Refrigerated compartment air distribution assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429119-B2
Application number	US-201615547665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Jul 6, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

The refrigeration appliance includes a wrapper forming an exterior of the refrigeration appliance and a refrigeration compartment liner and a freezer compartment liner within the wrapper. The wrapper, the refrigeration compartment liner, and the freezer compartment liner are in a spaced apart configuration forming a refrigeration compartment and a freezer compartment. A door is configured to provide access to and seal the freezer compartment. The door has a seal around a periphery thereof. A mullion is disposed between the refrigeration compartment liner and the freezer compartment liner. The mullion includes a forward portion extending towards the freezer compartment. The forward portion includes at least one air-deflection surface. A fan is operably coupled with an evaporator and is configured to direct cooled air within the freezer compartment. The fan is offset from the evaporator and configured to direct air at the air-deflection surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a wrapper forming an exterior of said refrigeration appliance;
a refrigeration compartment liner and a freezer compartment liner, wherein the wrapper, the refrigeration compartment liner, and the freezer compartment liner are in a spaced apart configuration forming a refrigeration compartment and a freezer compartment, and further wherein the freezer liner includes first and second sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall;
a door configured to provide access to and seal the freezer compartment;
a seal around a periphery of the door, the periphery of the door including an upper edge;
a mullion disposed between the refrigeration compartment liner and the freezer compartment liner, wherein the mullion includes a forward portion extending towards the freezer compartment, the forward portion including a front surface abutting the upper edge of the door when the door is in a closed position and at least one air-deflection surface on an opposing side of the forward portion from the front surface;
an evaporator; and,
a fan operably coupled with the evaporator and configured to direct cooled air across an upper portion of the freezer compartment and along the top wall of the freezer liner, wherein the top wall of the freezer liner is exposed to the interior of the freezer compartment, and further wherein the fan is offset from the evaporator and configured to direct air towards the top wall of the freezer liner and at the air-deflection surface.

2. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one air-deflection surface is positioned within the freezer compartment and so as to deflect air directed by the fan away from direct contact with the seal.

3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the forward portion extends inwardly into the freezer compartment past the extent to which the seal extends into the freezer compartment.

4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the fan is disposed within a fan housing that includes an air outlet.

5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the air outlet includes grille, the grille having one or more vanes for directing the cooled air towards the air-deflection surface.

6. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the air-deflection surface configured for redirecting air from the fan from a first direction to a second direction, the second direction enabling contact with a central portion of the door.

7. A freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a wrapper forming an exterior of the refrigeration appliance;
a liner disposed in a spaced apart configuration relative to the wrapper, the liner having first and second sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall;
a door configured to provide access to and seal the freezer compartment;
a seal disposed around a periphery of the door;
an evaporator;
a fan positioned within the freezer compartment at the back wall of the liner and positioned at an offset angle from the evaporator; and
a mullion attached to the liner and including a forward portion, the forward portion extending from the top wall toward the bottom wall and including at least one air-deflection surface, wherein the at least one air-deflection surface is laterally positioned between the seal and the fan, and further wherein the fan is configured to direct air towards the top wall of the freezer compartment and the air-deflection surface, the top wall defining a top wall of the freezer compartment.

8. The freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance of claim 7 , wherein the air-deflection surface is a curved surface.

9. The freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance of claim 7 , wherein the air-deflection surface is configured to redirect air from the fan away from the seal.

10. The freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance of claim 7 , wherein the air-deflection surface is configured to redirect airflow from the fan towards a bottom wall of the freezer compartment.

11. The freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance of claim 7 , wherein the fan is disposed within a fan housing that includes an air outlet.

12. The freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance of claim 11 , wherein the fan housing includes a grille, the grille having one or more vanes for directing the cooled air towards the air-deflection surface.

13. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a wrapper forming an exterior of the refrigeration appliance;
a liner disposed in a spaced apart configuration from the wrapper, the liner defining a refrigeration compartment;
a door configured to provide access to and seal the refrigeration compartment;
a seal disposed around a periphery of the door, the periphery including an upper edge;
a fan; and,
at least one air-deflection surface extending inwardly from the seal toward a back wall of the liner and configured to redirect airflow from the fan, wherein the fan is positioned to direct airflow at the air-deflection surface and into the refrigeration compartment from the back wall of the liner, the fan further being positioned at an angle allowing the airflow to be directed into contact with a top wall of the refrigeration compartment.

14. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13 , wherein the air-deflection surface is integrally formed with a side wall of the liner.

15. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13 , wherein the air-deflection surface is integrally formed with a mullion that is disposed between the refrigeration compartment and a freezer compartment.

16. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13 , wherein the fan is disposed within a fan housing that includes an air outlet.

17. The refrigeration appliance of claim 16 , wherein the fan housing includes a grille, the grille having one or more vanes for directing the cooled air towards the air-deflection surface.

18. The refrigeration appliance of any of claim 13 , wherein the air-deflection surface has a colder surface temperature than an inner surface of the seal.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Marinello Giulia
• Pathak Sanjesh Kumar

Classifications

• F25D23/069

  Cooling space dividing partitions · CPC title

• F25D23/023

  Air curtain closures · CPC title

• F25D17/067

  Evaporator fan units · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title