rapidly, andwith a much less power wastage, than is the case if the members llll'lv are` omitted. 'I'he structure ofv Figures 1'to'4, inclusive, is practical and efficient, but the closure members Illllof Figures 5 and 6 substantially reduc'ethe use of power and maintain an improved refrigerating condition, particularly in the upper part of the interior of the container A.

I claim:

l. In a storage and dispensing device for frozen foods, an insulated housing'having insulated side and bottom walls and an open top, refrigeratlng means for said housing, a movable cover adapted, at one limit. of its movement, to close the top of the housing, and adapted, when raised. to give access to the interior of the'housing, and refrigerating end closure plates positioned and adapted, when the cover is raised,v substantially to'prevent flow of air to or from the ends of the space underlying the cover plate, Vwhile permitting access to such space through the front opening between the upper edge of the raised coverV and thevupper edge of the frontwall of the housing and means for operatively .connectingsaid refrigeratingend closure plates with the refrigerating means.-

2. The structure of claim 1 'characterized by and including end closures mounted on" and mov- Vablewith the cover. f l l i 3. In a refrigerating.devicef'adapted for dispensing refrigerated foods' and 'the like, an open- `topped refrigerated housing including heat-insulating wa1ls,'a refrigerating'plate in the housing located ataflev'el below thecpen top of the housing', means-"for circulatinga volatile refrigerant through said Vrpla'.te,'a movable closure for the top of the housing, hinged at its rear endv to the rear ofthe housing," saidvclosureliavng'an insulating layer, a refrigerating plate mounted upon the lower Vsurface of said movableclosure and located below the insulating Alayer and directly exposed to" the air within and just above the housing, and 'duct connections between Athe refrigerant circulating Ineansandv said plate;v said plate being .located abovethe level of the upper edgeof the housing when the movable closure is raised, and refrigerating closure elements formed and adapted to close the ends of the space below the movable closure and above the plane of the upper edge of the open-topped housing.

4. In a refrigerating device adapted for dispensing refrigerated foods and the like, an opentopped refrigerated housing including heat-insulating walls, a movable closure for the top of the housing hinged at its rear edge to a rear wall of the housing, a refrigerating plate mounted upon the lower surface of said movable closure, said refrigerating plate having end plates depending from opposite ends thereof and positioned to close the ends of the space below the movable closure and above the plane of the upper edge of the open-topped housing when the closure is open, and means for circulating a volatile refrigerant through the refrigerating plate and the depending ends thereof.

HERMAN W. KLEIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Prosek Feb. 7, 1950

Images