Refrigerator diverter valve using fluidic circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11320190-B2
Application number	US-201716087951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	May 6, 2016
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A refrigerator damper system employs a fluidic valve providing switching of air between refrigerated compartments without the need for a movable valve plate such as can be obstructed by ice. In one embodiment, a bidirectional fan provides switching from a first compartment to a second compartment and then from a second compartment to a first compartment with change of fan direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator damper system for use in a refrigerator providing first and second compartments receiving refrigerated airflow and a refrigeration circuit including a heat absorbing portion, the refrigerator damper system comprising:
a diverter housing providing an inlet communicating to a first and second outlet, the latter adapted to communicate with the first and second compartments respectively;
a first electrically controllable fan for transporting air cooled by the heat absorbing portion to the inlet of the diverter housing as a refrigerated airflow;
wherein the diverter housing provides a fluidic valve having a first main channel leading from the inlet and separating at a bifurcation to a first and second channel communicating respectively with each of first and second outlets and further having at least one control port positioned upstream of the bifurcation, the control port adapted to conduct a control air jet therethrough and angularly with respect to the refrigerated airflow to steer the refrigerated airflow from the main channel between the first and second channels; and
a second electrically controllable fan for transporting air through the control port;
wherein:
when the second electrically controllable fan is in a first operational state, the second electrically controllable fan forces the control air jet to flow along a first path and the refrigerated airflow is steered by the control air jet in the control port toward the first channel; and
when the second electrically controllable fan is in a second operational state, the second electrically controllable fan forces the control air jet to flow along a second path and the refrigerated airflow is steered by the control air jet in the control port toward the second channel.

2. The refrigerator damper system of claim 1 wherein the bifurcation is adapted to produce an attachment of airflow to a single given wall of either of the first and second channels when air is flowing through the given first and second channel to provide a bi-stable switching of air between the first and second channels without operation of the second electrically controllable fan to move air through the control port.

3. A refrigerator damper system for use in a refrigerator providing first and second compartments receiving refrigerated airflow and a refrigeration circuit including a heat absorbing portion, the refrigerator damper system comprising:
a diverter housing providing an inlet communicating to a first and second outlet, the latter adapted to communicate with the first and second compartments respectively;
a first electrically controllable fan for transporting air cooled by the heat absorbing portion to the inlet of the diverter housing;
wherein the diverter housing provides a fluidic valve having a first main channel leading from the inlet and separating at a bifurcation to a first and second channel communicating respectively with each of first and second outlets and further having at least one control port positioned at the bifurcation, the control port adapted to conduct air therethrough to steer air from the main channel between the first and second channels;
a second electrically controllable fan for transporting air through the control port; and
wherein the second electrically controllable fan is bidirectional and operates in a first direction to move air from the first to the second channel and in a second direction to move air from the second to the first channel.

4. The refrigerator damper system of claim 1 further including an air reducer communicating between the first electrically controllable fan and the bifurcation to provide an increasing air velocity.

5. The refrigerator damper system of claim 1 wherein the diverter housing is a thermally insulating material having a thermal conductivity of less than 0.1 W/(m/k).

6. The refrigerator damper system of claim 5 wherein the diverter housing is a polymer material.

7. The refrigerator damper system of claim 6 wherein the diverter housing is an expanded polystyrene foam.

8. The refrigerator damper system of claim 1 wherein the main channel and the first and second channels are coplanar and have an extent perpendicular to the plane of less than two inches.

9. The refrigerator damper system of claim 8 wherein the first and second outlets open to allow airflow perpendicular to the plane.

10. The refrigerator damper system of claim 1 further including an airflow sensor in at least one of the first and second channels.

11. The refrigerator damper system of claim 1 further including a controller operating to switch airflow between the first and second channels by operation of the second electrically controllable fan during continuous operation of the first electrically controllable fan.

12. The refrigerator damper system of claim 11 wherein the controller provides a momentary operation of the second electrically controllable fan in a first direction for moving the airflow from the first to the second channel and in a second direction for moving the airflow from the second to the first channel.

13. The refrigerator damper system of claim 12 wherein the controller further receives flow sensing from at least one of the first and second channels to provide an error signal if, after momentary operation of the second electrically controllable fan to move airflow to a given one of the first and second channel, the airflow sensor does not indicate airflow in the given one of the first and second channel.

14. The refrigerator damper system of claim 1 wherein the second electrically controllable fan provides lower airflow than the first electrically controllable fan.

15. The refrigerator damper system of claim 14 wherein the second electrically controllable fan provides lower power consumption than the first electrically controllable fan.

16. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigeration circuit pumping heat between a heat absorbing portion and a heat expelling portion;
a first and second insulated compartment for maintaining different air temperatures;
a temperature sensor in at least one of the first and second insulated compartments;
a diverter providing:
(a) a diverter housing providing an inlet communicating to a first and second outlet, the latter adapted to communicate with the first and second compartments respectively;
(b) a first electrically controllable fan for transporting air cooled by the heat absorbing portion to the inlet of the diverter housing;
wherein the diverter housing provides a fluidic valve having a first main channel leading from the inlet and separating at a bifurcation to a first and second channel communicating respectively with each of first and second outlets and further having at least one control port positioned at the bifurcation, the control port adapted to conduct air therethrough to steer air from the main channel between the first and second channels; and
(c) a second electrically controllable fan for transporting air through the control port; and

a controller receiving a signal from the temperature sensor controlling the refrigeration circuit and operating the first electrically controllable fan when the refrigeration circuit is active and controlling the second electrically controllable fan to switch airflow between the first and second compartments according to the signal from the temperature sensor.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 wherein the first and second insulated compartments are separated by an insulated wall holding the diverter housing.

18. The refrigerator damper syste

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Larson Eric K

Classifications

• F25D2317/0682

  Two or more fans · CPC title

• F25D2400/04

  Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion · CPC title

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D17/045 Primary

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title

• F25D2317/0653

  through the mullion · CPC title