The present device generally relates to a refrigerator having a chilled door compartment. In particular a duct extends from a dedicated fresh food compartment evaporator, through a mullion between refrigerator compartments, and to the door compartment.
Various examples of refrigerators having cooled door compartments exist in which a cool air flow is directed through, for example, a wall of the refrigerator to the door. Such arrangements solve the problem of the forward portions of the refrigerator being generally warmer than the center of the cabinet but many consumers having a preference for storing beverages in the door. In most applications, such cooling is provided in single-evaporator refrigerators, where a common evaporator is used to cool both the freezer and refrigerator, with baffles or fans controlling the air flow to maintain the freezer at a temperature below that of the refrigerator. Even in existing refrigerators with a dedicated fresh food compartment evaporator and a dedicated freezer evaporator, air supplied to a chilled door compartment is taken from the freezer evaporator, which presents certain issues because the desired relative humidity level in the refrigerator exceeds that of the freezer, such that introducing humidity into the freezer airflow will increase frost risk in the freezer. Further, introducing a freezer air supply to the fresh food compartment will mix the relatively warm fresh food compartment and relatively cold freezer airflow such that the intended behavior of each compartment may be considered as adversely affected. Finally, additional energy expenditure would be required to maintain the desired temperature balance of the fresh food compartment contents, where energy margins are generally small and each increment of energy use may be costly. Accordingly, additional improvements may be desired.
In at least one aspect, a refrigerator includes a fresh food compartment and a mullion adjacent the fresh food compartment. The refrigerator further includes an evaporator compartment defining an exterior and an interior and containing an evaporator. The refrigerator also includes a duct in fluid communication with the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with a second end adjacent an opening of the fresh food compartment. The duct has a first portion thereof that extends downwardly from the first end and a second portion extending through the mullion.
In at least another aspect, a cooling system for a refrigerator having a fresh food compartment defining an opening and a mullion adjacent the fresh food compartment and defining a lower side of the fresh food compartment includes an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment remote from the opening and defining an interior. The system further includes a duct in fluid communication with the interior of the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the fresh food compartment on a second end thereof in a position adjacent the opening of the fresh food compartment. The duct has a first portion that extends downwardly from the first end and a second portion extending through the mullion.
In at least another aspect, a refrigerator includes a fresh food compartment defining an opening, a freezer compartment, and a mullion adjacent the fresh food compartment, defining a lower side of the fresh food compartment, and separating the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment. The refrigerator further includes a first evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment remote from the opening and defining an interior and a duct in fluid communication with the interior of the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the fresh food compartment on a second end thereof in a position adjacent the opening, the duct having a first portion thereof that extends downwardly from the first end and a second portion extending through the mullion. The refrigerator further includes a second evaporator compartment (102) positioned adjacent the freezer compartment (14) and containing a second evaporator (106). The second evaporator compartment is in fluid communication with the freezer compartment (14).
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present device will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
For purposes of description herein the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the device as oriented in
Referring to the embodiment illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment, the door 18 is configured as a right door 18 in a French-door refrigerator arrangement, in which a left door is also included with each of the right door 18 and the left door covering approximately half of the opening 20 to fresh food compartment 12, with each door being hingedly connected about or adjacent a corresponding outer edge of a housing 68 of refrigerator 10. In the depicted arrangement, as particularly shown in
In this manner, duct 40 can provide a direct cool air supply of chilled air from the evaporator compartment 30 to the door compartment 26. In one example, the cool air supply can make door compartment 26 useable as a “beverage zone”, such that the compartment 26 becomes colder than the center of the fresh food compartment 12 interior. The fan 38 within evaporator compartment 30 accelerates air from upstream as it passes through the evaporator 36 and is cooled. Downstream from fan 38, the chilled air is distributed through a network of flow pathways, as discussed further below, to the interior of the fresh food compartment 12 in general and to an enclosed pantry or crisper (not shown) typically within a lower portion of fresh food compartment 12 and which may be partially isolated form the chilled air flow by way of a damper or the like that can restrict the flow of chilled air thereinto to intentionally maintain the pantry temperature above the remaining portion of the fresh food compartment 12.
In general, the door 18 of the refrigerator is susceptible to increased warming relative to the center of the fresh food compartment 12 interior due to its proximity to the exterior of the refrigerator 10 and its distance from the primary outlets of chilled air from evaporator compartment 30. However, because the door 18 is conveniently sized for beverage storage, and is generally easily accessible, additional cooling of at least a portion of door 18 may be desired to maintain perishable beverages (such as dairy products or the like) at a lower temperature, or to otherwise more quickly cool and maintain a low temperature of beverages. In this manner duct 40 has no damper such that it receives flow concurrently with the rest of the fresh food compartment 12 to maintain door compartment 26 at a lower temperature than would otherwise be obtainable.
As shown in
Continuing with reference to
Positioning the second portion 50 of the duct 40 within the mullion 16 between the fresh food compartment 12 and the freezer 14 may make the presence of duct 40 easier to hide or visually obscure within the fresh food compartment 12, particularly along the cover 54 of evaporator compartment 30 and/or the intersection between cover 54 and the adjacent side wall 82, whereas a duct routed horizontally from fan 38 through cover 54 and wall 82 may require protrusions in one or more of the same to allow adequate room for a duct with desired air flow characteristics. Such protrusions may not only be visible to the consumer, but may also interfere with mounting or other positioning of bins, shelves, or other components within fresh food compartment 12. Further, the positioning within mullion 16 provides a cooler environment for routing of duct 40, as mullion 16 is between two cooled environments (including freezer 14, which is generally cooled to a temperature below that of fresh food compartment 12. Comparatively, the location between side wall 82 and the refrigerator housing 68 is adjacent the warmer ambient air on the other side of housing 68. As the presence of duct 40 replaces insulation material regardless of its position, the exposure to warmer temperatures by positioning of duct 40 along housing 68 can be reduced or minimized to prevent warming of the chilled air passing therethrough. Further, the required removal of insulation surrounding duct 40 is preferred within mullion 16 compared to adjacent housing 68 to reduce the loss of heat therethrough. As can be appreciated, the third portion 86 of duct 40 necessarily extends adjacent housing 68 to some extent, but such an extent is less compared to complete routing adjacent wall 82. Further, the heat gained through housing 68 can be minimized by the heat removed through mullion 16. In some instances, additional heat gained at that point through housing 68 may actually be advantageous to prevent frost within third portion 86 or within door compartment 26. Accordingly, a layer of foil 88 may be positioned between housing 68 and third portion 86 in respective contact with each to promote heat gain through third portion 86. To further prevent frost accumulation in or on duct 40, particularly along second portion 50 thereof, due to cooling of the air flow therein due to the lower temperature of freezer compartment 62, a heating element 89a,89b can be positioned in the mullion 16 between the liner of the freezer 14 and the second portion 50 of duct. As shown, the positioning of heating element 89a,89b can correspond with the particular path 51a or 51b of second portion 50 to appropriately align with duct 40. Such a heating element can be an electric heating element employing, for example, resistive elements, a Peltier device, or the like. Heating element 89a,89b can also be configured for heating of duct 40 by conduction (i.e. with heating element 89a,89b in contact with duct 40), or by convection (i.e. with heating element 89a,89b heating the air adjacent duct 40 to prevent overcooling thereof).
To promote effective cycling of the air flow provided by duct 40 through door compartment 26 and back through fresh food compartment 12 to evaporator compartment 30, the second end 44 of duct 40 and the corresponding outlet 90 in wall 82 that aligns with second end 44, as well as the vent opening 28 in dyke 22 can be positioned vertically toward an upper portion 94 of door compartment 26, as shown in
When the refrigerator 10 is assembled, a foam flow is injected into the housing 68, to fill the area inside housing 68 and outside of the respective fresh food 12 compartment and freezer 14 to insulate refrigerator 10. This foam also fills mullion 16 separating fresh food compartment 12 and freezer 14 such that it expands and surrounds duct 40. To compensate for the pressure of the expanding foam, duct 40 may have internal structural supports to avoid being crushed during the foaming process.
The present configuration of duct 40 is particularly useful in an arrangement, as shown in
It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described device and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the device disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the device as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present device. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present device, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
The above description is considered that of the illustrated embodiments only. Modifications of the device will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the device. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the device, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the Doctrine of Equivalents.
This application claims priority to and the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/539,191, filed on Jul. 31, 2017, entitled “AUGMENTED DOOR BIN COOLING USING A DEDICATED AIR DUCT IN A DUAL-EVAPORATOR REFRIGERATOR CONFIGURATION”, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190032988 A1 | Jan 2019 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62539191 | Jul 2017 | US |