The present invention relates generally to the technical field of providing insulation, and more precisely to the technical field of utilizing insulating elements or components, such as housings, cabinets, etc. constituting in¬ sulating housings or insulating cabinets in which specific products are kept at a low temperature or alternatively at a high temperature for insulating the products relative to the environment. The products may be any biological or non-biological products, including perishable goods, such as food products, drugs, biologically degradable goods, non-biological temperature degradable products, such as e.g. chemical products including photographic or electrolytical constituents which are degradable at normal ambient temperature. An alternative application of the teachings of the present invention is within the technical field of maintaining super¬ conductors at a specific low temperature, or alternatively maintaining fuel cells at a specific temperature.

The present invention also relates generally to the constructural or building field as the teachings of the present invention render it possible to produce new building elements which may constitute window elements, wall or sealing elements, etc. or alternatively elements which may be integrated into any other stationary or movable construction, such as automobiles, aeroplanes, trains, ships, etc. in which a compartment is defined which is to be kept at a specific temperature below or above the ambient temperature.

A particular aspect of the present invention relates to the utilization of the teachings according to the present invention within the kitchen hardware field or household field, as the teachings of the present invention render it possible to produce kitchen hardware, in particular refrigerator appliances, freezer appliances, or kitchen ovens exhibiting the highly advantageous property of providing a radically improved insulating capability as compared to the presently commercially available kitchen hardware, further improving the energy efficiency of the kitchen hardware in question and also reducing the wall thickness of the kitchen hardware in question and consequently increasing the net volume of the kitchen hard-

ware in question as compared to the presently commercially available kitchen hardware.

A number of kitchen hardware appliances have been developed throughout the years in which an insulating housing is present. Examples of the prior art insulating kitchen hardware are described in US patent No. 2522465, GB 2232756, US 4646934, US 5082335, CH 296126, GB 424991, DE 2351714, DE 4311829 and DE 882856. Reference is made to the above patent applications and patents, and the above US patents are hereby in- corporated in the present specification by reference.

Among the prior art refrigerators, most of the prior art structures are made from a number of panels which are maintained in spaced-apart relationship by means of an interlay ered insulating web, such as a mineral fiber web or a foamed layer providing the insulating capability of the appliance in question. According to the German patent 882856, a refrigerator appliance is described in which a vacuum jug is included. The jug is made as a con¬ ventional evacuated glass vacuum jug divided into a top and a bottom part which define rounded circular end faces which are to be adjoined one another for sealing the refrigerator appliance. A serious drawback in relation to the insulating capability of the vacuum jug refrigerator appliance according to the German patent 882856 relates to the inadequate insulating property at the junction between the two vacuum jug parts. Furthermore, the two-part vacuum jug has according to the teachings of the German patent to be stored in exterior housing components for supporting and mechanically protecting the glass vacuum jug.

In the prior art, a number of techniques for producing evacuated panels or insulating elements and of sealing glass panels have been described, a.o. in US 2624979, EP 0426890, EP 0058494, CH 588008, US 4778504, US 5115612 and WO 91/02878, to which patent applications and patents reference is made and which US patents are hereby incorporated in the present specification by reference.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel technique render¬ ing it possible to produce highly insulating housings or insulating elements from single curved or cylindrical elements or shells without utilizing

spacer elements for keeping the single curved or cylindrical elements or shells in spaced-apart relationship.

A particular advantage of the present invention relates to the utilization of the single curved or cylindrical shells or elements for providing structural elements, such as housings or building elements for e.g. kitchen hardware or, in general, appliances in which products are to be kept at a temperature below ambient temperature, or processed at an elevated temperature relative to ambient temperature, which housing provides a structure which may stand exposure to the atmosphere and also stand exposure to mechanical influence without being broken.

A particular feature of the present invention relates to the fact that the novel technique of producing insulating structural elements or housings in accordance with the teachings of the present invention renders it possible to produce far more simple structural elements as compared to the prior art insulating elements in which vacuum, in particular deep vacuum, exists, in which prior art elements spacer elements and/or reinforcing frame elements are used.

The above object, the above feature, and the above advantage together with numerous other objects, features and advantages which will be evident from the below detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention are in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention obtained by a housing of an appliance, said housing defining an inner space for storing perishable goods, such as food products, drugs, and biologically degradable goods, at a temperature below ambient temperature, or alternatively for processing food products at a temperature above ambient temperature, said housing constituting an insulating housing for insulating said inner space in relation to the surroundings, an opening being defined in said housing for providing access to said inner space from the surroundings, and said housing comprising: an openable and insulated door component covering, sealing and insulating said opening, and a cylindrical wall component constituting a component of said housing and defining at least partly said inner space, said cylindrical wall component being composed of an inner cylindrical shell and an outer

cylindrical shell, said inner and outer cylindrical shells constituting separate shell components and being made from gas- and water- impermeable materials, said inner and outer cylindrical shells being arranged in spaced-apart relationship defining an insulating annular space there between in which a vacuum exists, and said inner and outer cylindrical shells being interconnected by a reinforcing joint at said open¬ ing constituting a gas- and water-impermeable sealing of said inner and outer cylindrical shells, said inner and outer cylindrical shells being con¬ figurated so as to provide along with said reinforcing joint a self- supporting and geometrically stable housing structure capable of with¬ standing the atmospheric pressure and maintaining said vacuum within said annular space.

The basic realization on which the present invention resides relates to the advantageous utilization of the inner cylindrical and outer cylindrical shells which together with the reinforcing joint provide the required geometrical stability for maintaining the vacuum within the annular space and at the same time provide a self-supporting housing structure which may withstand the pressure difference between the opposite sides of the cylindrical wall components in relation to the intermediate vacuum.

In the present context, the terms "single curved" and "cylindrical" are to be construed generic terms which are considered including any geometrical configuration which is defined by a contour curve which is developed along a linear generatrix. Examples of contours which fulfil the definition of a contour of a cylinder in the present context are circles, ellipses, convex curves including circular or curved segments and also segments which may be described by any known mathematic relation, including hyperbolas, parabolas, trajectories, etc., combinations of curved segments, linear segments, etc. In the present context, the terms "single curved" and "cylindrical" are basically considered synonymous since a geometrical configuration constituting a single curved configuration may be considered a segment of a cylindrical configuration, or, alternatively, a cylindrical configuration may be considered composed of single curved configuration elements. Also within the context of the present patent application, the contour fulfilling the requirements of being single curved and/or cylindrical may be considered composed of individual segments ful-

filling the requirements as to being single curved and/or cylindrical, and any geometrical configuration or contour composed of single curved or cylindrical elements as defined above is considered fulfilling the definition of the terms "single curved" and "cylindrical" .

In the present context, the expression "gas- and water-impermeable materials" are to be considered in relation to the application in question, since no known materials are entirely gas- and water- impermeable. The term "gas- and water-impermeable" is, therefore, to be construed a term expressing the property that the relevant materials exhibit impermeability as to gas and water and any other relevant constituents within the relevant lifetime of the appliance in question, such as the kitchen hardware, the building element, the structural element or the like.

It is to be realized that the housing according to the present invention ful¬ fils the advantageous property that a vacuum exists in the cylindrical wall component in the annular space defined between the inner and outer cylindrical shells. According to the presently preferred embodiment of the housing according to the present invention, the vacuum existing or prevail- ing within the annular space defined between the inner cylindrical and outer cylindrical shells of the cylindrical wall component of the housing according to the present invention is a deep vacuum, i.e. a vacuum deeper than 10 ^' ^ atm. and preferably deeper than 10 ^" ' atm. Also, according to the presently preferred embodiment of the housing according to the present invention, the inner and outer shells have low emissivity surfaces facing one another in the spaced-apart relationship in order to prevent that the advantageous insulating property of the deep vacuum prevailing in the annular space of the cylindrical wall component of the housing is deteriorated through radiation of heat from one of the surfaces of the cylindrical wall component to the other, i.e. from the hot surface to the cold surface.

Although the present invention is preferably advantageously used for providing housings, building and structural elements, etc. in which deep vacuum exists, the present invention may also advantageously be employed in connection with evacuated housings which are only to a less extent evacuated as compared to a deep vacuum, and which, therefore, may also

include an insulating filling within the annular space defined between the inner and outer cylindrical shells of the cylindrical wall component of the housing. Additionally or alternatively, a radiation barrier such as a thin metal foil e.g. an aluminum foil may be included within said annular space. Through a combination of a vacuum which may be a vacuum different from a deep vacuum and an insulating filling, an improved insulating property as compared to the prior art insulating housings of e.g. kitchen appliances is obtained, in particular in terms of insulating capability in relation to the dimension, i.e. the thickness of the insulating layer, or in the housing according to the present invention the thickness of the spacing between the inner and outer cylindrical shells of the cylindrical wall component.

In order to prevent any gas constituents which evaporate through the inner and/or outer cylindrical shell of the cylindrical wall component from deteriorating the insulating property of the cylindrical wall component through reducing the vacuum prevailing in the annular space defined between the inner and outer cylindrical shells of the cylindrical wall com¬ ponent, a getter may be included in the annular space of the cylindrical wall component of the housing according to the present invention.

Dependent on the application in question, the housing may be provided with an opening constituting a circular top opening of the housing and the reinforcing joint characteristic of the present invention consequently con- stitutes a circular peripheral top joint of the cylindrical wall component. The appliance including a top opening may e.g. constitute a freezer appliance, a container, etc. According to the presently preferred embodi¬ ment of the housing according to the present invention, the opening con¬ stitutes an opening of the cylindrical wall component being at least partly delimited by straight-line segments extending lengthwise relative to the cylindrical wall component, and the reinforcing joint extends along the straight-line segments of the opening. The presently preferred embodiment of the housing according to the present invention consequently constitutes a cylindrical wall component in which a front opening is provided, which front opening may even extend along the entire length of the cylindrical wall component.

In order to improve the rigidity and stiffness of the overall housing and, compared to a non-reinforced housing, reducing the dimensions, in particular the thickness of the inner and outer cylindrical shells, the inner and/or outer cylindrical shell and/or shells are preferably reinforced through axially or radially extending corrugations increasing, as is well- known in the art, the mechanical strength and stiffness of the shell or shells.

The housing according to the present invention preferably further com- prises end wall components for providing the overall insulating housing, which end wall components may be produced in any appropriate manner fulfilling the overall aim of providing an insulating housing in which no element or component deteriorates the overall insulating property of the housing and consequently of the appliance. Consequently, the housing according to the present invention preferably further comprises at least one or alternatively two end wall components constituting one or two insulat¬ ing end wall components adjoining the cylindrical wall component at one end or alternatively respective opposite ends thereof.

The end wall component may be implemented in accordance with the basic vacuum-insulating concept according to the present invention, i.e. implemented as single curved or advantageously double curved shell elements which, due to their geometric stable structure and the reinforcing joint, provide a vacuum-insulating end wall component capable of withstanding the atmospheric pressure and maintaining the vacuum within the vacuum-insulating end wall component. Consequently, the end wall component preferably comprises an inner end wall and an outer end wall adjoining the inner shell and the outer shell, respectively, and defining a self-supporting end wall structure integrally connected to the cylindrical wall component of the housing according to the present invention. The self-supporting end wall structure may in the integral connection to the cylindrical wall component of the housing according to the present invention be separated from the cylindrical wall component, providing a separate vacuum within the self-supporting end wall structure being an evacuated end wall structure. Alternatively and preferably, the self- supporting end wall structure which is integrally connected to the cylindrical wall component of the housing according to the present

invention is connected to the cylindrical wall component in the integral structure, providing a single evacuated chamber including the annular space defined between the inner and outer cylindrical shells of the cylindrical wall component and the insulating space defined between the inner and outer end walls of the self-supporting end wall structure.

The end wall component being a vacuum-insulating end wall component may constitute a convex end wall component or alternatively a concave end wall component, and the housing may include a single convex or two convex end wall components, or alternatively a single concave end wall component or alternatively two concave end wall components, and further alternatively one convex and one concave end wall component.

The end wall component or end wall components of the housing according to the present invention may, as stated above, be produced in accordance with any appropriate technique fulfilling the overall aim of providing an insulating housing. The end wall component, consequently, according to alternative embodiments of the housing according to the present invention constitutes a hollow end wall component adjoined the cylindrical wall component and containing an insulating filler or constitutes a foamed, insulating end wall component or, further alternatively, constitutes a combination thereof, such as a foamed insulating end wall component which is covered internally by a foil, preferably a gas- and water- impermeable foil.

The insulating filler which may be included in the annular space of the cylindrical wall component of the housing according to the present invention and/or included in the end wall component of the housing according to the present invention may constitute a mineral fiber filler, a foamed, insulating filler, an insulating gel, or a combination thereof.

The housing according to the present invention includes, as stated above, apart from the cylindrical wall component and optionally the end wall component the openable and insulated door component which covers, seals and insulates the opening. For preventing the insulating property of the housing from being reduced at the junction between the door and the opening of the housing, the door preferably defines an outer periphery

providing an overlap at the outer periphery relative to the opening, the overlap being of the order of 5-20 cm, preferably 5-10 or 10-15 cm, further preferably 10 cm. In order to further improve the insulating property at the junction between the door and the opening of the housing according to the present invention, a double sealing is preferably also pro¬ vided spaced apart at or within the overlap.

The door of the housing according to the present invention may be connected in any appropriate, i.e. any stable, sealing and adequately insulating property relative to the cylindrical wall component, e.g. hinged to the wall component, as the door may define a side edge and be hinged to the cylindrical wall component at the side edge. Alternatively, the door may be movable in relation to the cylindrical wall component along the outer surface thereof as a movable or shiftable door between a first position in which the opening is covered and sealed by the door, and a second position in which the opening is at least partly exposed for providing access to the inner space defined within the housing according to the present invention.

The inner and outer shell components of the cylindrical wall component, i.e. the inner and outer cylindrical or single curved shells of the cylindrical wall component may be made from any appropriate material fulfilling the above requirements as to gas- and water-impermeability and preferably also low surface emissivity. Examples of relevant and advantageous materials are glass, ceramic, metal, preferably stainless steel, aluminum, coated steel, titanium, metal -coated carbon fiber or metal -coated glass fiber reinforced plastic material or the like, or laminates of the above materials and/or combinations thereof. The presently preferred materials according to the present invention are stainless steel, glass and ceramic material. Alternatively, laminates of plastics materials and corrosion resistant metals are believed to be advantageous suchs as sandwich materials including a plastic coating and a metal support or alternatively a plastic support and a metal coating depending on whichever of the two materials of the laminated structure constitutes the reinforcing component or element.

Dependent on the material from which the inner and outer cylindrical

shells are made, being preferably glass, ceramic, metal, and further preferably stainless steel, the reinforcing joint characteristic of the present invention may be made from a profiled metal component, a profiled ceramic component or a profiled glass component. The reinforcing joint serves, according to the teachings of the present invention, the purpose of maintaining the geometrically stable inner and outer cylindrical shells in spaced-apart relationship for providing the self-supporting and geometrically stable housing structure maintaining the vacuum within the annular space of the cylindrical wall component. The reinforcing joint may further preferably be made through a fusing process, a soldering process, a welding process or any equivalent process, or a combination thereof, dependent on the actual materials being gas- and water-impermeable materials, such as glass, ceramic or metal materials.

For providing a housing structure in which an advantageous insulating property exists at the junction between the door and the opening of the housing according to the present invention, the cylindrical wall component may according to a further advantageous embodiment be provided with a collar extension at the opening for defining an overlayer wall structure at the opening against which overlayer wall structure the door seals, preferably by means of a double seal. The collar may advantageously constitute a collar extending circumferentially around the opening and the double sealing may be constituted by two sealing strips which are positioned at the inner and the outer boundary of the collar, respectively in relation to the opening of the housing.

The housing according to the present invention may, as stated above, con¬ stitute the housing of any appliance in which a temperature below or above the ambient temperature is to be maintained for an extended period of time for cooling or heating the products contained within the housing to a specific preset temperature level. According to the presently preferred application and embodiment of the housing according to the present invention, the housing constitutes a housing of a refrigerator appliance, a freezer appliance or the like, i.e. a housing of an appliance in which perishable goods, such as food products, drugs and biologically degradable goods, are kept at a temperature below ambient temperature, e.g. a temperature of 0-50C, a temperature below 00C or at 00C, or a

temperature far below 00C, such as -15 fo -700C, e.g. -18 to -400C, or 18-200C.

A particular aspect of the present invention relates to a rotary shelf system of a refrigerator appliance, a freezer appliance or the like, which rotary system reduces the energy loss, provided the openable door is opened as the rotary shelf system constitutes a closing off rotary shelf system including a plurality of individual rotary shelves, each of said rotary shelves having a cylindrical wall segment and being mounted rotatably within said housing so as to be rotated from a closing position in which said wall segments of said rotary shelves close off said opening, and an opening position to which said shelves are rotated individually or jointly, in which said opening is at least partly exposed. The rotary shelf system according to the above aspect of the present invention may constitute a shelf system for supporting products or goods which are stored within the refrigerator, or freezer appliance, or alternatively constituting a separation system constituting separate partition wall elements serving the purpose of dividing the inner space of the refrigerator or freezer appliance into sub- compartments in which one or more supporting shelves are contained and separated from the other sub-compartment, provided the cylindrical wall segment of the rotary shelf corresponding to the sub-compartment in question is closing off the sub-compartment relative to the inner space defined within the refrigerator or freezer appliance and the remaining sub- compartments thereof.

According to an alternative advantageous embodiment and application of the housing according to the present invention, the housing constitutes a housing of a kitchen oven, such as a conventional heating oven, convection oven, hot-air oven, a microwave oven, or a combination thereof.

The above object, the above feature and the above advantage, together with numerous other objects, features and advantages which will be evident from the below detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention are in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention obtained by an insulating element for insulating a space relative to the surroundings at a temperature below ambient temperature or alternative at a temperature above ambient temperature, the insulating

element comprising: an inner single curved shell and an outer single curved shell, said inner and outer single curved shells constituting separate shell components and being made from gas- and water- impermeable materials, said inner and outer single curved shells being arranged in spaced-apart relationship defining an insulating annular space therebetween in which a vacuum exists, and defining together an outer periphery, and said inner and outer single curved shells being interconnected by a reinforcing joint at said outer periphery constituting a gas- and water-impermeable sealing of said inner and outer single curved shells, said inner and outer single curved shells being configurated so as to provide along with said reinforcing joint a self-supporting and geometrically stable insulating element capable of withstanding the atmospheric pressure and maintaining said vacuum within said insulating annular space.

The insulating element according to the second aspect of the present invention may constitute a building element, as stated above, such as a window or sealing element, a window or windscreen element of an automobile, a ship, a train, an aeroplane, or any other building or structural element of a stationary or movable structure.

The element according to the second aspect of the present invention may be implemented in accordance with any of the above characteristics of the housing according to the first aspect of the present invention. The element according to the second aspect of the present invention may in accordance with a particular advantageous embodiment and application of the element constitute a housing of an appliance or a door of a housing, preferably a door of a housing according to the first aspect of the present invention.

The above object, the above feature and the above advantage, together with numerous other objects, features and advantages which will be evident from the below detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention are in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention obtained by an appliance comprising a housing defining an inner space for storing perishable goods, such as food products, drugs, and biologically degradable goods, at a temperature below ambient temperature, or alternatively for processing food products at a temperature

above ambient temperature, said housing ^s constituting an insulating housing for insulating said inner space in relation to the surroundings, an opening being defined in said housing for providing access to said inner space from the surroundings, and said housing comprising: an openable and insulated door component covering, sealing and insulating said opening, and a cylindrical wall component constituting a component of said housing and defining at least partly said inner space, said cylindrical wall component being composed of an inner cylindrical shell and an outer cylindrical shell, said inner and outer cylindrical shells constituting separate shell components and being made from gas- and water- impermeable materials, said inner and outer cylindrical shells being arranged in spaced-apart relationship defining an insulating annular space therebetween in which a vacuum exists, and said inner and outer cylindrical shells being interconnected by a reinforcing joint at said opening constituting a gas- and water-impermeable sealing of said inner and outer cylindrical shells, said inner and outer cylindrical shells being configurated so as to provide along with said reinforcing joint a self- supporting and geometrically stable housing structure capable of withstanding the atmospheric pressure and maintaining said vacuum within said annular space, and further comprising thermostat means for maintaining said inner space at a specific temperature below ambient temperature or alternatively above ambient temperature. The thermostat means may be constituted by cooling or heating means, dependent on the application of the appliance, as cooling means is provided in case the temperature is to be kept below ambient temperature and heating means is provided in case the temperature is to be kept above ambient temperature.

The appliance according to the third aspect of the present invention may be implemented in accordance with any of the above advantageous embodiments of the housing according to the first aspect of the present invention and may further include a door element according to the second aspect of the present invention. The appliance according to the third aspect of the present invention preferably constitutes a refrigerator appliance or freezer appliance, or alternatively a kitchen oven. It is to be realized that the vacuum produced in the insulating annular space defined between the inner and outer cylindrical shells of the cylindrical wall component of the

housing according to the first aspect of the present invention, or alternatively of the housing of the appliance according to the third aspect of the present invention, or alternatively the vacuum defined in the insulat¬ ing annular space defined between the inner and outer single curved shells of the insulating element according to the second aspect of the present invention is to be generated by evacuating the insulating space in question in accordance with an evacuation and sealing-off technique which is well- known in the art per se and described in a.o. published international patent application No. WO 91/02878 to which reference is made, or alternatively in US patent No. 5115612 to which reference is also made.

The invention is now to be further described with reference to the drawings in which

Fig. 1 is a partially cut-away, diagrammatic and perspective view of a first and presently preferred embodiment of a vacuum-insulated cylindrical refrigerator according to the present invention with an internally and externally flat door in an open position and a matching, flat interior liner wall,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the first and presently pre¬ ferred embodiment of the vacuum-insulated cylindrical refrigerator according to the present invention made of preferably stainless steel or glass and with the externally flat door in a closed position on the matching, flat interior liner wall,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the container body of the first embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention also shown in Figs. 1 og 2, the section being taken along the plane 1-1 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the first embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention also shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken along the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the first embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention also shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

the section being taken along the plane 3 ^: 3 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 5 A is a greatly enlarged sectional plan view of a detail of the view of Fig. 4 illustrating the sealing assembly and overlap between the refrigerator door and the refrigerator interior liner wall of the first embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention also shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 5B is a greatly enlarged sectional plan view of a detail of the view of Fig. 5 illustrating the hinge assembly and overlap of the refrigerator door and the refrigerator interior liner wall of the first embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention also shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Figs. 6A and 6B are diagrammatic and perspective views of a second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention, with an externally an internally arcuate door closed,

Figs. 7 A and 7B are diagrammatic perspective views of the second embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention, with the externally arcuate door open,

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic and perspective view of an interior top and bottom shell assembly used in the mounting of the refrigerator of Figs. 6 and 7,

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic and perspective view of a vertical container body shell assembly used in the mounting of the refrigerator of Fig. 7,

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic and perspective view of an assembled container body shell used in the refrigerator of Figs. 6 and 7,

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the container body of the refrigerator of Fig. 7 with the door closed, taken along the plane 4-4 of Fig. 7,

Fig. 11A is a greatly enlarged vertical sectional view of a detail of the view of Fig. 11 ,

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of the container body of the refrigerator of Fig. 7, taken along the plane 5-5 of Fig. 7,

Fig. 13 is a horizontal sectional plan view of the refrigerator of Fig. 11 including shelves, taken along the plane 6-6 of Fig. 12,

Fig. 13 A is a greatly enlarged sectional plan view of a detail of the view of Fig. 13 illustrating the hinge and sealing assembly and overlap of the refrigerator door and the refrigerator interior liner wall with the door closed,

Fig. 14 is a partially cut-away, diagrammatic and perspective view of a third embodiment of a cylindrical refrigerator according to the present invention with an externally and internally arcuate door in an open position and a sealingly matching, arcuate interior liner wall,

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the third embodiment of the cylindrical refrigerator according to the present invention also shown in Fig. 14 with the externally and internally arcuate door closing on the sealingly matching, arcuate interior liner wall,

Fig. 16 is a vertical sectional view of the refrigerator of Fig. 14, taken along plane 7-7 of Fig. 15,

Fig. 16A is a greatly enlarged sectional view of the view of Fig 16 illustrating the sealing assembly and overlap of the refrigerator door and the refrigerator interior liner wall,

Fig. 17 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigerator similar to the one of Fig. 14, but with the arcuate door spaced apart from the cylinder liner wall so that it provides enough room to allow the mounting of door shelves,

Fig. 18 is a horizontal sectional view of the refrigerator of Fig. 16 taken along plane 8-8 of Fig. 16,

Fig. 19 is a horizontal sectional view of the refrigerator of Fig. 17 taken

along plane 9-9 of Fig. 17,

Fig. 19A is a greatly enlarged combined sectional view of details of the views of Figs. 17 and 19 showing the hinge and sealing assembly and overlap of the refrigerator door and the refrigerator interior liner wall,

Fig. 20 is a partially cut-away, diagrammatic, perspective view of a first embodiment of a barrel-shaped freezer according to the present invention with an internally concave door in an open position and a matching, concave top cylinder body contact surface,

Fig. 21 is a partially cut-away, diagrammatic, perspective view of a second embodiment of a barrel-shaped freezer according to the present invention with an internally convex door in an open position and a matching, convex top cylinder body contact surface,

Fig. 22 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the cylinder body of the barrel-shaped freezer of Fig. 20,

Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the cylinder body of the barrel-shaped freezer of Fig. 21,

Fig. 24 is a sectional view of the barrel-shaped freezer of Fig. 20, being taken along the plane 10-10 of Fig. 22,

Fig. 24 A is a greatly enlarged sectional view of a detail of the view of Fig. 24 illustrating the sealing assembly and overlap,

Fig. 25 is a sectional view of the barrel-shaped freezer of Fig. 21, taken along the plane 11 - 11 of Fig . 23 ,

Fig. 25 A is a greatly enlarged sectional view of a detail of the view of Fig. 25 illustrating the sealing assembly and overlap.

Figs. 26 A and 26B are diagrammatic and perspective views similar to the views of Figs. 6A and 6B, respectively, of a fourth embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention, with an externally arcuate

door closed,

Figs. 27 A and 27B are diagrammatic and perspective views similar to the views of Fig. 7 A and 7B, respectively, of the fourth embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention, with the externally arcuate door open,

Fig. 28 is a diagrammatic and perspective view similar to the view of Fig.

8 of interior top and bottom insulating components used in the mounting of the refrigerator of Figs. 26 and 27,

Fig. 29 is a diagrammatic and perspective view similar to the view of Fig.

9 of a vertical container body shell assembly used in the mounting of the refrigerator of Fig. 27,

Fig. 30 is a diagrammatic and perspective view similar to the view of Fig.

10 of an assembled container body shell used in the refrigerator of Figs. 26 and 27,

Fig. 31 is a vertical sectional view similar to the view of Fig. 11 of the container body of the refrigerator of Fig. 27, with the door closed, taken along the plane 12-12 of Fig. 27,

Fig. 31 A is a greatly enlarged vertical sectional view similar to the view of Fig. 1 IA of a detail of the view of Fig. 31 ,

Fig. 32 is a vertical sectional view similar to the view of Fig. 12 of the container body of the refrigerator of Fig. 27, taken along the plane 13-13 of Fig. 27,

Fig. 33 is a horizontal sectional plan view similar to the view of Fig. 13 of the refrigerator of Fig. 31, taken along the plane 14-14 of Fig. 32,

Fig. 34 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of a refrigerator or freezer appliance according to the present invention, and

Figs. 34 A and 34B are greatly enlarged sectional views of details of the

view of Fig. 34, illustrating the bearing and sealing assembly and overlap.

In the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, different parts of different variants of appliances built according to the same principles are designated the same reference numbers as in the firstly mentioned presently preferred embodiment but they are added Roman superscripts in conformity with the Roman number assigned to the respective variant.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a presently preferred or first embodiment of a cylindrical refrigeration appliance is illustrated generally at 10 which comprises a cylindrical refrigerator container body 12 defining a refrigerator com¬ partment 13, an interior liner wall 14 and a door 16 which is partly cut away in Fig. 1 and comprises optional shelves 18 and sealingly closing against the interior liner wall 14. The partially cut-away perspective view of the cylindrical refrigeration appliance 10 reveals the entirely empty interior of the refrigerator compartment 13 without any trays or shelves being installed therein. The refrigerator container body 12 has a characteristic cylindrical form with a top 20 and a bottom 21, and has an opening of a generally rectangular form defined by the interior liner wall 14 which is exterior to the cylinder. As best seen in Figs. 5A and 5B, the refrigerator door 16 comprises two layers 30 and 32, respectively, peripherally surrounded by a reinforcing joint 26, which layers 30 and 32, respectively, and reinforcing joint 26 define an enclosure evacuated to a pressure of 10 ^" ' atm or lower. Similarly, the container body, the top 20 and the bottom 21 are composed of two shells or layers constituting an integral vacuum-insulating container produced in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

The sealing between the refrigerator door 16, which can be described as a vacuum thermal insulation panel, and the interior liner wall 14 is realized by two sealing gaskets which are made from rubber tubes running parallel along the whole length of the interior liner wall, one of the gaskets con¬ stituting an inner sealing gasket 27 sealing off a portion of the liner wall- insulating frame region, and the other gasket constituting an outer sealing gasket 28 sealing off a portion of the liner wall-vacuum thermal insulation panel region. The inner sealing gasket 27 contacts the interior liner wall 14

on the one side, and the interior layer 30 of the door 16 on the other side; similarly, the outer sealing gasket 28 contacts the interior liner wall 14 on the one side, and the layer 30 of the door 16 on the other side. Both the inner 27 and the outer 28 sealing gaskets are preferably attached to the re- frigerator door 16, the outer sealing gaskets 28 by enclosing the door 16 at the edges together with the rubber frame 26, as explained above, and the inner rubber tube 27 by a strong adhesive. In this particular embodiment, the refrigerator door 16 and the matching interior liner 14 are plane but it will be evident from the alternative embodiments to be described below that they can adopt different constructive forms adapted to the respective functional requirements.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the container body of the presently preferred or first embodiment of the vacuum-insulated refrigerator, the section being taken along the plane 1-1 of Fig. 1 in which there have been installed parallel trays or shelves 22. Considering the advantageous cylindrical shape of the vacuum-insulated cylindrical refrigerator, the trays 22 are made circular and preferably rotatable which eliminates the usual problem encountered in conventional, box-like refrigerators, of reaching recipients or products placed at the back end of the refrigerator. Access to said recipients or products is thus ensured by simple rotation of the respective circular tray.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the first embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention illustrating the position of the internal shelves 22, the door shelves 18, and the sealing assembly connecting the refrigerator door 16 with the interior liner wall 14 of the refrigerator container body 12. Effective sealing against the ingress of warmer outside air into the refrigerator is ensured by the presence of the two parallel rows of spaced-apart sealing gaskets 27 and 28, respectively, mounted peripherally about the interior liner wall. Fig. 5 is a sectional plane view of the refrigerator of Fig. 4 illustrating the sealing contact areas and the hinge connections between the liner wall 14 and the refrigerator door 16. The figure also shows the plane shape of a door shelf 18 and its disposition in relation to the refrigerator walls.

Figs. 6A and 6B are perspective views of an alternative or second embodi-

ment of the refrigerator realized according to the principles of the present invention. The main differences in comparison to the above described embodiment consist in the form of the refrigeration door 16" and the placement of the refrigerator cylinder body 12" inside a parallelepipedic casing or cabinet 34" . The inside of the door 16" is still flat, as in the above described embodiment, but the exterior is convexly arcuate symmetrical about a vertical plane. In Figs. 6 A and 6B, the door 16" is closed.

Figs. 7 A and 7B are perspective views of the second embodiment of the refrigerator, differing from the views of Fig. 6 A and 6B in that the door 16' ' is open. Details of the component parts of the cylinder body are shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 9 illustrates the mounting of a cylinder wall by means of an exterior and an interior shell 42 and 44, respectively. From Fig. 9 it can be seen that the profile of the shells 42 and 44 has the configuration of the Greek letter Ω with an opening of approximately 750 of the section. The shells 42 and 44 are joined at the upper end with an upper exterior shell 36 and an upper interior shell 38, respectively, and at the lower end with a lower exterior shell and a lower interior shell (not shown). The upper exterior shell 42 and upper interior shell 44 are shown in Fig. 8, forming a top end 40. A bottom end (not shown) is formed in a similar way by assembling the lower exterior shell and the lower interior shell. The shells 42 and 44 and the shells 36 and 38 are formed of 1-2 mm thick stainless steel plate, and the top and bottom assembly between the shells 36 and 38 and the top and the bottom ends 40 are impervious to the passage of air and capable to maintain deep vacuum of the order of magnitude of minimum 10 ^" ' atm. The assembly, including the cylinder wall and the top and bottom ends, is produced in accordance with the teachings of the present invention as re¬ inforced and self-supporting geometrically stable structures. The assembly also prevents the cylindrical shells from buckling and collapsing. The top and the bottom ends 20' ' and 21 " , respectively, have the form of concave spherical sectors, which can better be seen in Figs. 11 and 12.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the second embodiment of the refrigerator constructed according to the principles of the present invention

and shown in Fig. 7. The interior arrangement of the shelves is similar to that in the first embodiment, but the refrigerator in Fig. 7 and the related figures to be described below may be encased in the parallelepipedic cabinet 34' ' with a free side corresponding to the refrigerator door 16" . The complete, assembled container body 12" comprising the outwardly arcuate liner wall 14" is shown in a perspective view of Fig. 10. Figs. 11 and 12 also clearly illustrate the provision of radial corrugations of the refrigerator cylinder body 12" .

Fig. 13 is a horizontal plane view of the refrigerator of Fig. 11 , taken along the plane 6-6 of Fig. 12 and illustrating the way the cabinet 34' ' encloses the refrigerator cylinder body 12", allowing the door 14" to be opened and closed. Also, the figure illustrates more clearly the longitudinal outward bending of the vertical cylinder shell edges which differ from the first embodiment in that the resulting interior liner wall 14' ' is arcuate and not flat. A better image of the bending, the arcuate refrigerator door, and the sealing assembly and overlap are provided by the detail 13 A of Fig. 13, illustrated in Fig. 13 A. The sealing assembly comprises two sealing gaskets or rubber tubes 28" and 27' ' which in this case are adapted to the bent, arcuate form of the liner wall so that the interior sealing gasket is significantly larger than the outer sealing gasket and is serratedly shaped on its wider arcuate side in order to provide the necessary flexibility. The same connection between the refrigerator door 16' ' and the arcuate liner wall 14" is shown in the enlarged sectional view 11 A, which is a detail of Fig. 11. The figure also illustrates the use of noise-damping strips 29 which support the refrigerator cylinder 12" .

A third embodiment of a cylindrical body refrigerator according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 14, which is a partially cut-away, diagrammatic, perspective view. The refrigerator 10' " illustrated in Fig. 14 has a cylindrical container body 12' ' ' and an arcuate refrigerator door 16' " closing against an arcuate liner wall 14" ' . A transparent refrigerator according to that of Fig. 14 is shown in Fig. 15, made of glass. Figs. 16 and 17 are vertical sectional views of the refrigerator of Fig. 14, with the difference that in Fig. 16 the refrigerator door 16' " is not provided with room for installing door shelves, whereas in Fig. 17 the refrigerator door 16* * has room for several door shelves 18* ^v at different heights. The

inside arrangement of the rotary shelves 22' " is in the third embodiment the same as in the previous embodiments. The sealing assembly and overlap are similar to those of Fig. 5A, corresponding to the first embodi¬ ment in that the bending of the arcuate wall 14" ' and 14 , respectively, is in these two cases carried out in such a way that it provides almost flat contact surfaces to the sealing gasket 27" ' and 28" ' , and 27 ^IV and 28 ^IV , respectively. A flat contact surface means that the inner sealing gaskets 27' " and 27* ^v need not have a complicated, serrated profile and, therefore, an inner sealing gasket similar to those of Fig. 5 A is used.

Fig. 20 is a partially cut-away, diagrammatic, perspective view of a first and presently preferred embodiment of a barrel-shaped freezer 50 built in accordance with the principles of the present invention comprising a cylindrical body 52 and an internally concave door or lid 54 in an open position and a matching, concave top cylinder body contact surface. The cylindrical body 52 of the barrel-shaped freezer 50 can be seen more clearly in Fig. 22 and may be made of a transparent material, e.g. glass. The lid 54 is provided with a handle 56 placed at the middle thereof.

A barrel-shaped freezer similar to that in Fig. 20 is presented in Fig. 21, with the difference that the door or lid 54' and top surface or liner surface 55' are both matchingly convex. Of course, the terms "convex" and "concave" are relative, so in this specification the term "convex" is construed as regarded from the inside of the respective recipients and, con- sequently, expanding the inner volume thereof. Accordingly, "concave" will be construed as an arcuate area reducing an interior volume.

Fig. 24 is a sectional view of the barrel-shaped freezer of Fig. 20, the section being taken along the plane 10-10 of Fig. 22. As can be seen in Fig. 24, the cylindrical part of the freezer is joined to a bottom end 51 by welding and the welding seam is covered, for aesthetic reasons, with a circumferential band. Another similar band is provided for covering the welding seam joining the top surface 55 of the freezer with the cylindrical body 52 of the freezer. A clearer rendition of the form of the strip is seen in Fig. 24A, which is a greatly enlarged sectional view of a portion of the sealing assembly of Fig. 24. The sealing between the lid 54 and the cylindrical body 52 is ensured by two concentric, peripherally placed

sealing gaskets, a circular inner sealing gasket 57 and an exterior sealing gasket 58 concentric in relation to the inner one. The exterior sealing gasket 58 seals off in this embodiment the space between the top surface 55 and the lid 54 in order to ensure a better sealing at the second, interior place, and the circular inner sealing gasket 57 extends over the rounded edge of the top end, enhancing the contact area.

Fig. 25 is a sectional view of the barrel-shaped freezer of Figs. 21 and 23, the section being taken along the plane 11-11 of Fig. 23. The constructive differences between the concave top freezer 50 and the convex top freezer 50' regard, as seen in Figs. 24 and 25, the configuration of the freezer top end and the manner in which the lid is joined to the cylindrical body. Fig. 25A, which is a greatly enlarged sectional view of a portion of the sealing assembly and overlap of Fig. 25, illustrates the manner in which the lid 54' of the convex top barrel-shaped freezer 50' overlies the liner surface 55' and shows more clearly the shape of the sealing gaskets 57' and 58' and protective strips.

In Figs. 26-33, views similar to the views of Figs. 6-13 are shown of a fourth embodiment of the refrigerator according to the present invention. The fourth embodiment shown in Figs. 26-33 differs from the above described embodiment in that the top and bottom shell assembly shown in Fig. 8 is substituted by a foamed insulating body 40 ^v constituting a bottom and/or end component of the assembly. The fourth embodiment shown in Figs. 26-33 also differs from the above described embodiment in that the cylinder wall shown in Figs. 29 and 30 is an integral structure which is sealed at the upper and lower rims of the structure, providing a reinforcing joint and sealing between the outer and inner shells of the structure.

In Fig. 34, a further embodiment of a freezer or refrigerator appliance is shown, designated the reference numeral 60. The embodiment shown in Fig. 34 differs from the above described refrigerator and freezer appliances in that a front door is provided constituting a slidable front door 62 which is guided relative to the cylindrical barrel or body of the refrigerator or freezer 60 by means of roller assemblies illustrated in greater detail in Fig. 34 A and 34B.

Example 1

The cylindrical body or door of any of the above described embodiments of the refrigerator or freezer appliance according to the present invention may be made from two curved sheets of soda-lime glass, each of a thick¬ ness of 4 mm. The sheets of glass are spaced 5 mm apart and sealed along the edge or edges with a low-melting sealing glass providing the re- inforcing joint characteristic of the present invention. The vacuum between the sheets is established by evacuation at elevated temperature and sealed as described in the above published international patent application.

Example 2

The cylindrical body or door of the above described refrigerator and freezer appliances may be made from 1.5 mm stainless steel sheets which are cut and machined into cylindrical inner and outer shells which are edgewise reinforced by a reinforcing joint which is welded to the opposite inner and outer cylindrical shells providing the self-supporting geometrically stable structure characteristic of the present invention. The cylindrical body may be supplemented by top- and bottom-foamed or otherwise insulated components or welded to convex or concave end com- ponents as illustrated in the above figures.

For cooling the air contained within the refrigerator or freezer, an internal or external cooling assembly may be used communicating with the inner space defined within the refrigerator or freezer through an aperture produced in the cylindrical shell, or alternatively at a recess provided at the opening at the door or lid of the refrigerator or freezer. Due to the low energy loss of the refrigerator or freezer, an external thermostated cooler may be used, communicating with the interior of the refrigerator or freezer through tubes through which cooling air is introduced into the interior of the refrigerator or freezer and from which air is evacuated from the interior of the refrigerator or freezer to the external cooler. Alternative principles of cooling the interior of the refrigerator or freezer, or

alternatively heating the air present in the appliance, provided the appliance is an oven, may be used.