Defrost water drain trap

Claim 2

The combination of a refrigerating cabinet including outer walls surrounding and spaced from an inner liner means, said liner means forming a box-like sealed food storage compartment within said cabinet and having an access opening, a refrigerating system for cooling said compartment and at times causing moisture to condense out of the air therein in the form of condensate, a door hingedly mounted with respect to said cabinet and adapted to close the access opening for said food storage compartment, magnetic door gaskets circumscribing the jointure of said door with said inner liner means for sealing said access opening in an airtight manner, said liner means having a drain opening in the bottom thereof for draining said condensate from said food storage compartment, a gravity drain tube having an inlet end connected to said drain opening and a discharge end below said inlet end and outside said food storage compartment, means for sealing the connection of said inlet end of said drain tube with said drain opening in an airtight manner, an open-top container below said discharge end of said drain tube for collecting said condensate and for enclosing said discharge end to submerge said discharge end in said condensate and forming a trap to prevent the entrance of contaminants from the atmosphere into said food storage compartment, whereby successive openings of said door with respect to said food storage compartment in a relatively short time interval is resisted by a negative pressure in said compartment effected by said refrigerating system and the airtight manner of openings leading to said compartment, means for retaining said container in fixed relation with said drain tube, said container in forming said trap being adapted when said door is closed to maintain said condensate at a first maximum predetermined level in said container and said drain tube with respect to the discharge end of said drain tube, said first maximum predetermined level in said container tending to lower toward the discharge end of said drain tube to a second predetermined level while said first predetermined level in said drain tube tends to raise as the result of said door being opened against the resistance of said negative pressure to the opening of said door, said discharge end located a predetermined height below said first maximum predetermined level of condensate in said container, said predetermined height being sufficient to establish a suction head substantially equal to the difference between said first and second predetermined levels whereby a limited quantity of outside air is admitted into said drain tube through said discharge end and thence into said food storage compartment to reduce said negative pressure and thereby the resistance to opening said door.

Claim 3

The combination of a refrigerating cabinet including outer side, top, bottom and back walls surrounding and spaced from an inner liner means, said liner means forming a box-like sealed food storage compartment within said cabinet and having an access opening, a refrigerating system for cooling said compartment and at times causing moisture to condense out of the air therein in the form of condensate, a door hingedly mounted with respect to said cabinet and adapted to close the access opening for said food storage compartment, magnetic door gaskets circumscribing the jointure of said door with said inner liner means for sealing said access opening in an airtight manner, said liner means having a bottom wall spaced from said cabinet bottom wall, said liner bottom wall and said cabinet bottom wall having aligned drain openings therein for draining the condensate from said food storage compartment, a gravity drain tube having an inlet end connected to said liner drain opening and a discharge end extending through said cabinet bottom wall drain opening and outside said food storage compartment, said drain tube formed of rubber-like material having upper and lower integral resilient sealing grommets fastened in said liner and cabinet bottom wall openings respectively, means for sealing said drain tube grommets with said aligned openings in an airtight manner, an open-top container below said discharge end of said drain tube for collecting the condensate and for enclosing said discharge end to submerge said discharge end in the condensate and forming a trap to prevent the entrance of contaminants from the atmosphere into said food storage compartment, whereby successive opeNings of said door with respect to said food storage compartment in a relatively short time interval is resisted by a negative pressure in said compartment effected by said refrigerating system and the airtight manner of openings leading to said compartment, means for retaining said container in fixed relation with said drain tube, said container in forming said trap being adapted when said door is closed to maintain said condensate at a first maximum predetermined level in said container and said drain tube with respect to the discharge end of said drain tube, said container having its upper condensate overflow rim provided with a plurality of spaced vertically extending cogs contacting the outer face of said cabinet bottom wall whereby a predetermined height is established between said drain tube discharge end and said container overflow rim, said first maximum predetermined level in said container established by said overflow rim tending to lower to a second predetermined level established by said discharge end while said first predetermined level in said drain tube tends to raise as the result of said door being opened against the resistance of said negative pressure to the opening of said door, said predetermined height being sufficient to establish a suction head substantially equal to the difference between said first and second predetermined levels whereby a limited quantity of outside air is admitted into said drain tube through said discharge end and thence into said food storage compartment to reduce said negative pressure and thereby the resistance to opening said door.

Claim 4

The combination of a refrigerating cabinet including outer side, top, bottom and back walls surrounding and spaced from an inner liner means, said liner means forming a box-like sealed food storage compartment within said cabinet and having an access opening, a refrigerating system for cooling said compartment and at times causing moisture to condense out of the air therein in the form of condensate, a door hingedly mounted with respect to said cabinet and adapted to close the access opening for said food storage compartment, magnetic door gaskets circumscribing the jointure of said door with said inner liner means for sealing said access opening in an airtight manner, said liner means having a bottom wall spaced from said cabinet bottom wall, said liner bottom wall and said cabinet bottom wall having aligned drain openings therein for draining the condensate from said food storage compartment, a gravity drain tube having an inlet end connected to said liner drain opening and a discharge end extending through said cabinet bottom wall drain opening and outside said food storage compartment, said drain tube formed of rubber-like material having upper and lower integral resilient sealing grommets fastened in said liner and cabinet bottom wall openings respectively, means for sealing said drain tube grommets with said aligned openings in an airtight manner, an open-top container below said discharge end of said drain tube for collecting the condensate and for enclosing said discharge end to submerge said discharge end in the condensate and forming a trap to prevent the entrance of contaminants from the atmosphere into said food storage compartment, whereby successive opeNings of said door with respect to said food storage compartment in a relatively short time interval is resisted by a negative pressure in said compartment effected by said refrigerating system and the airtight manner of openings leading to said compartment, means for retaining said container in fixed relation with said drain tube, said container in forming said trap being adapted when said door is closed to maintain said condensate at a first maximum predetermined level in said container and said drain tube with respect to the discharge end of said drain tube, said container having its upper condensate overflow rim provided with a plurality of spaced vertically extending cogs contacting the outer face of said cabinet bottom wall whereby a predetermined height is established between said drain tube discharge end and said container overflow rim, said first maximum predetermined level in said container established by said overflow rim tending to lower to a second predetermined level established by said discharge end while said first predetermined level in said drain tube tends to raise as the result of said door being opened against the resistance of said negative pressure to the opening of said door, said predetermined height being sufficient to establish a suction head substantially equal to the difference between said first and second predetermined levels whereby a limited quantity of outside air is admitted into said drain tube through said discharge end and thence into said food storage compartment to reduce said negative pressure and thereby the resistance to opening said door.

Claim 5

The combination of a refrigerating cabinet including outer side, top, bottom and back walls surrounding and spaced from an inner liner means, said liner means forming a lower box-like sealed food storage compartment within the range of 10 to 12 cubic foot capacity within said cabinet and having an access opening, said liner forming an upper box-like sealed freezer compartment of approximately five cubic feet capacity and having an access opening, a refrigerating system for cooling said upper and lower compartments and at times causing moisture to condense out of the air therein in the form of condensate, a pair of doors hingedly mounted with respect to said cabinet and adapted to close each of the access openings for said food storage compartment, magnetic door gaskets circumscribing the jointure of said doors with said inner liner means for sealing said access openings in an airtight manner, said liner means having a bottom wall spaced from said cabinet bottom wall, said liner bottom wall and said cabinet bottom wall having aligned drain openings therein for draining the condensate from said food storage compartment, a gravity drain tube having an inlet end connected to said liner drain opening and a discharge end extending through said inlet end and outside said food storage compartment, said drain tube formed of rubber-like material having upper and lower integral resilient sealing grommets fastened in said liner and cabinet bottom wall openings respectively, each said grommet having a central opening and a peripheral groove for receiving the peripheral edge of its associated opening, said upper grommet opening having a sleeve inserted therein dimensioned to establish a substantially airtight seal with said liner opening, an open-top container below said discharge end of said drain tube for collecting said condensate and for enclosing said discharge end to submerge said discharge end in said condensate and forming a trap to prevent the entrance of contaminants from the atmosphere into said food storage compartment, whereby successive opening of said doors with respect to their respective compartments in a relatively short time interval is resisted by a negative pressure in said compartments effected by said refrigerating system and the airtight manner of openings leading to said compartments, said container comprising an integrally formed semi-cylindrical bowl having an Upwardly tapered vertical stem extending from the inner face of said bowl such that the axis of said stem coincides with the principal axis of said bowl, said stem having a spider-like cross section forming radial rib members, said stem extending through said lower grommet opening and said insert sleeve whereby said upwardly tapered ribs provide wedge-like engagement with said lower grommet opening to provide an interference fit therebetween whereby said container is retained in fixed relation with said drain tube while forming a substantially airtight seal between said lower grommet and its associated bottom wall opening, said container having its upper condensate overflow rim provided with a plurality of spaced vertically extending cogs contacting the outer face of said cabinet bottom wall whereby a predetermined height is established between said drain tube discharge end and said container overflow free edge, said container in forming said trap being adapted when said door is closed to maintain said condensate at a first maximum predetermined level in said container and said drain tube with respect to the discharge end of said drain tube, said first maximum predetermined level in said container established by said overflow rim tending to lower to a second predetermined level established by said drain tube discharge end while said first predetermined level in said drain tube tends to raise as the result of said door being opened against the resistance of said negative pressure to the opening of said door, said discharge end located a predetermined height of the order of 0.30 in. below said overflow rim of said container, said predetermined height being sufficient to establish a suction head substantially equal to the difference between said first and second predetermined condensate levels whereby a limited quantity of outside air is admitted into said drain tube through said discharge end and thence into said lower food storage compartment and thence to said upper freezer compartment to reduce said negative pressure and thereby the resistance to opening said doors.

Claim 6

The combination of a refrigerating cabinet including outer side, top, bottom and back walls surrounding and spaced from an inner liner means, said liner means forming a lower box-like sealed food storage compartment within the range of 10 to 12 cubic foot capacity within said cabinet and having an access opening, said liner forming an upper box-like sealed freezer compartment of approximately five cubic feet capacity and having an access opening, a refrigerating system for cooling said upper and lower compartments and at times causing moisture to condense out of the air therein in the form of condensate, a pair of doors hingedly mounted with respect to said cabinet and adapted to close each of the access openings for said food storage compartment, magnetic door gaskets circumscribing the jointure of said doors with said inner liner means for sealing said access openings in an airtight manner, said liner means having a bottom wall spaced from said cabinet bottom wall, said liner bottom wall and said cabinet bottom wall having aligned drain openings therein for draining the condensate from said food storage compartment, a gravity drain tube having an inlet end connected to said liner drain opening and a discharge end extending through said inlet end and outside said food storage compartment, said drain tube formed of rubber-like material having upper and lower integral resilient sealing grommets fastened in said liner and cabinet bottom wall openings respectively, each said grommet having a central opening and a peripheral groove for receiving the peripheral edge of its associated opening, said upper grommet opening having a sleeve inserted therein dimensioned to establish a substantially airtight seal with said liner opening, an open-top container below said discharge end of said drain tube for collecting said condensate and for enclosing said discharge end to submerge said discharge end in said condensate and forming a trap to prevent the entrance of contaminants from the atmosphere into said food storage compartment, whereby successive opening of said doors with respect to their respective compartments in a relatively short time interval is resisted by a negative pressure in said compartments effected by said refrigerating system and the airtight manner of openings leading to said compartments, said container comprising an integrally formed semi-cylindrical bowl having an Upwardly tapered vertical stem extending from the inner face of said bowl such that the axis of said stem coincides with the principal axis of said bowl, said stem having a spider-like cross section forming radial rib members, said stem extending through said lower grommet opening and said insert sleeve whereby said upwardly tapered ribs provide wedge-like engagement with said lower grommet opening to provide an interference fit therebetween whereby said container is retained in fixed relation with said drain tube while forming a substantially airtight seal between said lower grommet and its associated bottom wall opening, said container having its upper condensate overflow rim provided with a plurality of spaced vertically extending cogs contacting the outer face of said cabinet bottom wall whereby a predetermined height is established between said drain tube discharge end and said container overflow free edge, said container in forming said trap being adapted when said door is closed to maintain said condensate at a first maximum predetermined level in said container and said drain tube with respect to the discharge end of said drain tube, said first maximum predetermined level in said container established by said overflow rim tending to lower to a second predetermined level established by said drain tube discharge end while said first predetermined level in said drain tube tends to raise as the result of said door being opened against the resistance of said negative pressure to the opening of said door, said discharge end located a predetermined height of the order of 0.30 in. below said overflow rim of said container, said predetermined height being sufficient to establish a suction head substantially equal to the difference between said first and second predetermined condensate levels whereby a limited quantity of outside air is admitted into said drain tube through said discharge end and thence into said lower food storage compartment and thence to said upper freezer compartment to reduce said negative pressure and thereby the resistance to opening said doors.

Claim 7

The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein said radial rib members extend above said upper grommet opening to guard against foreign matter blocking said upper grommet opening.