Appliance modular system for incorporating a pantry compartment within an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759479-B2
Application number	US-201514920034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A refrigerating appliance includes an interior volume divided by a medial wall into refrigerating and freezing compartments. A horizontal false mullion extends through one of the compartments, parallel with the medial wall to define a pantry compartment in thermal communication with at least one of the refrigerating and freezing compartments. A center vertical mullion is removably engaged with the medial wall and divides the pantry compartment into first and second pantry sub compartments. First and second outer drawer glides are positioned on the cabinet structure within the pantry compartment and opposite first and second inner drawer glides of the center vertical mullion. The first inner and first outer drawer glides partially define the first pantry sub compartment. The second inner and second outer drawer glides partially define the second pantry sub compartment. First and second pantry drawers are slidably engaged with first and second pantry sub compartments, respectively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerating appliance comprising:
a cabinet structure having a plurality of sidewalls and a medial wall that define an interior volume, the interior volume divided by the medial wall into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;
a horizontal false mullion extending through a front portion of one of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, wherein the horizontal false mullion is a separate member attached to the cabinet structure and is oriented parallel with the medial wall, and wherein the medial wall and the horizontal false mullion define a pantry compartment, the pantry compartment in selective and alternative thermal communication with the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment;
a center vertical mullion removably engaged with the medial wall and extending vertically to the horizontal false mullion, wherein first and second inner drawer glides are defined on opposing sides of the center vertical mullion, the center vertical mullion dividing the pantry compartment to define first and second pantry sub compartments;
first and second outer drawer glides positioned proximate opposing internal vertical surfaces of the cabinet structure within the pantry compartment and positioned opposite the first and second inner drawer glides, respectively, wherein the first inner and first outer drawer glides partially define the first pantry sub compartment, and wherein the second inner and second outer drawer glides partially define the second pantry sub compartment;
a first pantry drawer slidably engaged with the first inner and first outer drawer glides and operable within the first pantry sub compartment to define first open and closed positions of the first pantry sub compartment, and a second pantry drawer slidably engaged with the second inner and second outer drawer glides and operable within the second pantry sub compartment to define second open and closed positions of the second pantry sub compartment;
a pantry cover positioned between the horizontal false mullion and a mullion protrusion of the center vertical mullion, the pantry cover including a top cover surface that at least partially defines the refrigerating compartment, and wherein a portion of the pantry cover rests upon the center vertical mullion; and
a false floor assembly that defines a horizontal boundary between the refrigerating compartment and the pantry compartment, wherein a portion of the false floor assembly rests upon the center vertical mullion and the mullion protrusion, and wherein the pantry cover, the false floor assembly and the horizontal false mullion are separate members that cooperate to define a floor of the refrigerating compartment.

2. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
first and second side adapters removably positioned against the opposing internal vertical surfaces of the cabinet structure within the pantry compartment such that the center vertical mullion is positioned between and parallel with the first and second side adapters, wherein the first outer drawer glide is coupled with the first side adapter and wherein the second outer drawer glide is coupled with the second side adapter.

3. The refrigerating appliance of claim 2 , wherein the center vertical mullion and the first and second side adapters are selectively inserted to define a divided state of the pantry compartment, the divided state being defined by the pantry compartment divided into the first and second pantry sub compartments, and wherein the center vertical mullion and the first and second side adapters can be alternatively removed to define an undivided state of the pantry compartment, wherein the refrigerating appliance includes a full-width pantry drawer that is slidably engaged with the pantry compartment in the undivided state.

4. The refrigerating appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control in communication with a pantry refrigeration system, wherein the control operates the pantry refrigeration system to selectively and independently maintain the first and second pantry sub compartments at respective first and second temperatures, wherein the pantry refrigeration system includes ducts that selectively deliver cooled air from the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment to the pantry compartment, wherein the control operates the ducts to maintain the first and second pantry sub compartments at the first and second temperatures.

5. A refrigerating appliance comprising:
a cabinet structure including an outer wrapper and an inner liner that define an insulating cavity, wherein an insulating material is disposed within the insulating cavity;
a medial wall at least partially defined by the inner liner of the cabinet structure, the medial wall extending through an interior volume defined by the cabinet structure, the medial wall and the inner liner defining a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;
a horizontal false mullion being a separate member attached to the cabinet structure and extending through a front portion of the refrigerating compartment, wherein the horizontal false mullion is oriented parallel with the medial wall, and wherein the medial wall and the horizontal false mullion define a pantry compartment, the pantry compartment in selective thermal communication with the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment;
a center vertical mullion removably disposed on the medial wall and extending upward to the horizontal false mullion, the center vertical mullion having a mullion protrusion that engages a back surface of the horizontal false mullion;
first and second side adapters removably positioned against opposing vertical surfaces of the inner liner within the pantry compartment such that the center vertical mullion is positioned between and parallel with the first and second side adapters, wherein the first side adapter and the center vertical mullion define a first pantry sub compartment in selective and alternative thermal communication with the refrigerating and freezing compartments, and wherein the second side adapter and the center vertical mullion define a second pantry sub compartment in selective and alternative thermal communication with the refrigerating and freezing compartments;
a first pantry drawer slidably engaged with the first pantry sub compartment, and a second pantry drawer slidably engaged with the second pantry sub compartment;
a pantry cover positioned between the horizontal false mullion and the mullion protrusion, the pantry cover including a top cover surface that at least partially defines the refrigerating compartment, and wherein a portion of the pantry cover rests upon the center vertical mullion; and
a false floor assembly that defines a horizontal boundary between the refrigerating compartment and the pantry compartment, wherein a portion of the false floor assembly rests upon the center vertical mullion and the mullion protrusion, and wherein the pantry cover, the false floor assembly and the horizontal false mullion are separate members that cooperate to define a floor of the refrigerating compartment.

6. The refrigerating appliance of claim 5 , wherein the center vertical mullion extends at least partially under the horizontal false mullion, wherein the center vertical mullion includes an alignment surface that engages at least a bottom of the horizontal false mullion such that a front edge of the center vertical mullion is substantially coplanar with a front face of the horizontal false mullion.

7. The refrigerating appliance of claim 5 , wherein the pantry cover includes at least one of a partially transparent panel that places the refrigerating compartment in visual communication with the pantry compartment, wher

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Ramm Axel Julio
• Richards Michael S
• Wadke Rahul
• Wittes Joshua J

Classifications

• F25D2600/06

  Controlling according to a predetermined profile · CPC title

• F25D2400/06

  Refrigerators with a vertical mullion · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D23/00

  General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25D2400/04

  Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion · CPC title