Refrigerator appliance with dual freezer compartments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10288340-B2
Application number	US-201715428222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2017
Priority date	Feb 9, 2017
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance is provided including a freezer chamber divided into a first compartment and a second compartment by a removable mullion. A first evaporator cover is positioned within the first compartment to define a first evaporator chamber and a second evaporator cover is positioned within the second compartment to define a second evaporator chamber. A crossover duct is defined in the mullion for providing fluid communication between the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet comprising an inner liner defining a freezer chamber;
a mullion positioned within the freezer chamber and extending along the transverse direction to divide the freezer chamber into a first freezer compartment and a second freezer compartment;
a first evaporator cover positioned within the first freezer compartment to define a first evaporator chamber, the first evaporator cover defining a first return duct providing fluid communication between the first freezer compartment and the first evaporator chamber;
a second evaporator cover positioned within the second freezer compartment to define a second evaporator chamber, the second evaporator cover defining a second return duct providing fluid communication between the second freezer compartment and the second evaporator chamber;
an evaporator coil positioned in both the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber, the evaporator coil passing from the first evaporator chamber to the second evaporator chamber through an evaporator recess defined by the mullion; and
a crossover duct defined through and extending from the mullion for providing fluid communication between the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the crossover duct extends along the lateral direction between the first return duct and the second return duct.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator cover defines a first supply duct and the second evaporator cover defines a second supply duct.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , wherein the first return duct and the second return duct are positioned at a bottom of the freezer chamber and the first supply duct and the second supply duct are positioned at a top of the freezer chamber.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first fan is positioned in the first supply duct for urging chilled air into the first freezer compartment; and
a second fan is positioned in the second supply duct for urging chilled air into the second freezer compartment.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , further comprising:
a supply damper assembly for selectively opening and closing the second supply duct; and
a return damper assembly for selectively opening and closing the second return duct.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a crossover damper positioned within the crossover duct and configured for selectively opening or closing the crossover duct.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a diverter assembly configured for selectively directing cooled air into the freezer chamber, the diverter assembly comprising:
a diverter housing defining a plenum chamber, an inlet through which cooled air flows from the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber into the plenum chamber, a first outlet in fluid communication with the first freezer compartment, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the second freezer compartment;
a fan for urging cooled air through the plenum chamber; and
a damper pivotally mounted within the plenum chamber for selectively directing the cooled air through the first outlet and the second outlet.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8 , wherein the first return duct and the second return duct are positioned at a bottom of the freezer chamber and the diverter assembly is positioned at a top of the freezer chamber.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the crossover duct is a return crossover duct and is positioned at a bottom of the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber, and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
a supply crossover duct defined in the mullion at a top of the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber for providing fluid communication between the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10 , further comprising a supply crossover damper positioned within the supply crossover duct and configured for selectively opening or closing the supply crossover duct.

12. A refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet comprising an inner liner defining a freezer chamber;
an evaporator coil positioned along a back wall within the freezer chamber;
a mullion positioned within the freezer chamber and extending along a transverse direction to divide the freezer chamber into a first freezer compartment and a second freezer compartment, the mullion defining an evaporator recess for receiving the evaporator coil;
a first evaporator cover positioned within the first freezer compartment, the first evaporator cover, the mullion, and the inner liner defining a first evaporator chamber;
a second evaporator cover positioned within the second freezer compartment, the second evaporator cover, the mullion, and the inner liner defining a second evaporator chamber; and
a crossover duct defined through and extending from the mullion to provide fluid communication between the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein the first evaporator cover defines a first return duct and a first supply duct, the first return duct and the first supply duct providing fluid communication between the first freezer compartment and the first evaporator chamber,
wherein the second evaporator cover defines a second return duct and a second supply duct, the second return duct and the second supply duct providing fluid communication between the second freezer compartment and the second evaporator chamber, and
wherein the first return duct and the second return duct are positioned at a bottom of the freezer chamber and the first supply duct and the second supply duct are positioned at a top of the freezer chamber.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising:
a first fan is positioned in the first supply duct for urging chilled air into the first freezer compartment; and
a second fan is positioned in the second supply duct for urging chilled air into the second freezer compartment.

15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising:
a supply damper assembly for selectively opening and closing the second supply duct; and
a return damper assembly for selectively opening and closing the second return duct.

16. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising a crossover damper positioned within the crossover duct and configured for selectively opening or closing the crossover duct.

17. A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet comprising an inner liner defining a freezer chamber;
a mullion positioned within the freezer chamber and extending along the transverse direction to divide the freezer chamber into a first freezer compartment and a second freezer compartment;
an evaporator cover positioned within the freezer chamber to define an evaporator chamber, the evaporator chamber having a first region at the first freezer compartment and a second region at the second freezer compartment, the evaporator cover defining a first return duc

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Besore John Keith
• Schork Brian Michael
• O'Malley Christopher Edward

Classifications

• F25D23/066

  Liners · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D2400/16

  Convertible refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D2400/06

  Refrigerators with a vertical mullion · CPC title

• F25D17/045

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title