Refrigerator appliance with a convertible freezer compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465967-B2
Application number	US-201715597209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	May 17, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance with a freezer chamber divided into multiple compartments and features for selectively adjusting the temperature within one of the compartments while maintaining the temperature within the other compartment(s). The refrigerator can include evaporator including a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section, the first evaporator section positioned in a first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator section positioned in a second evaporator chamber. An evaporator shutoff valve is positioned along at least one of the first or second evaporator sections for selectively allowing fluid communication therebetween.

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 having 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;
a second evaporator cover positioned within the second freezer compartment to define a second evaporator chamber;
an evaporator including a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section, the first evaporator section positioned in the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator section positioned in the second evaporator chamber; and
an evaporator shutoff valve positioned along at least one of the first evaporator section or the second evaporator section for selectively allowing fluid communication between the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
a secondary condenser positioned in at least one of the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber; and
a condenser shutoff valve for selectively allowing a fluid flow through the secondary condenser.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the evaporator shutoff valve is an evaporator three way shutoff valve and the condenser shutoff valve is a condenser three way shutoff valve.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
a controller communicatively coupled with the evaporator shutoff valve and the condenser shutoff valve;
wherein the evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to a closed position when the condenser shutoff valve is actuated to an open position based at least in part on one or more signals received from the controller and the condenser shutoff valve is actuated to a closed position when the evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to an open position based at least in part on one or more signals received from the controller.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
a controller communicatively coupled with the evaporator shutoff valve for selectively actuating the evaporator shutoff valve between an open position and a closed position.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
an evaporator inlet conduit in fluid communication with the evaporator via an evaporator inlet, and
wherein the evaporator shutoff valve is positioned within the same evaporator chamber as the evaporator inlet.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
an evaporator inlet conduit in fluid communication with the evaporator via an evaporator inlet; and
an evaporator outlet conduit in fluid communication with the evaporator via an evaporator outlet;
wherein the evaporator inlet is positioned within the same evaporator chamber as the evaporator outlet.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
an evaporator inlet conduit in fluid communication with the evaporator at an evaporator inlet; and
an evaporator outlet conduit in fluid communication with the evaporator at an evaporator outlet;
wherein the evaporator shutoff valve is positioned within the same evaporator chamber as the evaporator inlet and the evaporator outlet.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section are in fluid communication in parallel.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section are in fluid communication in series, and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
a compressor;
an accumulator positioned downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor;
an evaporator bypass loop in fluid communication with the evaporator at a bypass inlet positioned upstream of the evaporator shutoff valve and downstream of the first evaporator section and in fluid communication with the evaporator at a bypass outlet positioned upstream of the accumulator and downstream of the second evaporator section;
a bypass evaporator shutoff valve positioned along the evaporator bypass loop for selectively allowing a fluid flow through the evaporator bypass loop.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10 , wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
a controller communicatively coupled with the evaporator shutoff valve and the bypass evaporator shutoff valve;
wherein the evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to a closed position when the bypass evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to an open position based at least in part on one or more signals received from the controller and the bypass evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to a closed position when the evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to an open position based at least in part on one or more signals received from the controller.

12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section are coupled by a first transition conduit extending through the mullion, and wherein the evaporator inlet is positioned in the first evaporator chamber and the evaporator shutoff valve is positioned in the second evaporator chamber along the second evaporator section; and wherein the evaporator shutoff valve is positioned proximate the first transition conduit.

13. 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 having 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;
a second evaporator cover positioned within the second freezer compartment to define a second evaporator chamber;
an evaporator including a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section, the first evaporator section positioned in the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator section positioned in the second evaporator chamber; and
an evaporator shutoff valve positioned along at least one of the first evaporator section or the second evaporator section for selectively allowing fluid communication between the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section;
a secondary condenser positioned in at least one of the first evaporator chamber and the second evaporator chamber; and
a condenser shutoff valve for selectively allowing a fluid flow through the secondary condenser.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 13 , wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises:
a controller communicatively coupled with the evaporator shutoff valve and the condenser shutoff valve;
wherein the evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to a closed position when the condenser shutoff valve is actuated to an open position based at least in part on one or more signals received from the controller and the condenser shutoff valve is actuated to a closed position when the evaporator shutoff valve is actuated to an open position based at least in part on one or more signals received from the controller.

15. The refrigera

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Besore John Keith
• Junge Brent Alden

Classifications

• F25B2600/2511

  Evaporator distribution valves · CPC title

• F25B2600/2507

  Flow-diverting valves · CPC title

• F25D11/022 Primary

  with two or more evaporators · CPC title

• F25D2400/16

  Convertible refrigerators · CPC title

• F25B2600/2501

  Bypass valves · CPC title