COOLER AND MODULAR REFRIGERATION UNIT THEREFOR

Abstract

A cooler cabinet separated into an upper compartment and a lower compartment by a divider panel having a supply air opening and a return air opening therethrough, a modular refrigeration unit insertable into the lower compartment, and a gasket assembly coupled to the divider panel in registration with the supply air opening and the return air opening to provide a mechanical sealing contact with the modular refrigeration unit. The modular refrigeration unit includes an evaporator assembly, a condenser located forward of the evaporator assembly, and a compressor located between the evaporator assembly and the condenser. The gasket assembly includes a normally-expanded sealing gasket that is in permanent sealing contact with the divider panel around the supply and return air openings and forms a sealing contact with the evaporator assembly when the refrigeration unit is in the inserted position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to refrigeration units for cooler cabinets. More specifically, the invention relates to refrigeration units that are self-contained and modular, so that they can be installed in and removed from cooler cabinets for servicing; and to refrigeration units having a mechanism for bringing its refrigeration system into mechanical sealing contact with the bottom of the cooler compartment, and a method of putting the refrigeration system in place.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR §§1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98

The refrigeration units on cooler cabinets, including cooler cabinets for vending machines, blow cooled air through an outlet duct of the refrigeration unit into a duct system or inlet of the cooler cabinet cavity. In order to maximize cooling efficiency, it is important to create and maintain a tight seal between the refrigeration unit's outlet duct and the inlet duct system of the cooler cabinet's cooled cavity. Some prior art techniques have required cumbersome means for achieving the seal, making removal and replacement of a failed refrigeration unit a labor intensive and time consuming endeavor. For example, some systems require their refrigeration units to be laterally and longitudinally aligned with and positioned below the cooler cabinet duct/inlet and then vertically lifted into and held in mechanical sealing contact with the cooler cabinet duct/inlet, with appropriate fastening means, such as bolts, used to secure the unit in place. The complexity of such an operation can easily lead to damage of the seals. Adding to the complexity, refrigeration units generally weigh upwards of 100 pounds.

Other prior art techniques require the entire cooler cabinet to be pulled out from its normal operating location, because the side panels must be removed to access and service the refrigeration unit. If the cooler cabinet is fully loaded, particularly with heavy products like beverages, it may be necessary to unload the contents of the machine before it can be safely moved. If the cooler cabinet is one that houses frozen or semi-frozen products, or products that may be spoiled if not kept refrigerated, it may be necessary to provide independent refrigeration for the unloaded contents.

Still other cooler cabinets use ductless refrigeration units that house the evaporator portion of the refrigeration unit directly inside the cooled chamber. In such configurations, the evaporator unit is susceptible to damage from products falling or being moved in the cooled chamber. Further, in such configurations, the cooled chamber has to be opened for repair or replacement of the evaporator unit, and the contents of the cooled chamber may have to be removed to access the evaporator unit and/or to allow the contents to be transferred to another refrigeration unit to prevent spoilage.

U.S. application Ser. No. 13/025,614, filed Feb. 10, 2011, addressed these problems by providing a vertically-movable evaporator assembly. The cabinet is separated into an upper compartment and a lower compartment by a divider panel having a supply air opening and a return air opening therethrough, and a modular refrigeration unit insertable into the lower compartment and movable horizontally therein between a withdrawn position and an inserted position without any substantial vertical movement component. The modular refrigeration unit includes an evaporator assembly movable vertically between a lowered position and a raised position when the modular refrigeration unit is in the inserted position, a condenser located forward of the evaporator assembly, and a hermetically-sealed compressor located between the evaporator assembly and the condenser. A mechanism in the lower compartment moves the evaporator assembly vertically between the lowered position and the raised position only when the modular refrigeration unit is in the inserted position.

Although the mechanism described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/025,614 provides an improvement over previous mechanisms, it still requires upwards movement of a heavy component, the evaporator assembly.

It is to the solution of these and other problems that the present invention is directed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a modular refrigeration unit that is easily and quickly installable and removable from its operating position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cooler cabinet and modular refrigeration unit therefor in which mechanical sealing contact between the modular refrigeration unit and the cooler cabinet duct % inlet can be achieved without the use of bolts or similar fasteners.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cooler cabinet and modular refrigeration unit therefor in which mechanical sealing contact between the modular refrigeration unit and the cooler cabinet duct/inlet can be achieved without the entire modular refrigeration unit having to be lifted.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cooler cabinet and modular refrigeration unit therefor in which mechanical sealing contact between the modular refrigeration unit and the cooler cabinet duct/inlet can be achieved without the evaporator assembly having to be lifted.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cooler cabinet and modular refrigeration unit therefor in which a service person does not require direct contact with the sealing portion of the modular refrigeration unit in order to achieve mechanical sealing contact between the modular refrigeration unit and the cooler cabinet duct/inlet.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by the provision of a cooler cabinet separated into an upper compartment and a lower compartment by a divider panel having a supply air opening and a return air opening therethrough, a modular refrigeration unit insertable into the lower compartment and movable horizontally therein between a withdrawn position and an inserted position without any substantial vertical movement component, and a gasket assembly coupled to the divider panel in registration with the supply air opening and the return air opening to provide a mechanical sealing contact with the modular refrigeration unit.

More specifically, the modular refrigeration unit includes an evaporator assembly, a condenser located forward of the evaporator assembly, and a hermetically-sealed compressor located between the evaporator assembly and the condenser. The gasket assembly includes a normally-expanded, compressible sealing gasket (hereafter, the “upper gasket”) that is in permanent mechanical sealing contact with the divider panel around the supply and return air openings and forms a mechanical sealing contact with the evaporator assembly when the refrigeration unit is in the inserted position.

The evaporator assembly includes an insulated housing with a closed bottom, closed sides, and an open top having an evaporator inlet opening and an evaporator exhaust opening. A normally-expanded, compressible gasket (hereafter, the “lower gasket”) is secured to the perimeters of the evaporator inlet opening and the evaporator exhaust opening. The interior of the evaporator assembly housing is divided into an evaporator fan chamber in communication with the evaporator inlet opening and an evaporator chamber in communication with the evaporator exhaust opening. The evaporator inlet opening is positioned for alignment with the supply air opening in the divider panel and the evaporator exhaust opening is positioned for alignment with the return air opening in the divider panel when the modular refrigeration unit is in the inserted position.

An evaporator fan and an evaporator are mounted on opposite sides of a plate, which extends transversely in the evaporator housing to define the evaporator fan chamber and the evaporator chamber.

Inside the lower compartment, the normally-expanded upper gasket faces the upper wall of the lower compartment with its perimeters in registration with the perimeters of the cooler cabinet duct/inlet. A rigid gasket frame is affixed to the lower surface of the upper gasket. The gasket assembly is coupled to the upper wall of the lower compartment in a manner that permits vertical movement of the rigid gasket frame while retaining the upper surface of the upper gasket in mechanical sealing contact with the perimeters of the cooler cabinet duct/inlet. The gasket frame is urged upwards when the modular refrigeration unit is inserted into the lower compartment, compressing the upper gasket against the upper wall of the lower compartment to increase the space thereunder to accommodate the modular refrigeration unit. When the modular refrigeration unit reaches the inserted position, upwards force on the gasket frame is released, allowing the upper gasket to resume its normally-expanded state. The expansion of the upper gasket urges the gasket frame into contact with the lower gasket to provide mechanical sealing contact between the evaporator assembly housing and the lower surface of the divider panel.

In one aspect of the invention, the evaporator assembly is provided with lift plates for engaging the gasket frame and pushing it upward.

In another aspect of the invention, camming rods are mounted inside the lower cabinet for engaging the gasket frame and moving it between upward and downward positions.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of this specification including the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is better understood by reading the following Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lower, refrigeration compartment of a first embodiment of a cooler in accordance with the present invention, prior to installation of a gasket frame.

FIG. 2 a perspective view showing the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 1 with a gasket assembly installed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the modular refrigeration unit prior to insertion into the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the cooler with the modular refrigeration unit fully inserted therein.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the gasket assembly for the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the modular refrigeration unit for the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a partial side elevational view of the modular refrigeration unit prior to insertion into the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a partial side elevational view of the modular refrigeration unit partially inserted into the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a partial side elevational view of the modular refrigeration unit fully inserted into the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area labeled “FIG. 12” in FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area labeled “FIG. 13” in FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area labeled “FIG. 14” in FIG. 11.

FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view of a lower, refrigeration compartment of a second embodiment of a cooler in accordance with the present invention, in which the refrigeration unit has been installed.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a gasket assembly for the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a partial rear elevational view of the cooler of FIG. 15, with the gasket assembly in sealing contact with the refrigeration unit.

FIG. 19 is a partial rear elevational view of the cooler of FIG. 15, in which the gasket assembly is not in sealing contact with the refrigeration unit.

FIG. 20 is a side elevational view showing the modular refrigeration unit prior to insertion into the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 15.

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view showing the modular refrigeration unit inserted into the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 15, in which the gasket assembly is not yet in sealing contact with the refrigeration unit.

FIG. 22 is a side elevational view showing the modular refrigeration unit inserted into the lower, refrigeration compartment of FIG. 15, with the gasket assembly in sealing contact with the refrigeration unit.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area labeled “FIG. 23” in FIG. 20.

FIG. 24 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area labeled “FIG. 24” in FIG. 21.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area labeled “FIG. 25” in FIG. 22.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

A cooler in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-14; and a cooler in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 15-25.

In both embodiments, a modular refrigeration unit 100 is used in conjunction with a cooler cabinet 200 to form a functional cooler, which in the first embodiment is designated 10′ and in the second embodiment is designated 10″. With reference to FIGS. 1-4, 6, 9-11, 15, and 18-22, the cooler cabinet 200 has a front, a back, an upper, refrigerator compartment 214 for providing a cooled space for storing consumable articles on installed shelves, and a lower, refrigeration compartment 216 for providing cooled air to the upper compartment. A divider panel 220 separates the upper compartment and the lower compartment, and a base plate 230 defines the floor of the lower compartment.

The divider panel 220 has an upper surface 220a defining the bottom of the upper compartment and a lower surface 220b defining the top of the lower compartment. Parallel supply air and return air openings 220c and 220d (shown in FIG. 3) extend transversely across the back of the divider panel 220, providing fluid communication between the upper and lower compartments.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, FIGS. 9-11, 15, and 18-22, the modular refrigeration unit 100 is insertable through the opened front into the lower compartment and movable horizontally from front to back along the base plate 230 between a withdrawn position and an inserted position, without any substantial vertical movement component.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 6, and 7, for example, the modular refrigeration unit 100 includes a deck 110 having a front and a back, left and right sides, upper and lower surfaces 110a-110f, an evaporator assembly mount 120 mounted to the upper surface at the back of the deck 110, an evaporator assembly 130 mounted to the deck 110 via the evaporator assembly mount 120, a condenser 140 located forward of the evaporator assembly 130 and mounted to the upper surface at the front of the deck 110, and a hermetically-sealed compressor 150 mounted to the upper surface of the deck 110 between the evaporator assembly 130 and the condenser 140. The condenser 140 and the compressor 150 are also attached to the deck.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 14, the evaporator assembly 130 includes an insulated evaporator assembly housing 131 and an evaporator 132 (for example, a finned evaporator), an evaporator fan (not shown), and an evaporator fan motor (not shown) housed in the evaporator assembly housing 131. The evaporator assembly housing 131 has a closed bottom, closed sides, an open top having an evaporator inlet opening and an evaporator exhaust opening, and a lower gasket 135 secured to the perimeters of the evaporator inlet opening and the evaporator exhaust opening. The bottom, sides, and top of the evaporator assembly housing 131 define an interior.

In both embodiments, a gasket assembly, described in greater detail hereinafter, is coupled to the lower surface 220b of the divider panel 220 in registration with the return air opening 220d and the supply air opening 220c, respectively, of the divider panel 220. The gasket assembly includes a normally-expanded upper gasket 310 and a rigid gasket frame 320′ affixed to the lower surface of the upper gasket 310. The upper surface of the upper gasket 310 faces the upper wall of the lower compartment with its perimeters in registration with the cooler cabinet duct/inlet. The gasket assembly is coupled to the upper wall of the lower compartment in a manner that permits vertical movement of the rigid gasket frame 320′.

A camming mechanism, also described in greater detail hereinafter, is also provided in both embodiments to retract the gasket assembly to allow the modular refrigeration unit 100 to be inserted into and withdrawn from the lower compartment. The gasket frame 320′ is urged upwards by the camming mechanism when the modular refrigeration unit is inserted into the lower compartment, compressing the upper gasket 310 against the upper wall of the lower compartment to increase the space thereunder to accommodate the modular refrigeration unit. When the modular refrigeration unit reaches the inserted position, the upwards force of the camming mechanism on the gasket frame 320′ is released, allowing the upper gasket 310 to resume its normally-expanded state. The expansion of the upper gasket 310 urges the gasket frame 320′ into contact with the lower gasket 135 to compress the lower gasket 135 and provide mechanical sealing contact between the evaporator assembly housing and the lower surface of the divider panel. The evaporator inlet opening and the evaporator exhaust opening thus are in sealed, air tight contact with the return air opening 220d and the supply air opening 220c, respectively, of the cabinet's divider panel 220 when the modular refrigeration unit 100 is in the inserted position.

The interior of the evaporator assembly housing 131 is divided into a transversely-extending evaporator fan chamber in communication with the evaporator inlet opening and a transversely-extending evaporator chamber in communication with the evaporator exhaust opening. The evaporator inlet opening and the evaporator exhaust opening are positioned for alignment with the supply air opening 220c in the divider panel 220 and the return air opening 220d in the divider panel 220, respectively, when the modular refrigeration unit 100 is in the inserted position.

An evaporator fan mounting plate 136 is mounted transversely in the evaporator assembly housing 131, dividing the interior of the evaporator assembly housing 131 into the evaporator fan chamber and the evaporator chamber. The evaporator fan and evaporator fan motor are located in the evaporator fan compartment. An opening (not shown) in the evaporator fan mounting plate 136 provides communication between the evaporator fan chamber and the evaporator chamber. When the fan is in operation, it draws air through the evaporator 132 and into the evaporator fan chamber via the opening in the evaporator fan mounting plate 136.

In the first embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1-14, the gasket assembly 300′ is coupled to the lower surface of the divider panel by a pair of spaced gasket frame brackets 400′ mounted to the lower surface of the divider panel in spaced-apart relation. The gasket assembly 300′ includes a rigid gasket frame 320′ inserted between and engaged by the gasket frame brackets 400′, and an upper gasket 310 attached to the gasket fame 320′. The upper gasket 310 has a bottom section 312 that is configured (for example with clips) to fasten to the gasket frame 320′ (for example, by engaging the edges of the perimeter of the gasket frame 320′, as shown in FIG. 7) and a top section 314 that engages with the lower surface of the divider panel to provide a heat break around the perimeters of the supply air opening and the return air opening in the divider panel. The upper gasket 310 accordingly has a dual durometer construction, with the bottom section 312 being made of an extruded, rigid PVC suitable for the formation of clips, and the top section 314 being made of an extruded, flexible PVC. It will be appreciated that the upper gasket 310 and the gasket frame 320′ have respective rectangular perimeters 310a and 320a′ with respective horizontal cross-pieces 310b and 320b′ (best shown in FIG. 5) configured to correspond to the perimeters of the evaporator fan chamber and the evaporator chamber, the horizontal cross-pieces 310b and 320b′ being in alignment with the perimeter common to the evaporator fan chamber and the evaporator chamber.

An example of a suitable extruded, rigid PVC for the bottom section 312 of the upper gasket 310 is Geon™ vinyl rigid extrusion 87180 made by PolyOne Corporation, the technical data for which are set forth below in Table 1: while an example of a suitable extruded, flexible PVC for the top section 314 is Geon™ vinyl flexible C6504, also made by PolyOne Corporation, the technical data for which are set forth below in Table 2.

TABLE 1
Technical Properties1
Physical	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Specific Gravity	1.42	1.42	ASTM D792
PVC Cell Classification	13364	13364	ASTM D1784
Mechanical	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Tensile Modulus2	479000 psi	3300 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Strength2 (Yield)	6490 psi	44.7 MPa	ASTM D638
Flexural Modulus	450000 psi	3100 MPa	ASTM D790
Flexural Strength	12100 psi	83.6 MPa	ASTM D790
Impact	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Notched Izod Impact			ASTM D256A
Across Flow: 73° F. (23° C.), 0.125 in	3.5	ft · lb/in	190 J/m
(3.18 mm), Compression Molded
Flow: 73° F. (23° C.), 0.125 in (3.18 mm),	3.7	ft · lb/in	200 J/m
Compression Molded
Drop Impact Resistance				ASTM D4226
73° F. (23° C.)3	1.46	in · lb/mil	64.9 J/cm
73° F. (23° C.)4	3.57	in · lb/mil	159 J/cm
Hardness	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Durometer Hardness (Shore D, 15 sec)	83	83	ASTM D2240
Thermal	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Deflection Temperature Under Load			ASTM D648
264 psi (1.8 MPa), Unannealed, 0.125 in	158° F.	70.0° C.
(3.18 mm)
CLTE - Flow	3.5E−5 in/in/° F.	6.3E−5 cm/cm/° C.	ASTM D696
Flammability	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Flame Rating			UL 94
0.0354 in (0.899 mm), ALL	V-0	V-0
0.0591 in (1.50 mm), ALL	5VA	5VA
	Additional Information	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)
	Ease of Sizing	Good	Good
Note:
NSF listings are obtained on specific colors. Contact PolyOne for the latest
listing of approved colors for this product.
Note:
The Cell Classification was determined using the notched izod test with injection molded samples.
Processing Information
	Extrusion	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)
	Melt Temperature	360 to 380° F.	152 to 193° C.
	Notes
	1Typical values are not to be construed as specifications.
	2Type I, 0.20 in/min (5.1 mm/min)
	3Procedure A, C. 125 Dart
	4Procedure B, C. 125 Dart

TABLE 2
Physical	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Specific Gravity	1.33	1.33	ASTM D792
Mechanical	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Tensile Strength2 (100% Strain)	540 psi	3.72 MPa	ASTM D636
Tensile Strength2 (Break)	1530 psi	10.5 MPa	ASTM D638
Tensile Elongation2 (Break)	430%	430%	ASTM D638
Hardness	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Durometer Hardness			ASTM D2240
Shore A	68	68
Shore A, 15 sec	60	60
Thermal	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)	Test Method
Brittleness Temperature	−51.0° F.	−48.1° C.	ASTM D746
Processing Information
	Injection	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)
	Processing (Melt) Temp	370 to 390° F.	168 to 199° C.
	Extrusion	Typical Value (English)	Typical Value (SI)
	Melt Temperature	345 to 355° F.	174 to 179° C.
	Notes
	1Typical values are not to be construed as specifications.
	2Type IV, 20 in/min (510 mm/min)

The construction of the gasket assembly 300′ is shown in greater detail in FIG. 5. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the rectangular perimeter 320′ of the gasket frame 320′ has a horizontal portion 322′ extending outwardly of the lower perimeter of the upper gasket 310 at both sides and the front and back, and a vertical portion 324′ extending downwardly from the horizontal portion 322′ at both sides to define side flanges having an L-shaped cross-section. The left and right sides of the horizontal portion 322′ each have two lengthwise slots 322a′, 322b′, a forward slot 322a′ (positioned toward the front, user-facing side of the cooler when the refrigeration unit is installed) and a rearward slot 322b′ (positioned toward the rear side of the cooler when the refrigeration unit is installed).

FIG. 1 shows the gasket frame brackets 400′ installed on the lower surface of the divider panel, while FIG. 2 shows the gasket assembly 300′ installed between the gasket frame brackets 400′. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the gasket frame brackets 400′ have inwardly-extending fingers 410′ that engage with corresponding slots 326′ in the left and right sides of the vertical portion 324′ of the side flanges. The slots 326′ have a vertical dimension larger than that of the fingers 410′, so that the gasket frame 320′ and upper gasket 310 are vertically movable. The gasket frame brackets 400′, gasket frame 320′, and upper gasket 310 are dimensioned so that the upper gasket 310 is in permanent mechanical sealing contact with the divider panel around the supply and return air openings, and when the upper gasket 310 is in its expanded state, the fingers 410′ engage the tops of the slots 326′.

FIG. 3 shows the refrigeration unit being inserted into the front of the refrigeration compartment, in a position just before it engages the gasket assembly 300′. FIG. 9 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 3. In the first embodiment, the camming mechanism is a pair of camming plates 500′ provided at the upper edges of the sides of the evaporator box, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, and also in greater detail in FIG. 6. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the camming plates 500′ have forward and rearward raised camming sections 510′, 512′ corresponding in size and position with the forward and rearward slots 322a′, 322b′ in the flanges of the gasket frame 320′.

As shown in FIG. 9, the dimensions of the gasket assembly 300′ and the camming plates 500′ are such that prior to engagement of the refrigeration unit with the gasket assembly 300′, the highest points 510a′, 512a′ of the camming sections 510′, 512′ extend above the lower surface of the gasket frame 320′. Thus, as the forward camming surface engages the gasket frame 320′, it forces the gasket frame 320′ upwards, as shown in FIG. 10, so that the upper gasket 310 is compressed and the refrigeration unit can be inserted under the gasket assembly 300′. Once the camming surfaces are aligned with their respective slots 322a′, 322b′ in the flanges, the upwards force on the upper gasket 310 is released and the upper gasket 310 expands, as shown in FIG. 11, pressing the lower surface of the gasket frame 320′ against the lower gasket 135 to provide mechanical sealing contact between the evaporator assembly housing and the lower surface of the divider panel.

In a second embodiment, shown in FIGS. 15-25, the gasket assembly 300″ includes a rigid gasket frame 320″ positioned between and attached to the channels 400″, and an upper gasket attached to the upper surface of the metal gasket frame 320″. The upper gasket 310 is the same as that in the first embodiment, with a bottom section 312 that is configured (for example with clips) to fasten to the gasket frame 320″ (for example, by engaging the edges of the perimeter of the gasket frame 320″, as shown in FIG. 17). As in the first embodiment, the upper gasket 310 and the gasket frame 320″ have respective rectangular perimeters 310a and 320a″ with respective horizontal cross-pieces 310b and 320b″ (best shown in FIG. 16) configured to correspond to the perimeters of the evaporator fan chamber and the evaporator chamber. The gasket assembly 300″ is coupled to the lower surface of the divider panel by a pair of spaced channels 400″ extending from the sides of the gasket frame 320″, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The construction of the gasket assembly 300″ is shown in greater detail in FIG. 16. As can be seen from FIG. 16, the gasket frame 320″ is similar to that of the first embodiment, with a rectangular perimeter having a horizontal portion 322″ extending outwardly of the lower perimeter of the upper gasket 310 on both sides and the front and back, and a vertical portion 324″ extending downwardly from the horizontal portion 322″ at both sides to define side flanges having an L-shaped cross-section. The upper gasket 310 is substantially identical to that of the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the channels 400″ cooperate with the camming mechanism to couple the gasket assembly 300″ to the lower surface of the divider panel. The camming mechanism 500″ includes a pair of camming rod brackets 510″ attached to the lower surface of the divider panel at either end of each channel 400″, and a camming rod 520″ mounted in each pair of camming rod brackets 510″ for rotation about a pivot axis parallel to the sides of the gasket frame 320″.

The camming rod 520″ has a camming section 522″ with a camming surface spaced apart from and parallel to the pivot axis. The camming rod brackets 510″ are positioned so that the camming section 522″ of each camming rod 520″ is positioned between each pair of brackets 510″ and loosely housed within a corresponding channel 400″ when the gasket assembly 300″ is installed.

The camming section 522″ and the pivot axis define a first plane. Pivoting of the camming rod 520″ 180° moves the camming section 522″ between a raised position, in which the camming section 522″ points upwardly and engages the inside, upper wall of its corresponding channel, and a lowered position, in which the camming section 522″ points downwardly and engages the inside, lower wall of its corresponding channel. When the camming sections 522″ of the camming rods 520″ rotate into their raised positions, they shift the channels 400″ and the gasket frame 320″ attached thereto upwards, compressing the upper gasket 310 against the lower surface of the divider panel. Compression of the upper gasket 310 allows the refrigeration unit to slide beneath the gasket assembly 300″. Once the refrigeration unit is in place, the camming rods 520″ are rotated to bring the canning sections 522″ into their lowered positions, shifting the channels 400″ and the gasket frame 320″ down and allowing the upper gasket 310 to resume its normally-expanded condition. The camming mechanism, gasket frame 320″, and upper gasket 310 are dimensioned so that the upper gasket 310 is in permanent mechanical sealing contact with the divider panel around the supply and return air openings.

The rearward end of each camming rod (toward the rear of the cooler when the refrigeration unit is installed) is provided with a handle 530″ at a right angle to the pivot axis. The handle 530″ and the pivot axis define a second plane, which is substantially perpendicular to the first plane defined by the camming section 522″ and the pivot axis. The handles 530″ are operated from the rear of the 10″, while the modular refrigeration unit 100 is inserted into the front.

Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiments of the present invention are possible, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. For example, camming mechanism 500″ could be made to operate with handles from the front side. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A cooler comprising:

a cooler cabinet having an upper compartment and a lower compartment;

a divider panel separating the upper compartment from the lower compartment, the divider panel having a supply opening and a return opening therethrough;

a modular refrigeration unit insertable into the lower compartment and movable horizontally therein between a withdrawn position and an inserted position without any substantial vertical movement component, the modular refrigeration unit including inlet and exhaust openings and a normally-expanded, compressible lower gasket secured to the perimeters of the inlet and exhaust openings, the inlet opening being configured for alignment with the supply opening in the divider panel and the exhaust opening being configured for alignment with the return opening in the divider panel when the modular refrigeration unit is in the inserted position;

a gasket assembly coupled to the divider panel, the gasket assembly including a normally-expanded, compressible, upper gasket having an upper surface in permanent sealing contact with the lower surface of the divider panel around the supply opening and the return opening, the gasket assembly having a raised state in which the modular refrigeration unit is insertable into and withdrawable from the lower compartment and an lowered state for providing a sealing contact between the lower gasket of the modular refrigeration unit and the supply and return openings in the divider panel when the modular refrigeration unit is in the inserted position; and

camming means for moving the gasket assembly between the raised and lowered states.

2. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the gasket assembly further includes a rigid gasket frame affixed to the lower surface of the upper gasket, and wherein the cooler further includes means for coupling the gasket assembly to the upper wall of the divider panel with the rigid gasket frame being vertically movable while the upper surface of the upper gasket is retained in sealing contact with the lower surface of the divider panel around the supply opening and the return opening.

3. The cooler of claim 2, wherein the camming means includes camming plates extending upwardly from the modular refrigeration unit and having camming sections for selectively engaging the gasket frame to move the gasket assembly between the raised and lowered states.

4. The cooler of claim 3, wherein the gasket frame has side flanges with forward and rearward slots corresponding in size and position with the forward and rearward raised camming sections.

5. The cooler of claim 2, wherein the gasket frame has vertical slots on either side thereof the means for coupling includes a gasket frame bracket attached to the lower surface of the divider panel on each side of the gasket frame, and the gasket frame brackets have inwardly extending fingers engaging with corresponding ones of the vertical slots of the gasket frame, the inwardly extending fingers being vertically movable within the vertical slots between raised and lowered positions corresponding to the raised and lowered states, respectively, of the gasket assembly.

6. The cooler of claim 2, wherein the camming means includes camming rods mounted inside the lower cabinet for engaging the gasket frame and moving the gasket assembly between the raised and lowered states.

7. The cooler of claim 6, wherein the means for coupling includes a channel attached to each side of the gasket frame, each channel having inside, upper and lower walls, and each camming rod having a camming section extending through a respective one of the channels and being rotatable therewithin between a raised position of the camming section, in which the camming section engages the inside, upper wall to bring the gasket assembly into the raised state, and a lowered position of the camming section, in which the camming section engages the inside, lower wall of its corresponding channel to bring the gasket assembly into the lowered state.

8. The cooler of claim 2, wherein the upper gasket and the gasket frame have respective rectangular perimeters with respective horizontal cross-pieces configured to correspond to the perimeters of the inlet and exhaust openings of the modular refrigeration unit.

9. The cooler of claim 2, wherein the upper gasket has a bottom section configured to fasten to the gasket frame and a top section that engages with the lower surface of the divider panel to provide a heat break around the perimeters of the supply air opening and the return air opening in the divider panel.

10. The cooler of claim 9, wherein the upper gasket has a dual durometer construction, with the bottom section being made of an extruded, rigid PVC, and the top section being made of an extruded, flexible PVC.