Refrigerator freezer with frost eliminator

Claim 2

A refrigerator comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated vertical partition wall extending from top to bottom of said cabinet to provide separate vertical side-by-side fresh food and frozen food compartments, an upright evaporator chamber associated with the frozen food compartment rear wall containing an evaporator, a fan having an inlet connected to said evaporator chamber and having an outlet connected to both an upwardly extending cold air supply duct and a downwardly extending evaporator cold air diverter duct, a Venturi mixing nozzle located in said diverter duct, a frozen food compartment air return duct positioned in spaced relation around the lower portion of said diverter duct having its inlet disposed vertically below said fan, said air return duct defining a mixing chamber between the exit of said diverter duct and the bottom wall of said frozen food compartment, said cold air supply duct having an outlet for discharging part of the cold air therethrough, a crossover duct extending through the upper portion of said partition wall and having an air inlet communicating with said cold air supply duct and having an outlet for discharging a portion of the cold air into said fresh food compartment, thermostatically controlled damper means for controlling the flow of air from said crossover duct outlet to said fresh food compartment, passage means for returning air from the lower portion of said fresh food compartment to the throat portion of said Venturi nozzle, whereby below freezing diverter duct air flowing downwardly through said Venturi nozzle draws above freezing air from said fresh food compartment through said passage means into said throat for mixture with said air therewith, said air return duct having an outlet communicating with both subjacent crystallized water collecting means and the inlet of said evaporator chamber, whereby moisture in the combined return air is frozen by the diverter duct air flow while airborne, and means for separating the crystallized water from the combined return air during its flow from said mixing chamber for deposit into said collecting means prior to the combined return air flows being drawn upwardly into said evaporator chamber to minimize the formation of frost on said evaporator.

Claim 3

A refrigerator comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated vertical partition wall extending from top to bottom of said cabinet to provide separate vertical side-by-side fresh food and frozen food compartments, an upright evaporator chamber associated with the frozen food compartment rear wall containing an upright evaporator, a single fan positioned about midway between the upper and lower walls of said frozen food compartment and having an inlet connected to said evaporator chamber and having an outlet connected to both an upwardly extending cold air supply duct and a downwardly extending evaporator cold air diverter duct, a Venturi mixing nozzle located in the lower portion of said diverter duct, a frozen food compartment air return duct positioned in spaced heat transfer relation surrounding the lower portion of said diverter duct having its inlet disposed vertically below said fan and vertically above said nozzle, said air return duct defining a mixing chamber between the exit of said diverter duct and the bottom wall of said frozen food compartment, said cold air supply duct having an outlet adjacent the frozen food compartment top wall for discharging part of the cold air therethrough, a crossover duct extending through the upper portion of said partition wall and having an air inlet communicating with said cold air supply duct and having an outlet for discharging a portion of the cold air into said fresh food compartment, a thermostatically controlled damper for controlling the flow of air from said crossover duct outlet to said fresh food compartment to maintain the air in said fresh food compartment above 32*F. and the air in said frozen food compartment below 32*F., a passage for returning air from the lower portion of said fresh food compartment to the throat portion of said Venturi nozzle, whereby below freezing diverter duct air flowing downwardly through said Venturi nozzle draws above freezing air from said fresh food compartment through said passage means into said throat for mixture therewith, said air return duct having an outlet communicating with both a subjacent crystallized water receptacle in the frozen food compartment bottom wall and the inlet of said evaporator chamber, whereby moisture in the combined return air of both the fresh food and freezer food compartments is frozen into crystallized water by the diverter duct air while airborne, and snow comb means for separating the crystallized water from the combined return air during its flow from said mixing chamber for deposit into said receptacle prior to the combined return air flow being drawn upwardly into said evaporator chamber so as to reduce the formation of frost on said evaporator, and means for melting and evaporating the water in an ambient environment outside said frozen food compartment.

Claim 4

A refrigerator comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated vertical partition wall extending from top to bottom of said cabinet to provide separate vertical side-by-side fresh food and frozen food compartments, an upright evaporator chamber associated with the frozen food compartment rear wall containing an upright evaporator, a single fan positioned about midway between the upper and lower walls of said frozen food compartment and having an inlet connected to said evaporator chamber and having an outlet connected to both an upwardly extending cold air supply duct and a downwardly extending evaporator cold air diverter duct, a Venturi mixing nozzle located in the lower portion of said diverter duct, a frozen food compartment air return duct positioned in spaced heat transfer relation surrounding the lower portion of said diverter duct having its inlet disposed vertically below said fan and vertically above said nozzle, said air return duct defining a mixing chamber between the exit of said diverter duct and the bottom wall of said frozen food compartment, said cold air supply duct having an outlet adjacent the frozen food compartment top wall for discharging part of the cold air therethrough, a crossover duct extending through the upper portion of said partition wall and having an air inlet communicating with said cold air supply duct and having an outlet for discharging a portion of the cold air into said fresh food compartment, a thermostatically controlled damper for controlling the flow of air from said crossover duct outlet to said fresh food compartment to maintain the air in said fresh food compartment above 32*F. and the air in said frozen food compartment below 32*F., a passage for returning air from the lower portion of said fresh food compartment to the throat portion of said Venturi nozzle, whereby below freezing diverter duct air flowing downwardly through said Venturi nozzle draws above freezing air from said fresh food compartment through said passage means into said throat for mixture therewith, said air return duct having an outlet communicating with both a subjacent crystallized water receptacle in the frozen food compartment bottom wall and the inlet of said evaporator chamber, whereby moisture in the combined return air of both the fresh food and freezer food compartments is frozen into crystallized water by the diverter duct air while airborne, and snow comb means for separating the crystallized water from the combined return air during its flow from said mixing chamber for deposit into said receptacle prior to the combined return air flow being drawn upwardly into said evaporator chamber so as to reduce the formation of frost on said evaporator, and means for melting and evaporating the water in an ambient environment outside said frozen food compartment.

Claim 5

A refrigerator comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated vertical partition wall extending from top to bottom of said cabinet to provide separate vertical side-by-side fresh food and frozen food compartments, an upright evaporator chamber formed by a divider plate spaced from the rear wall of said frozen food compartment containing an evaporator with the plate extending substantially from the midpoint of the bottom of said frozen food compartment, said evaporator chamber defined in part by a vertical evaporator chamber side wall located intermediate the frozen food compartment liner side walls, the lower portion of said evaporator chamber side wall below said evaporator sloped toward said partition wall such that its free end terminates above a water collecting trough formed in the bottom wall of said frozen food compartment, said side wall free end terminating in a curled edge having a plurality of comb-like teeth, fan housing and duct means located in said evaporator chamber above said evaporator having an inlet communicating therewith and having an outlet connected to both an upwardly extending cold air supply duct and a downwardly extending evaporator air diverter duct, said cold air supply duct receiving approximately 80 percent and said diverter duct receiving approximately 20 percent of the total flow from said evaporator chamber, a Venturi mixing nozzle located in the lower portion of said diverter duct, said diverter duct having its outlet spaced a defined distance above said water collecting trough, an enlarged frozen food compartment air return duct surrounding in spaced relation the lower portion of said diverter duct, said sloped portion of said evaporator side wall together with said partition wall forming in part an air mixing chamber having a tapered cross section to provide a streamlined flow of air through said teeth, said cold air supply duct having an outlet adjacent the frozen food compartment top wall for discharging the majority of the cold air therethrough, a horizontal crossover duct extending through the upper portion of said partition wall and having an air inlet communicating with said supply duct and having an outlet for discharging a minority of the cold air into said fresh food compartment, thermostatically controlled damper means for controlling the flow of air from said crossover duct outlet to said fresh food compartment, passage means for returning air from the lower portion of said fresh food compartment to the throat portion of said Venturi nozzle, the diverter air flowing through said Venturi nozzle drawing the fresh food compartment air through said passage means into said throat for mixture therewith, said frozen food compartment return air duct having its outlet defined in part by said curled edge whereby the flow of return air is redirected vertically upwardly to said evaporator while allowing gravitational flow of crystallized water into said subjacent trough, whereby the combined return air is predried prior to entering said evaporator chamber to minimize the formation of frost on said evaporator.

Claim 6

A refrigerator comprising an insulated cabinet, an insulated vertical partition wall extending from top to bottom of said cabinet to provide separate vertical side-by-side fresh food and frozen food compartments, an upright evaporator chamber formed by a divider plate spaced from the rear wall of said frozen food compartment containing an evaporator with the plate extending substantially from the midpoint of the bottom of said frozen food compartment, said evaporator chamber defined in part by a vertical evaporator chamber side wall located intermediate the frozen food compartment liner side walls, the lower portion of said evaporator chamber side wall below said evaporator sloped toward said partition wall such that its free end terminates above a water collecting trough formed in the bottom wall of said frozen food compartment, said side wall free end terminating in a curled edge having a plurality of comb-like teeth, fan housing and duct means located in said evaporator chamber above said evaporator having an inlet communicating therewith and having an outlet connected to both an upwardly extending cold air supply duct and a downwardly extending evaporator air diverter duct, said cold air supply duct receiving approximately 80 percent and said diverter duct receiving approximately 20 percent of the total flow from said evaporator chamber, a Venturi mixing nozzle located in the lower portion of said diverter duct, said diverter duct having its outlet spaced a defined distance above said water collecting trough, an enlarged frozen food compartment air return duct surrounding in spaced relation the lower portion of said diverter duct, said sloped portion of said evaporator side wall together with said partition wall forming in part an air mixing chamber having a tapered cross section to provide a streamlined flow of air through said teeth, said cold air supply duct having an outlet adjacent the frozen food compartment top wall for discharging the majority of the cold air therethrough, a horizontal crossover duct extending through the upper portion of said partition wall and having an air inlet communicating with said supply duct and having an outlet for discharging a minority of the cold air into said fresh food compartment, thermostatically controlled damper means for controlling the flow of air from said crossover duct outlet to said fresh food compartment, passage means for returning air from the lower portion of said fresh food compartment to the throat portion of said Venturi nozzle, the diverter air flowing through said Venturi nozzle drawing the fresh food compartment air through said passage means into said throat for mixture therewith, said frozen food compartment return air duct having its outlet defined in part by said curled edge whereby the flow of return air is redirected vertically upwardly to said evaporator while allowing gravitational flow of crystallized water into said subjacent trough, whereby the combined return air is predried prior to entering said evaporator chamber to minimize the formation of frost on said evaporator.