Refrigerator for vehicle
First Claim
1. A refrigerator for a vehicle equipped with an air-conditioner having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor driven by an engine of the vehicle, a condenser connected to a discharge side of said compressor and operative to cool and condense refrigerant from said compressor, an air-conditioner pressure reducing means connected to a discharge side of said condenser and operative to reduce the pressure of the thus condensed refrigerant and expand the same, and an air-conditioner evaporator disposed between a discharge side of said pressure reducing means and a suction side of said compressor and operative to evaporate the thus expanded refrigerant, said refrigerator comprising:
- a cooling unit including a casing of a heat-insulating structure, a refrigerator expansion means disposed in said casing and connected to said refrigeration cycle in parallel relationship to said air-conditioner pressure reducing means, a refrigerator evaporator disposed in said casing and having an inlet connected to a discharge side of said refrigerator expansion means and an outlet communicated with a suction side of said compressor, 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 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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A refrigerator for vehicles has a cooling unit and a cool-keeping container adapted to be detachably connected to the cooling unit and contain goods to be cooled. The cooling unit includes a refrigerator evaporator connected to a refrigeration cycle of an automotive airconditioning refrigeration cycle on a vehicle and a coldness accumulating medium supported in heat exchange relationship with the evaporator. During evaporator operation, the coldness is accumulated in the coldness-accumulating medium and simultaneously transferred to the goods in the cool-keeping container. When the goods are cooled to a desired temperature, the cool-keeping container can be disconnected from the cooling unit and taken out of the vehicle with a heat insulating lid closing an opening formed in the container for the insertion and removal of the goods into and out of the container.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A refrigerator for a vehicle equipped with an air-conditioner having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor driven by an engine of the vehicle, a condenser connected to a discharge side of said compressor and operative to cool and condense refrigerant from said compressor, an air-conditioner pressure reducing means connected to a discharge side of said condenser and operative to reduce the pressure of the thus condensed refrigerant and expand the same, and an air-conditioner evaporator disposed between a discharge side of said pressure reducing means and a suction side of said compressor and operative to evaporate the thus expanded refrigerant, said refrigerator comprising:
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a cooling unit including a casing of a heat-insulating structure, a refrigerator expansion means disposed in said casing and connected to said refrigeration cycle in parallel relationship to said air-conditioner pressure reducing means, a refrigerator evaporator disposed in said casing and having an inlet connected to a discharge side of said refrigerator expansion means and an outlet communicated with a suction side of said compressor, 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 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A refrigerator for a vehicle equipped with an air-conditioner having a refrigeration cycle, said refrigerator comprising:
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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.
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21. A refrigerator for a vehicle equipped with an air-conditioner having a refrigeration cycle, said refrigerator comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification