Patent Publication Number: US-7587904-B2

Title: Refrigeration system with spring rod

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present application relates generally to refrigeration systems, and more particularly to a refrigeration assembly including a spring rod. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Refrigerators are used in numerous settings, such as in a commercial setting or in a domestic setting. Typically, refrigerators are used to store and maintain food products by providing a cooled environment into which the products can be stored. Refrigeration systems typically include a refrigeration cabinet into which the food products are placed and a refrigeration assembly for cooling the air and products in the refrigeration cabinet. 
   The refrigeration assembly often includes an evaporator assembly and a condenser assembly, each forming a portion of a refrigerant loop or circuit. The refrigerant is used to carry heat from air within the refrigeration cabinet. The refrigerant picks up heat in the evaporator assembly and then gives off heat in the condenser assembly. 
   At least some of the components of the evaporator assembly can be mounted within an insulated compartment. As such, suitable mounting structure for mounting the components within the insulated compartment is desired. 
   SUMMARY 
   In an aspect, a refrigeration unit includes a housing including an insulated compartment having opposing first and second walls. A spring rod has a first end mounted at a first location to the first wall of the insulated compartment and a second end mounted at a second location to the second wall of the insulated compartment. An evaporator assembly includes a component mounted to the insulated compartment by the spring rod. A shoulder of the spring rod exerts a force against the component in a direction toward the first wall to limit the movement of the component mounted to the insulated compartment. 
   In another aspect, a refrigeration unit has an evaporator assembly and a condenser assembly connected to the evaporator assembly. The refrigeration unit further includes a spring rod supporting the evaporator coil within an insulated compartment. The spring rod has a first end mounted at a first location to the first wall of the insulated compartment and a second end mounted at a second location to the second wall of the insulated compartment. An evaporator coil mounting structure is used to mount the evaporator coil in the insulated compartment. The spring rod has a shoulder that exerts a force against the evaporator coil mounting structure in a direction toward the first wall to limit the movement of the evaporator coil in the insulated compartment. 
   In another aspect, a method of assembling a refrigeration unit is provided. The method includes providing a spring rod having a shoulder located between a first end of the spring rod and an opposite, second end of the spring rod. A component of an evaporator assembly is engaged with the spring rod. The spring rod is loaded such that the shoulder of the spring rod is biased against the component. The first end is engaged with a first mount located at a first wall of an insulated compartment. The second end is engaged with a second mount located at a second wall of the insulated compartment. The shoulder is biased against the component with the first and second ends engaged with the respective first and second mounts. 
   In another aspect, a refrigeration unit includes a housing including an insulated compartment having opposing first and second walls. An evaporator coil is at least partially disposed in the insulated compartment. A spring rod supports at least one of the evaporator coil, a drip pan and a fan shroud in the insulated compartment. The spring rod has a first end mounted at a first location in the insulated compartment and a second end mounted at a second location of the second wall of the insulated compartment such that a linear distance from the first location to the second location is less than an unloaded length of the spring rod. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment of a refrigeration module; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of a spring rod mounting an evaporator assembly component in an insulated compartment of the refrigeration module of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 2A  is a detail, section view at area A of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the spring rod of  FIG. 2  in an unloaded state; 
       FIG. 4  is a front, schematic view of the spring rod of  FIG. 2  mounting a component in an insulated compartment and emphasizing the spring rod in a loaded state; 
       FIG. 5  is top view of an embodiment of a drip pan assembly mounted within an embodiment of an insulated compartment using the spring rod of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the drip pan assembly of  FIG. 5  mounted to the insulated compartment; 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a refrigeration appliance including the refrigeration module of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded, perspective view of a fan assembly including another embodiment of a spring rod; and 
       FIG. 9  is a front view of the spring rod of  FIG. 8 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a refrigeration module  10  for use with a refrigeration appliance such as a vending machine, refrigerator, freezer, etc. includes a housing  12  having a compartment  30  housing a condenser assembly  14  and another, insulated compartment  32  housing an evaporator assembly  16 . Evaporator assembly  16  includes an evaporator coil assembly  26 , mounting structure  28  for use in mounting the evaporator coil assembly  26  within the insulated compartment  32  and a fan assembly  34  for circulating air over an evaporator coil  18 . Fan assembly  34  includes a fan  35 , a fan motor  37  operatively connected to the fan  35  and a fan shroud  36  having mounting structure  38  that is used to mount the fan assembly in the insulated compartment  32 . A drain pan assembly  40  is located to receive moisture falling from the evaporator coil assembly  26 . Drain pan assembly  40  includes mounting structures  46  that are used to mount the drain pan assembly within the second compartment  32  and beneath the evaporator coil assembly  26  and a drain conduit  42  for directing accumulated moisture (i.e., condensate) from drain pan  44 . A gasket  48  seals the evaporator assembly  16  within housing  12 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , an example of suitable mounting structure for use in mounting one or more components of the evaporator assembly  16  at locations in the insulated compartment  32  (e.g., illustrated as mounting structures  28 ,  38  and  46  in  FIG. 1 ) is shown. The mounting structure is in the form of a spring rod  54  (illustrated in a loaded state) that cooperates with component mounting structure fixed to the component, here shown in part as bracket arms  78  and  80 , to mount the component within the insulated compartment  32 . Loaded spring rod  54  includes a bent central portion  56  that is connected to opposite end portions  58  and  60  by shoulders  62  and  64 . 
   End portions  58 ,  60  of the spring rod  54  extend through openings in the bracket arms  78 ,  80  to secure the spring rod  54  therebetween with shoulders  62  and  64  biased outwardly by the bend into contact with the arms. To mount the component within the insulated compartment  32 , in the illustrated example, ends  70  and  72  are positioned within rod-receiving mounts (e.g., openings  96  and  98 ) located at opposing walls  90 ,  92  of the insulated compartment. In an alternative arrangement, the rod-receiving mounts could be formed using brackets (not shown) that are attached to the walls  90 ,  92 . As shown, the arms  78  and  80  are spaced apart from the walls  90  and  92 , however, in other embodiments, the arms (or one arm) could contact the walls. 
     FIG. 2A  shows an enlarged view of rod end portion  60  passing through bracket arm  80  and into opening  98  in wall  92 . Wall  92  is shown with a metal skin  95  covering foam insulation  97 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , spring rod  54  is illustrated in an unloaded configuration (e.g., prior to its connection to the evaporator assembly component) with central portion  56  being relatively straight and offset end portions  58  and  60  extending substantially parallel to the central portion. Shoulders  62  and  64  connect the central portion  56  to respective end portions  58  and  60  at bends  66  and  68 . Shoulders  62  and  64  extend away from the central portion  56  to span an offset distance d between the end portions  58  and  60  and the central portion such that the spring rod  54  forms somewhat of a U-shape having an unloaded length L 1  measured from end  70  to end  72  and an unloaded length L 2  measured from an outer surface  86  of shoulder  62  to an outer surface  88  of shoulder  64 . While a U-shaped spring rod is illustrated, other configurations are possible (see  FIG. 8  as an example). As shown, each of the central and end portions  56 ,  58  and  60 , respectively, of the spring rod  54  have the same cross-sectional shape (e.g., round, polygonal, flat, etc.), however, the portions may have differing cross sections. For example, the central portion  56  may have a round cross section while the end portions  58  and  60  (or at least a length of the end portions) may include square cross sections (e.g., which may be used to inhibit rotation of the spring rod  54  when mounted within the insulated compartment  32 ). 
   Spring rod  54  is formed with an elastic quality such that when bent as shown in  FIG. 2  the rod seeks to return to its unloaded orientation shown in  FIG. 3 . The spring rod  54  can be flexible enough such that it can be bent a desired amount without permanent deformation and assembled with the other components. Spring rod  54  is also rigid enough so that it can support the component within the insulated compartment  32 . Suitable materials for forming the spring rod  54  include metals, such as steel including stainless steel. Any suitable method can be used to form the spring rod  54  including drawing, extrusion, bending, casting, etc. or any combination thereof. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , a schematic view of spring rod  54  mounting an evaporator assembly component, such as the evaporator coil assembly  26 , the fan assembly  34  or the drain pan assembly  40  in the insulated compartment  32  is shown. Each end  70 ,  72  of spring rod  54  is mounted through the respective opening  74 ,  76  that extends through the associated bracket arm  78 ,  80  of the component as described above. The substantially fixed distance D 1  between inner surfaces  82  and  84  of arms  78  and  80  is less than the unloaded length L 2  between outer surfaces  86  and  88  of shoulders  62  and  64  ( FIG. 3 ). As a result, mounting spring rod  54  within holes  74  and  76  of arms  78 ,  80  causes the spring rod  54  to remain bent such that central portion  56  has a length L 3  that is less than its unloaded length L 2 . In its loaded state, spring rod  54  also has an overall length L 4  between ends  70  and  72  that is less than its unloaded length L 1  ( FIG. 3 ). 
   As noted above, spring rod  54  exerts a force when deformed. Forces F 1  and F 2  are applied by the shoulders  62  and  64  to the bracket arms  78  and  80  at a location near openings  74 ,  76  to bias the shoulders thereagainst. The application of forces F 1  and F 2  serves to provide some rigidity to the connection between the spring rod  54  and the component thereby reducing the potential for relative movement between the spring rod and the component to which it is mounted. In particular, application of F 1  and F 2  by the shoulders  62  and  64  to the bracket arms  78  and  80  can serve to limit linear movement of the component along the length of the spring rod  54  and also to limit rotational movement of the component about the spring rod by increasing the friction between the bracket arms and the spring rod. 
   In an embodiment, a mounting operation for mounting an evaporator component within the insulated compartment  32  includes inserting the end portions  58  and  60  through respective holes  74  and  76  in the arms  78  and  80  of mounting structure affixed to the evaporator assembly component. In most instances, the spring rod  54  will be bent or deformed (e.g., manually) while inserting at least one of the end portions  58  and  60  through the arms  78  and  80 . In some instances, the spring rod  54  will be unloaded to an extent to allow both the end portions  58  to pass through the holes  74  and  76  with the end portions protruding outwardly from the arms to expose ends  70  and  72 . With the spring rod  54  mounted between the arms  78  and  80 , the spring rod remains bent with the shoulders  62  and  64  being biased against the arms  78  and  80 , each applying a force to a respective arm. The end portions  58  and  60  protrude outwardly from sides of the arms  78  and  80  that are opposite the sides against which the shoulders  62  and  64  are biased. The spring rod  54  and component are then mounted to the walls  90  and  92  (illustrated by dotted lines) within the insulated compartment  32  ( FIG. 1 ; see  FIGS. 5 and 6  also). In the illustrated example, the spring rod  54  is mounted within the compartment  32  by inserting the ends  70  and  72  within rod-receiving mounts (e.g., openings  96  and  98 ) located at the opposing walls  90 ,  92 . Bending of the spring rod  54  also takes place during this step. In an alternative technique, the spring rod ends  70 ,  72  may be inserted through the bracket arms  78  and  80  and the rod-receiving mounts in a near simultaneous manner (i.e., with only a single bending operation of the spring rod  54  required). 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , multiple spring rods  54  can be used to mount evaporator assembly  16  components within the insulated compartment  32 . In the illustrated embodiment, spring rods  54   a  and  54   b  are used to mount the drain pan assembly  40  in the insulated compartment  32 , for example, below the evaporator coil assembly  26  (not shown; see  FIG. 1 ) to allow the drain pan to collect condensate falling from the evaporator coil. Spring rods  54   a  and  54   b  are substantially parallel to each other and each have ends  70 ,  72  that extend through respective openings  74 ,  76  and are received within respective openings  96 ,  98  formed in opposite walls  90 ,  92  of the insulated compartment as described above. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a refrigeration appliance  100  including the refrigeration module  10  with evaporator assembly  16  is shown. Each of the evaporator coil assembly  26  including coils  18 , drip pan assembly  40  and fan assembly  36  including fan  35  is located within insulated compartment  32  using spring rods  54  having ends that are mounted at locations on sidewalls of the compartment, as described above. Fan assembly  36  is mounted as the lowermost component such that the fan  35  can draw air  102  from the cabinet  104 , along air flow path  106  and through the evaporator coils  18  for cooling the air. Drip pan assembly  40  is mounted between the fan assembly  36  and the evaporator coil assembly  26  such that the drip pan can receive condensate dripping from the evaporator coil assembly  26 . Evaporator coil assembly  26  is mounted as the uppermost component such that air  102  drawn in by the fan  35  is forced through the evaporator coil assembly. The cool air  102  is then forced out of the insulated compartment  32  and into the cabinet  104 . 
   Spring rod(s)  54  provides both locating structure and bracing structure for the component, such as the evaporator coil assembly  26 , the fan assembly  34  or the drain pan assembly  40  it mounts within the insulated compartment  32 . Such bracing can reduce the potential of relative movement (e.g., linear and rotational) between the spring rod  54  and the component, which can reduce noise and maintenance requirements of the system. Spring rod  54  can also reduce tolerance concerns during assembly. For example, in some embodiments, the walls of the insulated compartment  32  are formed by providing a metal skin into which an expanding foam insulation is injected. In these instances, it can be difficult (and expensive) to repeatedly control dimensions of the walls from compartment to compartment. Use of spring rod  54  allows for deviation in dimensions between compartments  32  because the spring rod is made long enough to account for such variation where the spring rod applies forces F 1  and F 2  to the component, rigidity of the component mounting can be maintained. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a spring rod can be used to mount certain evaporator assembly  16  components together. In this instance, a thermostat  110  is mounted to a fan shroud  108  of a fan assembly embodiment  112  using another spring rod embodiment  114 . Unlike spring rod  54  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 3 ), shoulders  116  and  118  of spring rod  114  extend from opposite sides of central portion  120 . End portions  122  and  124  are received within respective openings  126  and  128  located through arms  130  and  132  of the fan shroud  108 . The thermostat  110  is supported by locating a ledge of the thermostat beneath the central portion  120  of the spring rod  114 . The spring rod  114  inhibits end  134  from being removed through hole  138 . 
   It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only and is not intended to be taken by way of limitation. For example, in some embodiments, the end portions  58  and  60  may not be substantially parallel to the central portion  56 . In some instances, the spring rod  54  can provide pivot structure that allows a component to which it is connected to pivot relative to the spring rod. For example, referring to  FIG. 8 , spring rod  54  may allow the fan shroud  108  to pivot about the spring rod (e.g., in the direction of arrow  140  as mounted within the insulated compartment  32 . This can allow for access to various components of the fan assembly  112 , such as the fan motor  142 . In some embodiments, side  144  opposite the spring rod  54  may be releasably clamped within the insulated compartment to inhibit rotation of the fan shroud  108  until side  144  is released. Other changes and modifications could be made.