Refrigerator for vehicle

A refrigerator for a vehicle equipped with an air-conditioner having a refrigeration cycle, said refrigerator comprising:

• a cooling unit including a casing of a heat-insulating structure, a refrigerator evaporator disposed in said casing and adapted to be connected to said air-conditioner refrigeration cycle, a coldness-accumulating medium to be cooled by said refrigerator evaporator, and means in said casing for supporting said coldness-accumulating medium in heat exchanger relationship with said refrigerator evaporator;
• said cooling unit being adapted to be secured to the vehicle body;
• a portable cool-keeping container of a heat-insulating structure adapted to be detachably connected to said cooling unit and removably accommodate goods to be cooled;
• and
• means for transferring the coldness from said cooling unit casing into said cool-keeping container when the latter is connected to said cooling unit and the refrigerator is in operation, including
• a first opening in said cooling unit and a second opening in said cool-keeping container, said cooling unit and said cool-keeping container being adapted to be detachably secured together such that said first and second openings are substantially aligned to form an air-flow passage,
• a lid for closing said second opening when said cool-keeping container is disconnected from said cooling unit, and
• an additional opening in said cool-keeping container for the insertion of goods from said container and an additional lid for closing said additional opening, the first-said lid and said additional lid being foldably connected together by hinge means.

A refrigerator for a vehicle equipped with an air-conditioner having a refrigeration cycle, said refrigerator comprising:

• a cooling unit including a casing of a heat-insulating structure, a refrigerator evaporator disposed in said casing and adapted to be connected to said air-conditioner refrigeration cycle, a coldness-accumulating medium to be cooled by said refrigerator evaporator, and means in said casing for supporting said coldness-accumulating medium in heat exchange relationship with said evaporator;
• said cooling unit being adapted to be secured to the vehicle body;
• a portable cool-keeping container of a heat-insulating structure adapted to be detachably connected to said cooling unit and removably accommodate goods to be cooled;
• and
• means for transferring the coldness from said cooling unit casing into said cool-keeping container when the latter is connected to said cooling unit and the refrigerator is in operation, including
• a first opening in said cooling unit and a second opening in said cool-keeping container, said cooling unit and said cool-keeping container being adapted to be detachably secured together such that said first and second openings are substantially aligned to form an air-flow passage,
• means for positively circulating air through said air-flow passage when said cooling unit and said cool-keeping container are connected together, and
• an additional opening in said cool-keeping container for the insertion of goods to be cooled into said container and for the removal of cooled goods to be cooled into said container and for the removal of cooled goods from said container, said refrigerator further including means for closing said additional opening when said cool-keeping container is connected to said cooling unit and said refrigerator is in operation, and wherein said air circulating means includes an electrically driven fan mounted on said closing means.