Patent Application
20090293501
The present invention relates to the field of refrigeration. More specifically, the present invention relates to refrigerators where an ice compartment is remote from the freezer compartment.
Dispensing ice through the door in a refrigerator may sometimes be desirable to consumers as it enables them to access ice without opening the cabinet door. Currently side-by-side refrigerator-freezers provide this capability by making ice in the freezer compartment, storing it in the freezer compartment or its door and dispensing it through the door. Thus the side-by-side configuration is well-suited for dispensing ice from the door.
Some manufacturers of bottom-mount refrigerator-freezers, a configuration in which the freezer compartment is mounted below the refrigeration or fresh food compartment, have provided an ice-dispenser through the fresh food compartment door. They have accomplished this by bringing cold air to the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment to make and store ice and dispense the stored ice through the fresh food compartment door. Others have placed a secondary evaporator inside the fresh food compartment to produce and store ice. Such approaches can be problematic in that they use significant space in the fresh food compartment that is highly desired by the customer of bottom-mount refrigerators. Hence, problems exist.
Therefore what is needed is refrigerator with an ice compartment remote from the freezer compartment which requires only limited space in the fresh food compartment.
Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve over the state of the art.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide for a refrigerator with an ice compartment remote from the freezer compartment.
It is a still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide for an ice dispenser in a fresh food door that does not overly limit the useable space in the refrigeration compartment available to consumers.
One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment. There is a fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment and an ice compartment mounted at the fresh food compartment door. The ice compartment houses an icemaker and includes an ice storage bin. A cold plate is mounted within the fresh food compartment and adapted for cooling the ice compartment when the fresh food compartment door is in a closed position.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment. There is an ice compartment mounted at the fresh food compartment door and an ice maker within the ice compartment. A cold plate is mounted within the fresh food compartment and adapted for cooling the ice compartment sufficiently to produce ice with the ice maker when the fresh food compartment door is in a closed position. The cold plate also provides cooling for ice in the storage bin of the ice compartment. There is an opening in the ice compartment corresponding with the cold plate when the fresh food compartment door is in the closed position. Another opening in the ice compartment enables the customer to access bulk ice.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the freezer compartment mounted below the fresh food compartment. There is a fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment. There is also an ice and water dispenser mounted on the fresh food compartment door. An ice compartment is mounted at the fresh food compartment door and there is an ice maker within the ice compartment. A cold plate is mounted within the fresh food compartment and adapted for cooling the ice compartment sufficiently to produce and store ice when the fresh food compartment door is in a closed position. There is an opening in the ice compartment corresponding with the cold plate when the fresh food compartment door is in the closed position. There is also an annular gasket mounted at the opening to assist in sealing the cold plate to the ice compartment when the fresh food compartment door is in the closed position.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for making ice in a bottom mount refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet and a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment within the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment below the fresh food compartment, and a fresh food compartment door providing access to the fresh food compartment. The method includes cooling an ice compartment mounted at the fresh food compartment door with a cold plate mounted within the fresh food compartment while the fresh food compartment door is in a closed position and making and storing ice within the ice compartment.
The cooling plate can be cooled by various means, including the use of a refrigerant, a secondary refrigerant (such as glycol and other secondary coolants), air from the freezer compartment, or a thermoelectric device.
Although the cold plate and other aspects of the invention disclosed herein are intended primarily for use with bottom mount refrigerators, the invention is also suitable for use with other configurations, such as conventional side-by-side and top mount refrigerator platforms.
The present invention relates to the use of an ice maker and ice storage bin remote from the freezer compartment. Such a need exists in a bottom mount refrigerator where the ice maker and ice storage bin are located at the fresh food compartment door. The following exemplary embodiment is shown and described in the context of a bottom mount refrigerator. However, this disclosure is not meant to be limiting, as the invention can also be applied to other configurations, such as conventional side-by-side and top mount refrigerators.
The ice maker 32 is cooled conductively through use of a cold plate 42 when the first fresh food compartment door 14 is closed. The cold plate 42 may be placed in the top wall 44 of the cabinet 12. Alternatively, the cold plate 42 may be placed in the sidewall 46 of the cabinet 12. The contact between the ice mold and the cold plate 42 may be augmented in various ways such as through use of magnetic attraction or use of a thermally conductive flexible pad or a Hg or glycol filled boot. The cold plate 42 is preferably cooled by means of a primary or secondary refrigerant. It is also possible to cool the cold plate 42 with cold air from the freezer compartment 22 or a thermoelectric device.
The ice compartment 30 is an insulated compartment at the door 14. As shown in
It is expected that the cold plate 42 may become frosted up, such as from ambient air that enters while the door 14 is open, from sublimation of ice, or from evaporation of water in the ice mold. The present invention also contemplates that the frost may be removed from the cold plate. One way to do so is to periodically heat the cold plate using either an electric heater or hot gas from the condenser of the refrigerator. The heating removes frost buildup on the surface of the hot plate. An alternative way to reduce frost build up on the cold plate is maintain a portion of the cold plate at a temperature colder than the entire plate. This coldest portion would service to collect the frost. This portion of the cold plate may be defrosted periodically by heating it and the defrost water could be collected in the drain-pan of the refrigerator or in a tray about the water dispenser 24.
The description provided herein is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, contemplates numerous variations, options, and alternatives. For example, variations in the configuration of the refrigerator, variations in the placement of the cold plate, variations in the manner in which frost buildup is avoided or reduced, and other variations, options and alternatives are within the spirit and scope of the invention.
