Refrigerator appliance and air duct therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520239-B2
Application number	US-201815878508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2018
Priority date	Jan 24, 2018
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance and air duct are provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, an internal liner, and an air duct. The internal liner may be positioned within the cabinet and define a chilled chamber. The air duct may include a duct body and a plurality of resilient fingers. The duct body may extend between a first end to a second end. The duct body may define a fluid exchange path between the first end and the second end. The duct body may further define a first fluid opening at the first end in fluid communication with the fluid exchange path. The plurality of resilient fingers may be radially-spaced apart about the fluid opening. The plurality of resilient fingers may extend integrally from the duct body against the internal liner at the first end of the duct body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
an internal liner positioned within the cabinet, the internal liner defining a chilled chamber; and
an air duct comprising
a duct body extending between a first end to a second end, the duct body defining a fluid exchange path between the first end and the second end, the duct body further defining a plurality of first fluid openings at the first end in fluid communication with the fluid exchange path, and
a plurality of resilient fingers radially-spaced apart about the plurality of first fluid openings, the plurality of resilient fingers extending integrally from the duct body, wherein the plurality of resilient fingers extend against an outer surface of the internal liner at the first end of the duct body, wherein the outer surface is defined outside of the chilled chamber, wherein the plurality of resilient fingers are positioned radially outward from and completely surround the plurality of first fluid openings.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the chilled chamber is a first chilled chamber, wherein the internal liner further defines a second chilled chamber spaced apart from the first chilled chamber, wherein the first end of the duct body is positioned proximal to the first chilled chamber, wherein the second end of the duct body is positioned proximal to the second chilled chamber, and wherein the fluid exchange path is defined in fluid communication between the first chilled chamber and the second chilled chamber.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the first chilled chamber is positioned above the second chilled chamber along a vertical direction.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the duct body and the plurality of resilient fingers comprise polypropylene.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the duct body further comprises a second opening at the second end in fluid communication with the fluid exchange path.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first fluid openings at the first end are defined in parallel, and wherein the air duct further defines a plurality of parallel second openings at the second end.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6 , further comprising an intermediate wall extending from the duct body at the first end radially-inward from the plurality of resilient fingers.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 7 , wherein the intermediate wall is positioned between two first openings of the plurality of first fluid openings.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the duct body defines an outer surface opposite the fluid exchange path, and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises a foam insulation positioned between the internal liner and the cabinet against the outer surface of the duct body.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the duct body further comprises a raised collar extending through the internal liner into the chilled chamber at the first end.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein at least one finger of the plurality of resilient fingers extends to the internal liner at a non-parallel angle relative to an axial direction.

12. An air duct positionable within a refrigerator appliance to direct an airflow therethrough, the air duct comprising:
a duct body extending between a first end to a second end, the duct body defining a fluid exchange path between the first end and the second end, and
a plurality of first fluid openings at the first end in fluid communication with the fluid exchange path; and

a plurality of resilient fingers radially-spaced apart about the plurality of first fluid openings, the plurality of resilient fingers extending integrally from the duct body against an outer surface of an internal liner of the refrigerator appliance at the first end of the duct body, wherein the outer surface is defined outside of a chilled chamber defined by the internal liner, and wherein the plurality of resilient fingers are positioned radially outward from and completely surrounding the plurality of first fluid openings.

13. The air duct of claim 12 , wherein the duct body and the plurality of resilient fingers comprise polypropylene.

14. The air duct of claim 12 , wherein the duct body further comprises a second opening at the second end in fluid communication with the fluid exchange path.

15. The air duct of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of first fluid openings at the first end are defined in parallel, and wherein the air duct further defines a plurality of parallel second openings at the second end.

16. The air duct of claim 15 , further comprising an intermediate wall extending from the duct body at the first end radially-inward from the plurality of resilient fingers, wherein the intermediate wall is positioned between two first openings of the plurality of first fluid openings.

17. The air duct of claim 12 , wherein the duct body further comprises a raised collar extending through the internal liner at the first end.

18. The air duct of claim 12 , wherein at least one finger of the plurality of resilient fingers extends to the internal liner at a non-parallel angle relative to an axial direction.

19. The air duct of claim 12 , wherein the first end of the duct body is positioned proximal to a first chilled chamber defined by the internal liner, wherein the second end of the duct body is positioned proximal to a second chilled chamber defined by the internal liner below the first chilled chamber, and wherein the fluid exchange path is defined in fluid communication between the first chilled chamber and the second chilled chamber.

20. A refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
an internal liner positioned within the cabinet, the internal liner defining a chilled chamber; and
an air duct comprising:
a duct body extending along an axial direction between a first end to a second end, the duct body defining a fluid exchange path between the first end and the second end, the duct body further defining a plurality of first fluid openings at the first end in fluid communication with the fluid exchange path, and
a plurality of resilient fingers radially-spaced apart about the plurality of first fluid openings, the plurality of resilient fingers extending integrally from the duct body, wherein the plurality of resilient fingers extend against an outer surface of the internal liner at the first end of the duct body, wherein the outer surface is defined outside of the chilled chamber, wherein the plurality of resilient fingers are positioned radially outward from and completely surround the plurality of first fluid openings, and wherein at least one finger of the plurality of resilient fingers extends to the internal liner at a non-parallel angle relative to the axial direction.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Chezem Michael Thomas
• Nelson Roger Shawn
• Napier Pat

Classifications

• F25D2317/0667

  from the refrigerator · CPC title

• F25D2317/0663

  from the mullion · CPC title

• F25D23/067

  Supporting elements · CPC title

• F25D17/08 Primary

  using ducts · CPC title

• F25D2317/067

  characterised by air ducts · CPC title