The instant invention relates multi-select single refrigerating appliance drawer separable into up to more than one compartments wherein the temperature of each compartment may be independently controlled by way of user interface.
Conventional refrigerating appliances, such as domestic refrigerators, typically have both a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment or section. The fresh food compartment is where food items such as fruits, vegetables, and beverages are stored. The freezer compartment is where food items that are to be kept in a frozen condition are stored. The refrigerating appliances are provided with refrigeration systems that maintains the fresh food compartment at temperatures above 0° C., such as between 0.25° C. and 4.5° C. and the freezer compartments at temperatures below 0° C., such as between 0° C. and −20° C.
The arrangements of the fresh food and freezer compartments with respect to one another vary. For example, in some cases, the freezer compartment is located above the fresh food compartment and in other cases the freezer compartment is located below the fresh food compartment. Additionally, many modern refrigerating appliances have their freezer compartments and fresh food compartments arranged in a side-by-side relationship.
Refrigerating appliance, such as refrigerators, may include drawers for storage of meats, fruits, vegetable, dairy products and the like, particularly in, but not limited to, the fresh food compartment. Generally, the conditions, such as temperature and humidity, of such drawers are controlled by setting the size of an opening between the drawer and the main chamber of the refrigerating appliance or between the drawer and a cold air supply duct. In such instances, the exchange of air into and out of the drawer occurs by air flow or static exchange. Such cooling of a drawer may not always provide optimum temperatures for the contents of the drawing. For example, when a drawer is opened or closed, the temperature of the drawer may change and may require a significant amount of time to reach optimum temperature again. Moreover, such drawers are generally confined to a single temperature over the entire drawer and therefore, each drawer is limited to a single special use, e.g. for fruits, dependent upon the opening setting.
Users of a refrigerating appliance, however, may not have a sufficient quantity of each particular type of food to fill an entire drawer. Additionally, drawers for each type of food and/or intended use may not be supplied in a refrigerating appliance, and if supplied, may occupy an excessive amount of space in the appliance. Consequently, there is a need for a refrigerating appliance drawer which can be subdivided into separate compartments and wherein each separate compartment may be actively temperature controlled and monitored so as to maintain optimum conditions for the intended contents and/or use.
The instant invention is a multi-select single refrigerating appliance drawer which can be divided into multiple compartments, each compartment temperature controlled for an intended content and/or use set by a user.
In a first embodiment, the invention provides refrigerating appliance drawer comprising a body having a front panel, a rear panel, two side panels, and a floor panel, and wherein the body is divisible into more than one compartments, and wherein a temperature sensor is located within each of the more than one possible compartments; pivotable dividers, each divider pivotable between a non-use position in which the divider lies on the floor panel of the body and a use position in which it is upright and perpendicular to the floor panel of the body; a ducted cover sized and configured to fit over the body having a channel on an upper surface of the cover, the channel connecting to each of more than one fans, one fan located over each of the more than one possible compartments, wherein the channel further connects to a cold air supply duct or an air return duct; and a control system connected to each of the fans and each of the temperature sensors and a user interface.
In another embodiment, the invention provides refrigerating appliance drawer comprising a body having a front panel, a rear panel, two side panels, and a roof panel, and wherein the body is divisible into more than one compartments, and wherein a temperature sensor is located within each of the more than one possible compartments; a ducted floor sized and configured to fit under the body, the ducted floor having a bottom channel on a lower surface of the ducted bottom, the channel connecting to each of more than one bottom fans, one bottom fan located under each of the more than one compartments, and wherein the bottom channel further connects to a cold air supply duct or an air return duct; pivotable dividers, each divider pivotable between a non-use position in which the divider lies on a ducted bottom and a use position in which the divider is upright and perpendicular to the ducted bottom; and a control system connected to each of the fans and each of the temperature sensors and a user interface.
In an alternative embodiment, the invention is a refrigerating appliance drawer according to any of the foregoing embodiments further comprising a hub located at a centerpoint of the floor panel, the hub configured to support and/or stop each of the dividers when a divider is in a use position.
In another embodiment, the invention is a refrigerating appliance drawer according to any of the foregoing embodiments further comprising a solid panel configured to fit over the ducted cover or under the ducted bottom.
In yet another embodiment, the invention is a refrigerating appliance according to any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the user interface permits a user to select a temperature setting for each of the more than one compartments.
In yet another embodiment, the invention is a refrigerating appliance according to any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the user interface permits a user to select an intended content for each of the more than one compartments.
In yet another embodiment, the invention is a refrigerating appliance according to any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the fans are variable speed fans.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form that is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities and scale shown.
Embodiments of a refrigerating appliance or a component thereof now will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Referring to
The refrigerator or refrigerating appliance 10 useful in various embodiments of the invention can have any desired configuration including at least a fresh food compartment 14. In some embodiments, the refrigerator 10 may also include a freezer compartment, such as a top mount refrigerator (freezer disposed above the fresh food compartment), a side-by-side refrigerator (fresh food compartment is laterally next to the freezer compartment), a standalone refrigerator or freezer, etc.
Referring to
As shown in the embodiment of
In
The ducted cover 36 includes a channel 38 providing a fluid connection between an air supply duct (not shown) or an air return duct (not shown). In the embodiment shown in
Referring now to
In view of the first, second and third embodiments illustrated herein, it will be readily understood that any combination of a ducted cover and ducted bottom are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be understood that while the embodiments are illustrated with four dividers 34, the drawer 20, 50, or 70 could alternatively be provided with two, three, or more dividers 34.
An exemplary but non-limiting user interface 80 is shown in
The invention further provides any of the foregoing embodiments, further including a drawer 20, 50, or 72 positioned in a freezer compartment. In such uses, the end uses which may be selected by a user may include, for example, quick freeze, frozen dairy, uncooked meats, frozen vegetable, and frozen prepared foods. Likewise, the user interface for a divisible and temperature controlled drawer in the freezer compartment may be permitted to select a set temperature or temperature range.
As illustrated in the appended figures, the drawers 20, 50, and 72 are illustrated as having a rectangular shape with a certain relative depth. However, it should be understood that the invention relates to a divisible drawer with temperature control by use of temperature sensors and fans. The inventive drawer may have any configuration and relative depth. For example, inventive drawer may be rectangular and shallow, rectangular and deep, square and shallow or square and deep.
The temperature within the inventive drawer as a whole or within the compartments thereof may be controlled by forcing air from an air supply duct into the drawer or compartments with passive outflow of air from the drawer or compartments. In an alternative embodiment, air may be sucked out of the drawer or compartments with passive inflow of cold air into the drawer or compartments. In yet another alternative embodiment, the temperature of the drawer or compartments may be regulated by forced air, by use of fans, from an air supply duct into the drawer or compartments in conjunction with forced air venting, by use of fans, from the drawer or compartments into an air return duct and/or into the fresh food compartment.
In some embodiments, all fans are operated while in other embodiments, each fan is independently operable. The fans may be single speed fans or alternatively, variable speed fans. The fans may be all of a single type or different types of fans.
While the appended figures illustrate certain components as transparent and other components as opaque, it will be understood that any of the elements may be opaque, translucent, transparent, or any combination thereof.
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 and their equivalents.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20220214095 A1 | Jul 2022 | US |