The present invention relates generally to ice chambers in fresh food compartments of refrigerators and, more particularly, ice chambers provided with an air moving apparatus to control ice storage temperature.
Refrigerators with bottom-mounted freezers offer easy access to the fresh food compartment and provide wide storage space. When an ice and water dispensing system is incorporated on such refrigerators, the dispensing system is provided in the fresh food compartment and an ice chamber portion of the dispensing system can be insulated from the surrounding above-freezing environment. It is also possible to provide cooling to prevent ice from melting or reduce the melting rate and fans have been used to improve circulation of cool air in the ice chamber.
The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects described in the detailed description.
In one example aspect, a refrigerator includes a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment which includes an ice chamber. The ice chamber includes an ice maker, an ice container, a second heat exchanger, an air moving apparatus, and an enclosed, looped passageway. The ice maker includes a first heat exchanger for producing ice. The ice container is for storing ice produced by the ice maker and includes an exterior surface. The second heat exchanger is for controlling temperature at the ice container. The passageway forms an air flow path such that air travels in thermal contact with the second heat exchanger. The air moving apparatus is positioned to move air through the passageway.
In another example aspect, the passageway is bounded in part by the exterior surface of the ice container.
In yet another example aspect, the vent is configured so that air impinges in a substantially perpendicular manner with respect to the exterior surface.
In yet another example aspect, the passageway is partially defined by an air delivery duct between the second heat exchanger and the exterior surface, and the air delivery duct includes a vent out of which air of the passageway impinges on the exterior surface.
In yet another example aspect, the air delivery duct includes a plurality of vents so as to scatter air over the exterior surface.
In yet another example aspect, the vents are scattered lengthwise about the exterior surface so that air impinging on the exterior surface is scattered lengthwise with respect to the ice container.
In yet another example aspect, the vents are uneven in size and are arranged so that the vents increase in size toward a user side of the refrigerator.
In yet another example aspect, the air delivery duct substantially runs parallel to the exterior surface.
In yet another example aspect, the exterior surface of the ice container is configured with a depressed portion adjacent to the vents.
In yet another example aspect, the passageway is further defined by air flowing beneath the ice container and returning to the second heat exchanger.
In yet another example aspect, the second heat exchanger is located to the rear of the ice container and away from a user side of the refrigerator, and the air moving apparatus is located above the second heat exchanger.
In yet another example aspect, ice is dispensed from the ice chamber through a door on a user side of the refrigerator.
In yet another example aspect, an ice chamber for a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator includes an ice maker including a first heat exchanger, an ice container with an exterior surface, an air moving apparatus, a second heat exchanger, and an enclosed, looped passageway. The air moving apparatus is configured to move air in the passageway and the second heat exchanger is configured to be in thermal contact with air in the passageway.
In yet another example aspect, the passageway is configured so that air of the passageway comes in contact with the exterior surface at least in part of the passageway.
In yet another example aspect, the passageway is configured so that air initially comes in contact with the exterior surface in a substantially perpendicular manner with respect to the exterior surface.
In yet another example aspect, the ice container is substantially box-shaped having side faces and a bottom face, and the exterior surface is one of the side faces.
In yet another example aspect, the order of travel for the air of the passageway is the second heat exchanger, the air moving apparatus, the exterior surface, and the bottom face.
In yet another example aspect, the passageway is configured so that air from the second heat exchanger controls the temperature of the ice container primarily by contacting the one of the side faces and secondarily by contacting the bottom face or another one of the side faces.
In yet another example aspect, the passageway is configured so that air of the passageway contacts the side face at a plurality of portions scattered lengthwise about the one of side faces.
In yet another example aspect, a refrigerator with a refrigerant loop includes a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment including an ice chamber. The ice chamber includes an ice maker, an ice container, a second heat exchanger, and an air moving apparatus. The ice maker includes a first heat exchanger for producing ice. The first heat exchanger is in refrigerant communication with the refrigerant loop. The ice container is for storing ice produced by the ice maker. The second heat exchanger is for controlling temperature at the ice container and is in refrigerant communication with the refrigerant loop. The air moving apparatus is for blowing air through the second heat exchanger and toward the ice container. The second heat exchanger and the air moving apparatus are configured to maintain below freezing temperature in the ice container.
The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Example embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the present invention are described and illustrated in the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present invention. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices.
Turning to
The ice chamber 20 (
As shown in
Aspects relating to the present invention are illustrated in detail in
As shown in
Cold air from the second heat exchanger 34 in the passageway 100 goes through an entry 50 of an air channeling plate 48 (
The ice container 28 may have a variety of shapes and, in this embodiment (
Located at the rear of the ice chamber 20, the motor room 66 may house an auger motor, a solenoid, a solenoid actuator and a guide clip. The motor room 66 is substantially formed by a frame 72 and partly bounded by a first wall 68 which includes a first opening 70 allowing air from around the ice container 28 to enter the motor room 66. The motor room 66 is further bounded by the duct element 38a which is located opposite the first wall 68. Thus, air that has entered the motor room 66 exits through the first opening 40 thereby defining a fifth passageway 140 which is indicated by arrows and repeats the looped circulation within the ice chamber 20 via the passageways 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140 which are in air communication.
A possible benefit of the present invention is that the second heat exchanger 34 and the second air moving apparatus 36 are provided in the ice chamber 20 to improve and maintain the storage temperature of ice which is affected by the above-freezing temperature of the fresh food compartment 14. Moreover, the passageways 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140 provide simple air movement in the ice chamber 20 resulting in improved temperature conditions for the ice. Thus, ducting of cold air from the freezer or unit heat exchanger to the ice chamber 20 is not necessary and loss of refrigeration efficiency arising from such ducting is avoided. Furthermore, improved temperature conditions can also be expected from the various configurations of impingement of air flow with respect to the ice container 20.
The heat exchangers 24, 34 are evaporators in this embodiment but it is noted that heat exchange can occur through other means such as thermoelectric devices.
The arrows are provided mainly to indicate the passageways which form a loop of air flow within the ice chamber and must not be interpreted to exclude possible air flow in directions that are not indicated by the arrows. The ice and water system may further be configured with additional components such as an ice level detector for detecting the amount of ice in the ice container. It must be noted that the ice and water system may include other components all of which are coordinated to accomplish systematic provision of ice and water. The lack of description of other components should not be interpreted to mean that they are absent or incompatible with the present invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art can adapt the ice and water system discussed here to make it compatible with what is already known in the art and future developments.
The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Example embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.
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