General Electric Company

Robert B Gelbard

James R Griffin

Julius B Horvay

Raymond M Schreck

William D Irish

Bernard J Grimm

Howard D True, Jr

Bob D Merryman

Ronald D Gregg

A compact evaporator unit for a household refrigerator including a partition dividing the refrigerator into two separate compartments. The partition is formed with an evaporator compartment in which the evaporator is positioned. The evaporator comprises a tubular member having an extended heat exchange surface in the form of a pair of longitudinally extending helically coiled portions. The coiled portions are arranged parallel with the rear coil being elevated relative to the front coil. The rear coil is extended to form end coils which provide a central area between the end coils to accommodate a fan employed for moving air through the evaporator compartment. The rear coil being raised so that the flow of air passing through the evaporator compartment will impact on both coils to thereby increase the frost tolerance of the evaporator.

Household refrigerator with air circulating and cooling arrangement

A temperature control system for a refrigerator including a roll-bonded evaporator in the fresh food compartment in which is formed a non-refrigerant carrying passageway extending the full width of the evaporator. A temperature control located in the compartment includes a temperature sensitive capillary tube portion extending substantially the full length of the passageway so as to be subjected to the limited environment of the passageway and accordingly responsive to the true temperature of the evaporator.

Temperature control for a cycle defrost refrigerator incorporating a

A unitary refrigerator compressor and auxiliary condenser assembly adapted to be installed in the machinery compartment of a domestic refrigerator. The assembly includes a serpentine portion of the auxiliary condenser having an inlet and outlet end connected to the compressor, and a container supported on the serpentine portion for providing evaporation of water collected in the container. The serpentine portion of the condenser and container are in intimate heat exchange contact by virtue of adhesive bonding between the two components, and are resiliently supported on the base member so as to vibrate in unison with said compressor.

Compressor auxiliary condenser arrangement adapted to be mounted in a

A demand defrost control system having a timing circuit operable after a duration of time to energize a defrost heater including temperature responsive means for automatically altering the duration of time between defrost cycles.

Thermal delay demand defrost system

A defrost control, including a vertically extending evaporator positioned in thermal contact with the back wall of a chamber. The defrost sensor is arranged above the evaporator and within the boundary layer thickness of air in natural convection so that the sensor will terminate the defrost operation relative to the temperature of the evaporator.

Defrost control

The present invention relates to an air circulating and cooling arrangement for a refrigerator cabinet including a fresh food and freezer storage compartment. A partition dividing the compartments includes a first wall defining the upper wall of fresh food compartment and a second wall defining the lower wall of the freezer compartment. A divider element arranged intermediate the partition walls separates a first passage for circulating air through the fresh food compartment and a second passage for circulating air through the freezer compartment. The evaporator is in heat exchange relation with a portion of the first passage so that air moving through the fresh food compartment contacts colder portions of the divider to remove moisture therefrom prior to passing through the evaporator. The heat leakage from that portion of the divider in heat exchange relation with the evaporator conductively links the evaporator to the fresh food compartment. In effect the present invention links the evaporator to the fresh food compartment conductively as well as convectively.

Household refrigerator with air circulation and cooling arrangement

A refrigerator has a machinery compartment at the bottom for housing a motor-compressor unit and a condenser and has an air inlet opening at the front thereof extending substantially across the width of the compartment. The machinery compartment includes a forward section for receiving the condenser and a duct at the rear portion thereof for receiving the motor-compressor unit. The duct has an air inlet at one end for receiving air from the forward section. The condenser extends generally horizontally from one side wall of the compartment across a substantial portion of the forward section. A drain pan is supported above the condenser for collecting water draining from the interior of the refrigerator. The drain pan additionally functions as a baffle to cause air entering the forward section to flow effectively over the condenser. A fan is positioned at the inlet of the duct and the motor-compressor unit is so positioned in the duct that the compressor portion thereof is positioned adjacent to the fan so that substantially all of the air discharged from the fan is directed onto the compressor portion, thereby maximizing the heat transferred from the compressor to the air flowing through the compartment.

Cooling arrangement for a refrigerator machinery compartment

A suction line/capillary tube assembly which provides improved heat exchange between the cool gaseous refrigerant conveyed by the suction line and the warm liquid refrigerant conveyed by the capillary tube in a refrigeration system. The assembly is generally characterized by the capillary tube being within and in direct thermal contact with the suction line wall along a substantial length thereof, which length is at least approximately two feet. In a first specific embodiment, the capillary tube is soldered to the inside of the suction line, as opposed to merely being loosely passed therethrough. In a second specific embodiment, an aluminum suction line is fabricated with an internal extruded channel defined between a pair of ridges extending from the interior surface of the suction line. A copper capillary tube is snugly positioned in the channel and preferably the ridges are deformed toward each other so as to substantially surround the capillary tube. In a method of providing a suction line/capillary tube assembly as contemplated by the second specific embodiment, the operation of deforming the ridges is accomplished by forcing a closure tool through the suction line. In a third specific embodiment, the capillary tube is snugly positioned within a longitudinal bore formed within the wall of the suction line.

High efficiency heat exchange for refrigeration suction line/capillary

A refrigerator including two compartments, one of which is maintained at a temperature above freezing for the storage of fresh foods and the other of which is maintained at a temperature below freezing for storage of frozen foods is cooled by air circulated over an evaporator disposed outside the compartments. The evaporator comprises a metal plate having a cooling element mounted thereon in heat exchange relationship. The evaporator is positioned in the cabinet in such a manner that the cooling element is disposed in a first passage and air is circulated over the cooling element and then in proportioned amounts to the aforementioned compartments. To reduce the amount of frost collecting on the cooling element a second passage is provided in the refrigerator cabinet adjacent the opposite side of the plate from that on which the cooling element is mounted. Moist air returning from the fresh food compartment is caused to circulate through this second passage in contact with the aforementioned plate so that a substantial amount of the moisture in this air deposits on the plate as frost before the air reaches the first passage and the cooling element. The plate is spaced from the rear inner wall of the refrigerator to form the second passage between the plate and the inner wall of the refrigerator. The warm air circulating through the second passage, which is disposed adjacent a substantial portion of the rear inner wall of the refrigerator, reduces heat leakage from the exterior of the refrigerator to the interior of the refrigerator.

An apparatus and method for forming a water delivery system for an automatic ice-forming element of a refrigeration apparatus. The refrigeration apparatus is formed of inner and outer spaced-apart cases with a holding element positioned between the cases in contact with a water supply line for maintaining said line in heat exchange relationship with at least one wall of the outer case.

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Louisville, KY, United States of America

Robert B Gelbard