US2584435A - Baby supply cabinet - Google Patents

Description

N. B. DOERR BABY SUPPLY CABINET 2 SHEETS-*SHEET 1 Feb. 5, 1952 Filed Nov. 30, 1946 Nazman B. Doe m, INVENTOR.

Feb. 5, 1952 N. B. DOERR 2,584,435

BABY SUPPLY CABINET Filed Nov. 50, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Alozmanfl vezz,

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BABY SUPPLY CABINET Norman B. Doerr, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 30, 1946, Serial No. 713,368

6 Claims.

The invention provides an improved combined refrigerator, heater and storage cabinet which is portable and which may be used on auto trips or in the home.

The invention relates to a baby supply cabinet and more particularly to a cabinet having a compartment for a refrigerant such as Dry Ice with adjoining compartments for nursing bottles to be kept cool, also one or more compartments for storage of miscellaneous goods such as diapers, canned goods, empty bottles, and the like, and a compartment for heating one of the bottles.

An object of the invention is to conserve-the Dry Ice. This is accomplished by arranging one of the miscellaneous storage compartments between the refrigeration and the heater compartments, and by providing separate doors whereby the refrigerator may be kept closed at the time that the heater is open and in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved heater which will make it possible to heat the bottle without the use of water While also preventing condensed moisture on the bottle from short circuiting the heater. This is accomplished by providing a heater in the form of a metal can, with one or more heating elements below the can. Preferably, one of the heating elements operates on a low voltage such as six volts so that it can be plugged into the cigar lighter socket in an automobile. If desired, an additional 110 volt heater element may be provided so that the cabinet may also be used in the home and connected to the usual 110-vo1t lighting circuit.

For further details of the invention, reference may be made to the drawings wherein Fig. l is a perspective view partly in section of a baby supply cabinet according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the lids broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view partly in section, with parts broken away showing a. modified form of partition for the refrigerator.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the supply cabinet I comprises a rectangular box 2 which may be made of wood, plastic, or other suitable material. The box 2 has an intermediate compartment 9 which extends from end wall 4 to the other end wall 5 and from the top of those walls to the bottom 6, providing a storage space for diapers or the like, and also providing a dead air space to insulate the refrigerator 7 from the heater 8. The refrigerator 1 has an outside wall 10 which is also the outside wall of the box 2, and it has an inside wall II which extends the length of the box and forms one wall of the space 9. In the refrigerator l, and secured to the bottom 6 by screws 56 is a U channel [2 of sheet metal. Channel l2 has an upright branch 5! which extends in front of bottles l4 and holds them in place against wall Ill. The other branch 52 extends along the bottom of wall I I. Channel I2 provides a space 3 for Dry Ice. A coil spring it extends parallel to wall I0 above branch 5| in position to engage the upper portion of the bottles [4 and keep them from falling over the branch 5| which is low so that cold air Will have access to the bottles. Spring [5 is held by screw eye l6 in wall 4 and screw eye I! in wall 5.

A modification of the channel 12 is shown at 22 in Fig. 6 wherein the channel I2 is replaced by a strip of sheet metal having a plurality of small openings as indicated at 23 to keep the Dry Ice from contact with the bottles, while admitting cold air to'the bottles, both through the holes 23 and over the top of the low partition 22.

As shown in Fig. 3, the top 24 of partition I l is at a lower level than the top of the box 2, with a lid 25 hinged as indicated at 26 to the top inside of the side wall HI. The lid 25 extends over the partition I! and covers refrigerator 1. Lid 25 has suitable catch or look 21 on the side of wall The other side of space 9 has a partition 28, the top 29 of which is lower than the bottle height so that the neck of the bottles can be readily grasped. Between partition 28 and the sidewall 30 extend four partitions as indicated at 3| to 34, to provide miscellaneous storage spaces for empty bottles, canned goods, clothing or the like. The space between 3| and 32 can be left empty or store an empty bottle or clothing and insulates the heater 8 from more remote spaces between 32 and 33, 33 and 34, 34 and 5, which can be used to store canned food or other articles.

The partitions 28, 3|, and walls 4 and 30 provide a heater compartment 31 in which is arranged a cup 33 of metal such as aluminum. Around the cup 38 is a covering 39 of insulating material such as sheet asbestos. The cup 38 has a fiat bottom 40 which rests on the rim of and serves as a closure for an upright cylindrical flange or side wall 56 of a heater element 53. Heater element 53 is arranged in the bottom of the heater compartment 37 and secured to the box bottom 6 by a screw 54 extending through base 55 and accessible from compartment 31. Flange 56 rises from a square base 55 which fits the square compartment 3'1, flange 5E and base 55 being somewhat in the form of an open upright cup and being of insulating material. The flange 56 encloses a 6-volt heater wire 51, see Fig. 5 and a 1l0-volt heater coil 58. Heater coils 51 and 58 are therefore closely adjacent to the metal bottom 43 on which the bottom of the bottle rests. Wire 51 is connected to a cord 59 and plug 60 which may be stored in the space 9 when not in use. Plug 60 fits the cigar lighter socket of an auto. Coil 58 is connected to a wall socket 6|.

The cup 38 is shorter than the bottles such as M, and only slightly larger in diameter than each bottle so that the bottom and sides of the bottles will be heated by the bottom and side of the cup 38 without making it necessary to use water in the cup 38.

Fitting on top of the walls 4, 5, Hi and 30, and extending over lid 25, space 9, heater 8 and the spaces provided by partitions 3i to 34, is a cover 42 hinged to the top of Wall H! as indicated at 43, 44, and having a suitable handle 45 and lock 46.

As to the operation of the device, a number of bottles of mils to be kept cold may be stored in the refrigerator space behind branch SI and spring [5, with a supply of Dry Ice in the refrigerator space l3. When it is desired to heat one of the bottles such as M, both lids 25 and 42 are opened, one of the cold bottles is removed from the refrigerator 1 and inserted the cup or can 38 and the heater 5'! or 58 is connected in circuit. While the heater is in operation, the lid 42 may be kept open but the lid 25 may be kept closed to conserve the refrigerated atmosphere and articles in the refrigerator 7. Also the dead air space 9, especially if clothing or diapers are in it, serves to insulate the heater 5! or 58 with its heated cup 38 and the warm bottle M, from the refrigerator 1.

As th heaters 57 and 58 are outside of the cup 38, moisture condensed on and dropping from the cold bottle i4 remains inside of cup 38 and does not short circuit the heaters 57 or 58.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the invention provides a portable baby supply cabinet serving as a refrigerator, a heater and storage space, the heater being suitable for operation from the battery in the car or from the lighting circuit in a dwelling.

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the, spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A supply cabinet comprising a compartment having a metal heater can shorter and slightly larger than a nursing bottle, said can having a fiat bottom on which the bottom of the bottle is adapted to rest, an electrical heater wire, an upright cup of insulating material fitting in the bottom of said compartment, the bottom of said metal can fitting on and serving as a closure for the top of said cup, and an electrical heater element in said insulating cup.

2. A supply cabinet comprising a box having an outer wall and an intermediate lengthwise partition shorter than the height of said box, an inner lid for the space at one side of said partition, said space comprising a refrigerator space, a metal U-channel at the bottom of said space, said channel having one flange for said partition and another flange parallel to said wall and spaced from said wall slightly more than the width of a nursing bottle to accommodate a row of bottles, means above said flange to support the tops of the said row of bottles, said channel providing a space for Dry Ice, and an outer lid for said box.

3. A supply cabinet according to claim 2, and means in said box outside of said space for heating one of the bottles.

4. A supply cabinet comprising a box having an outer wall and an intermediate lengthwise partition shorter than the height of said box, an inner lid for the space between said partition and said wall, said space comprising a refrigerator space, a container for a refrigerant at the bottom of said space, said container having a flange parallel to said wall and spaced therefrom to receive the bottom portion of a row of bottles, a spring extending lengthwise of said space for supporting the tops of said rows of bottles, a metal receptacle in said box outside of said space for receiving one of said bottles, an electrical heater at the bottom of said receptacle, said receptacle being spaced from said partition to provide an intermediate space, an extension cord for said heater in said intermediate space, and an outer lid for said box.

5. A supply cabinet according to claim 4, comprising a partition parallel to said first partition and defining said intermediate space, and crosswise spaced partitions between said second mentioned partition and an opposite outer wall of said box and defining a plurality of similar spaces in one of which said receptacle is arranged.

6. A supply cabinet according to claim 1 comprising fastening means accessible through said compartment for fastening said insulating cup to the bottom of said compartment.

NORMAN B. DOERR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,513,357 Webber Oct. 28, 1924 1,860,302 Thomas May 24, 1932 1,935,307 Ackerman Nov. 14, 1933 1,979,222 Goodwin Oct. 30, 1934 2,236,368 Haaker Mar. 25, 1941 2,253 927 Butler et a1 Aug. 26, 1941 2,277,605 Palitzsch Mar. 24, 1942 2,449,874 Brum'ng Sept. 21, 1948

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