Combination Refrigerator Including Convertible Compartment

Abstract

A combination refrigerator including a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment and a convertible compartment includes means for supplying below freezing air to all of the compartments. Electric housing means are provided in the convertible compartment for operation of the convertible compartment at an above freezing temperature.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The usual combination refrigerator includes a freezer compartment operating continuously at below freezing temperatures and a fresh food compartment operating continuously at a temperature above freezing. The storage volumes of these two compartments are fixed by the cabinet construction. However, as the needs of the user may vary from time to time, it is desirable to provide means for changing the available freezer and fresh food storage spaces to more closely meet the varying requirements. This can be accomplished by providing a third compartment adapted to selectively provide either freezer or fresh food storage temperatures. A refrigerator including such a compartment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,312-- Sigl, et. al. issued Nov. 19, 1968. As with many modern refrigerators, all three of the compartments of the Sigl refrigerator are cooled by supplying thereto regulated quantities of below freezing air. In accordance with the teachings of this patent, the change of the convertible compartment from operation at a freezing temperature to a fresh food temperature, or vise versa, is accomplished by changing the amount of below freezing air supplied to this compartment.

In converting the convertible compartment to fresh food operation, the only source of heat for warming the convertible compartment to a fresh food temperature is the heat leakage through the compartment walls other than the walls common to the freezer compartment. This may require considerable time particularly in view of the fact that, during this warmup period, periodic operation of the cooling means for maintaining the other two compartments at their desired operating temperatures will also provide some cooling for the convertible compartment.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a combination refrigerator comprising a compartment including means for quickly converting the convertible compartment from a freezer compartment to a fresh food compartment and for controlling the temperature of that compartment when operating for fresh food storage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there is provided a combination refrigerator including a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment and a convertible compartment all of which are cooled by circulation of below freezing air into the compartments. The convertible compartment also includes electric heating means, preferably associated with the wall or walls thereof common to the freezer compartment, and manually operated control means for connecting the heating means to a source of electric power when it is desired to operate the convertible compartment at a higher than normal temperature range. The power supply circuit for the heating means also includes adjustable control means responsive to the temperature of the convertible compartment for controlling the energization of the heating means in order to maintain that compartment within the desired higher than normal temperature range.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a general view of a combination refrigerator to which the present invention may be applied;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the refrigerator in FIG. 1 with the doors removed;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a wiring diagram illustrating the essential control components for operation of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the accompanying drawing there is shown a combination refrigerator-freezer 1 including wall and partition means defining a freezer compartment 2, a fresh food compartment 3 and a convertible compartment 4 having separate access openings at the front thereof respectively closed by doors 5, 6, and 7. The convertible compartment 4 positioned above the freezer compartment 2 is separated therefrom by a bottom wall 8 and a rear wall 9.

The respective compartments are generally cooled to their desired operating temperatures by suitable refrigeration apparatus including an evaporator 10 contained within an evaporator chamber 11 positioned along the rear wall of the freezer compartment 2 and extending upwardly behind and is spaced relationship with the rear wall 9 of the convertible compartment 4. The evaporator 10 operates at below freezing temperatures and the various compartments are cooled by the circulation of below freezing air from the evaporator compartment 11 to the various storage compartments. More specifically, there is provided a fan 14 in the upper portion of the evaporator compartment 11 which circulates the cooled air from the evaporator compartment 11 into the space 15 rearwardly of the convertible compartment 4. Some of this air flows downwardly through the space 15 into the main storage portion of the freezer compartment 2. A second and smaller portion of the air flows to the fresh food compartment 3 through a supply duct 16 in the wall 17 dividing the fresh food compartment from the other two compartments. Another portion of the air flows to the compartment 4 through an opening or passage 18 in the rear wall 9 of that compartment.

Return air from the convertible compartment 4 passes through a return passage 19 in the bottom wall thereof into the freezer compartment 2 and along with the freezer compartment air is then drawn into the evaporator chamber 11 through an opening 20 in the bottom portion of the evaporator chamber. Return air from the fresh food compartment 3 enters the evaporator chamber 11 directly from a return passage 22 in the partition 17.

The distribution of air from the evaporator chamber 11 is determined by the relative sizes of the supply ports or passages 16 and 18; these passages being so proportioned that the fresh food compartment 3 is maintained at the desired above freezing temperatures, the freezer compartment 2 at freezing temperatures, and the convertible compartment 4 at a low temperature such as a freezing temperature.

In accordance with the present invention, the primary means for converting the operation of the convertible compartment 4 from a lower temperature storage compartment to a higher temperature storage compartment, as for example from freezer storage to fresh food storage, comprises electric heating means 25 within or in heating relationship with the compartment 4. Preferably the electric heating means 24 is mounted on or adjacent the walls of the compartment 4 common to the freezer compartment 2. Thus in the illustrated cabinet configuration, the heating means 25 is mounted on the rear wall 9 and the bottom wall 8 of the convertible compartment 4.

The operation of the fan 14 and the compressor 26 (FIG. 4) forming part of the refrigeration system supplying refrigerant to the evaporator 10 are normally controlled by a thermostat 24 responsive to a temperature within the fresh food compartment, or alternatively within the freezer compartment 2. For operation of the convertible compartment 4 at a lower temperature as for example a freezing temperature, the heaters 25 are not energized.

When the user desires to convert the compartment 4 to a higher temperature storage compartment, a manually operated switch 28 is closed (FIG. 4) thereby placing the heater 25 under control of an adjustable temperature control switch means 29 including a temperature-sensing bulb 30 responsive to the temperature of the convertible compartment 4. With the adjustable switch means 29 set to the desired higher temperature of operation of the convertible compartment 4, closing of switch 28 energizes the heating means 25 for a period of time sufficient to increase the temperature of the convertible compartment 4 from the previous lower temperature to the desired higher temperature. This change in the temperature of the convertible compartment is quickly accomplished by the heater 25 regardless of whether or not below freezing air is being supplied to various compartments by operation of the refrigerating means including the fan 14. The adjustable control switch 29 thereafter serves as means for maintaining the convertible compartment 4 within the desired higher temperature range of operation. When it is again desired to operate the compartment 4 as a low-temperature or as a freezer compartment, manually operated switch 28 is opened to prevent further energization of the heater 25.

In accordance with what is presently considered to be a preferred commercial embodiment of the invention, the passage 18 is also provided with an adjustable damper 33 manually movable from an open position in which the convertible compartment 4 operates at its lowest temperature to a partially, but not completely, closed position when it is desired to operate the compartment 4 at a more elevated temperature. Preferably when the damper is in its partially closed position sufficient below freezing air flows through the passage 18 so that, if it were not for the overriding effect of the heater 25, the compartment 4 would operate at a lower temperature than that called for by the adjustment of the adjustable switch means 29. In other words, the heater 25 is depended upon to override the air cooling of the compartment 4 in order to maintain the higher temperature; the partial restriction of the passage 18 merely decreasing the load on the heater 25.

When the control damper 34 is employed in association with the passage 18, the manual switch 28 may be operatively associated with the damper control knob 34 so that the switch 28 is opened when the control knob positions the damper 33 in its fully opened position and is closed when the control knob moves the damper 33 to its partially closed position.

From the above description, it will be seen that there has been provided heating means for the convertible compartment which permits a quick conversion of that compartment from a freezer or lower temperature storage to a higher temperature storage and for maintaining the convertible compartment at its higher operating temperature. The heater 25 may be connected directly across the power supply through the switches 28 and 29 as illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawing or it may be connected in series with main control switch 24 which governs the operation of the compressor 26 and the fan 14; it being understood that switches 28 and 29 would also be used in this case for selectively controlling the temperature within the compartment 4.

While there has been shown and described a specific embodiment of the present invention it will be understood that it is not limited thereto and is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What I believe is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a combination refrigerator including a below freezing compartment, an above freezing compartment, a convertible compartment and air circulating means for supplying below freezing air directly into each said compartments for normally maintaining said convertible compartment within a first, lower temperature range:

means for selectively operating said convertible compartment within a higher than normal temperature range comprising electric heating means in said convertible compartment and adjustable control means responsive to the temperature of said convertible compartment for controlling the energization of said heating means.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 including means for partially restricting the flow of below freezing air to said convertible compartment during operation within a higher than normal temperature range.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 in which said heating means is adjacent a wall of said convertible compartment separating that compartment from said below freezing compartment.

4. In a combination refrigerator including a below freezing compartment, an above freezing compartment, a convertible compartment and air circulating means for supplying below freezing air directly into each said compartments for normally maintaining said convertible compartment at a temperature below that of said above freezing compartment:

electrical heating means in said convertible compartment;

manually operated means for energizing said heating means for operation of said convertible at a higher than normal temperature range; and

adjustable control means responsive to the temperature of said convertible compartment for controlling the energization of said heating means to maintain said compartment within said higher than normal temperature range.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 in which said heating means is in heat exchange relationship with a partition common to said freezer and convertible compartments.