Low energy refrigerator heat source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874390-B2
Application number	US-201514928097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2012
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided that includes a low energy refrigerator heat source. The refrigerator includes a heat source positioned at a source of latent heat. The heat source harvested heat from the source of latent heat and stores said heat in a fluid within that heat reservoir or heat exchanger. The warmed fluid is then supplied via a fluid pathway to an application requiring a heat output. Thus, the heat reservoir provides heat to the application without use of an energy-consuming device, which reduces the energy consumption of the refrigerator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerated appliance comprising:
a cabinet body comprising an exterior and an interior and a door that provides selective access to the interior;
a heat reservoir disposed on the exterior of the cabinet at a source of latent heat, the heat reservoir harvesting heat from the source of latent heat;
an application having a heat output, the application at a location generally remote from the heat reservoir;
a liquid pathway disposed in at least a portion of the exterior between the heat reservoir and the application for supplying the heat output at the application from the heat reservoir;
a pump in operable communication with the liquid pathway for moving liquid through the liquid pathway between the heat reservoir and the application.

2. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein the heat reservoir comprises a heat storage battery.

3. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein the heat reservoir includes a heat exchanger.

4. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein the heat reservoir is positioned on an exterior surface of the cabinet body for harvesting heat from ambient air.

5. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein the source of latent heat comprises ambient air.

6. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein the source of latent heat comprises a condenser coil.

7. The refrigerated appliance of claim 1 wherein the application is selected from the group consisting of:
a. an icemaker having an ice mold with the heat output for harvesting ice from the ice mold supplied from the heat reservoir;
b. a defrost operation with the heat output for defrosting supplied from the heat reservoir;
c. an anti-condensation operation with the heat output supplied from the heat reservoir;
d. an anti-freezing operation with the heat output supplied from the heat reservoir;
e. a storage space having a warming operation with heat output supplied from the heat reservoir.

8. A refrigerated appliance comprising:
a cabinet body having an interior and an exterior and a door that provides selective access to the interior of the cabinet body;
an application having a heat output associated with an operation of the refrigerated appliance;
a liquid pathway positioned at a source of latent heat, the liquid pathway between the source of latent heat and the application for supplying the heat output for the operation from the source of latent heat; a pump in operable communication with the liquid pathway for moving the latent heat through the liquid pathway between the source of latent heat and the application.

9. The refrigerated appliance of claim 8 further comprising a heat exchanger at the source of latent heat, the heat exchanger having a liquid head carrier for moving heat in the liquid head carrier from the source of latent heat to the application.

10. The refrigerated appliance of claim 8 further comprising a liquid heat reservoir at the source of latent heat, the heat reservoir for harvesting and storing heat from the source of latent heat.

11. The refrigerated appliance of claim 10 further comprising a liquid supply line connected between the liquid heat reservoir and the application for supplying the heat output for the operation from the liquid heat reservoir.

12. The refrigerated appliance of claim 9 wherein the heat exchanger is positioned on the exterior of the cabinet body for harvesting heat from ambient air around the refrigerated appliance.

13. The refrigerated appliance of claim 9 wherein the heat exchanger is positioned proximate a condensing coil within the cabinet body.

14. The refrigerated appliance of claim 8 wherein the application comprises an icemaker having an ice mold, wherein the heat output for harvesting ice from the ice mold is supplied from the source of latent heat.

15. A method for using latent heat in a refrigerated appliance, comprising:
providing a cabinet body with an interior and an exterior and one or more doors providing selective access to the interior of the cabinet body, and a heat reservoir disposed on the cabinet body from ambient air surrounding the cabinet body;
positioning the cabinet body with the heat reservoir indoors where there is a source of latent heat from ambient air surrounding the cabinet body;
harvesting heat from the source of latent heat surrounding the cabinet body with a liquid;

moving the liquid through the cabinet body to an application having a heat output; and
supplying the heat output at the application using the latent heat in the liquid.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising pumping the liquid from the heat exchanger to the application through a liquid supply line.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the heat reservoir has a body of the liquid for storing heat from the source of latent heat in ambient air surrounding the cabinet body.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising harvesting latent heat from: a. an ambient source; b. a refrigeration cycle.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising melting at least partially a batch of ice housed in an ice bin using the latent heat.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising warming an ice mold in an icemaker using the latent heat for harvesting ice from the icemaker.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Boarman Patrick J

Classifications

• F25C5/08

  by heating bodies in contact with the ice · CPC title

• F25B27/00

  Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy (F25B30/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25C1/24

  for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays · CPC title

• F25D21/12 Primary

  by hot-fluid circulating system separate from the refrigerant system · CPC title

• F25C5/22

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title