Refrigerator appliance with a rotary damper assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670324-B2
Application number	US-201715427101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance is provided having a fresh food chamber, a convertible chamber, and a freezer chamber. A fan urges a flow of cooled air from an evaporator chamber into a freezer supply duct and a secondary supply duct. A damper housing defines an inlet in fluid communication with the secondary supply duct, a first outlet in fluid communication with the convertible chamber, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the fresh food chamber. A rotary damper is mounted within the damper housing and is selectively rotated to block the flow of cooling air or to supply the flow of cooling air to one or both of the convertible chamber and the fresh food 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 perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet comprising an inner liner defining a fresh food chamber, a convertible chamber, and a freezer chamber;
an evaporator positioned within an evaporator chamber, the evaporator configured for cooling air in the evaporator chamber;
a fan for urging a flow of cooled air from the evaporator chamber into a freezer supply duct and a secondary supply duct;
a damper housing defining a flow chamber and an inlet in fluid communication with the secondary supply duct for receiving the flow of cooled air into the flow chamber, the damper housing being positioned downstream of the freezer supply duct, the damper housing further defining a first outlet in fluid communication with the convertible chamber and a second outlet in fluid communication with the fresh food chamber;
a rotary damper mounted within the damper housing and being rotatable about a central axis, the rotary damper comprising a first blade and a second blade extending from the central axis of the rotary damper, the first blade and the second blade being separated by a blade angle; and
a positioning assembly configured for selectively rotating the rotary damper to a first angular position for blocking the flow of cooled air through the flow chamber, a second angular position for placing the inlet in fluid communication with the second outlet, and a third angular position for placing the inlet in fluid communication with the first outlet, wherein the first angular position, the second angular position, and the third angular position are different angular positions.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the blade angle is about ninety degrees.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first outlet and the second outlet are defined by the damper housing and separated by an outlet angle, the outlet angle being substantially equivalent to the blade angle.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein a gap is defined between a distal end of the first blade and the damper housing.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first blade and the second blade comprises a resilient tip for forming a seal with the damper housing.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising at least one heater positioned in thermal communication with the damper housing or the rotary damper.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the rotary damper is positionable in an intermediate position for placing the inlet in fluid communication with both the first outlet and the second outlet.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the positioning assembly comprises a stepper motor operably coupled to the rotary damper for rotating the rotary damper.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the positioning assembly comprises a position sensor for determining an angular position of the rotary damper within the damper housing.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 9 , wherein the position sensor is a Hall-effect sensor configured for detecting the proximity of a first blade or a second blade of the rotary damper.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the secondary supply duct comprises a flow restriction for restricting the flow of cooled air that passes through secondary supply duct.

12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the evaporator chamber is positioned within the freezer chamber of the refrigerator appliance.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein the damper housing is positioned within the convertible chamber of the refrigerator appliance.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the fresh food chamber is positioned above the convertible chamber along the vertical direction and the convertible chamber is positioned above the freezer chamber along the vertical direction.

15. A refrigeration system for a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising a freezer chamber, a convertible chamber, and a fresh food chamber, the refrigeration system comprising:
an evaporator positioned within an evaporator chamber;
a fan for urging a flow of cooled air from the evaporator chamber into a freezer supply duct and a secondary supply duct;
a damper housing defining a flow chamber, an inlet in fluid communication with the secondary supply duct downstream of the freezer supply duct, a first outlet in fluid communication with the convertible chamber, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the fresh food chamber, the first outlet and the second outlet being separated by an outlet angle;
a rotary damper mounted within the damper housing and being rotatable about a central axis, the rotary damper comprising a first blade and a second blade extending from the central axis substantially along a radial direction, the first blade and the second blade being separated by a blade angle that is substantially equivalent to the outlet angle; and
a positioning assembly configured for selectively rotating the rotary damper to a first angular position for blocking the flow through the flow chamber, a second angular position for placing the inlet in fluid communication with the second outlet, and a third angular position for placing the inlet in fluid communication with the first outlet, wherein the first angular position, the second angular position, and the third angular position are different angular positions.

16. The refrigeration system of claim 15 , wherein a gap is defined between a distal end of the first blade and the damper housing.

17. The refrigeration system of claim 15 , wherein the positioning assembly comprises a stepper motor operably coupled to the rotary damper for rotating the rotary damper and a position sensor for determining an angular position of the rotary damper within the damper housing.

18. A rotary damper assembly for a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising a first chamber, a second chamber, and an evaporator positioned within an evaporator chamber, the rotary damper assembly defining a radial direction and comprising:
a damper housing comprising a circular wall defining an inlet in fluid communication with the evaporator chamber downstream of a freezer supply duct, a first outlet in fluid communication with the first chamber, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the second chamber;
a rotary damper mounted within the damper housing and being rotatable about a central axis, the rotary damper comprising a first blade and a second blade extending from the central axis substantially along a radial direction; and
a positioning assembly configured for selectively rotating the rotary damper to a first angular position for blocking the first outlet and the second outlet, a second angular position for placing the inlet in fluid communication with the second outlet, and a third angular position for placing the inlet in fluid communication with the first outlet, wherein the first angular position, the second angular position, and the third angular position are different angular positions, wherein the positioning assembly comprises a stepper motor operably coupled to the rotary damper for rotating the rotary damper and a position sensor for determining an angular position of the rotary damper within the damper housing.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F25D17/045 Primary

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title

• F25D17/065

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title