Claims
- 1. A refrigeration system, comprising:a housing defining a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration means circulating a refrigerant for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration means having components including a compressor and a condenser; a cooling passage for carrying cooling fluid for cooling at least one component of said refrigeration means; a storage vessel disposed external of said housing for containing said cooling fluid, said cooling passage being connected to said storage vessel; a fluid mover for moving said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to cool said at least one component of the refrigeration means; and a heat exchanger coupled with said cooling passage for transferring heat from said cooling fluid to an interior of a building via said heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being associated with the interior of the building.
- 2. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein said storage vessel is exposed to outside air.
- 3. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein said storage vessel is disposed underground.
- 4. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein said cooling fluid is brine.
- 5. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein said cooling fluid is a glycol solution.
- 6. A refrigeration system, comprising:a housing defining a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration means circulating a refrigerant for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration means having components including a compressor and a condenser; a cooling passage for carrying cooling fluid for cooling at least one component of said refrigeration means; a water source for providing said cooling fluid to said cooling passage; fluid mover for moving said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to cool said at least one component of the refrigeration means; a heat exchanger coupled with said cooling passage for transferring heat from said cooling fluid to an interior of a building via said heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being associated with the interior of the building.
- 7. A refrigeration system, comprising:a housing defining a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration means for circulating a refrigerant for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration means having components including a compressor and a condenser; a cooling passage for carrying cooling fluid for cooling at least one component of said refrigeration means; a storage vessel disposed external of said housing for containing said cooling fluid, said cooling passage being connected to said storage vessel; a fluid mover for moving said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to cool said at least one component of the refrigeration means; a heat exchanger coupled with said cooling passage for transferring heat from said cooling fluid to an interior of a building by means of transferring heat to an evaporator in a heating system for heating the building.
- 8. A refrigeration system, comprising:a housing defining a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration means circulating a refrigerant for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration means having components including a compressor and a condenser; a cooling passage for carrying cooling fluid for cooling at least one component of said refrigeration means; a water source for providing said cooling fluid to said cooling passage; a fluid mover for moving said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to cool said at least one component of the refrigeration means; a heat exchanger coupled with said cooling passage for transferring heat from said cooling fluid to an interior of a building by means of transferring heat to an evaporator in a heating system for heating the building.
- 9. A refrigeration or freezer appliance, comprising:a housing surrounding a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration mechanism for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration mechanism having components including a compressor and a condenser; at least one fluid passage disposed adjacent to at least one of said compressor and condenser and having a first inlet and a first outlet for enabling ingress and egress of a cooling fluid; a vessel containing said cooling fluid, said first inlet and said first outlet being connected to said vessel; and a pump for pumping said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to aid in cooling said compressor and condenser.
- 10. The appliance according to claim 9, wherein said at least one fluid passage is disposed in a rollbond panel.
- 11. The appliance according to claim 9, wherein said at least one fluid passage is defined by a serpentine tube.
- 12. The appliance according to claim 9, wherein said compressor is cooled by a fluid, said compressor including a sump for containing said fluid, said at least one fluid passage being disposed adjacent to said sump for cooling said fluid in said sump.
- 13. The appliance according to claim 9, wherein said vessel is exposed to outside air.
- 14. The appliances according to claim 9, wherein said pump includes variable speeds for controlling the rate of flow of said fluid.
- 15. The appliance according to claim 9, wherein said vessel includes heat exchange fins.
- 16. The appliance according to claim 9, wherein said at least one fluid passage includes a first fluid passage disposed adjacent to said compressor, a second fluid passage disposed adjacent to said condenser.
- 17. The appliance according to claim 9, further comprising a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity level around said appliance, a temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature of said appliance, and means for adjusting a flow rate of fluid through said at least one fluid passage when said surface temperature is within a predetermined range from a dew point temperature of the detected humidity level.
- 18. The appliance according to claim 9, wherein said pump cycles fluid through said at least one fluid passage to and from said vessel.
- 19. A refrigeration or freezer appliance, comprising:a housing defining a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration mechanism for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration mechanism having components including a compressor and a condenser disposed inside said housing; at least one fluid passage disposed adjacent to said compressor or to said condenser; a heat exchanger for containing said cooling fluid, said at least one fluid passage being connected to said heat exchanger; and a pump for pumping said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to aid in cooling said compressor or condenser.
- 20. The appliance according to claim 19, wherein said at least one fluid passage is defined by a serpentine tube.
- 21. The appliance according to claim 19, wherein said heat exchanger is exposed to outside air.
- 22. The appliance according to claim 19, wherein said cooling fluid is brine.
- 23. A refrigeration or freezer appliance, comprising:a housing defining a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration mechanism for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration mechanism having components including a compressor and a condenser; refrigeration passages in communication with said refrigeration mechanism; a heat exchanger for containing a cooling fluid, said heat exchanger and said cooling fluid being independent of said refrigeration mechanism; at least one fluid passage connected to said heat exchanger and running adjacent to said compressor; and a pump for pumping said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to cool said compressor.
- 24. A refrigeration or freezer appliance, comprising:a housing defining a cooling storage compartment; refrigeration mechanism for cooling said cooling storage compartment, said refrigeration mechanism having components including a compressor and a condenser; refrigeration passages in communication between said refrigeration means and cooling storage compartment; a heat exchanger for containing a cooling fluid, said heat exchanger and said cooling fluid being independent of said refrigeration mechanism; at least one fluid passage connected to said heat exchanger and running adjacent to said condenser; and a pump for pumping said cooling fluid through said at least one fluid passage in order to cool said condenser.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/183,743 filed Oct. 30, 1998; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/126,143 filed Jul. 30, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,662 which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/927,232 filed Sep. 10, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,063 issued Oct. 6, 1998; which is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 08/761,329 filed Dec. 10, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,817 issued Sep. 16, 1997.
This is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/126,143, filed Jul. 30, 1998 which is a division of U.S. pat. application Ser. No. 08/927,232, filed Sep. 10, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,063 issued Oct. 6, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S application Ser. No. 08/761,329 filed Dec. 10, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,817 issued Sep. 16, 1997.
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/183743 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/356754 |
|
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/126143 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/183743 |
|
US |
Parent |
08/761329 |
Dec 1996 |
US |
Child |
08/927232 |
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US |