Refrigerator with efficient cold accumulator

• US 4,951,481 A
• Filed: 03/16/1989
• Issued: 08/28/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanden Corporation (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sanden Corporation (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Negishi, Kozaburo
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Lloyd L.
• Application Number:
  US07/324,028
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 62/438, 62/430, 62/439, 62/440, 62/406, 62/434, 62/457, 62/407, 62/3.61, 62/3.62, 62/186, 62/518
• US Class Current: 62/406
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/006 with cold storage accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 16/00 Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/061 with conduit means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/804 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/38 Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/06 Movable containers

Abstract

A cold preserving container including an inner box forming a heat insulating chamber, an outer box, heat insulating material between the boxes, a cooling evaporating tube disposed on the outer surface of the inner box, and a cold accumulator enclosing a cold regenerative material and disposed between the evaporating tube and the heat insulating material. The cold accumulator directly contacts the evaporating tube substantially without any air therebetween and thus can be cooled rapidly and efficiently by the tube. The cold accumulator is disposed between the boxes, and thus its capacity can be easily increased, thereby increasing the cold preserving time of the container.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

an inner box defining at least in part a refrigerator compartment therein, said inner box having an inner box outer surface;

an outer box generally covering said inner box;

cooling means for cooling said refrigerator compartment, said cooling means including an evaporator tubing wound around said inner box outer surface and thereby positioned outside of said refrigerator compartment and through which refrigerant flows, said evaporator tubing directly cooling said refrigerator compartment;

flexible cold accumulator packaging enclosing therein cold regenerative material and covering said evaporator tubing;

heat insulating material disposed between said inner and outer boxes and covering said flexible cold accumulator packaging; and

circulating means for circulating cold air in said refrigerator compartment, said circulating means comprising a cold air circulating path formed inside said inner box and in said refrigerator compartment and thereby separated from said evaporator tubing by said inner box, said cold air circulating path having an air inlet at a lower position of the inside of said refrigerator compartment and an air outlet at an upper position of the inside of said refrigerator compartment, a circulation fan having a power circuit and circulating cold air in said refrigerator compartment through said cold air circulating path, and a thermostat which detects the temperature inside of said refrigerator compartment and sends a signal associated with the detected temperature to said power circuit.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said flexible cold accumulator packaging is wrapped over to thereby cover said evaporator tubing with said cold regenerative material.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said evaporator tubing extends along said inner box outer surface and has waves curved along said outer surface.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said packaging has a plurality of small closed separated chambers formed by heat sealing the flexible material of said packaging, and each chamber encloses a portion of said cold regenerative material.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said heat insulating material is a foamed material.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said inner box, said outer box and said heat insulating material form a refrigerator box having a front surface, and further comprising a door attached to said front surface, moveable between open and closed positions and defining part of said refrigerator compartment.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 wherein said inner box includes a box wall opposite to said door and said cold air circulating path passes directly along said box wall.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 wherein said inner box has top and bottom surfaces and said evaporator tubing is wound around on said top and bottom surfaces.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said flexible cold accumulator packaging extends continuously over at least adjacent windings of said evaporator tubing.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said evaporator tubing spirals about a generally horizontal axis of said inner box.

11. A refrigerator comprising:

an inner box defining at least in part a refrigerator compartment therein, said inner box having an inner box outer surface;

an outer box generally covering said inner box;

cooling means for cooling said refrigerator compartment, said cooling means including an evaporator tubing wound around and thereby encircling said inner box outer surface and through which refrigerant flows, said evaporator tubing directly cooling said refrigerator compartment;

flexible cold accumulator packaging enclosing therein cold regenerative material and covering over said evaporator tubing with said cold regenerative material;

heat insulating material disposed between said inner and outer boxes and covering said flexible cold accumulator packaging; and

adhesive on the surface of said packaging on the side of said evaporator tubing.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said adhesive fixes said evaporator tubing on said inner box outer surface.

13. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said evaporator tubing extends along said inner box outer surface and has waves curved along said outer surface.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said packaging has a plurality of small closed separated chambers formed by heat sealing the flexible material of said packaging, and each said chamber encloses a portion of said cold regenerative material.

15. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said heat insulating material is a foamed material.

16. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said inner box, said outer box and said heat insulating material form a refrigerator box having a front surface, and further comprising a door attached to said front surface, moveable between open and closed positions and defining part of said refrigerator compartment.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 wherein said inner box has top and bottom surfaces and said evaporator tubing is wound around on said top and bottom surfaces.

18. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said flexible cold accumulator packaging extends continuously over at least two adjacent windings of said evaporator tubing.

19. A refrigerator comprising:

an inner box defining at least in part a refrigerator compartment therein, said inner box having an inner box outer surface;

an outer box generally covering said inner box;

cooling means for cooling said refrigerator compartment, said cooling means including an evaporator tubing wound around and thereby encircling said inner box outer surface and through which refrigerant flows, said evaporator tubing directly cooling said refrigerator compartment;

flexible cold accumulator packaging enclosing therein cold regenerative material and covering over said evaporator tubing with said cold regenerative material;

heat insulating material disposed between said inner and outer boxes and covering said flexible cold accumulator packaging;

path means for defining a cold air path in said refrigerator compartment and spaced from said evaporator tubing by said inner box; and

circulating means for circulating cold air along the cold air path.

20. The refrigerator of claim 19 wherein said evaporator tubing extends along said inner box outer surface and has waves curved along said outer surface.

21. The refrigerator of claim 19 wherein said packaging has a plurality of small closed separated chambers formed by heat sealing the flexible material of said packaging, and each said chamber encloses a portion of said cold regenerative material.

22. The refrigerator of claim 19 wherein said heat insulating material is a foamed material.

23. The refrigerator of claim 19 wherein said inner box, said outer box and said heat insulating material form a refrigerator box having a front surface, and further comprising a door attached to said front surface, moveable between open and closed positions and forming part of said refrigerator compartment.

24. The refrigerator of claim 23 wherein said inner box includes a box wall opposite to said door and along which said cold air path directly passes.

25. The refrigerator of claim 19 wherein said inner box has top and bottom surfaces and said evaporator tubing is wound around on said top and bottom surfaces.

26. The refrigerator of claim 19 wherein said flexible cold accumulator packaging extends continuously over adjacent windings of said evaporator tubing.