Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6367280
-
Patent Number
6,367,280
-
Date Filed
Friday, November 3, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 9, 200223 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Doerrler; William
- Jones; Melvin
Agents
- Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 062 440
- 062 443
- 062 444
- 062 451
- 062 454
- 062 263
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
In a structure in which a refrigerator including a compressor and a condenser each constituting a portion of a refrigerating unit and mounted to an outer surface of a rear wall of a refrigerator body is mounted to a stationary support wall in such a manner that the refrigerator body is accommodated in an accommodating recess provided in the support wall, an intake passage into which air can be drawn through a front end thereof, an exhaust passage from which the air can be discharged through a front end thereof, and a communication passage connecting rear ends of the intake passage and the exhaust passage to each other and having the compressor and the condenser accommodated therein, are defined between an inner surface of the accommodating recess and the refrigerator body. A fan for drawing air from the intake passage and discharging the air into the exhaust passage is mounted to the rear wall of the refrigerator body and accommodated in the communication passage. Thus, the aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator can be enhanced, and the compressor and the condenser can be cooled sufficiently.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator which includes a compressor and a condenser each constituting a portion of a refrigerating unit and mounted to an outer surface of a rear wall of a refrigerator body, the refrigerator being mounted to a stationary support wall with the refrigerator body accommodated in an accommodating recess provided in the support wall. Particularly, the invention relates to a mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator which is suitable to be carried in a large-sized vehicle such as a truck or in a ship such as a cruiser.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional placing structure in which a refrigerator is mounted to a support wall in such a manner that a refrigerator body is accommodated in an accommodating recess, an intake bore for drawing air and an exhaust bore for discharging the air are provided in the support wall separately from the accommodating recess for the purpose of escaping heat released from a compressor and a condenser mounted to a rear wall of the refrigerator body.
In the structure in which the intake bore and the exhaust bore are provided in the support wall as in the above conventional structure, however, it is difficult to say that the external appearance of the structure is excellent and moreover, it may be difficult in some cases to ensure a space for provision of the intake bore and the exhaust bore, depending on a placing area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator, wherein it is unnecessary to provide the intake bore and the exhaust bore in the support wall, leading to an improved appearance and moreover, the compressor and the condenser can be cooled sufficiently.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect and feature of the present invention, there is provided a mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator including a refrigerator body having an opening in a front surface thereof and defining a refrigerating chamber, a door mounted on the front surface of the refrigerator body for opening and closing the opening, and a refrigerating unit for refrigerating said refrigerating chamber, the refrigerator including a compressor and a condenser each constituting a portion of the refrigerating unit and mounted to an outer surface of a rear wall of the refrigerator body, the refrigerator being mounted to a stationary support wall, such that the refrigerator body is accommodated in an accommodating recess provided in the support wall, and the door can be opened and closed outside the accommodating recess, wherein the mounting and placing structure includes an intake passage into which air can be drawn through a front end thereof, an exhaust passage from which the air can be discharged through a front end thereof, and a communication passage which connects rear ends of the intake passage and the exhaust passage to each other, the compressor and said condenser being accommodated in the communication passage, and wherein the intake passage, the exhaust passage and the communication passage are defined between an inner surface of the accommodating recess and the refrigerator body accommodated in the accommodating recess, and a fan is mounted to the rear wall of the refrigerator body and accommodated in the communication passage for drawing air from the intake passage and discharging the air into the exhaust passage.
With such arrangement of the first feature, the air drawn into the intake passage from the outside by the operation of the fan is permitted to flow through the communication passage and then discharged through the exhaust passage to the outside, so that the compressor and condenser accommodated in the communication passage are cooled effectively by the air flowing through the communication passage. Moreover, since the intake passage, the communication passage and the exhaust passage are defined between the inner surface of the accommodating recess and the refrigerator body, it is unnecessary to provide an intake bore and an exhaust bore in the support wall in addition to the accommodating recess. Therefore, the aesthetic appearance can be enhanced by no need for the provision of such intake and exhaust bores, and the compressor and the condenser can be cooled sufficiently.
According to a second aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the accommodating recess is defined by first and second side surfaces extending vertically in parallel to each other, a ceiling surface connecting upper ends of the first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, a bottom surface connecting lower ends of the first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, and a closed end surface connecting rear ends of the side surfaces, the ceiling surface and the bottom surface at right angles to each other; wherein the rear wall of the refrigerator body has a regular quadrilateral vertical-sectional shape and defines the intake passage between the refrigerator body and the bottom surface, and the exhaust passage between the refrigerator body and the ceiling surface, the rear wall including a first wall portion which is adjacent to the first side surface and closer and opposed to the closed end surface in parallel to the closed end surface, and a second wall portion which is adjacent to the second side surface and inclined such that it is spaced farther from the closed end surface as going away from the first wall portion, the first and second wall portions being connected to each other; and wherein the communication passage is of a triangular cross-sectional shape and extends vertically to connect the rear ends of the intake passage and the exhaust passage, the communication passage being defined between the second side surface as well as the closed end surface of the accommodating recess and the second wall portion.
With such arrangement of the second feature, the intake passage, the exhaust passage and the communication passage are defined by only accommodating the refrigerator body in the accommodating recess having the simple right-angled quadrilateral cross-sectional shape. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the communication passage can be set at an allowed small value to the utmost, and the flow speed of the air flowing through the communication passage can be increased to the utmost to enhance the efficiency of cooling the compressor and the condenser. Moreover, the second wall portion constituting a portion of the rear wall of the refrigerator body is defined in such a manner that a corner at the rear end of the refrigerator body is cut out. Thus, goods can be accommodated effectively in the entire refrigerating chamber deeply from its inlet end to its deep end, as compared with a refrigerator in which a central portion of a rear wall is recessed to protrude into a refrigerating chamber.
According to a third aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the second feature, mounting plates are secured to the front end of the refrigerator body at opposite sides of the refrigerator body, thereby closing gaps defined respectively between the first and second side surfaces of the accommodating recess and the opposite sides of the refrigerator body, wherein the mounting plates can be fastened to the support wall. With such arrangement, the refrigerator body can be fixed to the support wall, while avoiding a reduction in aesthetic appearance due to the reason that the gaps on the opposite sides of the refrigerator body are visible from the outside.
According to a fourth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the second or third feature, an upper cover having exhaust bores leading to the exhaust passage is mounted to the front end of the refrigerator body at an upper portion of the refrigerator body to cover the front end of the exhaust passage. With such arrangement, it is possible to avoid that the exhaust passage defined between the ceiling surface of the accommodating recess and the refrigerator body is visible from the outside, thereby enhancing the external appearance, and the air can be discharged from the exhaust passage to the outside, while preventing foreign matters from entering the exhaust passage from the outside.
According to a fifth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the second or third feature, a lower cover having an intake bore leading to the intake passage is mounted to the front end of the refrigerator body at a lower portion of the refrigerator body to cover the front end of the intake passage. With such arrangement, it is possible to avoid that the intake passage defined between the bottom surface of the accommodating recess and the refrigerator body is visible from the outside, thereby enhancing the external appearance, and the air can be drawn into the intake passage from the outside, while preventing foreign matters from entering the intake passage from the outside.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1
to
7
show a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein
FIG. 1
is a vertical sectional side view showing a refrigerator in a state in which it has been accommodated in an accommodating recess;
FIG. 2
is a sectional view taken along a line
2
—
2
in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a front view of the refrigerator, taken in the direction of an arrow
3
in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is a side view taken in the direction of an arrow
4
in
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a sectional view taken along a line
5
—
5
in
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 6
is an exploded perspective view of a refrigerator body and a refrigerating unit;
FIG. 7
is an exploded perspective view of a front portion of the refrigerator; and
FIG. 8
is a sectional view similar to
FIG. 2
, but showing a second embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
FIGS. 1
to
7
. Referring first to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a refrigerator
17
is carried, for example, on a large-sized vehicle such as a truck or a ship such as a cruiser, and mounted to a support wall
15
provided in the large-sized vehicle or the ship, with most of the refrigerator
17
accommodated in an accommodating recess
16
provided in the support wall
15
.
The accommodating recess
16
is defined in the support wall
15
into a simple regular quadrilateral cross-sectional shape by (1) first and second side surfaces
16
a
and
16
b
extending vertically in parallel to each other, (2) a ceiling surface
16
c
connecting the upper ends of the first and second side surfaces
16
a
and
16
b
at right angles to each other, (3) a bottom surface
16
d
connecting the bottom ends of the first and second side surfaces
16
a
and
16
b
at right angles to each other, and (4) a closed end surface
16
e
connecting the rear ends of the ceiling surface
16
c
and the bottom surface
16
d
at right angles to each other.
The refrigerator
17
includes a refrigerator body
18
, a door
19
mounted to a front surface of the refrigerator body
18
, and a refrigerating unit
20
. The refrigerator
17
is mounted to the support wall
15
, so that the refrigerator body
18
is accommodated in the accommodating recess
16
, and the door
19
can be opened and closed outside the accommodating recess
16
.
Referring further to
FIGS. 3
to
5
, the refrigerator body
18
is formed to have a regular quadrilateral vertical sectional shape with an opening
21
provided in its front surface, and a refrigerating chamber
22
is defined within the refrigerator body
18
.
A plurality of legs
23
are provided on a bottom of the refrigerator body
18
, and the accommodation of the refrigerator body
18
in the accommodating recess
16
ensures that an intake passage
24
is defined between the bottom surface
16
d
of the accommodating recess
16
and the refrigerator body
18
, and an exhaust passage
25
is defined between the ceiling surface
16
c
of the accommodating recess
16
and the refrigerator body
18
.
On the other hand, the refrigerator body
18
has a rear wall
26
which comprises a first wall portion
26
a
adjacent to the first side
16
a
and closer and opposed to the closed end surface
16
e
in parallel to the closed end surface
16
e
of the accommodating recess
16
, and a second wall portion
26
b
adjacent to the second side
16
b
and inclined such that it is spaced farther from the closed end surface
16
e
as going away from the first wall portion
26
a,
the first wall portion
26
a
and the second wall portion
26
b
being connected to each other. A communication passage
27
which is triangular in cross section is defined between the second side surface
16
b
as well as the closed end surface
16
e
of the accommodating recess
16
and the second wall portion
26
b
of the rear wall
26
, and extends vertically to connect rear ends of the intake passage
24
and those of the exhaust passage
25
to each other.
Referring also to
FIG. 6
, a refrigerating unit
20
for refrigerating the refrigerating chamber
22
includes a compressor
28
extending vertically to have, for example, a circular cross-sectional shape, a condenser
29
and an evaporator
30
and the like. The compressor
28
is mounted to an outer surface of the second wall portion
26
b
in the rear wall
26
of the refrigerator body
18
, so that it is accommodated in the communication passage
27
, and the condenser
29
accommodated in the communication passage
27
together with the compressor
28
is mounted to an outer surface of the first wall portion
26
a
in the rear wall
26
to surround the compressor
28
. The evaporator
30
is formed, for example, into a substantially U-shape with its upper portion opened, and is fixed within the refrigerating chamber
22
to an inner surface of an upper portion of the refrigerator body
18
to define the freezing chamber between the evaporator
30
and the inner surface of the upper portion of the refrigerator body
18
.
A conduit
31
for introducing a coolant evaporated in the evaporator
30
into the compressor
28
is extended forwards along the inner surface of the upper portion of the refrigerator body
18
within the refrigerating chamber
22
; turned up and rearwards through 180 degrees at an front end of the refrigerator body
18
; then extended rearwards along an outer surface of the upper portion of the refrigerator body
18
and connected to the compressor
28
. A conduit
32
for introducing the coolant from the condenser
29
to the evaporator
30
is disposed to substantially overlap the conduit
31
, and a protecting pipe
33
, through which both the conduits
31
and
32
are inserted, is fixed to the outer surf ace of the upper portion of the refrigerator body
18
.
A fan
34
having a motor is disposed below the compressor
28
and the condenser
29
for allowing air to flow upwards within the communication passage
27
. The fan
34
is also mounted to the outer surface of the second wall portion
26
b
of the rear wall
26
of the refrigerator body
18
. Thus, a flow of air from the intake passage
24
to the communication passage
27
is generated, as shown by an arrow in
FIG. 1
, by the operation of the fan
34
and thus, air flowing upwards within the communication passage
27
flows toward the exhaust passage
25
.
Referring also
FIG. 7
, a support frame
35
is secured to the front end of the refrigerator body
18
, so that the entire periphery of the refrigerator body
18
is fitted to the support frame
35
. Mounting plates
36
,
36
each having a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape are secured to opposite sides of the support frame
35
. The mounting plates
36
,
36
are capable of being fastened to the support wall
15
, and the refrigerator body
18
is fixed to the support wall
15
by the fastening of the mounting plates
36
to the support wall
15
. Moreover, in a state in which the mounting plates
36
have been fastened to the support wall
15
, the mounting plates
36
close front ends of gaps
37
,
37
defined respectively between the first and second side surfaces
16
a
and
16
b
of the accommodating recess
16
and the opposite sides of the refrigerator body
18
.
Support arms
38
,
38
can be fastened to upper and lower portions of a support frame
35
so that they can be alternatively selected at either of its left or right portion, with their front portions protruding forwards from the support frame
35
in a connected relation to the support frame
35
. Moreover, coaxial threaded bores
39
,
39
are provided in front portions of the support arms
38
,
38
, and fitting bores
41
are provided left and right upper and lower portions of the door
19
, respectively, and tip ends of screw members
40
,
40
threadedly inserted through the threaded bores
39
,
39
are fitted into the fitting bores
41
. Thus, the door
19
is mounted to the support frame
35
, i.e., the front surface of the refrigerator body
18
for rotation about axes of screw members
40
,
40
by fitting of the screw members
40
,
40
into the fitting bores
41
, so that it can be selected properly whether the door
19
is opened leftwards or rightwards.
The front end of the exhaust passage
25
is covered with an upper cover
42
made of a synthetic resin, and a mounted plate
42
a
integrally included in the upper cover
42
is fastened to the upper end of the front portion of the refrigerator body
18
, so that it is overlapped on an upper surface of the support frame
35
.
Pluralities of exhaust bores
43
and
44
are provided in the upper cover
42
leading to the front end of the exhaust passage
25
. One exhaust bores
43
are provided such that they extend vertically on the left of the upper cover
42
, as the refrigerator
17
is viewed from the front. The exhaust bores
43
are disposed, so that a curved line connecting upper and lower ends of each of the exhaust bores
43
forms a laterally longer elliptic shape. The other exhaust bores
44
are provided such that they extend vertically on the right of the upper cover
42
, as the refrigerator
17
is viewed from the front. The exhaust bores
44
are disposed, so that a curved line connecting upper and lower ends of each of the exhaust bores
44
forms a circular shape.
An operating dial
45
is disposed on the upper cover
42
between both the exhaust bores
43
and
44
. A control box
46
for controlling the operation of the refrigerating unit
20
and the fan
34
depending on the operation of the operating dial
45
is fixed to the outer surface of the upper portion of the refrigerator body
18
, and a power source box
47
for the refrigerating unit
20
and the fan
34
is fixed to the outer surface of the upper portion of the refrigerator body
18
in the rear of the control box
46
.
The front end of the intake passage
24
is covered with a lower cover
48
, which is formed, for example, of a net-shaped material defining a large number of intake bores
49
leading to the front end of the intake passage
24
and which is fastened to the front end of the lower portion of the support frame
36
, i.e., to the lower portion of the front end of the refrigerator body
18
.
The operation of the first embodiment will be described below. (1) The intake passage
24
into which the air can be drawn through the front end, (2) the exhaust passage
25
from which the air can be discharged through the front end, and (3) the communication passage
27
which connects the rear ends of the intake passage
24
and the exhaust passage
25
to each other and in which the compressor
28
and the condenser
29
are accommodated, are defined between the inner surface of the accommodating recess
16
provided in the support wall
15
and the refrigerator body
18
accommodated in the accommodating recess
16
. In addition, the fan
34
which draws the air from the intake passage
24
and discharges the air toward the communication passage
27
is mounted to the outer surface of the rear wall
26
of the refrigerator body
18
and accommodated in the communication passage
27
. Therefore, the air drawn into the intake passage
24
from the outside by the operation of the fan
34
is permitted to flow through the communication passage
27
and then discharged through the exhaust passage
25
to the outside, whereby the compressor
28
and the condenser
29
accommodated in the communication passage
27
are cooled effectively by the air flowing through the communication passage
27
. Moreover, the intake passage
24
, the communication passage
27
and the exhaust passage
25
are defined between the inner surface of the accommodating recess
16
and the refrigerator body
18
and hence, it is unnecessary to provide an intake bore and an exhaust bore in the support wall
15
in addition to the accommodating recess
16
. Therefore, the aesthetic appearance can be enhanced by no need for the provision of such intake and exhaust bores, and the compressor
28
and the condenser
29
can be cooled sufficiently.
The accommodating recess
16
is defined into the simple regular quadrilateral cross-sectional shape by (1) the first and second side surfaces
16
a
and
16
b
extending vertically in parallel to each other, (2) the ceiling surface
16
c
connecting the upper ends of the first and second side surfaces
16
a
and
16
b
at right angles to each other, (3) the bottom surface
16
d
connecting the bottom ends of the first and second side surfaces
16
a
and
16
b
at right angles to each other, and (4) the closed end surface
16
e
connecting the rear ends of the ceiling surface
16
c
and the bottom surface
16
d
at right angles to each other. In addition, the rear wall
26
of the refrigerator body
18
defining the intake passage
24
between the refrigerator body
18
and the bottom surface
16
c
and the exhaust passage
25
between the refrigerator body
18
and the ceiling surface
16
b,
and having the regular quadrilateral vertical sectional shape, comprises the first wall portion
26
a
adjacent to the first side surface
16
a
and closer and opposed to the closed end surface
16
e,
and the second wall portion
26
b
adjacent to the second side
26
b
and inclined such that it is farther spaced from the closed end surface
16
e,
as being farther spaced from the first wall portion
26
a,
the first wall portion
26
a
and the second wall portion
26
b
being connected to each other. The vertically extending communication passage
27
triangular in cross section is defined between the second side surface
16
b
as well as the closed end surface
16
e
of the accommodating recess
16
and the second wall portion
26
b.
Therefore, the intake passage
24
, the exhaust passage
25
and the communication passage
27
are defined only by accommodating the refrigerator body
18
in the accommodating recess
16
. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the communication passage
27
can be set at a small value to the utmost, and the flow speed of the air flowing through the communication passage
27
can be increased to the utmost to enhance the efficiency of cooling the compressor
28
and the condenser
29
. Moreover, the second wall portion
26
b
constituting a portion of the rear wall
26
of the refrigerator body
18
may be defined in such a manner that a corner at the rear end of the refrigerator body
18
is cut out. Thus, goods can be accommodated effectively in the entire refrigerating chamber deeply from its inlet end to its deep end, as compared with a refrigerator in which a central portion of a rear wall
26
is recessed to protrude into a refrigerating chamber.
The mounting plates
36
,
36
are secured to the front end of the refrigerator body
18
on the opposite sides of the latter to close the front ends of the gaps
37
,
37
defined respectively between the first and second sides
16
a
and
16
b
of the accommodating recess
16
and the opposite sides of the refrigerator body
18
. Therefore, it is possible to avoid deterioration in the aesthetic appearance that may otherwise occur by the gaps
37
,
37
on the opposite sides of the refrigerator body
18
being visible from the outside. Moreover, the mounting plates
36
,
36
can be fastened to the support wall
15
and hence, the refrigerator body
18
can be fixed to the support wall
15
.
In addition, the upper cover
42
having the exhaust bores
43
and
44
leading to the exhaust passage
25
are mounted to the front end of the upper portion of the refrigerator
18
to cover the front end of the exhaust passage
25
. Therefore, it is possible to avoid that the exhaust passage
25
can be visually seen from the outside, thereby enhancing the external appearance, and to discharge the air from the exhaust passage
25
to the outside, while preventing foreign matters from entering the exhaust passage
25
from the outside. Further, the lower cover
48
having the intake bores
49
leading to the intake passage
24
is mounted to the front end of the lower portion of the refrigerator body
18
to cover the front end of the intake passage
24
. Therefore, it is possible to avoid that the intake passage
24
can be visually seen from the outside, thereby enhancing the external appearance, and to draw the air from outside into the intake passage
24
, while preventing foreign matters from entering the intake passage
24
from the outside.
FIG. 8
shows a second embodiment of the present invention. A condenser
29
accommodated in a communication passage
27
together with a compressor
28
is mounted to an outer surface of a second wall portion
26
b
of a rear wall
26
of a refrigerator body
18
to surround the compressor
28
. The first wall portion
26
a
of the rear wall
26
of the refrigerator body
18
can be provided in more proximity to a closed end surface
16
e
of an accommodating recess
16
, whereby the dead space between the first wall portion
26
a
and the closed end surface
16
e
can be reduced, and a space within the accommodating recess
16
can be utilized more effectively. Moreover, the communication passage
27
can be formed more compactly, and the air drawn from the intake passage
24
can be permitted to flow in a further concentrated manner trough the communication passage
27
, thereby enhancing the efficiency of cooling the compressor
28
and the condenser
29
.
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications in design may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in claims.
Claims
- 1. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator including a refrigerator body having an opening in a front surface thereof and defining a refrigerating chamber, a door mounted on the front surface of said refrigerator body for opening and closing said opening, and a refrigerating unit for refrigerating said refrigerating chamber, said refrigerator further including a compressor and a condenser each constituting a portion of the refrigerating unit and mounted to an outer surface of a rear wall of said refrigerator body, said refrigerator being mounted to a stationary support wall such that said refrigerator body is accommodated in an accommodating recess provided in said support wall and said door can be opened and closed outside said accommodating recess, wherein said mounting and placing structure includes an intake passage into which air can be drawn through a front end thereof, an exhaust passage from which the air can be discharged through a front end thereof, and a communication passage which connects rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage to each other, said compressor and said condenser being accommodated in said communication passage, and wherein said intake passage, said exhaust passage and said communication passage are defined between an inner surface of said accommodating recess and an outer surface of said refrigerator body accommodated in said accommodating recess to form an air flow passage along a bottom portion, a rear portion and a top portion of the outer surface of the refrigerator, and a fan is mounted to said rear wall of said refrigerator body and accommodated in said communication passage for drawing air from said intake passage and discharging the air into said exhaust passage.
- 2. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said accommodating recess is defined by first and second side surfaces extending vertically in parallel to each other, a ceiling surface connecting upper ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, a bottom surface connecting lower ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, and a closed end surface connecting rear ends of said side surfaces, said ceiling surface and said bottom surface at right angles to each other; wherein said rear wall of said refrigerator body has a regular quadrilateral vertical-sectional shape and defines said intake passage between said refrigerator body and said bottom surface, and said exhaust passage between said refrigerator body and said ceiling surface, said rear wall including a first wall portion which is adjacent to said first side surface and closer and opposed to said closed end surface in parallel to said closed end surface, and a second wall portion which is adjacent to said second side surface and inclined such that it is spaced farther from said closed end surface as going away from said first wall portion, said first and second wall portions being connected to each other; and wherein said communication passage is of a triangular cross-sectional shape and extends vertically to connect said rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage, said communication passage being defined between said second side surface as well as said closed end surface of said accommodating recess and said second wall portion.
- 3. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator including a refrigerator body having an opening in a front surface thereof and defining a refrigerating chamber, a door mounted on the front surface of said refrigerator body for opening and closing said opening, and a refrigerating unit for refrigerating said refrigerating chamber, said refrigerator further including a compressor and a condenser each constituting a portion of the refrigerating unit and mounted to an outer surface of a rear wall of said refrigerator body, said refrigerator being mounted to a stationary support wall such that said refrigerator body is accommodated in an accommodating recess provided in said support wall and said door can be opened and closed outside said accommodating recess, wherein said mounting and placing structure includes an intake passage into which air can be drawn through a front end thereof, an exhaust passage from which the air can be discharged through a front end thereof, and a communication passage which connects rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage to each other, said compressor and said condenser being accommodated in said communication passage, and wherein said intake passage, said exhaust passage and said communication passage are defined between an inner surface of said accommodating recess and said refrigerator body accommodated in said accommodating recess, and a fan is mounted to said rear wall of said refrigerator body and accommodated in said communication passage for drawing air from said intake passage and discharging the air into said exhaust passage,wherein said accommodating recess is defined by first and second side surfaces extending vertically in parallel to each other, a ceiling surface connecting upper ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, a bottom surface connecting lower ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, and a closed end surface connecting rear ends of said side surfaces, said ceiling surface and said bottom surface at right angles to each other; wherein said rear wall of said refrigerator body has a regular quadrilateral vertical-sectional shape and defines said intake passage between said refrigerator body and said bottom surface, and said exhaust passage between said refrigerator body and said ceiling surface, said rear wall including a first wall portion which is adjacent to said first side surface and closer and opposed to said closed end surface in parallel to said closed end surface, and a second wall portion which is adjacent to said second side surface and inclined such that it is spaced farther from said closed end surface as going away from said first wall portion, said first and second wall portions being connected to each other; and wherein said communication passage is of a triangular cross-sectional shape and extends vertically to connect said rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage, said communication passage being defined between said second side surface as well as said closed end surface of said accommodating recess and said second wall portion, further including mounting plates which are secured to the front end of said refrigerator body at opposite sides of said refrigerator body, thereby closing gaps defined respectively between said first and second side surfaces of said accommodating recess and the opposite sides of said refrigerator body, wherein said mounting plates can be fastened to said support wall.
- 4. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator including a refrigerator body having an opening in a front surface thereof and defining a refrigerating chamber, a door mounted on the front surface of said refrigerator body for opening and closing said opening, and a refrigerating unit for refrigerating said refrigerating chamber, said refrigerator further including a compressor and a condenser each constituting a portion of the refrigerating unit and mounted to an outer surface of a rear wall of said refrigerator body, said refrigerator being mounted to a stationary support wall such that said refrigerator body is accommodated in an accommodating recess provided in said support wall and said door can be opened and closed outside said accommodating recess, wherein said mounting and placing structure includes an intake passage into which air can be drawn through a front end thereof, an exhaust passage from which the air can be discharged through a front end thereof, and a communication passage which connects rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage to each other, said compressor and said condenser being accommodated in said communication passage, and wherein said intake passage, said exhaust passage and said communication passage are defined between an inner surface of said accommodating recess and said refrigerator body accommodated in said accommodating recess, and a fan is mounted to said rear wall of said refrigerator body and accommodated in said communication passage for drawing air from said intake passage and discharging the air into said exhaust passage,wherein said accommodating recess is defined by first and second side surfaces extending vertically in parallel to each other, a ceiling surface connecting upper ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, a bottom surface connecting lower ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, and a closed end surface connecting rear ends of said side surfaces, said ceiling surface and said bottom surface at right angles to each other; wherein said rear wall of said refrigerator body has a regular quadrilateral vertical-sectional shape and defines said intake passage between said refrigerator body and said bottom surface, and said exhaust passage between said refrigerator body and said ceiling surface, said rear wall including a first wall portion which is adjacent to said first side surface and closer and opposed to said closed end surface in parallel to said closed end surface, and a second wall portion which is adjacent to said second side surface and inclined such that it is spaced farther from said closed end surface as going away from said first wall portion, said first and second wall portions being connected to each other; and wherein said communication passage is of a triangular cross-sectional shape and extends vertically to connect said rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage, said communication passage being defined between said second side surface as well as said closed end surface of said accommodating recess and said second wall portion, further including an upper cover which has exhaust bores leading to said exhaust passage, said upper cover being mounted to the front end of said refrigerator body at an upper portion of said refrigerator body to cover the front end of said exhaust passage.
- 5. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator according to claim 3, further including an upper cover which has exhaust bores leading to said exhaust passage, said upper cover being mounted to the front end of said refrigerator body at an upper portion of said refrigerator body to cover the front end of said exhaust passage.
- 6. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator including a refrigerator body having an opening in a front surface thereof and defining a refrigerating chamber, a door mounted on the front surface of said refrigerator body for opening and closing said opening, and a refrigerating unit for refrigerating said refrigerating chamber, said refrigerator further including a compressor and a condenser each constituting a portion of the refrigerating unit and mounted to an outer surface of a rear wall of said refrigerator body, said refrigerator being mounted to a stationary support wall such that said refrigerator body is accommodated in an accommodating recess provided in said support wall and said door can be opened and closed outside said accommodating recess, wherein said mounting and placing structure includes an intake passage into which air can be drawn through a front end thereof, an exhaust passage from which the air can be discharged through a front end thereof, and a communication passage which connects rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage to each other, said compressor and said condenser being accommodated in said communication passage, and wherein said intake passage, said exhaust passage and said communication passage are defined between an inner surface of said accommodating recess and said refrigerator body accommodated in said accommodating recess, and a fan is mounted to said rear wall of said refrigerator body and accommodated in said communication passage for drawing air from said intake passage and discharging the air into said exhaust passage,wherein said accommodating recess is defined by first and second side surfaces extending vertically in parallel to each other, a ceiling surface connecting upper ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, a bottom surface connecting lower ends of said first and second side surfaces at right angles to each other, and a closed end surface connecting rear ends of said side surfaces, said ceiling surface and said bottom surface at right angles to each other; wherein said rear wall of said refrigerator body has a regular quadrilateral vertical-sectional shape and defines said intake passage between said refrigerator body and said bottom surface, and said exhaust passage between said refrigerator body and said ceiling surface, said rear wall including a first wall portion which is adjacent to said first side surface and closer and opposed to said closed end surface in parallel to said closed end surface, and a second wall portion which is adjacent to said second side surface and inclined such that it is spaced farther from said closed end surface as going away from said first wall portion, said first and second wall portions being connected to each other; and wherein said communication passage is of a triangular cross-sectional shape and extends vertically to connect said rear ends of said intake passage and said exhaust passage, said communication passage being defined between said second side surface as well as said closed end surface of said accommodating recess and said second wall portion, further including a lower cover which has an intake bore leading to said intake passage, said lower cover being mounted to the front end of said refrigerator body at a lower portion of said refrigerator body to cover the front end of said intake passage.
- 7. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator according to claim 3, further including a lower cover which has an intake bore leading to said intake passage, said lower cover being mounted to the front end of said refrigerator body at a lower portion of said refrigerator body to cover the front end of said intake passage.
- 8. A mounting and placing structure for a refrigerator according to claim 4, further including a lower cover which has an intake bore leading to said intake passage, said lower cover being mounted to the front end of said refrigerator body at a lower portion of said refrigerator body to cover the front end of said intake passage.
- 9. A mounting and supporting structure for a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said intake passage is defined between a bottom surface of the accommodating recess and said outer surface of the refrigerator body, and said exhaust passage is defined between a ceiling surface of the accommodating recess and said outer surface of the refrigerator body.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
11-316944 |
Nov 1999 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
30 03 567 |
Jul 1980 |
DE |
1211274 |
Mar 1968 |
EP |
0 190 794 |
Jan 1986 |
EP |
4-214170 |
Aug 1992 |
JP |