# US 11,994,335 B2 · Self-contained reach-in refrigerator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,335 B2 - Document ID: US11994335B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/564,559 - Filed: 2021-12-29 - Published: 2023-06-29 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2021-12-29 - Assignees: True Manufacturing Co., Inc. - Applicants: True Manufacturing Company, Inc. - Inventors: Brandon Clay; Christopher Moonier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994335B2 ## CPC - F25D 21/14: Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays - F25D 17/067: {Evaporator fan units} - F25D 21/08: by electric heating - F25D 2321/1441: inside a refrigerator - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract A self-contained reach-in refrigerator has self-contained refrigeration system connected to a cabinet. A drain pan is below an evaporator of the refrigeration system. A thermally conductive bridge member provides thermal conduction between a defrost heater and the drain pan. An upper wall defining a top end of a product space in the cabinet can include a drain pan section below the evaporator, a fan section extending forward from the drain pan section, and a rear lip extending upward from a rear end of the drain pan section. The evaporator fan can be supported over the fan section to draw air from the product space through the fan section. A support member can be fastened to the rear lip to support the upper wall. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A self-contained reach-in refrigerator comprising: a cabinet defining a product space; a self-contained refrigeration system connected to the cabinet, the self-contained refrigeration system comprising an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and interconnecting tubing; a defrost heater in thermal communication with the evaporator for selectively defrosting the evaporator; a drain pan below the evaporator, wherein the drain pan is formed from one piece of sheet metal and comprises a rear lip formed in separate first and second sections spaced apart by a central gap; and a thermally conductive bridge member providing thermal conduction between the defrost heater and the drain pan; wherein the thermally conductive bridge member comprises a front section and a rear section spaced apart from the front section in a front-to-back direction; wherein the rear section is substantially vertical and is fastened face-to-face with both the first and second sections of the rear lip. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive bridge member is in direct contact with the drain pan. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 2, wherein the defrost heater comprises a heating element, the thermally conductive bridge member being in direct contact with the heating element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 3, wherein the drain pan has a width and the thermally conductive bridge member is in direct contact with each of the drain pan and the heating element along more than 25% of the width. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the front section is substantially horizontal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive bridge member further comprises a middle section extending front-to-back from the front section to the rear section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 6, wherein the middle section is angled to extend upward as it extends front-to-back from the front section to the rear section. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the drain pan comprises a width and the rear section is in face-to-face contact with the rear lip along more than 25% of the width. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an evaporator fan configured to draw air from the product space across the evaporator to cool the air and discharge cooled air into the product space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 9, further comprising an upper wall in the cabinet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 10, wherein the cabinet comprises a top wall above the upper wall, the evaporator fan being mounted on the top wall above the upper wall. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 10, wherein the drain pan is formed by a drain pan section of the upper wall. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 12, wherein the upper wall further comprises a fan section extending forward from the drain pan section, the evaporator fan being supported over the fan section to draw air from the product space through the fan section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 13, wherein the drain pan section and the fan section are formed from a single monolithic piece of sheet metal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 14, wherein the upper wall is removably coupled to the cabinet such that the drain pan section and the fan section can be selectively removed as a unit in one piece. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 13, wherein the fan section has a front end and a rear end joined to the front end portion of the drain pan section, the fan section sloping downward from the front end to the rear end. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 13, wherein the fan section has a bottom surface exposed directly to the product space. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the drain pan has a bottom wall including a front end portion and a rear end portion spaced apart along the front-to-back depth, a left side portion and a right side portion spaced apart along the width, and a drain opening at the rear end portion centrally located between the left side portion and the right side portion, wherein the bottom wall slopes downward as the bottom wall extends front-to-back from the front end portion the rear end portion, slopes downward as the bottom wall extends widthwise from the right side portion to the drain opening, and slopes downward as the bottom wall extends widthwise from the left side portion to the drain opening. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 18, wherein the drain pan comprises a central triangular segment, a left triangular segment connected to the central triangular segment by a left crease, and a right triangular segment connected to the central triangular segment by a right crease. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 19, wherein the drain pan has a front-left corner between the front end portion the left side portion and a front-right corner between the front end portion and the left side portion, the left crease extending from the front-left corner toward the drain opening and the right crease extending from the front-right corner toward the drain opening. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 19, wherein each of the central triangular segment, the left triangular segment, and the right triangular segment extends in a respective plane, the planes being non-parallel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the evaporator has an evaporator height and a crosswise dimension in a direction of air flow across the evaporator, the evaporator being shaped and arranged above the drain pan such that the evaporator height is greater than the evaporator crosswise dimension. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 22, wherein the evaporator height is at least 125% of the evaporator crosswise dimension. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 22, wherein the evaporator comprises a plurality of widthwise coil sections spaced apart along the evaporator height and the evaporator crosswise dimension. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 24, wherein the plurality of widthwise coil sections are arranged in a plurality of vertical coil section columns, the plurality of vertical coil section columns being spaced apart along the evaporator crosswise dimension. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 25, wherein the evaporator comprises a first number of vertical coil section columns and a second number of widthwise coil sections in each vertical coil section column, wherein the first number is less than the second number. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 26, wherein the second number is at least 125% of the first number. ### Claim 28 A self-contained reach-in refrigerator comprising: a cabinet defining a product space; a self-contained refrigeration system connected to the cabinet, the self-contained refrigeration system comprising an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and interconnecting tubing; a defrost heater in thermal communication with the evaporator for selectively defrosting the evaporator; and a sheet metal assembly forming a drain pan below the evaporator and a thermally conductive bridge providing thermal conduction between the defrost heater and the drain pan, the drain pan having a lower end and an upturned lip extending upward at the lower end, the thermally conductive bridge member comprising a first section in direct contact with the defrost heater at a location spaced apart above the drain pan, the thermally conductive bridge member further comprising a downturned second section in face-to-face contact with the upturned lip of the drain pan, the downturned second section forming a support member for bracing the drain pan against deformation under load. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 28, wherein the thermally conductive bridge member is in direct contact with the drain pan. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 29, wherein the defrost heater comprises a heating element, the thermally conductive bridge member being in direct contact with the heating element. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 30, wherein the drain pan has a width and the thermally conductive bridge member is in direct contact with each of the drain pan and the heating element along more than 25% of the width. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 28, further comprising an evaporator fan configured to draw air from the product space across the evaporator to cool the air and discharge cooled air into the product space. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 32, wherein the sheet metal assembly defines an upper wall in the cabinet, wherein the cabinet comprises a top wall above the upper wall, the evaporator fan being mounted on the top wall above the upper wall. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 33, wherein the drain pan is formed by a drain pan section of the upper wall and the upper wall further comprises a fan section extending forward from the drain pan section, the evaporator fan being supported over the fan section to draw air from the product space through the fan section. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 34, wherein the drain pan section and the fan section are formed from a single monolithic piece of sheet metal. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 35, wherein the upper wall is removably coupled to the cabinet such that the drain pan section and the fan section can be selectively removed as a unit in one piece. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 35, wherein the drain pan has a bottom wall including a front end portion and a rear end portion spaced apart along the front-to-back depth, a left side portion and a right side portion spaced apart along the width, and a drain opening at the rear end portion centrally located between the left side portion and the right side portion, wherein the bottom wall slopes downward as the bottom wall extends front-to-back from the front end portion the rear end portion, slopes downward as the bottom wall extends widthwise from the right side portion to the drain opening, and slopes downward as the bottom wall extends widthwise from the left side portion to the drain opening. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 37, wherein the drain pan section comprises a central triangular segment, a left triangular segment connected to the central triangular segment by a left crease, and a right triangular segment connected to the central triangular segment by a right crease. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 38, wherein the drain pan section has a front-left corner between the front end portion the left side portion and a front-right corner between the front end portion and the left side portion, the left crease extending from the front-left corner toward the drain opening and the right crease extending from the front-right corner toward the drain opening. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 38, wherein each of the central triangular segment, the left triangular segment, and the right triangular segment extends in a respective plane, the planes being non-parallel. ### Claim 41 (depends on 35) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 35, wherein the evaporator has an evaporator height and a crosswise dimension in a direction of air flow across the evaporator, the evaporator being shaped and arranged above the drain pan section such that the evaporator height is greater than the evaporator crosswise dimension. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 41, wherein the evaporator height is at least 125% of the evaporator crosswise dimension. ### Claim 43 (depends on 41) The self-contained reach-in refrigerator as set forth in claim 41, wherein the evaporator comprises a plurality of widthwise coil sections spaced apart along the evaporator height and the evaporator crosswise dimension, wherein the plurality of widthwise coil sections are arranged in a plurality of vertical coil section columns, the plurality of vertical coil section columns being spaced apart along the evaporator crosswise dimension, wherein the evaporator comprises a first number of vertical coil section columns and a second number of widthwise coil sections in each vertical coil section column, wherein the first number is less than the second number.