Heater in a variable climate zone compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747074-B2
Application number	US-201816975160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2018
Priority date	Mar 2, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A temperature control system for a refrigerator. The temperature control system is positioned in a refrigerated compartment and fluidly communicates with a cooling fan. The temperature control system includes a vertical partition having a front surface and a rear surface. The rear surface faces a rear wall of the refrigerated compartment and the front surface faces an open end of the refrigerated compartment. An air passage is formed in the vertical partition extending from a lower portion of the vertical partition to an upper portion of the vertical partition. A heater assembly is disposed between the front surface and the rear surface of the vertical partition proximate the air passage wherein air conveyed along the air passage is heated by the heater assembly when the heater assembly is energized.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment;
a partition dividing said compartment into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said lower compartment having a user-selectable target freezer temperature, said upper compartment having a user-selectable target variable climate zone temperature between a predetermined temperature below 0 degrees Centigrade and a predetermined temperature above 0 degrees Centigrade;
an evaporator disposed in the lower compartment;
an evaporator fan disposed in the lower compartment for conveying cooling air from the evaporator to the lower compartment and the upper compartment; and
a temperature control system positioned in the upper compartment, the temperature control system comprising:
a vertical partition having a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface facing a rear wall of the upper compartment and the front surface facing an open end of the upper compartment,
an air passage formed in the vertical partition extending from a lower portion of the vertical partition to an upper portion of the vertical partition, and
a heater assembly disposed between the front surface and the rear surface of the vertical partition and spaced-apart from the air passage wherein the heater assembly is configured to heat the vertical partition such that, when the heater assembly is energized, air in the air passage is indirectly heated by the heater assembly prior to the air exiting the vertical partition.

2. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the heater assembly includes a formed electrical coil.

3. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the heater assembly is overmolded into the vertical partition.

4. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the air passage is defined by a plurality of walls extending from the rear surface of the vertical partition and the rear wall of the upper compartment, the plurality of walls having distal ends that abut the rear wall of the upper compartment.

5. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 4 , wherein a seal is positioned between the distal ends of the plurality of walls and the rear wall of the upper compartment for enclosing the air passage.

6. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the air passage is defined by an inlet extending between the front surface and the rear surface of the vertical partition.

7. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a circulation fan positioned in the air passage for conveying air therealong.

8. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the air passage defines a closed loop circulation path with the upper compartment.

9. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical partition includes:
a cover; and
a body coupled to the cover to define the air passage in the vertical partition.

10. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 9 , wherein the heater assembly is positioned between opposite facing surfaces of the cover and the body.

11. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 9 , wherein the cover is made of a plastic material and the body is made of expanded polystyrene.

12. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 9 , wherein the air passage extends through the body for directing air heated by the heater assembly into the upper compartment in a closed loop.

13. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 12 , wherein the cover includes at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening both fluidly communicating with the air passage in the body.

14. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fresh food compartment disposed above the compartment, the fresh food compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above zero degrees Centigrade.

15. A temperature control system for a refrigerator, the temperature control system positioned in a refrigerated compartment and fluidly communicating with a cooling fan, the temperature control system comprising:
a vertical partition having a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface facing a rear wall of the refrigerated compartment and the front surface facing an open end of the refrigerated compartment,
an air passage formed in the vertical partition extending from a lower portion of the vertical partition to an upper portion of the vertical partition, and
a heater assembly disposed between the front surface and the rear surface of the vertical partition and spaced-apart from the air passage wherein the heater assembly is configured to heat the vertical partition such that, when the heater assembly is energized, air conveyed along the air passage is indirectly heated by the heater assembly prior to the air exiting the vertical partition.

16. The temperature control system according to claim 15 , wherein the heater assembly includes a formed electrical coil.

17. The temperature control system according to claim 15 , wherein the heater assembly is overmolded into the vertical partition.

18. The temperature control system according to claim 15 , wherein the air passage is defined by a plurality of walls extending from the rear surface of the vertical partition and the rear wall of the refrigerated compartment, the plurality of walls having distal ends that abut the rear wall of the refrigerated compartment.

19. The temperature control system according to claim 18 , wherein a seal is positioned between the distal ends of the plurality of walls and the rear wall of the refrigerated compartment for enclosing the air passage.

20. The temperature control system according to claim 15 , wherein the air passage is defined by an inlet extending between the front surface and the rear surface of the vertical partition.

21. The temperature control system according to claim 15 , further comprising a circulation fan positioned in the air passage for conveying air therealong.

Assignees

• Electrolux Do Brasil Sa

Inventors

• Picaneo Guilherme
• Richter Carlos
• Ormelez Felipe
• Roslindo Rafael
• Mercer Israel
• Leidens Rafael
• Colecha Alcione
• Voltarelli Antonio
• Werkhauser Michel
• Campani Marcelo

Classifications

• F25D17/065 Primary

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D17/045

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title

• F25D2317/061

  through special compartments · CPC title

• F25D2317/0682

  Two or more fans · CPC title

• F25D2400/02

  Refrigerators including a heater · CPC title