from 1926 until 1934 einstein and szilárd collaborated on ways to improve home refrigeration technology. the two were motivated by contemporary newspaper reports of a berlin family who had been killed when a seal in their refrigerator failed and leaked toxic fumes into their home. einstein and szilárd proposed that a device without moving parts would eliminate the potential for seal failure, and explored practical applications for different refrigeration cycles. einstein used the experience he had gained during his years at the swiss patent office to apply for valid patents for their inventions in several countries. the two were eventually granted 45 patents in their names for three different models.