US20100139307A1 - Refrigerator with an improved air handler for quickly chilling a bin - Google Patents
Refrigerator with an improved air handler for quickly chilling a bin Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100139307A1 US20100139307A1 US12/328,299 US32829908A US2010139307A1 US 20100139307 A1 US20100139307 A1 US 20100139307A1 US 32829908 A US32829908 A US 32829908A US 2010139307 A1 US2010139307 A1 US 2010139307A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- compartment
- conduit
- refrigerator
- bin
- air
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
- F25D17/062—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators
- F25D17/065—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators with compartments at different temperatures
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/061—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation through special compartments
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
- F25D2400/28—Quick cooling
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a refrigerator that includes an air handler that provides for an increased amount of storage space in a compartment of a refrigerator. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an air handler with two ducts in a compact and thermally insulated relationship.
- refrigerators include a freezer compartment and a refrigerator or fresh food compartment.
- a quick chill bin usually located at a bottom of the compartment.
- a user can open the bin, place certain food items in the bin, close the bin, and chill the food items to a desired temperature in a relatively rapid manner.
- the rapid chilling is typically accomplished by using an air handler, which includes a supply duct for supplying cooling air from the freezer compartment to the bin, and a return duct for returning the air in the bin to the freezer compartment.
- the air handler usually occupies space above and behind the bin.
- the ducts are placed in a side-by-side fashion.
- FIG. 1 there is shown a fresh produce tray 10 used in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator.
- the fresh produce tray 10 has an interior space 12 and first, second and third walls 14 , 16 and 18 respectively extending from a base 20 .
- the tray 10 also has a frontal opening 22 that is relatively wide.
- the tray 10 also has a number of ridges 24 for supporting refrigerated items.
- the rear side 26 of the tray 10 has a curvature and the base 20 has a protrusion 28 extending upwardly from the base 20 .
- the protrusion 28 and the curvature define a space for receiving an air handler for quickly chilling a bin disposed immediately below the tray 10 .
- the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure overcome one or more of the above or other disadvantages known in the art.
- a refrigerator that includes a first compartment; a second compartment; a bin disposed in the second compartment; and an air handler including a first conduit for supplying cold air from the first compartment to the bin, and a second conduit for returning air from the bin to the first compartment.
- the first conduit is disposed within the second conduit.
- FIG. 1 shows a fresh produce tray of the prior art.
- FIG. 2 is a front view of a refrigerator in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 2A is a partial, perspective, cut-away view of the lower portion of the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 3 is a schematic, top view of the air handler used in the refrigerator of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air handler of FIG. 2A .
- the present disclosure is directed to a refrigerator such as refrigerator 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 that has a relatively small ducting arrangement for quickly chilling a quick chill bin 122 provided in the fresh food compartment 106 .
- the ducting arrangement provides the communication of cooling air from the freezer compartment 104 to the bin 122 .
- the ducting arrangement returns the relatively warm air from the bin 122 back to the freezer compartment.
- This ducting functionality is provided by an air handler 300 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
- the air handler 300 occupies less than 0.2 cubic feet in the fresh food compartment.
- the air handler 300 has a size that reclaims some usable storage space in the fresh food compartment.
- the unit 100 includes a freezer door 132 and a refrigerator door 134 that selectively close a freezer compartment 104 and a fresh food compartment 106 , respectively.
- Each of the doors 132 , 134 is mounted by a top hinge 136 and a bottom hinge (not shown) to rotate about its outer vertical edge between an open position, as shown in FIG. 2 , and a closed position (not shown) closing the respective compartment.
- An insulated partition wall or mullion 114 separates the fresh food compartment 106 from the freezer compartment 104 .
- Disposed on the freezer door 132 are a number of shelves 138 .
- the freezer door 132 has a sealing gasket 140 surrounding the periphery edge of the inner surface of the door 132 .
- the freezer compartment 104 preferably has an ice bin 110 , one or more shelves 126 , and a number of wire baskets 128 . Disposed in the fresh food compartment 106 are a number of slidable trays or bins 120 , which are disposed in a stacked arrangement along with shelves 118 for the storage of items. On the refrigerator door 134 , there are a number of shelves 142 and a sealing gasket 144 surrounding the periphery edge of the inner surface of the door 134 .
- the freezer compartment 104 may house a dispenser assembly (not shown), whereby ice and/or water can be dispensed through the door 132 .
- the unit 100 may further have other optional assemblies to advance the functionality of the unit 100 and therefore is not limited as shown.
- the unit 100 further includes the bin 122 which is positioned in the lower section of the fresh food compartment 106 , and the air handler 300 of FIGS. 3 and 4 .
- the air handler 300 occupies some space in the area between the upper tray 120 and the bin 122 , and the upper tray 120 has a back configuration that substantially matches at least part of the air handle unit 300 so that the upper tray 120 can fully slide back into the fresh food compartment 106 .
- FIG. 3 there is shown a top, schematic view of the air handler 300 . Dotted lines are used to show the freezer and the fresh food compartments 104 , 106 .
- the air handler 300 serves two main functions. First, it establishes a supply flow connection so that cold freezer air can flow from the freezer compartment 104 to the bin 122 to quickly chill the bin 122 and items placed therein. Second, the air handler 300 establishes a return flow connection so that relatively warm air can flow from the bin 122 back to the freezer compartment 104 .
- the air handler 300 has a ducting arrangement, which includes a first duct or conduit 325 , and a second duct or conduit 330 . As clearly shown in FIG.
- the first duct 325 is disposed inside the second duct 330 .
- the first duct 325 and the second duct 330 form a duct manifold 331 , one end 331 a of which is in fluid or flow communication with the freezer compartment 104 through an opening 114 a formed on the mullion 114 , and the other end 331 b of which is in fluid or flow communication with the bin 122 through an opening 122 a preferably formed on the back wall of the bin 122 .
- the ducts 325 and 330 are concentrically aligned. Concentric means that a center of the first duct 325 is approximately shared with a center of the second duct 330 .
- the second duct 330 substantially covers the first duct 325 .
- the second duct 330 can have cross section which substantially surrounds the first duct 325 .
- several items 310 such as soda cans, are shown placed in the bin 122 .
- this arrangement is not limiting, and any food items can be stored therein.
- Cold freezer air flows into the first duct 325 through its inlet 325 a, passes through it along path A, and exits at its outlet 325 b.
- the cold freezer air circulates among the items 310 , which are warmer, the items 310 then become cooler, and the cold freezer air becomes warmer.
- the warmer air exits bin 122 and returns to the freezer compartment 104 through second duct 330 .
- the warmer air contacts the walls of the bin 122 , and is directed into the second duct 330 through its inlet 330 a, passes through it along path B, exits at the outlet 330 b
- the apparatus 300 includes a fan 320 , which is preferably placed in the first duct 325 , adjacent its outlet end.
- the fan 320 is used to move the cold freezer air from the freezer compartment 104 to the bin 122 and to return the warmed air from the bin 122 back to the freezer compartment.
- the air handler 300 is not limited to one fan 320 as multiple fans can be used as needed.
- a second fan can be placed inside the second conduit 325 .
- the air handler 300 may use other known circulation mechanisms for introducing cold freezer air into the bin 122 and for removing the warm air from the bin 122 .
- the air handler 300 preferably includes an air damper 335 for selectively controlling the airflow in the first duct 325 and/or the second duct 330 .
- the air damper 335 can be operatively coupled and controlled by a microprocessor (not shown) that receives temperature signals from one or more sensors, for example, a thermistor (not shown) in or near the bin 122 .
- the microprocessor can provide control signals to selectively open or close the damper (or slightly open or close) as required to maintain temperature control over the bin 122 .
- the air damper arrangement is known in the art, and therefore will not be discussed in detail here.
- the ducts 325 , 330 can include a suitable insulating material positioned therebetween. It should be appreciated that by arranging the ducts 325 , 330 in a concentric relationship that a reduced amount or thickness of insulation can be used because the second duct 330 functions as a cold air buffer. That is, the relatively warm air in the second duct 330 can be used to ensure that the temperature of the second duct (and of the air handler 300 that is disposed in the fresh food compartment) is above the dew point of the moistures in the fresh food compartment 104 , which will substantially reduce or eliminate any condensation or frost on the external surface of the air handler 300 .
- the ducts 325 , 330 are shown positioned mainly inside the fresh food compartment 106 , the ducts 325 , 330 can be alternatively positioned to extend substantially inside the freezer compartment 104 .
- the ducts 325 , 330 can be made from a rigid or flexible/resilient material.
- each of the duct 325 , 330 can have differently shaped cross section, such as circular, elliptical, rectangular, square, triangle, trapezoidal, polygonal.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air handler 300 , separated from the unit 100 .
- the air handler 300 of the exemplary embodiment is made of plastic, however, other materials known in the art that can withstand the temperatures experienced in the compartments 104 , 106 could be employed.
- the ducts 325 , 330 are housed in a resilient housing 340 , which has a relatively small profile so as to not occupy too much space in the fresh food compartment 106 .
- the housing 340 occupies less than 0.2 cubic feet (about 5.66 liters) in the fresh food compartment 106 . This compact size results in an increased amount of storage space in the fresh food compartment.
- this compact size can increase the useful storage space of the lower tray 120 , which is usually used as a vegetable tray, by about 0.1 cubic feet (2.83 liters).
Abstract
A refrigerator with an improved air handler for a quick chill bin is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a first compartment, a second compartment and a bin disposed in the second compartment. The air handler includes a first conduit for supplying cooling air from the first compartment to the bin, and a second conduit for returning air from the bin to the first compartment. The second conduit substantially covers the first conduit.
Description
- The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator that includes an air handler that provides for an increased amount of storage space in a compartment of a refrigerator. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an air handler with two ducts in a compact and thermally insulated relationship.
- Many refrigerators include a freezer compartment and a refrigerator or fresh food compartment. Within the fresh food compartment, there is a quick chill bin usually located at a bottom of the compartment. A user can open the bin, place certain food items in the bin, close the bin, and chill the food items to a desired temperature in a relatively rapid manner. The rapid chilling is typically accomplished by using an air handler, which includes a supply duct for supplying cooling air from the freezer compartment to the bin, and a return duct for returning the air in the bin to the freezer compartment. The air handler usually occupies space above and behind the bin. The ducts are placed in a side-by-side fashion. Because of the temperature difference between the cooling air and the air in the fresh food compartment, a relatively heavy thermal insulation is required around the ducts in order to prevent the formation of condensation or frost on the external surface of the air handler. The insulation undesirably increases the total volume or size of the air handler. As a result, the air handler occupies additional space in the fresh food compartment that would be useful for storage. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a relatively small air handler that occupies less space in the fresh food compartment so that more space in the fresh food compartment can be used for storing food items while providing the same or greater quick chilling capabilities.
- Turning now to
FIG. 1 , there is shown afresh produce tray 10 used in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator. Thefresh produce tray 10 has aninterior space 12 and first, second andthird walls base 20. Thetray 10 also has afrontal opening 22 that is relatively wide. Thetray 10 also has a number ofridges 24 for supporting refrigerated items. Therear side 26 of thetray 10 has a curvature and thebase 20 has aprotrusion 28 extending upwardly from thebase 20. Essentially, theprotrusion 28 and the curvature define a space for receiving an air handler for quickly chilling a bin disposed immediately below thetray 10. - The consumers negatively perceive the loss of space attributed to the
protrusion 28 and the curvature of thetray 10. - As described herein, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure overcome one or more of the above or other disadvantages known in the art.
- According to the present disclosure, there is provided a refrigerator that includes a first compartment; a second compartment; a bin disposed in the second compartment; and an air handler including a first conduit for supplying cold air from the first compartment to the bin, and a second conduit for returning air from the bin to the first compartment. The first conduit is disposed within the second conduit. By this arrangement, the air handler occupies less volume in the second compartment than do conventional air handler configurations.
- These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. Moreover, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
-
FIG. 1 shows a fresh produce tray of the prior art. -
FIG. 2 is a front view of a refrigerator in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 2A is a partial, perspective, cut-away view of the lower portion of the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 3 is a schematic, top view of the air handler used in the refrigerator ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air handler ofFIG. 2A . - The present disclosure is directed to a refrigerator such as
refrigerator 100 illustrated inFIG. 2 that has a relatively small ducting arrangement for quickly chilling aquick chill bin 122 provided in thefresh food compartment 106. The ducting arrangement provides the communication of cooling air from thefreezer compartment 104 to thebin 122. At the same time, the ducting arrangement returns the relatively warm air from thebin 122 back to the freezer compartment. This ducting functionality is provided by anair handler 300 shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 . Theair handler 300 occupies less than 0.2 cubic feet in the fresh food compartment. Thus, compared with the conventional air handler with the side-by-side ducting arrangement, which uses about 0.5 cubic feet, theair handler 300 has a size that reclaims some usable storage space in the fresh food compartment. - Turning now to
FIG. 2 , theunit 100 includes afreezer door 132 and arefrigerator door 134 that selectively close afreezer compartment 104 and afresh food compartment 106, respectively. Each of thedoors top hinge 136 and a bottom hinge (not shown) to rotate about its outer vertical edge between an open position, as shown inFIG. 2 , and a closed position (not shown) closing the respective compartment. An insulated partition wall ormullion 114 separates thefresh food compartment 106 from thefreezer compartment 104. Disposed on thefreezer door 132 are a number ofshelves 138. Thefreezer door 132 has a sealinggasket 140 surrounding the periphery edge of the inner surface of thedoor 132. Thefreezer compartment 104 preferably has anice bin 110, one ormore shelves 126, and a number ofwire baskets 128. Disposed in thefresh food compartment 106 are a number of slidable trays orbins 120, which are disposed in a stacked arrangement along withshelves 118 for the storage of items. On therefrigerator door 134, there are a number ofshelves 142 and a sealinggasket 144 surrounding the periphery edge of the inner surface of thedoor 134. Thefreezer compartment 104 may house a dispenser assembly (not shown), whereby ice and/or water can be dispensed through thedoor 132. Theunit 100 may further have other optional assemblies to advance the functionality of theunit 100 and therefore is not limited as shown. - In the illustrated embodiment, the
unit 100 further includes thebin 122 which is positioned in the lower section of thefresh food compartment 106, and theair handler 300 ofFIGS. 3 and 4 . As illustrated inFIG. 2A , theair handler 300 occupies some space in the area between theupper tray 120 and thebin 122, and theupper tray 120 has a back configuration that substantially matches at least part of theair handle unit 300 so that theupper tray 120 can fully slide back into thefresh food compartment 106. - Turning now to
FIG. 3 , there is shown a top, schematic view of theair handler 300. Dotted lines are used to show the freezer and thefresh food compartments air handler 300 serves two main functions. First, it establishes a supply flow connection so that cold freezer air can flow from thefreezer compartment 104 to thebin 122 to quickly chill thebin 122 and items placed therein. Second, theair handler 300 establishes a return flow connection so that relatively warm air can flow from thebin 122 back to thefreezer compartment 104. In this embodiment, theair handler 300 has a ducting arrangement, which includes a first duct orconduit 325, and a second duct orconduit 330. As clearly shown inFIG. 3 , thefirst duct 325 is disposed inside thesecond duct 330. Thefirst duct 325 and thesecond duct 330 form aduct manifold 331, oneend 331 a of which is in fluid or flow communication with thefreezer compartment 104 through anopening 114 a formed on themullion 114, and theother end 331 b of which is in fluid or flow communication with thebin 122 through anopening 122 a preferably formed on the back wall of thebin 122. In one non-limiting embodiment, theducts first duct 325 is approximately shared with a center of thesecond duct 330. Other arrangements are possible too, provided thesecond duct 330 substantially covers thefirst duct 325. For example, thesecond duct 330 can have cross section which substantially surrounds thefirst duct 325. InFIG. 3 ,several items 310, such as soda cans, are shown placed in thebin 122. However, this arrangement is not limiting, and any food items can be stored therein. Cold freezer air flows into thefirst duct 325 through itsinlet 325 a, passes through it along path A, and exits at itsoutlet 325 b. As the cold freezer air circulates among theitems 310, which are warmer, theitems 310 then become cooler, and the cold freezer air becomes warmer. The warmer air exitsbin 122 and returns to thefreezer compartment 104 throughsecond duct 330. In the exemplary embodiment, the warmer air contacts the walls of thebin 122, and is directed into thesecond duct 330 through itsinlet 330a, passes through it along path B, exits at theoutlet 330 b - In the illustrated embodiment, the
apparatus 300 includes afan 320, which is preferably placed in thefirst duct 325, adjacent its outlet end. Thefan 320 is used to move the cold freezer air from thefreezer compartment 104 to thebin 122 and to return the warmed air from thebin 122 back to the freezer compartment. However it should be appreciated that theair handler 300 is not limited to onefan 320 as multiple fans can be used as needed. For example, a second fan can be placed inside thesecond conduit 325. Furthermore, theair handler 300 may use other known circulation mechanisms for introducing cold freezer air into thebin 122 and for removing the warm air from thebin 122. - The
air handler 300 preferably includes anair damper 335 for selectively controlling the airflow in thefirst duct 325 and/or thesecond duct 330. Theair damper 335 can be operatively coupled and controlled by a microprocessor (not shown) that receives temperature signals from one or more sensors, for example, a thermistor (not shown) in or near thebin 122. In response to the temperature signals, the microprocessor can provide control signals to selectively open or close the damper (or slightly open or close) as required to maintain temperature control over thebin 122. The air damper arrangement is known in the art, and therefore will not be discussed in detail here. - The
ducts ducts second duct 330 functions as a cold air buffer. That is, the relatively warm air in thesecond duct 330 can be used to ensure that the temperature of the second duct (and of theair handler 300 that is disposed in the fresh food compartment) is above the dew point of the moistures in thefresh food compartment 104, which will substantially reduce or eliminate any condensation or frost on the external surface of theair handler 300. - Although the
ducts fresh food compartment 106, theducts freezer compartment 104. Theducts duct -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of theair handler 300, separated from theunit 100. Theair handler 300 of the exemplary embodiment is made of plastic, however, other materials known in the art that can withstand the temperatures experienced in thecompartments ducts resilient housing 340, which has a relatively small profile so as to not occupy too much space in thefresh food compartment 106. In the exemplary embodiment, thehousing 340 occupies less than 0.2 cubic feet (about 5.66 liters) in thefresh food compartment 106. This compact size results in an increased amount of storage space in the fresh food compartment. For example, compared with a similar chilling capacity prior art air handler with a side-by-side duct arrangement and insulation, this compact size can increase the useful storage space of thelower tray 120, which is usually used as a vegetable tray, by about 0.1 cubic feet (2.83 liters). - Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the cooling air can be drawn from the compartment that houses the evaporator instead of the freezer compartment. Moreover, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
Claims (11)
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a first compartment;
a second compartment;
a bin disposed in the second compartment; and
an air handler comprising:
a first conduit for supplying cold air from the first compartment to the bin; and
a second conduit for returning air from the bin to the first compartment,
wherein the first conduit is disposed within the second conduit.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are disposed in a substantially concentric relationship to one another.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit comprises a flexible material.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the air handler occupies no greater than 0.2 cubic feet of space in the second compartment.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a fan for causing cooling air to flow from the first compartment into the first conduit or causing air to flow from the bin into the second conduit.
6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the fan is disposed in the first conduit.
7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the first conduit has an output end, the fan being disposed adjacent to the output end.
8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a damper for controlling at least one of an amount of the cooling air flowing into the first conduit from the first compartment and an amount of the air flowing into the second conduit from the bin.
9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein during operation, the air in the second conduit is warmer than the dew point of moistures in the second compartment so that no condensation or frost is formed on an external surface of the air handler.
10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a mullion which separates the first compartment from the second compartment, the air handler passing through the mullion.
11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first compartment is a freezer compartment and the second compartment is a fresh food compartment.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/328,299 US20100139307A1 (en) | 2008-12-04 | 2008-12-04 | Refrigerator with an improved air handler for quickly chilling a bin |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/328,299 US20100139307A1 (en) | 2008-12-04 | 2008-12-04 | Refrigerator with an improved air handler for quickly chilling a bin |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20100139307A1 true US20100139307A1 (en) | 2010-06-10 |
Family
ID=42229550
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/328,299 Abandoned US20100139307A1 (en) | 2008-12-04 | 2008-12-04 | Refrigerator with an improved air handler for quickly chilling a bin |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20100139307A1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20120060544A1 (en) * | 2009-05-12 | 2012-03-15 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator |
US20130340463A1 (en) * | 2012-06-22 | 2013-12-26 | Yeonwoo CHO | Refrigerator |
WO2014132253A1 (en) * | 2013-02-28 | 2014-09-04 | M.S.T Creative Thinking Ltd | Rapid cooling device |
US20140273795A1 (en) * | 2013-03-13 | 2014-09-18 | Whirlpool Corporation | Air flow design for controlling temperature in a refrigerator compartment |
US9182163B2 (en) | 2012-06-12 | 2015-11-10 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator including an anti-interference mechanism |
US9285150B2 (en) | 2012-06-12 | 2016-03-15 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator including a cooling device and agitating assembly |
AU2014279424B2 (en) * | 2013-06-10 | 2017-05-11 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Refrigerator |
Citations (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3799250A (en) * | 1971-06-30 | 1974-03-26 | Danfoss As | Air treatment equipment |
US4732009A (en) * | 1986-06-26 | 1988-03-22 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigerator compartment and method for accurately controlled temperature |
US4732014A (en) * | 1986-12-31 | 1988-03-22 | Whirlpool Corporation | Temperature controlled compartment for a refrigerator |
US4924680A (en) * | 1988-07-18 | 1990-05-15 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigerator temperature responsive air outlet baffle |
US5339890A (en) * | 1993-02-08 | 1994-08-23 | Climate Master, Inc. | Ground source heat pump system comprising modular subterranean heat exchange units with concentric conduits |
US6370884B1 (en) * | 2001-03-30 | 2002-04-16 | Maher I. Kelada | Thermoelectric fluid cooling cartridge |
US6430912B2 (en) * | 1999-05-27 | 2002-08-13 | Barmag Ag | Yarn false twist texturing apparatus |
US6463752B2 (en) * | 1999-02-26 | 2002-10-15 | Maytag Corporation | Refrigerator food storage compartment with quick chill feature |
US20040060808A1 (en) * | 2000-08-09 | 2004-04-01 | Laviolette Paul Alex | Advective solar collector for use in multi-effect fluid distillation and power co-generation |
US6802369B2 (en) * | 2001-01-05 | 2004-10-12 | General Electric Company | Refrigerator quick chill and thaw control methods and apparatus |
US7059142B2 (en) * | 2003-01-24 | 2006-06-13 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator having temperature controlled chamber |
US7234317B2 (en) * | 2001-07-16 | 2007-06-26 | Maytag Corporation | Air tunnel diverter and method of installing same |
US20080155993A1 (en) * | 2006-12-28 | 2008-07-03 | Whirlpool Corporation | Thermal cascade system for distributed household refrigeration system |
-
2008
- 2008-12-04 US US12/328,299 patent/US20100139307A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3799250A (en) * | 1971-06-30 | 1974-03-26 | Danfoss As | Air treatment equipment |
US4732009A (en) * | 1986-06-26 | 1988-03-22 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigerator compartment and method for accurately controlled temperature |
US4732014A (en) * | 1986-12-31 | 1988-03-22 | Whirlpool Corporation | Temperature controlled compartment for a refrigerator |
US4924680A (en) * | 1988-07-18 | 1990-05-15 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigerator temperature responsive air outlet baffle |
US5339890A (en) * | 1993-02-08 | 1994-08-23 | Climate Master, Inc. | Ground source heat pump system comprising modular subterranean heat exchange units with concentric conduits |
US6463752B2 (en) * | 1999-02-26 | 2002-10-15 | Maytag Corporation | Refrigerator food storage compartment with quick chill feature |
US6430912B2 (en) * | 1999-05-27 | 2002-08-13 | Barmag Ag | Yarn false twist texturing apparatus |
US20040060808A1 (en) * | 2000-08-09 | 2004-04-01 | Laviolette Paul Alex | Advective solar collector for use in multi-effect fluid distillation and power co-generation |
US6802369B2 (en) * | 2001-01-05 | 2004-10-12 | General Electric Company | Refrigerator quick chill and thaw control methods and apparatus |
US6370884B1 (en) * | 2001-03-30 | 2002-04-16 | Maher I. Kelada | Thermoelectric fluid cooling cartridge |
US7234317B2 (en) * | 2001-07-16 | 2007-06-26 | Maytag Corporation | Air tunnel diverter and method of installing same |
US7059142B2 (en) * | 2003-01-24 | 2006-06-13 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator having temperature controlled chamber |
US20080155993A1 (en) * | 2006-12-28 | 2008-07-03 | Whirlpool Corporation | Thermal cascade system for distributed household refrigeration system |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20120060544A1 (en) * | 2009-05-12 | 2012-03-15 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator |
US8955352B2 (en) * | 2009-05-12 | 2015-02-17 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator |
US9182163B2 (en) | 2012-06-12 | 2015-11-10 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator including an anti-interference mechanism |
US9285150B2 (en) | 2012-06-12 | 2016-03-15 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator including a cooling device and agitating assembly |
US20130340463A1 (en) * | 2012-06-22 | 2013-12-26 | Yeonwoo CHO | Refrigerator |
US9677801B2 (en) * | 2012-06-22 | 2017-06-13 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator |
WO2014132253A1 (en) * | 2013-02-28 | 2014-09-04 | M.S.T Creative Thinking Ltd | Rapid cooling device |
CN105431694A (en) * | 2013-02-28 | 2016-03-23 | 密克罗·卡尔速冻有限公司 | Rapid cooling device |
EP2962049A4 (en) * | 2013-02-28 | 2016-10-19 | Micro Kar Quick Freeze Ltd | Rapid cooling device |
US20140273795A1 (en) * | 2013-03-13 | 2014-09-18 | Whirlpool Corporation | Air flow design for controlling temperature in a refrigerator compartment |
US9733008B2 (en) * | 2013-03-13 | 2017-08-15 | Whirlpool Corporation | Air flow design for controlling temperature in a refrigerator compartment |
AU2014279424B2 (en) * | 2013-06-10 | 2017-05-11 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Refrigerator |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US8266923B2 (en) | Refrigerating device comprising two storage compartments with selective cooling modes | |
US8429927B2 (en) | Refrigerator | |
US8429926B2 (en) | Ice storage bin and icemaker apparatus for refrigerator | |
EP1642070B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
US20100139307A1 (en) | Refrigerator with an improved air handler for quickly chilling a bin | |
US5816060A (en) | Air flow control in a side-by-side refrigerator | |
CN100549592C (en) | Refrigerator | |
CN105605857B (en) | Refrigerator | |
EP2182310A2 (en) | Refrigerating appliance | |
US10605516B2 (en) | Refrigerator appliance | |
JP2012127629A (en) | Cooling storage cabinet | |
US10001316B2 (en) | Freezer air tower and damper | |
JP5175705B2 (en) | refrigerator | |
WO2007010267A2 (en) | Improvements in or relating to cold storage | |
JP6035510B2 (en) | refrigerator | |
JP2020034207A (en) | refrigerator | |
JP3594544B2 (en) | refrigerator | |
JP2008111640A (en) | Refrigerator | |
KR100678777B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
CN210220351U (en) | Single system refrigerator | |
JP2006242464A (en) | Refrigerator | |
JP2006250465A (en) | Refrigerator | |
JP2006132820A (en) | Refrigerator | |
US11105549B2 (en) | Refrigerator appliance with a convertible compartment | |
CN210220350U (en) | Single system refrigerator |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,NEW YORK Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KULKARNI, RAJESH NARAYAN;ZENTNER, MARTIN MITCHELL;SIGNING DATES FROM 20081126 TO 20081202;REEL/FRAME:021951/0529 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |