Ethylene filtration system for a refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12595950-B2
Application number	US-202318358313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2023
Priority date	Jul 25, 2023
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance comprising a fresh food storage chamber and a filter system for ethylene in the fresh food storage chamber is disclosed. The fresh food storage chamber includes a ventilation system comprising a fan assembly fluidly coupled to an air supply vent and an air return vent to urge an air flow along an air flow path. A removable air filter assembly for ethylene gas, the filter assembly including a housing and a chemisorption filter contained in the housing, is removably fixed in the air flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet comprising a first side wall laterally spaced from a second side wall, a top wall vertically spaced above a bottom wall, and a back wall, the first side wall, second side wall, top wall, bottom wall, and back wall defining a fresh food storage chamber; a drawer slidably mounted within the fresh food storage chamber, the drawer comprising a plurality of walls defining a fresh food storage bin, the plurality of walls comprising a bottom wall, wherein the bottom wall of the drawer and the bottom wall of the cabinet define a space therebetween; a fresh food storage chamber ventilation system comprising a fan assembly fluidly coupled to an air supply vent and an air return vent, wherein the fan assembly urges an air flow along an air flow path from the supply vent to the return vent, wherein the air flow path includes the space between the bottom wall of the drawer and the bottom wall of the cabinet; and a removable air filter assembly comprising a housing and a chemisorption filter media contained in the housing, the filter assembly removably attached in the air flow path, wherein the filter assembly is spaced from the bottom wall of the cabinet such that a portion of the air flow passes between the housing and the bottom wall and a portion of the air flow passes between the housing and the drawer.

2 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the air flow path includes the fresh food storage bin.

3 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter assembly is removably attached to the bottom wall of the cabinet in the air flow path.

4 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the chemisorption filter media removes one or more plant hormones from the air flow.

5 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the chemisorption filter media removes at least one of the one or more plant hormones from the air flow through adsorption.

6 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the chemisorption filter media removes ethylene.

7 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the chemisorption filter media comprises potassium permanganate.

8 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 7 , wherein the potassium permanganate is embedded in zeolite.

9 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 8 , wherein the chemisorption filter media removes odors through one or more of chemisorption and physisorption.

10 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the chemisorption filter media is contained within an air permeable sachet within the housing.

11 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 10 , wherein the chemisorption filter media is contained within the housing.

12 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises one or more walls, at least some of the walls defining perforations such that fluid communication is facilitated between the chemisorption filter media and the air flow.

13 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter assembly is removably attached in the air flow path and positioned closer to the return vent than a front wall of the cabinet.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Vijayan Vineeth
• Kyriacou Stephanos

Classifications

• A23B2/721 Primary

  in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O · CPC title

• F25D17/042 Primary

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

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D2317/041

  by purification · CPC title