Refrigerator appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11703267-B2
Application number	US-202117373109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2021
Priority date	Jul 12, 2021
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a crisper drawer, a frame, and a cover plate. The frame is configured to receive the crisper drawer. The frame defines at least one orifice that is configured to vent air from the crisper drawer to an exterior of the crisper drawer to control a humidity within the crisper drawer. The cover plate is secured to the frame and is at least partially disposed over the at least one orifice. The cover plate is configured to pivot relative to the frame between a first position and a second position. The cover plate restricts air flow out of the crisper drawer in the first position. The cover plate facilitates air flow out of the crisper drawer in the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a crisper drawer;
a frame (i) disposed about the crisper drawer, (ii) defining at least one orifice that is configured to vent air from the crisper drawer to an exterior of the crisper drawer to control the humidity within the crisper drawer, (iii) having a first protrusion extending therefrom that defines a plurality of scalloped notches, and (iv) having at least one pivot disposed between the at least one orifice and the first protrusion; and
a cover plate (i) secured to the pivot, (ii) having a first region disposed over the at least one orifice, (iii) having a second region disposed over the first protrusion, and (iv) having a second protrusion extending downward from the second region, wherein (i) the cover plate is configured transition between a closed position and an open position via rotation about the pivot, (ii) in the closed position the first region covers the at least one orifice to restrict air from flowing out of the crisper drawer and the second protrusion engages a first of scalloped notches to retain the cover plate in the closed position, and (iii) in the open position a gap that is in fluid communication with the at least one orifice is defined between a distal end of the at least one orifice and the first region such that air flows from the crisper drawer to the exterior of the crisper drawer via the gap and the second protrusion engages a second of scalloped notches to retain the cover plate in the open position.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the frame defines a recessed region, and wherein the at least one orifice is defined within the recessed region, the first protrusion is disposed within the recessed region, and the at least one pivot is disposed within the recessed region.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the cover plate is partially disposed within the recessed region and is partially disposed above the recessed region.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a biasing element that bias the second protrusion into engagement with the scalloped notches.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pivot comprises at least one horizontally oriented post.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the cover plate includes at least one C-shaped bushing that is disposed and configured to rotate about the at least one horizontally oriented post.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the at least one C-shaped bushing is configured flex outward and snap back to form an engagement between at least one C-shaped bushing and the at least one horizontally oriented post.

8. A refrigerator comprising:
a crisper drawer;
a frame configured to receive the crisper drawer, the frame or the crisper drawer defining at least one orifice that is configured to vent air from the crisper drawer to an exterior of the crisper drawer to control a humidity within the crisper drawer; and
a cover plate secured to the frame or the crisper drawer and at least partially disposed over the at least one orifice, wherein (i) the cover plate is configured to pivot relative to the frame or the crisper drawer between a first position and a second position, (ii) in the first position the cover plate is disposed over the at least one orifice to restrict air from flowing out of the crisper drawer, and (iii) in the second position a gap that is in fluid communication with the at least one orifice is defined between a distal end of the at least one orifice and the cover plate such that air flows from the crisper drawer to the exterior of the crisper drawer via the gap, wherein (i) the frame or the crisper drawer has a first protrusion extending therefrom that defines a plurality of scalloped notches, (ii) the cover plate has a second protrusion extending downward therefrom, (iii) the second protrusion is configured to engage a first of scalloped notches to retain the cover plate in the first position, and (iv) the second protrusion is configured to engage a second of scalloped notches to retain the cover plate in the second position.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 further comprising a biasing element that bias the second protrusion into engagement with the scalloped notches.

10. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein first protrusion and the and the at least one orifice are disposed on opposing sides of a pivot point of the cover plate.

11. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the cover plate is pivotally secured to the frame or the crisper drawer via a C-shaped bushing that engages a horizontally oriented post.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein one of the C-shaped bushing and the horizontally oriented post is secured to the cover plate and the other of the C-shaped bushing and the horizontally oriented post is secured to the frame or the crisper drawer.

13. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein a top surface of the frame or the crisper drawer defines a recessed region, and wherein the at least one orifice is defined within the recessed region.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the cover plate is partially disposed within the recessed region and is partially disposed above the recessed region.

15. A humidity control system for a refrigerator crisper drawer comprising:
a frame configured to receive the crisper drawer and defining at least one orifice that is configured to vent air from the crisper drawer to an exterior of the crisper drawer; and
a cover plate (i) pivotably secured to the frame, (ii) disposed over the at least one orifice, and (iii) defining a gap between an edge of the cover plate and a distal end of the at least one orifice, wherein (i) the gap establishes fluid communication between the at least one orifice and the exterior of the crisper drawer, (ii) the cover plate is configured to pivot relative to the frame from a first position to a second position to increase a size of the gap to facilitate air flow from the crisper drawer to the exterior of the crisper drawer, and (iii) the cover plate is configured to pivot relative to frame from the second position to the first position to decrease the size of the gap to restrict air flow from the crisper drawer to the exterior of the crisper drawer, wherein (i) the frame has a first protrusion extending therefrom that defines a plurality of scalloped notches, (ii) the cover plate has a second protrusion extending downward therefrom, (iii) the second protrusion is configured to engage a first of scalloped notches to retain the cover plate in the first position, and (iv) the second protrusion is configured to engage a second of scalloped notches to retain the cover plate in the second position.

16. The humidity control system of claim 15 further comprising a biasing element that bias the second protrusion into engagement with the scalloped notches.

17. The humidity control system of claim 15 , wherein the cover plate is pivotally secured to the frame via a C-shaped bushing that engages a horizontally oriented post.

18. The humidity control system of claim 15 , wherein a top surface of the frame defines a recessed region, and wherein (i) the at least one orifice is defined within the recessed region, (ii) the cover plate is partially disposed within the recessed region, and (iii) the cover plate is partially disposed above the recessed region.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Rutkowski Piotr
• Valle Maurizio

Classifications

• F25D17/042 Primary

  Air treating means within refrigerated spaces (air conditioning in general F24F) · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D2317/0413

  by humidification · CPC title

• F25D2317/061

  through special compartments · CPC title

• F25D2317/0672

  Outlet ducts · CPC title