US3759053A

US3759053A - Air control for fresh food compartment quick chill operation

Info

Publication number: US3759053A
Application number: US00208219A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Swaneck
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1971-12-15
Filing date: 1971-12-15
Publication date: 1973-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-18
Also published as: JPS4872748A; CA963279A; JPS5037415B2; AU470917B2; AU4918572A

Abstract

The invention provides a pair of mechanically controlled air regulating dampers used in the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator. Each of the dampers controls the admission of air from the freezer compartment into the quick chill portion of the fresh food compartment, with one of the dampers being manually set to maintain a desired temperature range within the fresh food compartment during normal operation without quick chill, and the other (quick chill) damper being used to control during a quick chill operation. The quick chill damper is coupled to a timer mechanism so that an increased setting of timer period for quick chill also increases the quick chill damper opening so that those items having a heavy cooling load to obtain quick chill have their requirements met by the simultaneous setting of the quick chill damper and the quick chill timer. The quick chill damper is arranged to be closed for any timer setting of say ten minutes or less. This feature provides for the quick chill cooling of food by only that air which is being circulated within the fresh food compartment.

Description

[451 Sept. 18, 1973 United States Patent 1 Swaneck, Jr.

[ AIR CONTROL FOR FRESH FOOD COMPARTMENT QUICK CHILL OPERATION ABSTRACT The invention provides a pair of mechanically con- Anthony J. Swaneck, Jr., Columbus, Ohio Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation,

[75] Inventor:

trolled air regulating dampers used in the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator. Each of the dampers controls the admission of air from the freezer compartment into the quick chill portion of the fresh food compartment, with one of the dampers being manually set Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1971 Appl. No.: 208,219

to maintain a desired temperature range within the fresh food compartment during normal operation without quick chill, and the other (quick chill) damper being used to control during a quick chill operation. The quick chill damper is coupled to a timer mechanism so that an increased setting of timer period for quick chill also increases the quick chill damper opening so that those items having a heavy cooling load to obtain quick chill have their requirements met by the simultaneous setting of the quick chill damper and the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS quick chill timer. The quick chill damper is arranged to be closed for any timer setting of say ten minutes or 3,093,981 OGrady 62/419 less- This feature provides for the quick chill cooling of 3,659,429 McLean............................... 62/157 food by only that air which is being circulated within the fresh food compartment. Primary ExaminerMeyer Perlin Altorney-F. H. Henson et al.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures x C l/ Patented Sept. 18, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l gvwwwwww w FIGZ Patented Sept. 18, 1973 3,759,053

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 AIR CONTROL FOR FRESH FOOD COMPARTMENT QUICK CHILL OPERATION RELATED CASES US. Pat. application No. 22,499, filed Mar. 25, 1970, titled, REFRIGERATOR-FREEZER WITH FAST CHILL ARRANGEMENT, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,429, and owned by a common assignee describes a refrigerator-freezer yielding a quick chill mode of op eration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to refrigerator/freezer damper arrangements and, more particularly, relates to an improved damper arrangement providing a quick chill function in the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator/freezer.

2. Description of the Prior Art The quick chill arrangement as presently provided does not have its own damper. Thus the admission of air from the freezer side is dependent upon the position of the single primary damper which is dependent in its setting upon the temperature within the food compartment of the refrigerator. This primary damper opens and closes, based on a desired and set temperature for the food compartment as a whole. During a quick chill mode then, the quick chill operational cycle has little influence on the operation of the automatic damper so that the required quick chilling time of the food article can vary considerably depending on the existing position of the damper blade as called for by the temperature within the fresh food compartment.

If the damper is open at the start of quick chill, initial cooling will be faster due to added cold air being force circulated in the quick chill compartment by the auxiliary quick chill fan. But for items that are sensitive to freezing, this additional cold air can cause wilting and discoloration. On the other hand, if the damper is closed at the beginning of the quick chill cycle, the effectiveness of the chill cycle is reduced unless the automatic damper opens due to a temperature change within the fresh food compartment. Such a delay of damper opening reduces the effectiveness of cooling hot beverages, for example, resulting in longer cooling time to obtain a desired temperature.

Furthermore, the position of the damper is also dependent on the position that the customer has set on the control dial for dictating the temperature within the fresh food compartment. At the coldest position then, the quantity of cold air for quick chilling would be greater than at the cool position which, again, would be greater than that if the dial were set at the normal position. Efficiency of the prior art quick chill, therefore, is also variable, depending upon the automatic damper control position, as dictated by the original temperature set on the control dial.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a dampercontrol system for a quick chill mode of operation which neither depended upon the setting of the temperature within the fresh food compartment, nor the temperature sensed by a thermostat which, in turn, controls an automatic damper opening. It would additionally be advantageous to provide a degree of chilling during a quick chill operation which accords more closely to that required for the particular items to be cooled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a pair of mechanically operated dampers which control the admission of air into a quick chill compartment in the fresh food side of a refrigerator. The primary damper controls the flow of cold air from the freezer side of the refrigerator for overall cooling of the fresh food compartment, with this air being circulated through the fresh food compartment by a circulating fan maintained in the freezer compartment. This primary damper is set by the user of the refrigerator to a desired temperature range of the fresh food compartment.

The second damper controls the admission of air from the freezer side during a quick chill operation in accordance with the setting of the manually operated quick chill knob or dial. Mechanism connects the dial to the damper and a timer motor so that the chill time and damper opening are generally controlled together to provide within limits, greater damper openings with longer time settings. Thus, those items having a high heat load, such as hot beverages and the like, not only have an increased time duration for quick chill but also have an increased amount of cooling air blown over them during the quick chill mode. A fan is disposed within the quick chill compartment to induce a flow of air through the opening controlled by the quick chill damper with this fan discharging its air to the quick chill compartment in a location so as to provide a back pressure against the flow of air through the opening controlled by the primary damper. Thus, during quick chill, the air flow within the fresh food compartment and quick chill compartment is dependent primarily upon the flow of air induced by the quick chill fan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the quick chill damper, timer and dial arrangement;

FIGS. 3 through 6 are partially perspective views of the setting of the quick chill damper, dependent upon the length of time of desired quick chill operation; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of one circuit that could be utilized in the practice of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A refrigerator 10 (only partially shown) can be seen in FIG. 1 that includes a freezer compartment 12 and a quick chill compartment 14 disposed in and making up a portion of a fresh food compartment 16. A fan 18, disposed in the freezer compartment 12, provides a flow of circulating cooling air within the freezer compartment and also normally circulates cooling air through a flow path 20 to the quick chill compartment 14 and thence to the remainder of fresh food compartment 16 so as to provide cooling to them. An ordinary open-work refrigerator shelf (not shown) divides the quick chill compartment 14 from the remainder of the fresh food compartment 16 and also supports those articles of food which are to undergo quick chilling.

Cooling air flow to quick chill compartment 14 and the remainder of fresh food compartment 16 through flow path 20 is modulated by means of a damper 22 that moves between open and closed position over flow path 20. Flow path 20 is formed partially by a passageway 24 in a sidewall 26 dividing the frozen food compartment 12 from the fresh food compartment 16 and a passageway 28 formed by a pair of sidewalls 30 and 32 extending from the dividing wall 26 inwardly into the quick chill compartment 14. A bottom 33 and a top wall (not shown) complete the configuration of a housing 35 for the passageway 28.

Disposed within this passageway and bearingly received by the sidewalls 30 and 32 is an actuating shaft 36. This shaft mounts a dial 38 for manual manipulation at its outward and forward extremity for rotation of the shaft 36. A pinion 40 disposed on and fixed to rotate with the shaft 36 drives a rack 42 that is fixed and integral with the damper 22. Thus, rotation of the pinion 40 as urged in its rotation by dial 38 moves the rack 42 upwardly or downwardly to thereby move the first damper 22 therewith to open and close the flow path 20.

The dial 38 includes a thin flange portion 44 of enlarged diameter which spaces the same outwardly from a wall 46 which may be joined to the dividing side wall 26 and to a forwardly extending portion of wall 32 by a screw 48 or the like. The wall 46 may conveniently have indicia thereon to indicate settings for the damper 22. Such settings may include cold, cool or normal with the damper 22 fully open for cold", closed slightly for cool" and closed completely or almost completely for normal.

In order to insure that the damper 22 moves smoothly upwardly and downwardly in its closing and opening motion relative to the flow path 20, each of the walls 32 and 30 include projections 50 and 52 which serve as a guiding means for the damper 22, the same having offset portions 54, 54 intermediate their upper and lower ends so that each offset portion 54 and a major portion 56 extending above and below the offset portion on each side provide a guideway in which the projection 50 and 52 are inserted in a manner similar to the structure ofa quick chill damper 58 (FIG. 2). By the arrangement just described, then, flow of cooling air for the fresh food compartment 16 is provided through the flow path 20 from the freezer compartment 12, with the quantity of air monitored by the easily movable damper 22 so that the fresh food compartment 16 may be kept at a temperature pursuant to the setting of the dial 38.

The second or quick chill damper 58 is also situated within the quick chill compartment 14, with this damper being disposed in a housing 60 formed by a pair of

side walls

62, 64 and a bottom 65. Since the housing 60 is open at its inner end to the quick chill compartment 14 the same provides a passageway 68 extending partially through the quick chill compartment 14 which, in conjunction with a passageway 70 formed in the dividing side wall 26, forms a flow path 72 for the flow of air from the freezer compartment 12 to the quick chill compartment 14. The damper 58, of course, is placed in an obstructing or non-obstructing position relative to this flow path.

Quick chill damper 58 is guided in its upward and downward movement by means of a pair of

offset portions

74, 74 formed intermediate its upper and lower ends so that a major portion 76 of the damper 58 extends above and below each offset portion and with the

offset portions

74, 74 extending generally parallel to the major portions 76 on each side of the damper 58 so that a guideway is formed on each side of the damper 58. The guideways have received therein a pair of tabs 80, 80 which are integral with andextend from'the

sidewalls

62, 64. The quick chill damper 58 can thereby be conveniently guided in its upward and downward movement relative to the flow path 72.

Extending through the front side wall 32 of housing 35 is a rotatable shaft 82 which controls the movement of the damper 58. At its outer end the shaft 82 has fixed thereto a dial 84 (FIG. 2) which provides a convenient means for grasping and rotating the shaft 82 by the user of the refrigerator l0. Shaft 82 is disposed vertically above the shaft 36 for damper 22 so that there is no interference between the dials 84 and 38 and so that an indicia means (not shown) may also be provided on the front wall 46 of the quick chill compartment 14 so as to direct the user to the proper setting of the dial 84. Such indicia may provide a time period extending from zero minutes to minutes, for example, to thereby provide a varying chill time for food articles placed within quick chill compartment 14.

Attached. to and fixed intermediate the frontward and rearward terminations of the shaft 82 is a pinion gear 86, with this gear thereby rotating with shaft 82 as dial 84 is manipulated by the user of the refrigerator. Pinion gear 86 meshes with a rack gear 88. Disposed on an integral portion of the damper 58. Thus, rotation of the pinion gear 86 provides movement of the damper 58 in an upward or downward direction to thereby provide a varying flow rate of cold air from freezer compartment 12 to quick chill compartment 14. A template 90 may be mounted between the dividing wall 26 and housing 60 to provide an aperture 92 of a reduced size which may conveniently cooperate with the damper 58 during its monitoring of the air flow through flow path 72.

Mounted on a rear wall 94 of quick chill compartment 14 is a quick chill timer motor 96 that operates for the set duration of the quick chill cycle by rotating the pinion gear 86 in the reverse direction from which it has been set to open the damper 58. Rotation of the pinion gear 86, as driven by the timer motor 96, closes off the aperture 92 progressively until ten minutes time is reached on the dial 84. Timer motor 96 may be removed from the main flow of air through flow path 72 within quick chill compartment 14 by a means of a housing 98 that extends therearound and is attached by any conventional means to the rear wall 94 of the quick chill compartment 14 and the dividing wall 26 of the refrigerator 10.

Disposed rightwardly of quick chill timer housing 58 (FIG. I) is a fan motor housing 100 in which is disposed a fan motor 102 that rotates a fan blade 104 located outwardly of the fan housing 100 by a fan shaft 106. A fan shroud 108 is attached to front sidewall 30 by means of self-threading screws 110 although it could be an integrally molded assemblage or the like, and extends in an annular manner around the fan blade 104 so as to provide a guide means for the air being moved by this fan blade. The opposite side of the fan shroud 108 isattached to a wall extension 110 extending forwardly from the rear wall of the quick chill compartment 14.

Operation of fan blade 104 includes a flow of air so that air moves through the flow path 72 and is discharged by the fan blade 104 forwardly thereof into the remainder of the quick chill compartment 14. Such a discharge of air (at this time with the damper 58 at least partially open) provides a pressure buildup of air adjacent the damper 22 so that there is a tendency for the air passing through the air flow path to be stagnated at this point so that substantially all the air circulated within quick chill compartment 14 is air which has been imparted to this compartment through the flow path 72. Thus, operation of the quick chill compartment 14, during a quick chill mode with the damper 58 at least partially open, is substantially independent of the flow of air through the air passageway 20.

In the event that a short quick chill time period is required or desired and the dial 84 is rotated to ten minutes time duration or less, items such as lettuce and salads may be quick chilled 'without browning. The damper 58 for such a time period is closed because the damper has not moved sufficiently far to provide an air flow through flow path 72. The fan blade 104 would still rotate but would tend to draw air from the food compartment 16 and the quick chill compartment 14 to provide a flow of circulating air through the fan shroud 108 and quick chill compartment 14. Again a pressure head is provided on the inner side of the damper 22 so that no flow of air would tend to move through the flow passage 20 to the quick chill compartment. Thus, a substantial independence from the normal cooling air flow through damper 22 is achieved during a quick chill cycle when the damper 58 is entirely closed. Of course, when the damper 58 is in the final ten minute time period of any time period set by the dial 84, circulation of air within the fresh food compartment, with no discharge from flow passageways 20 and 72, would be the only air available for the quick chill mode.

Turning now to FIG. 7 wherein a schematic diagram of the instant invention is provided, it can be seen that the timer motor 96 includes a cam or cam surface 112 which rotates into engagement with a switch 114 to cause the same to open (illustrated position), interrupting operation of the fan motor 102 and the timing motor 96. The manner by which this is accomplished will now be detailed. A lead 116 extends from one side of an alternating current power supply to the timing motor 96. The opposite side of the timing motor is connected to a lead 118 that extends to a contact 120 of the switch 114. The opposite side of the switch 114 is connected to a lead 122 extending to fan motor 102, with the opposite side of this fan motor connected to a lead 124 that extends back to the other side of the alternating current power supply. The dial 84, pinion gear 86, and the timer motor 96 are, of course, all connected mechanically so that movement of one calls for movement of the others. The timer 96 may also take the form of the common, wind-up mechanical timer which controls a switch 114.

Assuming now, for example, that a time of set duration is dialed for the quick chill mode of operation by means of dial 84. This rotation of dial 84 causes a consequent rotation of pinion gear 86 and a partial or full opening of damper 58. At the same time, timer motor 96 has been rotated so as to place cam surface 112 in a disengaged position relative to the switch 114 so that the contact 120 is closed energizing the timer motor 96 and fan motor 102. Timer motor 96 operates to slowly turn the cam 112 and pinion gear 86 to close the damper 58. After the elapse of the timer set by dial 84, the cam surface 112 again engages the switch 114 moving the same out of contact with its contact 120 and terminating the operation of the timer motor 96 and fan motor 102.

As set up previously, the maximum time period which could be set with dial 84 was chosen as minutes. If the dial is rotated to such a position, the damper 58 is in its fully open position relative to the aperture 92, with this damper slowly closing until it reaches its closed position with ten minutes left of the time period set. Thus, the damper 58 slowly limits, to a greater and greater extent, the amount of air provided for the quick chill mode as the time period set decreases toward zero.

FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate, generally the relationship of the damper 58 to the pinion gear 86 as the time set by the dial 84 is varied. FIG. 3 shows, in full lines, the position of the damper 58 in its closed position at a zero time setting on the dial 84. FIG. 4 illustrates the position of the damper 58 when the dial 84 has been set at 15 minutes. FIG. 5 illustrates the position of the damper 58 when the dial 84 has been positioned to set up a 45 minute time period for the quick chill mode, and FIG. 6 is an illustration of the damper and aperture when a time period of 90 minutes has been set for the quick chill cycle. It should be specifically noted that, because of the relative size and location of the damper 58 and aperture 92, the damper 58 is fully open in both FIGS. 5 and 6 so that the quick chill operates with maximum air between the time of 90 minutes and the time of 45 minutes. It should also be again noted that the damper 58 remains closed for zero minutes up to 10 minutes of remaining time and the same would assume the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 3 for this 10 minute or lesser time setting.

It should be obvious that varying times could be provided for the setting of the damper 58 so that it would be disposed in slightly different positions than those shown in FIGS. 36, depending upon the time duration of damper operation desired. However, FIGS. 3-6 are considered to provide a general damper and dial arrangement that has been utilized to provide a very effective but manually variable quick chill cycle.

It should be recognized by one skilled in the art that an air control arrangement for a quick chill cycle of operation of a refrigerator has been described, that satisfied all the advantages set out in the beginning portion of the description. It should, further, be obvious to one skilled in the art that many modifications can be made to the embodiment described as exemplary which would still fall within the spirit and purview of the description offered. I 1

I claim as my invention:

1. In a control arrangement for a refrigerating device including a freezer space and a refrigerator space and having a quick chill space in the refrigerator space, including;

a fan means in said quick chill space for circulating air thereabout;

a timer means for controlling said fan means;

manually operative means for setting said timer means;

an air passageway between said freezer space and said quick chill space;

a damper for said air passageway;

said manually operative means for setting said timer means being operative to position said damper simultaneously.

2. In the control arrangement of claim 1 wherein;

a. said damper is moved, generally and within limits, to assume a less and less interfering position to the flow of cooling air from said freezer space to said quick chill space as said timer means is manually set for a longer and longer time period of quick chill operation.

3. In the control arrangement of claim 1 wherein;

a. said manually operative means includes a manually manipulated knob and gear means mounted on a common shaft.

4. In the control arrangement of claim 1 wherein;

a. said timer means may be set for any one of a number of time periods;

b. said damper is arranged to remain in a closed position for those time periods not exceeding a selected time period.

5. In a control and air circulation arrangement for a refrigerating device including a freezer space and a refrigerator space and having a quick chill compartment in the refrigerator space, including;

a. first and second air passageways for the supply of cooling air from said freezer space to said quick chill compartment,

b. first and second damper means for said first and second air passageways, respectively,

c. a first fan means in said freezer space for moving air through said first air passageway,

d. a second fan means in said quick chill compartment for circulating air in said compartment and drawing air through said second air passageway when said second passageway is open,

c. said second fan means when operating creating an air flow condition at said first passageway opposing the admission of air flow through said first air passageway to said quick chill compartment.

6. In the control and air circulation arrangement of claim 5 wherein;

a. said second fan means when operating creating said air flow condition irrespective of the position of said second damper.

7. In the control and air circulation arrangement of claim 5 wherein;

a. said first damper means controls a flow of cooling air through said first air passageway to modulate the temperature of a fresh food compartment of said refrigerator,

b. timer means is provided for controlling periods of operation of said second fan means,

0. said second damper means is positionable in accordance with setting of said timer means.

8. In a refrigerator-freezer of the character having a fast chill compartment in the refrigerator side with a timer controlled fan for circulating air in said chill compartment, an air flow and control arrangement comprising:

means defining an opening through which air is adapted to be admitted from the freezer side to said chill compartment;

damper means for said opening;

manually operated means for setting said timer for any of a number of periods of fan operation and concurrently establishing a setting of said damper means.

* k I t

Claims

1. In a control arrangement for a refrigerating device including a freezer space and a refrigerator space and having a quick chill space in the refrigerator space, including; a fan means in said quick chill space for circulating air thereabout; a timer means for controlling said fan means; manually operative means for setting said timer means; an air passageway between said freezer space and said quick chill space; a damper for said air passageway; said manually operative means for setting said timer means being operative to position said damper simultaneously.

2. In the control arrangement of claim 1 wherein; a. said damper is moved, generally and within limits, to assume a less and less interfering position to the flow of cooling air from said freezer space to said quick chill space as said timer means is manually set for a longer and longer time period of quick chill operation.

3. In the control arrangement of claim 1 wherein; a. said manually operative means includes a manually manipulated knob and gear means mounted on a common shaft.

4. In the control arrangement of claim 1 wherein; a. said timer means may be set for any one of a number of time periods; b. said damper is arranged to remain in a closed position for those time periods not exceeding a selected time period.

5. In a control and air circulation arrangement for a refrigerating device including a freezer space and a refrigerator space and having a quick chill compartment in the refrigerator space, including; a. first and second air passageways for the supply of cooling air from said freezer space to said quick chill compartment, b. first and second damper means for said first and second air passageways, respectively, c. a first fan means in said freezer space for moving air through said first air passageway, d. a second fan means in said quick chill compartment for circulating air in said compartment and drawing air through said second air passageway when said second passageway is open, e. said second fan means when operating creating an air flow condition at said first passageway opposing the admission of air flow through said first air passageway to said quick chill compartment.

6. In the control and air circulation arrangement of claim 5 wherein; a. said second fan means when operating creating said air flow condition irrespective of the position of said second damper.

7. In the control and air circulation arrangement of claim 5 wherein; a. said first damper means controls a flow of cooling air through said first air passageway to modulate the temperature of a fresh food compartment of said refrigerator, b. timer means is provided for controlling periods of operation of said second fan means, c. said second damper means is positionable in accordance with setting of said timer means.

8. In a refrigerator-freezer of the character having a fast chill compartment in the refrigerator side with a timer controlled fan for circulating air in said chill compartment, an air flow and control arrangement comprising: means defining an opening through which air is adapted to be admitted from the freezer side to said chill compartment; damper means for said opening; manually operated means for setting said timer for any of a number of periods of fan operation and concurrently establishing a setting of said damper means.