Refrigeration unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11859895-B2
Application number	US-202217668728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2022
Priority date	Feb 10, 2022
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A refrigeration unit includes a cabinet, a door coupled to the cabinet, at least one gasket coupled to the door, and a heat loop conduit. The cabinet includes a front perimeter that surrounds an opening to a storage compartment within the cabinet. The door is operable between an open position to provide access to the storage compartment and a closed position to conceal the opening to the storage compartment. The at least one gasket is configured to be compressed between the door and the front perimeter of the cabinet in the closed position of the door. The heat loop conduit has a first conduit portion that extends around a majority of the opening along the front perimeter of the cabinet and a second conduit portion that extends around the majority of the opening along the front perimeter of the cabinet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration unit, comprising:
a cabinet that includes a front perimeter that surrounds an opening to a storage compartment within the cabinet;
a door coupled to the cabinet and operable between an open position, wherein access to the storage compartment is provided, and a closed position, wherein the door conceals the opening to the storage compartment;
at least one gasket coupled to the door and configured to be compressed between the door and the front perimeter of the cabinet in the closed position of the door; and
a heat loop conduit having a first conduit portion that extends around a majority of the opening along the front perimeter of the cabinet and a second conduit portion that extends around the majority of the opening along the front perimeter of the cabinet.

2. The refrigeration unit of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet comprises:
an outer wrapper; and
an inner liner coupled to the outer wrapper, wherein the inner liner and outer wrapper cooperate to form the front perimeter and define a cabinet interior, wherein the first and second conduit portions are positioned within the cabinet interior.

3. The refrigeration unit of claim 2 , wherein the inner liner comprises:
a first liner side; and
a second liner side opposite the first liner side, wherein a portion of the first liner side defines the storage compartment.

4. The refrigeration unit of claim 3 , wherein the inner liner comprises:
a first liner portion that forms the front perimeter of the cabinet together with the outer wrapper; and
a second liner portion that extends from the first liner portion into the cabinet interior, wherein the first conduit portion extends between the first liner side of the second liner portion and the front perimeter of the cabinet.

5. The refrigeration unit of claim 4 , wherein the outer wrapper comprises:
a first wrapper side; and
a second wrapper side opposite the first wrapper side.

6. The refrigeration unit of claim 5 , wherein the outer wrapper comprises:
a first wrapper portion, wherein the first wrapper side of the first wrapper portion forms the front perimeter of the cabinet together with the first liner portion; and
a second wrapper portion that extends from the first wrapper portion into the cabinet interior, wherein the first wrapper side of the second wrapper portion contacts the first and second liner sides of the second liner portion.

7. The refrigeration unit of claim 6 , further comprising:
a retention clip that is coupled to the first conduit portion, the second conduit portion, and the first wrapper side of the second wrapper portion.

8. The refrigeration unit of claim 4 , wherein the second liner portion comprises:
a first step portion that is further than the first liner portion from the opening to the storage compartment, wherein the first liner side of the first step portion is a first distance from the front perimeter of the cabinet; and
a second step portion that is further than the first step portion from the opening to the storage compartment, wherein the first liner side of the second step portion is a second distance from the front perimeter of the cabinet, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

9. The refrigeration unit of claim 8 , wherein the first liner side of the first liner portion is substantially parallel to the first liner side of the first step portion and the first liner side of the second step portion.

10. The refrigeration unit of claim 8 , wherein the first conduit portion extends between the second step portion and the front perimeter of the cabinet.

11. The refrigeration unit of claim 8 , wherein the outer wrapper contacts the second liner side of the second step portion and the first liner side of the first step portion.

12. The refrigeration unit of claim 1 , wherein the door is a vacuum insulated door.

13. The refrigeration unit of claim 12 , wherein the cabinet is a foam insulated cabinet.

14. A refrigeration unit, comprising:
a cabinet, comprising:
an outer wrapper; and
an inner liner coupled to the outer wrapper, wherein the inner liner defines a storage compartment within the cabinet and forms at least a portion of a front perimeter of the cabinet, wherein the portion of the inner liner that defines the at least a portion of the front perimeter and the portion of the inner liner that defines the storage compartment are coupled to each other at a corner that defines an opening to the storage compartment, and wherein the portion of the inner liner that defines the storage compartment extends rearward and storage compartment-outboard from the corner of the inner liner to form a diverter portion;

a door coupled to the cabinet and operable between an open position, wherein access to the storage compartment is provided, and a closed position, wherein the door conceals the opening to the storage compartment; and
at least one gasket coupled to the door and configured to be compressed between the door and the front perimeter of the cabinet in the closed position of the door, wherein the diverter portion of the inner liner is configured to divert air from the storage compartment away from the at least one gasket.

15. The refrigeration unit of claim 14 , wherein the front perimeter comprises:
a first shelf portion; and
a second shelf portion, wherein the second shelf portion is nearer than the first shelf portion to a rear side of the cabinet and the at least one gasket is configured to be compressed between the door and the first shelf portion of the front perimeter.

16. The refrigeration unit of claim 14 , further comprising:
a heat loop conduit that is disposed within a cabinet interior and that extends along the front perimeter of the cabinet.

17. The refrigeration unit of claim 14 , wherein the door is a vacuum insulated door.

18. The refrigeration unit of claim 17 , wherein the cabinet is a foam insulated cabinet.

19. A refrigeration unit, comprising:
a cabinet that includes a front perimeter that is formed by an outer wrapper and an inner liner of the cabinet and that surrounds an opening to a storage compartment within the cabinet, the front perimeter comprising:
a first shelf portion that is formed by the outer wrapper and the inner liner; and
a second shelf portion that is formed by the inner liner, defines the opening to the storage compartment, and is nearer than the first shelf portion to a rear side of the cabinet;

a door coupled to the cabinet and operable between an open position, wherein access to the storage compartment is provided, and a closed position, wherein the door conceals the opening to the storage compartment;
a first gasket coupled to the door and configured to be compressed between the door and the first shelf portion of the front perimeter of the cabinet in the closed position of the door, such that the first gasket contacts both the outer wrapper and the inner liner; and
a second gasket coupled to the door and configured to be compressed between the door and the second shelf portion of the front perimeter of the cabinet in the closed position of the door.

20. The refrigeration unit of claim 19 , wherein the first and second shelf portions are substantially parallel to each other.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Chhajed Rahul Subhash
• Kapure Narendra Ashok
• Karl Jackson Felipe
• Naik Abhay
• Sarma Abinash
• Shannigrahi Subrata

Classifications

• F25D23/062 Primary

  defining a cabinet · CPC title

• F25D23/066

  Liners · CPC title

• F25D23/063 Primary

  formed by an assembly of panels · CPC title

• F25D23/068

  Arrangements for circulating fluids through the insulating material · CPC title

• F25D23/087

  Sealing strips · CPC title