Patent Document

FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The invention relates generally to refrigerator coolers and housing cabinets in addition to an improved method to install, secure and seal a compressor unit into a refrigerator cooler and housing cabinet. 
   BACKGROUND 
   In most commercial machines that include refrigeration units, such as industrial refrigerators, commercial refrigerators, coolers and vending machines, it is often necessary to install the refrigerator compressor into the refrigerator housing cabinet, such as during initial assembly or during maintenance. This can be a difficult task since the compressor is heavy and cumbersome. Moreover, in many instances the equipment can be damaged during the insertion and sealing process. This is particularly true for systems in which the compressor, condenser and evaporator are assembled as a single refrigeration unit to be installed in a refrigeration cabinet. In such systems, the top of the refrigerator unit and the interior of the housing cabinet may be harmed during insertion of the refrigeration unit into the cabinet. Specifically, portions of the refrigeration unit and the housing cabinet are often scratched, chipped or torn during insertion. 
   To correct some of these problems, prior art focused on a variety of solutions. Unfortunately, while some problems were addressed, others were not remedied. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,737 to Kerpers et. al., the inventor taught a method for installing a compressor into a cooling device. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,737 provided for a mounting plate onto which the user placed the compressor motor. The mounting plate is then installed into the housing cabinet. After connecting the compressor motor to the compressor unit with the proper electrical circuits, the compressor motor is installed and the mounting plate is removed. In this invention, however, the compressor motor is installed separately from, and attached independently to, the other portions of the cooling device. The entire compressor unit is not secured into the housing. As such, it is difficult to move or reposition the cooling device without first disconnecting the coolant conduits of the compressor motor. 
   Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,162 to Wolanin et al., the patent teaches a refrigerator compressor motor mounting pan arrangement formed from a metal plate. The compressor motor sits atop the plate. The plate also includes wheel wells so that the compressor motor can be transported along with the compressor and refrigerator unit. A series of brackets holds the compressor motor in place on the plate; however, as in the &#39;737 Patent, the compressor and the motor are not completely secured within the housing, but rather, the housing utilizes the brackets to hold the compressor motor in place. Such an arrangement does not allow for the formation of a tight seal between the whole compressor unit and the refrigerator housing. 
   As noted above, the prior art failed to address problems related to “sealing” or securing the compressor into the cabinet. Specifically, based on the weight and cumbersome nature of the compressor unit, it is often difficult to connect the whole compressor to the cabinet to form a tight seal. In other, unrelated arts, the concept of “sealing” a cooling device within its housing is known; however, in these arts, the applications do not address the issues related to any damage to the cooling unit caused by such sealing mechanisms nor are the compressor units of the same size and heft. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,737 to Kerpers et al. (“&#39;737 Patent) describes a method for installing a motor-compressor unit in a cooling device, specifically an air conditioner. In this patent, a type of mounting plate is attached to the housing cabinet. During the installation of an air conditioner motor compressor unit, the unit is pushed along flanges attached to the mounting plate until the unit is “sealed” in the cabinet. Again, this combination of features does not alleviate the issues related to damage caused to the unit and/or the housing cabinet. In actuality, the movement of the unit across the flanges and into the cabinet likely will scratch, tear or in some measure damage the cabinet. Furthermore, this patent, while not specifically limited to air conditioners, directs its embodiments to commercial air conditioners and, as such, does not describe how the system would work in the unrelated field of refrigeration units. This is a major concern considering the large discrepancy between the size and function of the appliances. 
   Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator cooler and housing cabinet with an installed, secured and sealed refrigerator compressor unit. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator cooler and housing cabinet in which a refrigerator compressor unit is installed without damaging the compressor unit, cooler or the cabinet and, at the same time, forming a secure seal between the compressor unit and the cooler and cabinet. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator cooler and housing cabinet with an installed, secured and sealed refrigerator compressor unit in which the method of installing, securing and sealing the unit is safe and easy to perform. 
   It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator cooler and housing cabinet with an installed, secured and sealed refrigerator compressor unit that is economical to manufacture. 
   It is still a further object of the invention to provide a refrigerator cooler and housing cabinet with an installed, secured and sealed refrigerator compressor unit that is durable and can be used by businesses as well as individuals. 
   Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the remaining portion of the specification. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention includes a refrigerator cooler with a housing cabinet that includes an opening for the insertion of the refrigeration unit. The refrigerator cooler may be a industrial refrigeration unit, commercial refrigerator, vending machine or any other machine with requirement for a refrigeration unit. The refrigeration unit has a back side, a front side, a lower side and an upper side. In the preferred embodiment, the refrigeration unit is made of metal. The upper surface of the unit includes an evaporator inlet opening and evaporator cool air exhaust opening. The perimeter of these openings are surrounded by a seal—preferably made of neoprene or a similar flexible material. Further, the lower side includes two incline surfaces that both extend downwardly towards the front side of the unit. Each inclined surface also includes a horizontal resting surface so that when the refrigeration unit is resting inside the cooler and compartment, the unit rests upon the horizontal resting surface. In the preferred embodiment, the unit also includes a flat metal plate or lip that extends downward from the front side of the unit. This lip includes openings for mating with bolts on the cooler to help secure the unit in place in the cooler. 
   The refrigeration unit housing compartment has a back side, a front side, a lower side and an upper side and an opening to receive the unit. In addition, the compartment has an upper support surface and a lower support surface, both preferably made of metal. The upper surface of the cabinet also includes an evaporator inlet opening and an evaporator cool air exhaust opening. These openings align with the corresponding openings on the unit so as to allow the air flow from the unit through the openings and into the cooler. 
   In addition, the lower support surface of the compartment also has two incline surfaces that extend upwardly towards the back surface of the compartment. These incline surfaces also include horizontal resting surfaces onto Which the unit will ultimately sit. 
   The compartment includes rails along the lower surface. The unit slides along the rails until the unit&#39;s incline surfaces engage the rails and simultaneously the lower incline surfaces of the compartment engage the unit so as to lift or raise the unit and raise it into position. In this position, the seal of the unit engages the upper portion of the compartment. In the preferred embodiment, the seal includes a magnetic core so that the seal will be secured against the upper portion of the metal compartment. 
   In addition, the lower surface of the compartment includes a bracket that runs across the front of the lower surface of the compartment. This bracket includes the aforementioned bolts that are secured into the openings in the lower lip of the unit. In this manner, the unit is secured inside the refrigeration compartment without damaging the unit or the compartment. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a left front perspective view of the fully assembled refrigerator cooler. 
       FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the unit installed, secured and sealed into the refrigerator cabinet. 
       FIG. 3  is a right, top perspective view of the unit prior to installation. 
       FIG. 4  is a left side perspective view of the unit prior to installation. 
       FIG. 5  is a front, top perspective view of the unit prior to installation. 
       FIG. 6  is a left, top perspective view of the unit prior to installation. 
       FIG. 7  is a left side perspective view of the incline of the unit. 
       FIG. 8  is a back view of the fans located within the unit. 
       FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the refrigerator cabinet. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the lower right portion of the compartment. 
       FIG. 11   a  is a left side perspective of the unit as it enters the cabinet. 
       FIG. 11   b  is a left side perspective view of the unit of  11   a  as it is pushed along line  11 — 11 . 
       FIG. 11   c  is a left side perspective view of the compressor unit of  11   a  as it reaches its final position. 
       FIG. 12  is a left front exploded view of the aligned openings in the unit and the cabinet. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   A refrigerator cooler  1  constructed in accordance with the present invention is seen generally in FIG.  1 . As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the refrigerator cooler  1  includes a refrigeration unit  4  and a refrigeration cabinet  6 . 
   As seen throughout  FIGS. 2-7 , the refrigeration unit  4  has a backside  8 , a front side  10 , a lower side  12  and an upper side  14 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the refrigeration unit  4  is preferably made of metal. Further, the lower side  12  preferably includes a left side and right side incline surface  16   a  and  16   b  that both extend downwardly towards the front side  12 . The right side incline surface  16   b  is not shown well, but is a mirror-image of the left side incline surface  16   a . Each incline surface  16   a  and  16   b  includes an adjacent horizontal resting surface  18   a ,  18   b  so that when the refrigeration unit or “unit”  4  is inside the cooler  1 , the unit  4  rests upon the horizontal resting surfaces  18   a ,  18   b  to support the unit  4  in the cooler  1 . 
   Also as seen in  FIGS. 2-7 , the lower surface  12  preferably includes a flat metal plate  20  with a downwardly extending lip  22  from the front side  12  of the unit  4 . In the preferred embodiment, the downward extending lip  22  includes openings  46   a  and  46   b , but may include other similar mating devices, for engagement with the cooler  1 . 
   As demonstrated in  FIGS. 3-7 , the upper side  14  of the unit  4  preferably includes an evaporator inlet opening  23  and an evaporator cool air exhaust opening  24 . In addition, the vent  26 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , allows the flow of ambient air into the refrigeration unit  4 . Specifically, the interior (not shown) of refrigeration unit  4  is divided into a lower interior and upper interior section (not shown). In the preferred embodiment, the lower interior section includes the condenser (not shown). The backside  8 , adjacent to the lower section, includes three fans  34   a ,  34   b  and  34   c , which can be seen in FIG.  8 . The three fans  34   a ,  34   b  and  34   c  ventilate the lower interior section and cool the condenser by pulling the ambient air through the front side of the interior of the refrigeration unit  4  and through vent  26 , then across the condenser. The resultant heated air is then released out of the backside through the three fans  34   a ,  34   b  and  34   c  and out the back vent  80  of the compartment  48 . 
   The lower and upper interior sections are separated so that the condenser and the evaporator (not shown) of the unit  4  are separated. As seen in  FIGS. 3-6 , the evaporator is covered by a shock absorber  40  (made preferably of Styrofoam or some other similar shock absorbing material). In addition, unit  4  includes a temperature control gauge  42  to regulate the temperature of the air circulated through the cabinet  6 . 
   As seen in  FIGS. 3-6  and  11   a-c , the upper side of the refrigeration unit  14  includes a seal  44  secured around the perimeter of the evaporator inlet opening  23  and evaporator cool air exhaust opening  24 . Preferably the seal  44  is made of a flexible material such as neoprene and may include a magnate core. In addition, the seal  44  includes a dividing section  45  as seen in  FIGS. 3-6 . The dividing section  45  separates the evaporator inlet opening  23  and the evaporator cool air exhaust opening  24  so that the air flow is not intermixed. 
   As seen generally in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and more clearly in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the cooler  1  includes the refrigeration unit housing compartment or compartment  48 . The compartment  48  houses the refrigeration unit  4 . The compartment  48  has a backside  50 , a front side  52 , a left side  53 , a lower side  54 , a right side  55 , an upper side  56  and an opening seen generally at  58 . The unit  4  is adapted to slide into opening  58 . In addition, the compartment  48  has an upper support surface  60  and a lower support surface  61 . The lower support surface  61  is preferably made of metal. The lower support surface  61  preferably has two incline surfaces  62   a  and  62   b , as demonstrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11   a-c . The inclines  62   a  and  62   b  operate similarly to inclines  16   a  and  16   b  of the unit  4 . Incline surfaces  62   a  and  62   b  include horizontal resting surfaces  63   a  and  63   b  onto which the unit  4  will ultimately sit during the installed position. Incline surface  62   a  and  62   b  are located at the backside  50  and extend in an upward manner, towards the backside  50 . 
   More particularly, the incline surfaces  62   a  and  62   b  are located along rails  64   a  and  64   b  which are located on the lower support surface  61 , as seen in  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  11   a-c . The rails  64   a  and  64   b  extend along the left and right sides  53 ,  55  of the compartment  48  along the lower support surface  61 . Each rail  64   a  and  64   b  has a back end  66   a  and  66   b  and a front end  68   a  and  68   b . The back ends  66   a  and  66   b  include two stops  67   a  and  67   b  that abut the unit  4  in the resting position as shown clearly in  FIGS. 11   a - 11   c.    
   As shown in  FIG. 9 , the compartment  48  also preferably includes a bracket  70  spanning across the front side  52  of the cabinet  48 . The bracket  70  preferably includes a horizontal surface  72  that forms part of the lower support surface  61 . The bracket  70  also includes a downwardly extending lip  74 , shown in  FIGS. 11   a-c , that preferably includes bolts  76   a  and  76   b , shown in  FIGS. 2 and 11   c , on each side of the bracket  70 .  FIG. 2  clearly demonstrates the bolts  76   a  and  76   b  engaging the corresponding openings  46   a  and  46   b  in the downwardly extending lip  22  of the unit  4 .  FIGS. 11   a - 11   c  show the nuts  77   a  and  77   b , ( 77   b  is not well shown, but is a mirror-image of  77   a ) affixed to the bracket  70 , which receive the corresponding bolts  76   a  and  76   b . In this preferred embodiment, the nuts  77   a  and  77   b  receive the respective bolts  76   a  and  76   b  to secure the refrigeration unit  4  within the compartment  48 . 
   A grill cover  82 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , and includes the vent  26  to allow the ambient airflow into the interior of the unit  4  to provide the aforementioned ventilation across interior of the unit  4 . 
   As seen clearly in  FIGS. 11   a-c , the unit  4  in the preferred embodiment has at least  1  handle  84  for pushing or pulling the unit  4  into or out of the compartment  48 . Specifically, as the unit  4  is pushed along site line  11 — 11  (as shown in  11   a ,  11   b  and  11   c ) it enters into the compartment  48  of the cooler  1 . Initially, the lower metal plate  20  of the unit  4 , comes into contact with the horizontal surface  72  of the bracket  70 , and the rails  64   a  and  64   b . Further advancement of the unit  4  into the compartment  48  causes the side edges  21   a  and  21   b  of the metal plate  20  to slide along the rails  64   a  and  64   b . Eventually the lower metal plate  20  engages the incline surfaces  62   a ,  62   b  and the horizontal surface  72  engages the incline surfaces  16   a ,  16   b . As the unit  4  advances yet further into the compartment  48 , the metal plate  20  and horizontal surface  72  slide upward along the incline surfaces  62   a ,  62   b  and the inclines surfaces  16   a ,  16   b , respectively, causing the unit  4  to move further into the compartment  48 , while simultaneously causing the unit  4  to move upward. 
   Up to this point, a space existed between the unit  4  and upper surface of the compartment  60 . However, as the unit  4  moves upward in the compartment  48 , the space decreases as seen clearly in  FIG. 11   b  and  11   c . Ultimately, when the unit  4  comes to a resting position on the horizontal surfaces  18   a  and  18   b  of unit  4  as well as the horizontal surfaces  63   a  and  63   b  of the compartment  48 , the unit  4  will abut against the stops  67   a  and  67   b . In addition, the seal  44  is now pressed tightly against the upper surface of the compartment  60 . This secures the unit  4  in place within the compartment  48 . In addition, as previously noted, the seal  44  may have a magnetic core and, as such, the seal  44  is additionally secured, magnetically, with the upper support surface of the compartment  60 . Once in this position, the bolts  74   a  and  74   b  may be inserted into the openings  46   a ,  46   b  and secured in place via nuts  77   a  and  77   b , so that the unit  4  can be securely fastened into the compartment  48 . 
     FIG. 12  shows openings  86   a  and  86   b  of compartment  48  that are aligned with the evaporator inlet opening  23  and outlet  24  of the unit  4 , when the unit  4  is in the installed position of  FIG. 11   c . The openings  86   a  and  86   b  are found in the upper surface  56  of the compartment  48 . The openings  86   a  and  86   b  allow the flow of air from the corresponding evaporator inlet opening  23  and evaporator cool air exhaust opening  24  to circulate air in the refrigeration cooler cabinet  6 . Specifically, the airflow circulates through a baffling system  88   a  and  88   b  to the refrigeration cooler cabinet  6 . The details of the baffling system  88   a ,  88   b  are not shown. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate the requirements of the baffling system. In this manner, the refrigeration cooler cabinet  6  is cooled. As seen clearly in  FIG. 1 , the openings  86   a  and  86   b  are covered (preferably) by a hard plastic sheet  90  so that food items in the refrigeration cooler cabinet  6  do not slip through the openings  86   a  and  86   b  and into the unit  4 . The refrigeration cooler cabinet  6  can maintain food items of other products in a variety of methods including the shelving system as seen generally at  92  as shown in  FIG. 1  or in a vending machine-type format.

Technology Category: f