Patent Application
20140020412
The present invention relates to refrigerators. More particularly, the present invention relates to air distribution management of refrigerators.
There are numerous challenges related to managing air flow in refrigerators in order to provide for effective and energy efficient cooling. In a typical design air is supplied to a refrigeration compartment through centralized air streams to a first shelf area. Such a design results in very low first (top) shelf temperatures while bottom shelf temperatures are relatively high in comparison. Thus, there are problems with providing even air flow distribution. Moreover such problems can adversely affect energy efficiency of the refrigerator. What is needed is improved air distribution management within a refrigerator.
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 improved air distribution management within a refrigerator.
A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide more even air distribution to shelves within a refrigerator.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for supplying cold air to a refrigeration compartment in a manner that keeps the top shelf at a temperature above freezing.
Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for improved air distribution management within a refrigeration so that a reduced air supply may be used.
One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or advantages will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow. No single embodiment need exhibit each and every object, feature, or advantage as different embodiments may exhibit different objects, features, or advantages. Moreover, the present invention is not to be limited to or by these objects, features, or advantages.
According to one possible embodiment, a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an inner liner disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a first shelf disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, the first shelf having a back end and an opposite front end, the first shelf positioned to allow air flow between the back end of the first shelf and the inner liner, and a plurality of shelves disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, each of the plurality of shelves having a back end and an opposite front end, each of the plurality of shelves positioned to allow air flow between the back end of each of the plurality of shelves and the inner liner. The refrigerator further includes a conduit providing supply air, a baffle positioned above the first shelf and fluidly connected to the conduit, and an elongated air outlet positioned above the baffle and fluidly connected to the conduit for providing a first cold air stream from the supply air proximate a ceiling of the refrigerator cabinet. The baffle reflects a second cold air stream from the supply air to the plurality of shelves below the first shelf in a cascading manner to assist in distributing the second cold air stream between the plurality of shelves below the first shelf.
According to another possible embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an inner liner disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, and a plurality of shelves disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, each of the plurality of shelves having a back end and an opposite front end, each of the plurality of shelves positioned to allow air flow between the back end of each of the plurality of shelves and the inner liner. The refrigerator further includes an elongated horizontal air outlet positioned above the plurality of shelves for providing a first cold air stream from supply air proximate a ceiling of the refrigerator cabinet. The refrigerator further includes a baffle positioned above the plurality of shelves and below the elongated horizontal air outlet, the baffle configured to reflect a second cold air stream to shelves within the plurality of shelves that are below a topmost shelf within the plurality of shelves in a cascading manner to assist in distributing the second cold air stream.
According to another possible embodiment of the present invention, a method of cooling a refrigerator is provided. The method includes providing the refrigerator, the refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet, an inner liner disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a plurality of shelves disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, each of the plurality of shelves having a back end and an opposite front end, each of the plurality of shelves positioned to allow air flow between the back end of each of the plurality of shelves and the inner liner, an elongated horizontal air outlet positioned above the plurality of shelves, and a baffle positioned above the plurality of shelves and below the elongated horizontal air outlet. The method further includes directing a first cold air stream through the elongated horizontal air outlet generally towards a ceiling of the refrigerator cabinet, and directing a second cold air stream to shelves within the plurality of shelves below a topmost shelf within the plurality of shelves in a cascading manner to thereby assist in distributing the second cold air stream.
According to another possible embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet and a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet. The refrigerator further includes an air distribution unit positioned proximate a ceiling of the refrigerator compartment. A conduit provides supply air to the air distribution unit. The air distribution unit includes a baffle fluidly connected to the conduit. The air distribution unit further includes an elongated air outlet or port positioned above the baffle and fluidly connected to the conduit for providing a first cold air stream from the supply air proximate a ceiling of the refrigerator compartment. The baffle reflects a second cold air stream from the supply air downwardly along a side off the refrigerator compartment.
As used herein, the term “approximately” is defined as at least close to a given value (e.g. within 10 percent of). As used herein, the term “about” is defined as at least close to a given value (e.g. within 10 percent of).
The present invention is described herein in the context of one or more embodiments. The present invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments shown as one skilled in the art would appreciate that the air distribution described may apply to other configurations of refrigerators.
An air distribution assembly 50 is shown positioned above the top shelf 32 and near the ceiling 60 of the inner liner 30. A conduit 62 provides supply air to the air distribution assembly 50. The air distribution assembly 50 has a baffle 54 and an elongated air outlet 52 which is fluidly connected to the conduit 62. The elongated air outlet 52 extends horizontally in order to provide a first cold air stream generally directed along or towards the ceiling 60 of the inner liner 30 of the refrigerator cabinet. The air stream is preferably wide and high near the ceiling and coats the air to collect and recirculate air in order to improve internal condensation.
The baffle 54 is also fluidly connected to the conduit 62 and reflects a second cold air stream from the supply air to the plurality of shelves below the first shelf 32 in a cascading manner to assist in distributing the second cold air stream between the shelves. This arrangement encourages even distribution of the air on all shelves below the first shelf 32 while keeping the temperature of the first shelf 32 above freezing.
In operation, the distribution of the air by the baffle 54 and the elongated air outlet 52 maintain the first shelf at an above freezing temperature. According to one example, the first cold air stream, the stream from the elongated air outlet, provides approximately 20 percent of the air supply and the second cold air stream provides approximately 80 percent of the air supply. Thus, the second cold air stream may about four times larger than the first cold air stream as a percentage of total air supply. The rate of the supply air may vary, but one rate which may be used is a rate of about 5 cubic feet per minute. Such a rate may be less than a rate otherwise needed for the same space without the design of the present invention. For example a rate of about 5 cubic feet per minute may be used instead of a rate of about 8 cubic feet per minute. Thus, the present invention may increase energy efficiency of the refrigerator.
To test the design thermocouples were placed on different shelves including a first shelf (top), second shelf, third shelf, and fourth shelf (bottom) and average temperatures of each shelf were measured. The results of the tests established that the design maintained the first shelf at a temperature above freezing and less variation in average temperatures was encountered than with earlier designs which did not distribute the air in the same manner. Thus, the present invention permits improved performance in distribution of air between all of the shelves in a more even manner. In addition, where there is improved performance in distribution of air between all of the shelves in a more even manner, improved energy efficiency may be achieved in various ways. For example, less cold air is needed to maintain the bottommost shelf at a desired temperature.
Thus, the air distribution assembly provides for various advantages. These include: providing improved air distribution between shelves and thus a correspondingly more even temperature distribution between shelves, providing improved air distribution at the ceiling of the refrigeration compartment and thus a more even temperature distribution within the refrigerator, and improved energy efficiency.
It should be understood that the present structures and methods are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, they are to cover numerous modifications, equivalents, options, and alternatives falling within the scope of the claims.
