Refrigerated compartment air distribution assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11168933-B2
Application number	US-201916557626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Jul 6, 2016
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance includes a liner that has first and second sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall. At least one of the first and second sidewalls includes a first air-deflection surface. A door is configured to provide access to and seal the freezer compartment. A seal is positioned around a periphery of the door. A fan is operably coupled with an evaporator and is positioned within the freezer compartment at the back wall of the liner. A mullion is attached to the liner and includes a forward portion. The forward portion includes a second air-deflection surface. The fan is configured to direct air toward the first and second sidewalls and the top wall of the freezer compartment and subsequently toward the first and second air-deflection surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a freezer compartment liner forming a freezer compartment and including a plurality of walls exposed to an interior of the freezer compartment, wherein the plurality of walls includes first and second sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall, and wherein each of the first and second sidewalls includes a first air-deflection surface;
a refrigeration compartment liner forming a refrigeration compartment;
a door configured to provide access to and seal the freezer compartment;
a seal around a periphery of the door;
a mullion disposed between the refrigeration compartment liner and the freezer compartment liner, the mullion including a forward portion extending toward the freezer compartment, wherein the forward portion includes a second air-deflection surface positioned within the freezer compartment;
an evaporator; and
a fan operably coupled with the evaporator and configured to direct cooled air along at least one of the plurality of walls of the freezer compartment liner, wherein the fan is configured to direct air toward the first and second air-deflection surfaces.

2. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first and second air-deflection surfaces deflect the air directed by the fan away from direct contact with the seal.

3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first air-deflection surfaces direct the air toward a first point, and further wherein the second air-deflection surface directs the air toward a second point, the second point vertically offset from the first point.

4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second air-deflection surfaces are configured to form a respective air curtain.

5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first air-deflection surfaces are configured to deflect the air toward a central portion of the freezer compartment.

6. A freezer compartment for a refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a liner having first and second sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall, wherein at least one of the first and second sidewalls includes a first air-deflection surface;
a door configured to provide access to and seal said freezer compartment;
a seal disposed around a periphery of the door;
an evaporator;
a fan operably coupled with the evaporator and positioned within said freezer compartment at the back wall of the liner; and
a mullion attached to the liner and including a forward portion, the forward portion including a second air-deflection surface, wherein the fan is configured to direct air toward the first and second sidewalls and the top wall of said freezer compartment and subsequently toward the first and second air-deflection surfaces.

7. The freezer compartment of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second air-deflection surfaces is a curved surface.

8. The freezer compartment of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second air-deflection surfaces includes one or more planar surfaces proximately disposed to one another.

9. The freezer compartment of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second air-deflection surfaces is configured to redirect the air from the fan away from the seal.

10. The freezer compartment of claim 6 , wherein the first air-deflection surface is configured to redirect the air toward a central portion of said freezer compartment.

11. The freezer compartment of claim 6 , wherein the second air-deflection surface is configured to redirect airflow from the fan toward a bottom wall of said freezer compartment.

12. A refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a liner forming a freezer compartment, the liner including first and second sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall, wherein each of the first and second sidewalls includes a pair of air-deflection surfaces;
a door configured to provide access to and seal the freezer compartment;
a seal around a periphery of the door;
an evaporator; and
a fan operably coupled with the evaporator and configured to direct air into the freezer compartment and along each of the first and second sidewalls toward the pair of air-deflection surfaces.

13. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein each of the pair of air-deflection surfaces is integrally formed with the respective sidewall of the liner.

14. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein each of the pair of air-deflection surfaces is configured to form a respective air curtain.

15. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein the pair of air-deflection surfaces are configured to deflect the air toward a central portion of the freezer compartment.

16. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein each of the pair of air-deflection surfaces extends inwardly from the seal toward the back wall of the liner.

17. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein the pair of air-deflection surfaces deflect the air directed by the fan away from direct contact with the seal.

18. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein the fan is disposed within a fan housing that includes an air outlet.

19. The refrigeration appliance of claim 18 , wherein the fan housing includes a grille, the grille having one or more vanes for directing the cooled air toward each air-deflection surface.

20. The refrigeration appliance of claim 12 , wherein each air-deflection surface has a colder surface temperature than an inner surface of the seal.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Marinello Giulia
• Pathak Sanjesh Kumar

Classifications

• F25D23/069

  Cooling space dividing partitions · CPC title

• F25D23/023

  Air curtain closures · CPC title

• F25D2317/0683

  the fans not of the axial type · CPC title

• F25D17/067

  Evaporator fan units · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title