Refrigeration apparatus

Claim 2

In a refrigerator of the type comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated divider wall in said cabinet Providing separate, adjacent fresh food and frozen food compartments, means forming an air duct extending along a wall of said frozen food compartment, said duct having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an evaporator within said insulated cabinet and positioned in said duct, a fan for moving air through said duct over said evaporator from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, air passage means for delivering a portion of the air moved by said fan to said fresh food compartment, passage means for returning air from said fresh food compartment for flow over said evaporator, and a thermostat in said fresh food compartment for controlling energization of said evaporator to maintain a predetermined temperature in said fresh food compartment, the improvements which comprise: first and second damper means extending across the path of air caused to flow through said air passage means, for controlling the air flow therethrough, said first damper means being selectively movable either to an open or to a closed position to control one portion of the flowing air, and said second damper means being selectively movable to one of a plurality of positions between substantially open and substantially closed positions to control another portion of the flowing air.

Claim 3

Improvements in a refrigerator as set out in claim 1 being further characterized in that said first and second damper means are disposed in substantially side-by-side relation in said air passage means.

Claim 4

Improvements in a refrigerator as set forth in claim 2, being further characterized in that said first damper means is of lesser area than said second damper means.

Claim 5

In a refrigerator of the type comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated vertical divider wall in said cabinet providing separate, vertical side-by-side fresh food and frozen food compartments, means forming an air flue extending vertically along a wall of said frozen food compartment, said flue having a lower inlet opening and an upper outlet opening, an evaporator within said insulated cabinet and positioned in said flue, a fan for moving air through said flue over said evaporator from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, air passage means for delivering a portion of the air moved by said fan to the upper portion of said fresh food compartment, passage means for returning air from the lower portion of said fresh food compartment to said flue in the region of said evaporator, and a thermostat in said fresh food compartment for controlling energization of said evaporator to maintain a predetermined temperature in said fresh food compartment, the improvements which comprise: first and second damper means disposed in side-by-side relation in said air passage means for controlling the air flow therethrough, said first damper means being selectively movable either to an open or to a closed position, and said second damper means being selectively movable to one of a plurality of positions between substantially open and substantially closed positions.

Claim 6

In a refrigerator of the type comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated vertical divider wall in said cabinet providing separate, vertical side-by-side fresh food and frozen food compartments, means forming an air flue extending vertically along a wall of said frozen food compartment, said flue having a lower inlet opening and an upper outlet opening, an evaporator within said insulated cabinet and positioned in said flue, a fan for moving air through said flue over said evaporator from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, air passage means for delivering a portion of the air moved by said fan to the upper portion of said fresh food compartment, passage means for returning air from the lower portion of said fresh food compartment to said flue in the region of said evaporator, and a thermostat in said fresh food compartment for controlling energization of said evaporator to maintain a predetermined temperature in said fresh food compartment, the improvements which comprise: first and second damper means disposed in side-by-side relation in said air passage means for controlling the air flow therethrough, said first damper means being selectively movable either to an open or to a closed position, and said second damper means being selectively movable to one of a plurality of positions between substantially open and substantially closed positions.

Claim 7

Improvements in a refrigerator as set out in claim 4, being further characterized: in that said first and second damper means are mounted for pivotal movements about vertically extending, individual axes; by theinclusion of a lever for operating said first damper means, said lever being movable between a pair of positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of said first damper means, and overcenter spring means for maintaining said positions of said damper means; and by inclusion of a manually rotatable wheel for operating said second damper means.

Claim 8

Refrigerator cabinet structure including a pair of side-by-side compartments separated by a vertically extending divider wall, said wall having a first air passage therethrough in an upper region thereof and a second air passage therethrough in a lower region thereof, an evaporator in one of said compartments and including a portion disposed in the region of said second air passage, means defining a vertically extending flue in said one compartment and arranged to enclose said evaporator, an inlet air passage in a lower region of the flue, an outlet air passage in the upper region of the flue, a fan arranged to draw air through said inlet air passage, over said evaporator, and to direct said air through said outlet air passage to cool said one compartment to below-freezing temperatures, said flue communicating with said first air passage whereby a portion of the fan-forced air flows into said other compartment through said first air passage and out of said other compartment through said second air passage, thermostatic control means responsive to predetermined temperature levels in said other compartment for establishing and maintaining cyclic operation of said evaporator, and improved air flow divider means associated with said flue for proportioning air flow through said air outlet and said first passage means into said compartments, said divider means comprising a compound damper extending across said first air passage and including a first adjustable portion operable to a position establishing desired temperature levels within each compartment in accordance with ambient atmospheric conditions, and a second adjustable portion operable to a position establishing a desired temperature differential between said compartments.

Claim 9

Refrigerator cabinet structure including a pair of side-by-side compartments separated by a vertically extending divider wall, said wall having a first air passage therethrough in an upper region thereof and a second air passage therethrough in a lower region thereof, an evaporator in one of said compartments and including a portion disposed in the region of said second air passage, means defining a vertically extending flue in said one compartment and arranged to enclose said evaporator, an inlet air passage in a lower region of the flue, an outlet air passage in the upper region of the flue, a fan arranged to draw air through said inlet air passage, over said evaporator, and to direct said air through said outlet air passage to cool said one compartment to below-freezing temperatures, said flue communicating with said first air passage whereby a portion of the fan-forced air flows into said other compartment through said first air passage and out of said other compartment through said second air passage, thermostatic control means responsive to predetermined temperature levels in said other compartment for establishing and maintaining cyclic operation of said evaporator, and improved air flow divider means associated with said flue for proportioning air flow through said air outlet and said first passage means into said compartments, said divider means comprising a compound damper extending across said first air passage and including a first adjustable portion operable to a position establishing desired temperature levels within each compartment in accordance with ambient atmospheric conditions, and a second adjustable portion operable to a position establishing a desired temperature differential between said compartments.

Claim 10

Refrigerator cabinet structure according to claim 6, and further characterized in that: said first adjustable damper portion comprises a first vane selectively movable either to a closed position blocking off air flow through a corresponding section of said first air passage, or to an open position affording substantially full air flow through said corresponding section; and said second adjustable damper portion comprises a second vane selectively movable between a plurality of positions including substantially open and closed positions affording varying quantities of air flow as well as substantially no air flow through a corresponding portion of said air passage.

Claim 11

Refrigerator cabinet structure according to claim 7, and further characterized in that said first vane is of lesser area than said second vane.

Claim 12

Refrigerator cabinet structure according to claim 8, and further characterized by the provision of overcenter spring means operable to maintain either open or closed position of said first vane.

Claim 13

Refrigerator cabinet structure according to claim 7, and characterized further in that said air flow divider means is disposed in an upper region of said flue, and includes a deflector extending into said flue and effective to direct a portion of the air flowing in the flue through said first air passage.

Claim 14

Refrigerator cabinet structure according to claim 10, and further characterized by the inclusion of additional outlet air passage means in said flue, in a region thereof intermediate said first recited inlet and outlet passages.

Claim 15

Refrigerator cabinet structure according to claim 10, and further characterized in that said first air passage extends horizontally, in that said first and second vanes are disposed for pivotal movements about vertically extending axes, and in that said first vane is disposed at a level above the level of said second vane.