US3656314A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control apparatus for a two temperature refrigerator
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1970-07-10
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Granted: 1972-04-18
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Expires: 1990-07-10
Abstract
Abstract A refrigerator is disclosed which is provided with two separate compartments, one being a freezing compartment and the other being a fresh food compartment and with a single thermostat and damper arrangement to provide two temperature control within the refrigerator enclosure. The air distribution system includes a conduit disposed in the divider between the freezing compartment and the fresh food compartment and in which the evaporator is situated. Air inlets at the front of the refrigerator provide for the entrance of air from the fresh food and freezer compartment to this evaporator. At the rear of the refrigerator, a fan is disposed for providing for forced circulation of the air flow through the evaporator. A large portion of the air coming off the evaporator is directed through a conduit arrangement back to the freezer compartment to furnish cooling for it, with this compartment receiving approximately 90 percent of the air through the evaporator. Joined to the conduit providing cold air to the freezer is a conduit which leads down through the rearward portion of the refrigerator and discharges an air flow around a meat keeper or vegetable crisper contained in the fresh food compartment. A second conduit is also joined to the conduit supplying cooled air to the freezer, with this conduit being provided with a damper arrangement to adjustably maintain the air flow therethrough to the fresh food compartment. A thermostat is disposed adjacent the juncture of the last two mentioned conduits, with this thermostat controlling the operation of the evaporator so as to maintain a substantially uniform cooling temperature in the freezer. The temperature in the fresh food compartment, of course, may be adjustably maintained based on the setting of the aforementioned damper.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert C Jung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 02:15
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D17/00; F25D17/04; F25D17/06; F25D17/062; F25D17/065; F25D17/042; F25D17/045; F25D2317/00; F25D2317/06; F25D2317/061; F25D2317/065; F25D2317/0653; F25D2400/00; F25D2400/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
In a two temperature refrigerator, the combination comprising; a. a plurality of food compartments, at least one of said food compartments being an above freezing food compartment, b. air cooling means for providing cooling for said compartments, c. conduit means for circulating cooled air to said compartments, d. said conduit means including branches, said branches leading to and being in communication with said above freezing food compartment and each providing a separate cooling air discharge to it, e. damper means in one of said branches, and f. temperature sensing means disposed in said conduit means for controlling said air cooling means, said temperature sensing means being disposed upstream of said damper means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
In a two temperature refrigerator, the combination comprising; a. a plurality of food compartments, at least one of said food compartments being an above freezing food compartment, b. air cooling means for providing cooling for said compartments, c. conduit means for circulating cooled air to said compartments, d. said conduit means including branches, said branches leading to and being in communication with said above freezing food compartment and each providing a separate cooling air discharge to it, e. damper means in one of said branches, and f. temperature sensing means disposed in said conduit means for controlling said air cooling means, said temperature sensing means being disposed upstream of said damper means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a two temperature refrigerator, the combination comprising; a. a plurality of food compartments, b. air cooling means for providing cooling for said compartments, c. conduit means for circulating cooled air to said compartments, d. said conduit means including branches, e. damper means in one of said branches, f. temperature sensing means disposed in said conduit means for controlling said air cooling means, said temperature sensing means being disposed upstream of said damper means, g. one of said branches is provided for cooling a food retaining drawer means contained in a first one of said food compartments, by providing a discharge of cooling air thereto, and h. a second of said branches is provided for discharging air directly into said first one of said food compartments.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a two temperature refrigerator, the combination comprising; a. a plurality of food compartments, b. air cooling means for providing cooling for said compartments, c. conduit means for circulating cooled air to said compartments, d. said conduit means including branches, e. damper means in one of said branches, f. temperature sensing means disposed in said conduit means for controlling said air cooling means, said temperature sensing means being disposed upstream of said damper means, g. one of said branches is provided for cooling a food retaining drawer means contained in a first one of said food compartments, by providing a discharge of cooling air thereto, and h. a second of said branches is provided for discharging air directly into said first one of said food compartments.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The two temperature refrigerators of claim 2 wherein; a. said damper is positioned in said second of said branches.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The two temperature refrigerator of claim 2 wherein; a. said temperature sensing means is disposed in said conduit means so as to have impinged directly thereon the main flow of said one of said branches.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
149 words
In a two temperature refrigerator, the combination comprising; a. a plurality of food compartments, b. air cooling means for providing cooling for said compartments, c. conduit means for circulating cooled air to said compartments, d. said conduit means including branches, e. damper means in one of said branches, f. temperature sensing means disposed in said conduit means for controlling said air cooling means, said temperature sensing means being disposed upstream of said damper means, g. one of said branches provided for cooling a food retaining drawer means contained in a first one of said food compartments, h. a second of said branches provided for discharging air directly into said first one of said food compartments, i. a third branch of said conduit means provides a flow of cooling air to a second one of said food compartments, and j. said third branch is disposed upstream from said damper means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
149 words
In a two temperature refrigerator, the combination comprising; a. a plurality of food compartments, b. air cooling means for providing cooling for said compartments, c. conduit means for circulating cooled air to said compartments, d. said conduit means including branches, e. damper means in one of said branches, f. temperature sensing means disposed in said conduit means for controlling said air cooling means, said temperature sensing means being disposed upstream of said damper means, g. one of said branches provided for cooling a food retaining drawer means contained in a first one of said food compartments, h. a second of said branches provided for discharging air directly into said first one of said food compartments, i. a third branch of said conduit means provides a flow of cooling air to a second one of said food compartments, and j. said third branch is disposed upstream from said damper means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
The two temperature refrigerator of claim 2 wherein; a. said one of said branches has a flow that varies between approximately 30 to 40 percent of the total flow of said one branch and said second branch and said second of said branches has a flow that varies between approximately 60 to 70 percent of the total flow of said one branch and said second branch.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The two temperature refrigerator of claim 5 wherein; a. the flow of cooling air to the second one of said compartments is approximately 90 percent of the total flow to the first and secOnd compartments when said damper means is at its full open position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The two temperature refrigerator of claim 7 wherein; a. said temperature sensing means is disposed directly in the flow path of cooling air for said one of said branches, and b. said temperature sensing means is disposed offset from the direct, main flow of cooling air to said second branch.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
167 words
In a refrigerator having two temperatures, the combination including; a. a fresh food compartment, b. a frozen food compartment, c. an evaporator disposed in a conduit means, d. openings in said fresh food compartment and said frozen food compartment in confluent relationship with said conduit means, e. forced air circulating means for moving air to be cooled across said evaporator, f. a temperature sensing means, g. a first air passageway means for providing cooling air to said fresh food compartment, h. a second air passageway means for providing cooling air to a food retaining drawer-means disposed in said fresh food compartment, i. conduit means for providing air flow to said first and second air passageways, j. damper means for closing off a portion of said first air passageway means, k. said temperature sensing means being upstream of said damper and disposed directly in the air flow to the second air passageway means and having a portion of the air flow to said first passageway means impinging thereon,
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
167 words
In a refrigerator having two temperatures, the combination including; a. a fresh food compartment, b. a frozen food compartment, c. an evaporator disposed in a conduit means, d. openings in said fresh food compartment and said frozen food compartment in confluent relationship with said conduit means, e. forced air circulating means for moving air to be cooled across said evaporator, f. a temperature sensing means, g. a first air passageway means for providing cooling air to said fresh food compartment, h. a second air passageway means for providing cooling air to a food retaining drawer-means disposed in said fresh food compartment, i. conduit means for providing air flow to said first and second air passageways, j. damper means for closing off a portion of said first air passageway means, k. said temperature sensing means being upstream of said damper and disposed directly in the air flow to the second air passageway means and having a portion of the air flow to said first passageway means impinging thereon,
Claim 14
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of providing a uniform temperature in one compartment of a two temperature refrigerator while varying the other including; a. directing a relatively large portion of a total flow of cooled air to one compartment of said refrigerator, b. directing the remainder of the total flow of cooled air to another compartment of said refrigerator, c. splitting the said remainder of the total flow of cooled air into two flow paths prior to its discharge into said another compartment of said refrigerator, d. damping one of said two flow paths for said remainder air flow to thereby alter the temperature in said another compartment, e. disposing a temperature sensing element adjacent said area of splitting so that the main flow stream of said undamped flow path impinges thereon and a portion of the flow stream of said damped flow path impinges thereon, and f. controlling the cooling effect by said temperature sensing element of a cooling means over which the total flow of air to be cooled flows so that the temperature in the compartment to which said relatively large portion of cooled air is directed is substantially uniform.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of providing a uniform temperature in one compartment of a two temperature refrigerator while varying the other including; a. directing a relatively large portion of a total flow of cooled air to one compartment of said refrigerator, b. directing the remainder of the total flow of cooled air to another compartment of said refrigerator, c. splitting the said remainder of the total flow of cooled air into two flow paths prior to its discharge into said another compartment of said refrigerator, d. damping one of said two flow paths for said remainder air flow to thereby alter the temperature in said another compartment, e. disposing a temperature sensing element adjacent said area of splitting so that the main flow stream of said undamped flow path impinges thereon and a portion of the flow stream of said damped flow path impinges thereon, and f. controlling the cooling effect by said temperature sensing element of a cooling means over which the total flow of air to be cooled flows so that the temperature in the compartment to which said relatively large portion of cooled air is directed is substantially uniform.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method set out in claim 10 wherein; a. said relatively large portion of cooled air represents approximately 90 percent of total flow.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-04-18 | 1975-10-18 | 1976-04-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-04-18 | 1979-10-18 | 1980-04-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-04-18 | 1983-10-18 | 1984-04-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |