Single air passageway and damper assembly in a variable climate zone compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11828517-B2
Application number	US-202217740652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2022
Priority date	Mar 2, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance including a partition that defines a through passage between an upper compartment and a lower compartment. A temperature control system is positioned in the upper compartment and includes an air passage. A lower inlet opening extends through a front surface of the vertical partition to the air passage. A damper assembly includes a door that is moveable between a first position and a second position. When the door is in the first position the door fluidly isolates the through passage in the partition from the upper compartment while allowing the lower inlet opening in the vertical partition to fluidly communicate with the air passage in the vertical partition. When the door is in the second position the door fluidly isolates the lower inlet opening from the air passage while allowing the through passage to fluidly communicate with the upper compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment;
a partition dividing said compartment into a first compartment and a second compartment adjacent said first compartment, said first compartment having a user-selectable target freezer temperature, said second 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, the partition defining a through passage between the first compartment and the second compartment;
an evaporator disposed in the first compartment;
an evaporator fan disposed in the first compartment for conveying cooling air from the evaporator to the first compartment and the second compartment; and
a temperature control system positioned in the second compartment, the temperature control system comprising:
a body having a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface facing a rear wall of the second compartment and the front surface facing an open end of the second compartment,
an air passage extending through the body having an inlet aligned with the through passage of the partition,
an air return opening in the body fluidly connecting the second compartment to the air passage,
a damper assembly positioned proximate the inlet of the air passage, the damper assembly comprising:
a door moveable between a first position and a second position,
wherein when the door is in the first position the door fluidly isolates the through passage in the partition from the second compartment while allowing the air return opening in the body to fluidly communicate with the air passage in the body, and
when the door is in the second position the door fluidly isolates the air return opening in the body from the air passage in the body while allowing the through passage in the partition to fluidly communicate with the second compartment,

a circulation fan positioned in the air passage for conveying air therealong; and
a heater assembly disposed proximate the air passage wherein when the door is in the first position the heater assembly is selectively energized to heat air flowing through the air passage.

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 body.

4. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature control system comprises a cover over the body, and the heater assembly is positioned between the cover and the body.

5. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the air passage forms a closed loop circulation path with the second compartment when the door is in the first position.

6. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the air passage directs cooled air into the second compartment from the evaporator when the door is in the second position.

7. 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 body and the rear wall of the second compartment, the plurality of walls having distal ends that abut the rear wall of the second compartment.

8. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a second opening extending through the body and fluidly connecting the second compartment to a second passage in the partition and to the evaporator in the first compartment.

9. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the first compartment is positioned below the second compartment.

10. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a drawer insertable into the second compartment.

11. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 10 , comprising a user interface mounted on the drawer and configured to be accessible when the drawer is extended from the refrigerator appliance.

12. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 11 , wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select the user-selectable target variable climate zone temperature.

13. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 12 , wherein the temperature control unit is configured to control the damper assembly, the circulation fan and the heater assembly based on the user-selectable target variable climate zone temperature.

Assignees

• Electrolux Do Brasil Sa

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F25D17/045 Primary

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title

• F25D17/065

  with compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D17/067

  Evaporator fan units · CPC title

• F25D2400/02

  Refrigerators including a heater · CPC title

• F25B1/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle (F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence) · CPC title