Refrigerator compartment with evaporator to provide cold air to ice maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823481-B2
Application number	US-201916248863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2019
Priority date	Jan 16, 2019
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment and a refrigerator evaporator disposed within an evaporator housing within the refrigerator compartment. A door is coupled to the refrigerator compartment and includes an ice maker. A duct assembly is disposed within the refrigerator compartment and includes an ice maker feed duct interconnecting the evaporator housing with the ice maker. The duct assembly further includes an ice maker return duct interconnecting the evaporator housing with the ice maker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet structure having a refrigerator compartment;
an evaporator positioned in the refrigerator compartment within an evaporator housing;
a door pivotally coupled to the cabinet structure for selectively providing access to the refrigerator compartment, wherein the door includes an ice maker operably coupled to the door for pivoting movement therewith;
a duct assembly disposed within the refrigerator compartment and having an ice maker feed duct operably coupled to the evaporator housing at a first end and further coupled to the ice maker at a second end, wherein the duct assembly further includes an ice maker return duct operably coupled to the evaporator housing at a first end and further coupled to the ice maker at a second end;
a liner disposed within the refrigerator compartment, the liner including a top wall, first and second sidewalls, a bottom wall and a rear wall;
a wall covering assembly having a top wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from the top wall of the liner, wherein the wall covering assembly further includes a rear wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from the rear wall of the liner; and
a cavity formed between liner and the wall covering assembly, the cavity including a first portion disposed between the rear wall of the liner and the rear wall of the wall covering assembly, and a second portion disposed between the top wall of the liner and the top wall of the wall covering assembly.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice maker feed duct includes a first portion disposed in the first portion of the cavity, and further wherein the ice maker feed duct includes a second portion disposed in the second portion of the cavity.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the ice maker return duct includes a first portion disposed in the first portion of the cavity, and further wherein the ice maker return duct includes a second portion disposed in the second portion of the cavity.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the duct assembly includes one or more ducts interconnecting the evaporator housing with the refrigerator compartment, wherein the one or more ducts are separate from the ice maker feed duct and the ice maker return duct.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , including:
a first fan disposed within the evaporator housing, wherein the first fan is fluidly connected to the one or more ducts of the duct assembly, the first fan configured to move cooled air from the evaporator to the refrigerator compartment via the one or more ducts of the duct assembly.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , including:
a second fan disposed within the ice maker feed duct, wherein the second fan is fluidly connected to the evaporator housing via the first end of the ice maker feed duct, the second fan configured to move cooled air from the evaporator to the ice maker via the ice maker feed duct of the duct assembly.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice maker feed duct and the ice maker return duct are insulated ducts.

8. A refrigerator, comprising:
a liner defining a refrigerator compartment and having a top wall and a rear wall;
a refrigerator evaporator disposed within an evaporator housing within the refrigerator compartment;
a wall covering assembly having a top wall and a rear wall, wherein the wall covering assembly is spaced-apart from the liner to form a cavity therebetween;
an ice maker; and
a duct assembly disposed within the cavity and having an ice maker feed duct interconnecting the evaporator housing with the ice maker, wherein the duct assembly further includes an ice maker return duct interconnecting the evaporator housing with the ice maker.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the duct assembly includes one or more ducts interconnecting the evaporator housing with the refrigerator compartment, wherein the one or more ducts are separate from the ice maker feed duct and the ice maker return duct.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , including:
a first fan disposed within the evaporator housing, wherein the first fan is fluidly connected to the one or more ducts of the duct assembly and configured to move cooled air from the refrigerator evaporator to the refrigerator compartment through the one or more ducts of the duct assembly.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , including:
a second fan disposed within the ice maker feed duct and configured to move cooled air from the refrigerator evaporator to the ice maker through the ice maker feed duct of the duct assembly.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , including:
a controller for controlling the refrigerator evaporator to provide a refrigerator compartment cooling cycle and an ice making cycle.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the refrigerator evaporator provides cooled air at a first temperature level during the refrigerator compartment cooling cycle, and further wherein the refrigerator evaporator provides cooled air at a second temperature level that is lower than the first temperature level during the ice making cycle.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the first fan is configured to run during the refrigerator compartment cooling cycle.

15. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the second fan is configured to run during the ice making cycle.

16. A refrigerator, comprising:
a refrigerator compartment defined by a liner, wherein the liner includes a top wall, a rear wall, first and second sidewalls and a bottom wall;
a door operably coupled to the refrigerator compartment between open and closed positions, wherein the door includes an ice maker;
a wall covering assembly having a top wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from the top wall of the liner and a rear wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from the rear wall of the liner, wherein the liner and the wall covering assembly cooperate to define a cavity therebetween;
a refrigerator evaporator disposed within the cavity; and
a duct assembly disposed within the cavity and fluidically coupled to the refrigerator evaporator, the duct assembly including an ice maker feed duct operably coupled to the ice maker when the door is in the closed position, wherein the duct assembly further includes an ice maker return duct operably coupled to the ice maker when the door is in the closed position.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment cooling cycle and a separate ice making cycle.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the refrigerator evaporator provides cooled air at a first temperature level to the refrigerator compartment through the duct assembly during the refrigerator compartment cooling cycle.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18 , wherein the refrigerator evaporator provides cooled air at a second temperature level that is lower than the first temperature level to the ice maker through the ice maker feed duct during the ice making cycle.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Gomes Alberto R
• Marinello Giulia
• Mruthyunjaya Vikas C

Classifications

• F25C2400/10

  Refrigerator units · CPC title

• F25C1/04

  by using stationary moulds · CPC title

• F25D23/04 Primary

  with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners · CPC title

• F25D23/06

  Walls (F25D23/08 takes precedence; containers with thermal insulation B65D81/38) · CPC title

• F25D11/02 Primary

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title