Patent ID: 9429351
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: F25D

Claim Text:
1. A refrigeration system, comprising: a freezer compartment; a refrigerator compartment; a powered cooling unit that reduces a temperature of air in the freezer compartment; a passageway fluidly interconnecting the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment; a first sealing surface extending around at least a portion of the passageway; a barrier member that closes off the passageway when in a closed position to thereby prevent air flow from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment, and wherein the barrier member permits air flow from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment when in an open position, and wherein the barrier member defines a surface that faces the passageway when the barrier member is in its closed position, and a second sealing surface extending around the barrier member surface, wherein the first and second sealing surfaces engage one another to prevent air flow past the barrier member when the barrier member is in the closed position; an electrically powered actuator that is mechanically connected to the barrier member and shifts the barrier member from the closed position to the open position; an electric heating element extending along one of the first and second sealing surfaces; a controller that utilizes at least one operating parameter of the refrigeration system as an input to control the electrically powered actuator and the electric heating element, wherein when the barrier is to be opened or closed, the controller activates the powered actuator and the electric heating element simultaneously until the barrier is opened or closed.