Refrigeration, freezer or the like with an automatically closing and opening removable container in which vacuum is produced

• US 5,157,940 A
• Filed: 01/29/1991
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Bertu, Angelo, Franzetti, Giovanni, Germi, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): Capossela, Ronald C.
• Application Number:
  US07/647,129
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 62/100, 62/382, 62/268, 312/214, 312/236
• US Class Current: 62/382
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/042 Air treating means within refrigerated spaces air conditioning in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/043 by creating a vacuum in a storage compartment
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/025 Drawers

Abstract

A refrigerator, freezer or the like comprises a cabinet (1), a pump (6) for producing vacuum and, in a refrigeration compartment (10) thereof, a container (17) closable in a vacuum-tight manner and able to be moved within said compartment (10), said container (17) comprising a lid (19) guided to open and close during its movement by elements (40) associated with said lid (19), which moves in guide tracks (41) provided in opposing walls (16) of said compartment (10) or in elements (42) associated with said walls (16), there being provided on said lid (19) mobile members (48) associated with pins (46, 50) acting as hinges about which, during the movement of said lid (19), said members (48) rotate under the action of a thrust exerted by pusher means (51), said movement taking (48), during their rotation about said pins (46, 50), exceed an equilibrium position beyond which the pusher means (51) act to provide independent guided movement of said lid (19).

Claims

1. A refrigeration appliance comprising:

a cabinet having at least one closable refrigeration compartment formed therein, said compartment having an inner wall;

a pump mounted to said cabinet for producing a vacuum;

guide tracks provided within said compartment;

a container moveably disposed within said refrigeration compartment, said container further comprising;

a container main body,

a selectively closable lid mounted to said container main body, said container being closable in a vacuum-tight manner within said compartment upon movement of said lid into engagement with said container main body;

mounting means moveably mounting said container main body to said guide tracks such as to permit said container to be selectively moved relative to said compartment along said guide tracks;

lid opening means interposed between said lid and said cabinet, said lid opening means guiding said lid to open and close during its movement within said cabinet; and

conduit means interconnecting said pump with said container to produce a predetermined reduced atmospheric pressure within said container.

2. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 wherein

said container further comprising hinge means hingedly mounting said lid to said container main body;

and

said lid opening means further comprises pusher means interposed between said lid and said container such that said lid rotates under the action of a thrust exerted by said pusher means.

3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 wherein said mounting means are pins.

4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 wherein said guide means are fixedly secured to said wall of said compartment.

5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 2 wherein said lid opening means further comprises:

support means fixedly connected to said walls of said compartment and extending transversely above said container,

first pins being carried by said support means,

second pins associated with the container lid, and

substantially cylindrical mobile members, each having a first fork-shaped free end associated with first pins acting as hinges, and further having a second free end connected to said second pins, such that movement of said container main body along said track means causes movement of said lid along with said container main body until said mobile members, during their rotation about said pins, exceed an equilibrium position beyond which the mobile means act to provide independent guided movement of said lid relative to said container main body.

6. The refrigeration appliance of claim 5 wherein said pusher means are compression springs disposed on said mobile members, said springs cooperating at their free ends with the first free ends of said mobile members and with elements rigid with the second free ends of said mobile members.

7. The refrigeration appliance of claim 5 wherein said support means comprises a bracket element having a side facing the container and carrying said plate, and a side extending over the container and carrying a pin projecting toward this latter to cooperate with said fork-shaped element, said pin acting as a stop to the insertion of the container into the compartment.

8. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 further comprising a seal gasket extending along the edge of the lid of the container said seal gasket comprising a first part having two superimposed parallel flat parts to be mounted over the edge of said lid, and a second part arranged to cooperate with the box part of said container.