Fast cooling liquid dispensing container accessory for refrigerators

Claim 2

A fast cooling water dispensing accessory for a refrigerator comprising a substantially rectangular-sectioned container adapted to be supported on a rack in the refrigerator abovefreezing compartment and arranged to receive a liquid to be cooled, said container including a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls and a removable lid; a vertically disposed unitary plate-type closed volatile refrigerant heat exchanger positioned intermediate said side walls, said plate-type heat exchanger having interconnected refrigerant flow passages therein including a lower evaporator section and an upper condenser section separated by a forwardly sloped web, said upper condenser section including a header tube having a plurality of horizontally extending vertically spaced fins located thereon, said finned header tube adapted to contain the refrigerant in gaseous form to operate as a heat dissipator to the refrigerated air flowing through said compartment, said bottom evaporator section being immersed in the container liquid to be cooled and adapted to contain the refrigerant in liquid form in its passages to operate as a heat absorber to rapidly cool the liquid, said intermediate web providing for the separation of the gaseous and liquid refrigerant by forming a first forward vertical passage for the refrigerant in liquid form from said upper condenser section to said lower evaporator section, and a second rearward vertical passage for the refrigerant in gaseous form from said lower evaporator section to said upper condenser section, and said container being provided with a valved outlet adjacent its bottom wall for dispensing the cooled liquid from said container.

Claim 3

A fast cooling water dispensing accessory for a refrigerator comprising a substantially rectangular-sectioned container adapted to be supported on a rack in the refrigerator above-freezing compartment and arranged to receive a liquid to be cooled, said container including a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls and a removable lid; said lid having a longitudinally extending inverted open-ended channel formed thereon forming a tunnel, the inner open end of said channel located adjacent to a refrigerated air duct outlet in the compartment, a vertically disposed unitary plate-type closed volatile refrigerant heat exchanger positioned intermediate said side walls, said plate-type heat exchanger having interconnected refrigerant flow passages therein including a lower evaporator section and an upper condenser section separated by a forwardly sloped web, said upper condenser section including a header tube having a plurality of horizontally extending verticallY spaced fins located thereon, said finned header tube adapted to contain the refrigerant in gaseous form to operate as a heat dissipator to the refrigerated air flowing through said tunnel, said bottom evaporator section being immersed in the container liquid to be cooled and adapted to contain the refrigerant in liquid form in its passages to operate as a heat absorber to rapidly cool the liquid, said intermediate web providing for the separation of the gaseous and liquid refrigerant by forming a first forward vertical passage for the gravity flow of refrigerant in liquid form from said upper condenser section to said lower evaporator section, and a second rearward vertical passage for the upward movement of refrigerant in gaseous form from said lower evaporator section to said upper condenser section, and said container being provided with a valved outlet adjacent its bottom wall for dispensing the cooled liquid from said container.

Claim 4

A fast cooling water dispensing accessory for a refrigerator comprising a substantially rectangular-sectioned container adapted to be supported on a rack in the refrigerator above-freezing compartment and arranged to receive a liquid to be cooled, said container including a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls and a removable lid; said lid having a longitudinally extending inverted open-ended channel formed thereon forming a tunnel, the inner open end of said channel located adjacent to a refrigerated air duct outlet in the compartment, a vertically disposed unitary plate-type closed volatile refrigerant heat exchanger positioned intermediate said side walls, said plate-type heat exchanger having interconnected refrigerant flow passages therein including a lower evaporator section and an upper condenser section separated by a forwardly sloped web, said upper condenser section including a header tube having a plurality of horizontally extending verticallY spaced fins located thereon, said finned header tube adapted to contain the refrigerant in gaseous form to operate as a heat dissipator to the refrigerated air flowing through said tunnel, said bottom evaporator section being immersed in the container liquid to be cooled and adapted to contain the refrigerant in liquid form in its passages to operate as a heat absorber to rapidly cool the liquid, said intermediate web providing for the separation of the gaseous and liquid refrigerant by forming a first forward vertical passage for the gravity flow of refrigerant in liquid form from said upper condenser section to said lower evaporator section, and a second rearward vertical passage for the upward movement of refrigerant in gaseous form from said lower evaporator section to said upper condenser section, and said container being provided with a valved outlet adjacent its bottom wall for dispensing the cooled liquid from said container.

Claim 5

A fast cooling water dispensing removable accessory for a refrigerator comprising a substantially rectangular-sectioned container adapted to be supported on a rack in the refrigerator above-freezing compartment and arranged to receive water to be cooled, said container including a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls and a removable lid; said lid having a longitudinally extending inverted open-ended channel formed thereon forming a tunnel, said channel having its forward and aft ends recessed a defined distance from the edge of said lid, said channel aft end providing an air inlet upon being located adjacent to the outlet of a refrigerated air duct extending forwardly from the compartment rear wall, a vertically disposed unitary plate-type closed volatile refrigerant heat exchanger positioned intermediate said side walls, said plate-type heat exchanger having interconnected refrigerant flow passages therein including a lower evaporator section and an upper condenser section separated by a double-L shaped web having a forwardly sloped intermediate leg, said upper condenser section including a header tube having a plurality of horizontally extending vertically spaced fins located thereon, said finned header tube providing a forwardly diverging passage adapted to contain the refrigerant in gaseous form to operate as a heat dissipator to the refrigerated air flowing through said tunnel, said bottom evaporator section having interconnected horizontal and vertically disposed refrigerant flow passages of the waffle-type therein, said evaporator section being immersed in the water to be cooled and adapted to contain the refrigerant in liquid form such that heat from the water will be absorbed by the liquid refrigerant and the resultant gas will flow upwardly in said horizontal and vertical passages thereby rapidly cooling the water, said intermediate double-L web having a forward downwardly extending vertical leg portion, said web forward leg providing in part for the separation of the gaseous and liquid refrigerant by defining with the sealed front edge of said heat exchange plate a first forward vertical passage to provide for gravity flow of the refrigerant in liquid form from said upper condenser section to said lower evaporator section, and a second rearward vertical passage defined in part by said web rearward leg and the sealed rear edge of said plate for the upward movement of the refrigerant in gaseous form from said lower evaporator section to said upper condenser section, and said container being provided with a valved outlet in said front wall adjacent its bottom wall for dispensing the cooled water from said container.

Claim 6

A fast cooling water dispensing removable accessory for a refrigerator comprising a substantially rectangular-sectioned container adapted to be supported on a rack in the refrigerator above-freezing compartment and arranged to receive water to be cooled, said container including a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls and a removable lid; said lid having a longitudinally extending inverted open-ended channel formed thereon forming a tunnel, said channel having its forward and aft ends recessed a defined distance from the edge of said lid, said channel aft end providing an air inlet upon being located adjacent to the outlet of a refrigerated air duct extending forwardly from the compartment rear wall, a vertically disposed unitary plate-type closed volatile refrigerant heat exchanger positioned intermediate said side walls, said plate-type heat exchanger having interconnected refrigerant flow passages therein including a lower evaporator section and an upper condenser section separated by a double-L shaped web having a forwardly sloped intermediate leg, said upper condenser section including a header tube having a plurality of horizontally extending vertically spaced fins located thereon, said finned header tube providing a forwardly diverging passage adapted to contain the refrigerant in gaseous form to operate as a heat dissipator to the refrigerated air flowing through said tunnel, said bottom evaporator section having interconnected horizontal and vertically disposed refrigerant flow passages of the waffle-type therein, said evaporator section being immersed in the water to be cooled and adapted to contain the refrigerant in liquid form such that heat from the water will be absorbed by the liquid refrigerant and the resultant gas will flow upwardly in said horizontal and vertical passages thereby rapidly cooling the water, said intermediate double-L web having a forward downwardly extending vertical leg portion, said web forward leg providing in part for the separation of the gaseous and liquid refrigerant by defining with the sealed front edge of said heat exchange plate a first forward vertical passage to provide for gravity flow of the refrigerant in liquid form from said upper condenser section to said lower evaporator section, and a second rearward vertical passage defined in part by said web rearward leg and the sealed rear edge of said plate for the upward movement of the refrigerant in gaseous form from said lower evaporator section to said upper condenser section, and said container being provided with a valved outlet in said front wall adjacent its bottom wall for dispensing the cooled water from said container.