Modular mechanical refrigeration unit
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsRichard W. Kruck, Omer N. Cur, Douglas D. Leclear, Steven J. Kuehl, Ralph R. Burin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modular self-contained mechanical refrigeration unit adapted to form one wall of a refrigeration appliance is relatively thin and includes all of the electrical, mechanical and control components of the sealed refrigeration system.
Claims13
A mechanical refrigeration unit adapted to form a relatively thin wall portion of a refrigeration apparatus, comprising a main divider wall spaced from an inner wall of said unit and having a first layer of insulating material on the side thereof facing said inner wall, an evaporator mounted on said divider wall and positioned between said first layer and said inner wall, fan means mounted on said divider wall below said evaporator for moving air over said evaporator and having an inlet facing said inner wall, and a second layer of insulating material positioned between said evaporator and said fan means, said second layer being shaped to form an air duct between said evaporator and said inlet of said fan means, thereby to facilitate the drawing of air downwardly over said evaporator.
A mechanical refrigerator unit adapted to form a relatively thin wall portion of a refrigeration apparatus, comprising inner and outer vertically extending walls of substantially the same height, a central divider wall extending vertically between said inner and outer walls and having a layer of insulating material on one side thereof facing said inner wall, each of said inner anD outer walls having upper and lower openings therein, an evaporator mounted on said one side of said divider wall and spaced therefrom by said layer of insulating material, a condenser mounted on the other side of said divider wall, first fan means mounted on said divider wall below saiD evaporator and said condenser for drawing air from the space to be cooled inwardly through said upper openings in said inner wall, downwardly over said evaporator and outwardly through said lower openings in said inner wall into the space to be cooled, and second fan means mounted on said divider wall below said evaporator and said condenser for drawing air from the exterior inwardly through said lower openings in said outer wall, upwardly over said condenser, and outwardly through said upper openings in said outer wall.
A mechanical refrigeration unit adapted to form a thin wall portion of a refrigeration apparatus, comprising an outer vertically extending wall having upper and lower openings therein, a support member having a vertically extending portion spaced from said outer wall, a condenser mounted on said portion and positioned between said support member and said outer wall, a compressor mounted on said support member beneath said condenser, a layer of insulating material on the opposite side of said support from said condenser, an evaporator positioned adjacent said insulating layer, a fan motor mounted on said support member below said evaporator and said condenser, the rotor of said fan motor rotating about a generally horizontal axis and having a shaft extending from each end thereof, a condenser fan mounted on one end of said rotor shaft adjacent said lower openings in said outer wall, means for directing air from said condenser fan over said condenser and out said upper openings in said outer wall, an inner vertically extending wall of substantially the same height as said outer wall and having upper and lower openings therein, said inner wall being positioned inwardly of said evaporator, an evaporator fan mounted on the other end of said rotor shaft and having an inlet adjacent to and laterally offset from said lower openings in said inner wall, said evaporator fan pulling air inwardly through said upper openings in said inner wall, downwardly over said evaporator, and into the interior of the refrigeration apparatus through said lower openings in said inner wall, said layer of insulating material being shaped to form an air duct which directs air which has been pulled over said evaporator into said inlet of said evaporator fan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.