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 an interior of a side wall, 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 air flow 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 air flow 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 an outer wrapper, a fresh food compartment defined by a liner within the wrapper and separated from an interior of the outer wrapper at least along a first side wall of the fresh food compartment to define a void, and a door at least partially enclosing an opening to the fresh food compartment when in a closed position. A door compartment is positioned along the door. The refrigerator further includes an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment and a duct in fluid communication with the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the door compartment a second end thereof. The duct has a first portion that extends laterally from the first end along a portion of the evaporator compartment and a second portion extending through the void along the first side wall of the fresh food compartment.
In at least another aspect, a refrigerator includes a door at least partially enclosing an opening to a fresh food compartment when in a closed position. A door compartment is positioned along the door. The refrigerator further includes an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment and a duct in fluid communication with the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the door compartment a second end thereof. The duct has a first portion that extends laterally from the first end along a portion of the evaporator compartment and a second portion that extends from the first portion toward the opening of the fresh food compartment. The first portion of the duct is at least partially defined by a portion of the evaporator compartment.
In at least another aspect, a refrigerator includes an outer wrapper, a fresh food compartment defined by a liner within the wrapper and separated from an interior of the outer wrapper at least along a first side wall of the fresh food compartment to define a void, and a door at least partially enclosing an opening to the fresh food compartment when in a closed position. A door compartment is positioned along the door. The refrigerator further includes an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment and a duct in fluid communication with the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the door compartment a second end thereof. The duct has at least a portion that extends through the void along the first side wall of the fresh food compartment. A vacuum-insulated layer extends at least partially along the portion of the duct between the duct and the wrapper.
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 24 is configured as a right door 24 in a French-door refrigerator 10 arrangement, in which a left door is also included with each of the right door 24 and the left door covering approximately half of the opening 26 to fresh food compartment 14, with each door being hingedly connected about or adjacent a corresponding outer edge of the outer wrapper 12 of refrigerator 10. In the depicted arrangement, as particularly shown in
In this manner, duct 56 can provide a direct cool air supply of chilled air from the evaporator compartment 46 to the door compartment 42. In one example, the cool air supply can make door compartment 42 useable as a “beverage zone”, such that the compartment 42 becomes colder than the center of the fresh food compartment 14. The fan 54 within evaporator compartment 46 accelerates air from upstream as it passes through the evaporator 52 and is cooled. Downstream from fan 54, the chilled air is distributed through a network of flow pathways, as discussed further below, to the interior of the fresh food compartment 14 in general and to an enclosed pantry or crisper (not shown) typically within a lower portion of fresh food compartment 14 and which may be partially isolated from the chilled air flow by way of a damper 72 within a pathway 74 directed to the pantry that can restrict the flow of chilled air thereinto to intentionally maintain the pantry temperature above the remaining portion of the fresh food compartment 14.
In general, the door 24 of the refrigerator 10 is susceptible to increased warming relative to the center of the fresh food compartment 14 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 46. However, because the door 24 is conveniently sized for beverage storage, and is generally easily accessible, additional cooling of at least a portion of door 24 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 56 has no damper such that it receives flow concurrently with the rest of the fresh food compartment 14 to maintain door compartment 42 at a lower temperature than would otherwise be obtainable.
As shown in
Continuing with reference to
Positioning the second portion 66 of the duct 56 within void 22 can provide a relatively short path between evaporator compartment 46 and door compartment 42 so as to minimize warming of the air flowing through duct (particularly within second portion 66), as second portion 66 of duct 56 is positioned adjacent wrapper 12, which is exposed to ambient air. The minimization of cooling loss due to the short travel path may outweigh benefits provided by taking relatively longer paths through cooler portions of refrigerator 10. To further minimize cooling loss through second portion 66, second portion 66 can be made with a relatively tall, but thin cross-section, such that space is provided between second portion and 66 to maintain some insulation therebetween. In a particular example, a vacuum-insulated packet 99, including fused foil layers surrounding a filler with internal air evacuated therefrom, can be positioned between second portion 66 and wrapper 12 to provide a relatively high level of insulation given the smaller available volume.
To promote effective cycling of the air flow provided by duct 56 through door compartment 42 and back through fresh food compartment 14 to evaporator compartment 46, the second end 44 of duct 56 and the corresponding portion of vent opening 44 in dyke 28 can be positioned vertically toward an upper portion of door compartment 42, as shown in
The present configuration of duct 56 may be 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. 62/611,725, filed on Dec. 29, 2017, entitled “BEVERAGE ZONE DUCT FOR TRIPLE EVAPORATOR REFRIGERATOR”. The entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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