Refrigerator with surround illumination feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11079171-B2
Application number	US-201616309359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a vacuum insulated cabinet and a surround lighting feature. The vacuum insulated cabinet includes a liner disposed within a wrapper, which are interconnected by a thermal bridge to form a vacuum cavity therebetween. A wall covering assembly includes a top wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from a top wall of the liner. The wall covering assembly also includes a rear wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from a rear wall of the liner. In assembly, the liner and the wall covering assembly cooperate to define a refrigerator compartment. A cavity is formed between liner and the wall covering assembly. A surround lighting assembly is disposed around an opening into the refrigerator compartment and is powered by a wiring system concealed by the wall covering assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a vacuum insulated cabinet having a liner disposed within a wrapper, wherein the liner and wrapper are interconnected by a thermal bridge to form a vacuum cavity therebetween, and further wherein the liner includes an outer surface aligned with an outer surface of the thermal bridge;
a wall covering assembly having a top wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from a top wall of the liner and a rear wall disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from a rear wall of the liner, wherein the liner and the wall covering assembly cooperate to define a refrigerator compartment;
a cavity formed between the liner and the wall covering assembly; and
a lighting assembly disposed around an opening into the refrigerator compartment, wherein the lighting assembly is powered by a wiring system concealed by the wall covering assembly, wherein the lighting assembly includes an outer layer through which light is emitted into the refrigerator compartment, and further wherein the outer layer includes an outer surface aligned with the outer surface of the thermal bridge and the outer surface of the liner.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cavity includes 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.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the wiring system includes a first end coupled to the lighting assembly, and a second end coupled to a power source disposed behind the wall covering assembly.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum insulated cabinet includes a gap disposed between portions of the liner and the thermal bridge along a front portion of the refrigerator compartment.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the lighting assembly is disposed in the gap between the liner and thermal bridge.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the lighting assembly includes a light guide having a body portion coupled to the refrigerator compartment.

7. A refrigerator, comprising:
a liner having a plurality of walls defining a compartment, and a front edge defining an opening into the compartment, wherein the liner further includes a transverse portion that is inwardly angled and positioned between the compartment and the front edge of the liner;
a thermal bridge having a coupling portion coupled to the front edge of the refrigerator liner;
an outwardly opening channel disposed between the transverse portion of the liner and the coupling portion of the thermal bridge; and
a lighting assembly received in the outwardly opening channel, wherein the lighting assembly is substantially disposed around an entirety of the opening into the compartment.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the lighting assembly includes a light guide having a body portion coupled to the compartment.

9. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the liner includes an outer surface aligned with an outer surface of the thermal bridge.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the lighting assembly includes an outer surface aligned with the outer surface of the thermal bridge and the outer surface of the liner.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the outer surface of the lighting assembly is disposed on an outer layer through which light is emitted into the compartment.

12. The refrigerator of claim 7 , including:
a wall covering assembly disposed within the compartment; and
a power source electrically coupled to the lighting assembly and concealed by the wall covering assembly.

13. The refrigerator of claim 7 , including:
one or more doors operable between open and closed positions relative to the compartment, wherein the lighting assembly illuminates the compartment when one of the one or more doors is in the open position.

14. A refrigerator, comprising:
a refrigerator liner having a quadrilateral front edge and an outer surface;
a thermal bridge having an outer surface and a coupling portion coupled to the front edge of the refrigerator liner, wherein a channel is formed between the outer surface of the refrigerator liner and the outer surface of the thermal bridge, and further wherein the outer surface of the refrigerator liner is aligned with the outer surface of the thermal bridge; and
a lighting assembly received in the channel, wherein the lighting assembly is substantially disposed around an opening into a refrigerator compartment defined by the refrigerator liner, and further wherein the lighting assembly includes an outer surface disposed in a same plane as the outer surface of the thermal bridge and the outer surface of the liner.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the lighting assembly includes first and second side portions interconnecting upper and lower portions, and further wherein the refrigerator liner includes first and second sidewalls interconnecting top and bottom walls, wherein the lighting assembly first and second side portions of the lighting assembly are disposed along the first and second sidewalls of the refrigerator liner, respectively, and further wherein the upper and lower portions of the lighting assembly are disposed along the top and bottom walls of the refrigerator liner.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the lighting assembly includes a light guide.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Marinello Giulia
• Gomes Alberto R
• Hunter Lynne F
• Burke Julia B
• Chow Daniel
• Naik Abhay

Classifications

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• F25D2400/40

  Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring · CPC title

• F25D27/00 Primary

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F25D23/085

  Breaking strips · CPC title

• F25D23/066

  Liners · CPC title