Refrigerator providing air flow to door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016305701-A1
Application number	US-201615194655-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2012
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet below the fresh food compartment, and first and second French doors operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet to provide access to the fresh food compartment. There is also a mullion between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, an air inlet and an air outlet proximate a bottom of the first French door, and an air outlet and an air inlet on a front face of the mullion. When the first French door is in a closed position, the air inlet proximate the bottom of the first French door aligns with the air outlet on the front face of the mullion and the air outlet proximate the bottom of the first French door aligns with the air inlet on the front face of the mullion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 : A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator cabinet; a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, wherein the freezer compartment is below the fresh food compartment; at least one door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet to provide selective access to the fresh food compartment, the door comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, a top, a bottom, an air inlet and an air outlet disposed on the inner surface proximate the door bottom, an icemaker, and an ice bin; a mullion between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment; an air outlet and an air inlet on a front face of the mullion; a first air flow path comprising, in sequence, the air inlet proximate the bottom of the door, the icemaker, the ice bin, and the air outlet proximate the bottom of the door; a second air flow path comprising, in sequence, the air inlet proximate the bottom of the door, the ice bin, the icemaker. and the air outlet on the bottom of the door; a control system adapted to selectively control the first air flow path and the second air flow path; wherein when the door is in a closed position, the air inlet proximate the bottom of the door aligns with the air outlet on the front face of the mullion and the air outlet proximate the bottom of the door aligns with the air inlet on the front face of the mullion.

2 : The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the ice bin is disposed below the icemaker.

3 : The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the control system controls the first air flow path and the second air flow path based, at least in part, on one or more icemaker sensors and one or more ice storage sensors.

4 : The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising one or more fans disposed within the mullion.

5 : The refrigerator of claim 4 further comprising an air pathway through the door from the air inlet proximate the bottom of the door to the ice bin, the air pathway being configured to route air from the air outlet of the mullion to the ice bin.

6 : The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein at east one of the one or more fans is positioned within the door.

7 : The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the air inlet proximate the bottom of the door, the air outlet on the front face of the mullion, the air outlet proximate the bottom of the door and the air inlet on the front face of the mullion have elliptical cross sections.

8 : The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein a flow of air remains inline with the mullion while passing through the mullion.

9 : The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the mullion is of unitary construction.

10 : A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator cabinet; a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, the fresh food compartment having a back wall and two opposite side walls; a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet below the fresh food compartment; a door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet to provide selective access to the fresh food compartment; an ice maker on the door; an ice bin on the door and below the ice maker; a mullion between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment; a first air opening proximate a bottom of the door; a second air opening in a front face of mullion; a control system adapted to circulate air between the first air opening and the second air opening and selectively circulate the air from the ice maker to the ice bin or from the ice bin to the ice maker; wherein when the door is in a closed position the first air opening is aligned with the second air opening to allow for air flow therebetween.

11 : The refrigerator of claim 10 further comprising a third air opening proximate the bottom of the door and a fourth air opening in the front face of the mullion; and wherein when the door is in the closed position the third air opening is aligned with the fourth air opening to allow for air flow therebetween.

12 : The refrigerator of claim 11 further comprising a first air passageway in the door, the first air passageway between the first air opening and the ice maker.

13 : The refrigerator of claim 12 further comprising a second air passageway in the first French door, the second air passageway between the third air opening and the ice bin.

14 : The refrigerator of claim 13 wherein the control system selectively circulates air from the second air opening, to the first air opening, to the ice maker, and to the ice bin in sequence.

15 : The refrigerator of claim 13 wherein the control system selectively circulates air from the second air opening, to the first air opening, to the ice bin, and to the ice maker in sequence.

16 : The refrigerator of claim 10 further comprising a fan disposed within the mullion to assist in controlling air flow.

17 : The refrigerator of claim 10 further comprising a fan disposed within the door to assist in controlling air flow.

18 : A method of operating a refrigerator, comprising:
providing a refrigerator comprising (a) a refrigerator cabinet, (b) a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, (c) a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, (d) a door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet to provide access to the fresh food compartment, (e) a mullion between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, (g) an ice maker on the door, and (h) an ice bin on the door; and routing air through one or more openings in a front face of the mullion to one or more openings in the door, and to the ice maker and the ice bin.

19 : The method of claim 18 further comprising routing air through one or more openings in the door to one or more openings in the mullion when the door is in a closed position.

20 : The method of claim 18 wherein the one or more openings in the front face of the mullion comprises a single opening.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Boarman Patrick J
• Thomas Mark E

Classifications

• F25C2400/10

  Refrigerator units · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25C1/04

  by using stationary moulds · CPC title

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D2317/062

  along the inside of doors · CPC title