US2270844A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 27, 1942. w. '1'. HEDLUND REFRIGERATOR Filed Aug. 1o,l 1937 -u I rwnnl Patented Jan. .2"7,v 19442' REFRIGERATOR William T. Hedlund, New Rochelle, N. Y.,'assignor York, N. Y., a corporation to Servel, Inc., New of Delaware vapplication August 1o, P1937, serial No. 158,444

(ci. cs2- 89) 4 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to a sliding food drawer or receptacle for use in a refrigerator storage compartment.

` It is an object of my invention to provide an improvement for slidably supporting a food drawer on the .underside of a solid refrigerator shelf. I accomplish this by slidably supporting an' open top food drawer in such a manner that substantially an air-tight seal is effected between Athe underside of the solid shelf and food drawer when the latterl is positioned in a refrigerator storage compartment. By providing such an airtight seal, air in the storage compartment is prevented from flowing into and out of the food channels I8',are provided with resilient. pads 2li which are formed of rubber or the like and engage the side and rear walls of the storage space.

. The lateral side and rear wallsV of the storage drawer, whereby food products may be stored.

in the drawer with substantially no dehydration taking place.A

The invention, together with the above and other obiects and advantages thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification, and of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with the door thereof open to illustrate an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 to illustrate more clearly the solid shelf and sliding food drawer shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional viewtaken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly broken away, to illustrate the manner in which the seal is effected at the front of the solid shelf and sliding food drawer,

Referring to.Fig. 1, I have shown'my invention in connection with a refrigerator comprising a cabinet II) having a thermally insulated storage space II into which access may be had bya door I2. The storage space is cooled by a c'ooling element orevaporator I3 of suitable refrigeration apparatus. The storage space II is provided with a plurality of open shelves I4 and `a solid shelf I5 for supporting food products to be preserved and kept ata low temperature.

space are provided with shelf supports 2|A upon which the short channels I8 rest. The solid shelf I5 is smaller in cross-sectional area than the storage space Il, so that air in the storage space will circulate and effect cooling in the small compartment formed between the solid shelf and bottom of the storage space.

AIn accordance with my invention, the solid shelf I5 is constructed and arranged to slidably support a food drawer4 I6 on the underside thereof in such a manner that an air-tight seal is effected between the shelf and the drawer. I accomplish this by securing to the underside of shelf I5 three Z-shaped angle members 24. Two of theangle members 24 extend from `the front to the rear of theshelf and are parallel to the lateral sides thereof. The third angle member 24 extendsl across the rear of the shelf and connects the rear ends ofthe parallel angle members.

The rear ends of the parallel angle members and ends of the rear angle member are beveled, as indicated at 29 in Fig. 3, so that the lower flanges 23 of the angle members form a continuous ledge at the underside of the solid shelf. The upper anges 22 of the angle members 24 are secured t0 the underside of theshelf in any suitable manner, as by welding or brazing, for example. The abutting ends of the angle members are also united at 29 by welding or braz'ing.

The angle members 24 are of such size that' the lower horizontal flanges`23 are disposed in a4 plane below the 1ower ed'ge of the flange I1 at the front `of the solid shelf. This provides' a small space 30, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5,

-for inserting the food drawer I6. into position on the underside of the shelf I5.

The solid shelf I5 is provided with a downward extending flange I'I about its periphery, and is supported in any suitable manner in the lower part of storage space II, As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, short U-shaped channel members I8 may be secured by bolts I9 to the flange II at the lateral and rear sides of the solid shelf. The

The food drawer I6 is provided'with an outward extending flange 25 at the lateral side and rearwalls thereof. When the food drawer I6 is slidably moved into position at the frontof the solid shelf I5, the side flanges 25 are moved through the'openings 30 between the lower edge of ange I1 and Iledge formed by the lower flanges 23 of the angle members 24. By moving the food drawer I6 rearward until the rear flange 25' rests vupon the 1ower flange of the rear angle member 24, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the food drawer is effectively sealed about the entire'supporting ledge formed by the angle mem.

bers 24. The front 26 of the food drawer I6 extends above and overlaps the flange I1 at the forwardedge of the shelf I5, whereby the drawer is effectively sealed on all sides at the underside of the shelf.

In order to improve the sealing effected at-the front 26 of the food drawer, a resilient gasket 2l formed of soft rubber or the like may lbe when closed, said drawer having a front overlapping said ange, vand a gasket to seal the front ofsaid drawer when it is in its closed position on the underside of said shelf. v

3. A refrigerator having walls defining a food storage` space, refrigeration apparatus for cooling the'circulating air in said food storage space,

securedV to the inner surface of the front 26.

The gasket 21 extends across the front of the food drawer and is of sufficient height at the ends, so that the spaces 30 are eil'ectively sealed when the drawer I6 is moved rearward to its closed position.

The front 26 of the food drawer i6 is recessed and provided with a handle 28 winch is` flush with the front of the4 drawer. When the food drawer I6 is positioned on the underside of the shelf I5, the drawer is supported entirely bythe shelf with the bottom of the drawer spaced from the bottom of the storage space Il, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2.

AlthoughI have shown andl described a particular embodiment of the invention, it Will be apparent that changes and modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit 'and scope of the invention, as pointed out in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator having a thermally insulated storage compartment, means for causing circulation of refrigerated air in said compartment, a solid shelf adapted to be supported in said compartment, said-shelf having a downward extending flange at the forward edge thereof, a food drawersaid drawer and shelf having cooperating means including structure to slidably support said food drawer on the underside of said she1f, said means cooperating so that air is prevented from flowing into -and out of said drawer at its sides and rearwhen it is closed, and said drawer having a front adapted to overlapy said ange when said drawer is in its closed position to seal thefront of said drawer.

2. In a refrigerator having a storage compartment, means for causing circulation of refrig- `erated airin said compartment; a solid shelf adapted to be supportedI in saidcompartment, said shelf having a downward extending flange at the forward edge thereof, a food drawer, said drawer and shelf having cooperating means including structure to slidabiy support said food drawer on the underside of said shelf, said means cooperating so that air is prevented from vflowing into and out of the sides and rear of said drawer.

and' wall members ldividing said food storage space into three compartments, two of which have only restricted communication and the third being completely sealed to the other two, said wall members including a solid shelf forming a wall common to vall three compartments and supported in said food storage space with the edges of the shelf slightly spaced from the sides of the food storage space, said wall members 4also including an open top container, means for supporting said container beneath said shelf in a manner that the shelf forms a cover for the container ta complete said third completely sealed compartment, said container supporting means comprising cooperating portions on the shelf and the container consisting of outwardly extending portions on the container and inwardly extending portions .of the shelf, said cooperating portions having a relatively .broad area of contact around the major portion of the open top of the'container, the area of contact itself proedges of the shelf slightly spaced from the sides of the food storage space, said wall members also including an open top container, means for supporting said container beneath said shelf in a manner that the shelf forms a cover for the container to form said third completely sealed compartment, said container supporting means comprising cooperating portions including outwardly turned flanges on opposite sides of the container.

and rearwardly turned flanges on the rear of the container, the container and shelf having overlapping portions at the front for completing the seal.

, WILLIAM T. HEDLUND.

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