Split air pathway

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, an ice making compartment remote from the freezer compartment, and a fresh food compartment duct riser extending upwardly along a back of the fresh food compartment. The refrigerator further includes a shroud associated with a freezer compartment evaporator, an ice compartment supply duct leading from the shroud to the ice making compartment, and an ice compartment return duct leading from the ice making compartment towards the freezer compartment evaporator. The ice compartment supply duct has a split pathway and is positioned behind the fresh food compartment duct riser.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to refrigerators. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing an air supply to and from a remote ice making compartment from a freezer.

BACKGROUND

In various configurations of refrigerators such as where the freezer is bottom mounted (below a fresh food compartment), a remote ice making compartment may be placed in the fresh food compartment to make ice which may then be dispensed through a dispenser on a door of the fresh food compartment. One of the problems with such a configuration relates to the routing of air to and from the remote ice making compartment. Another problem relates to routing air to and from the fresh food compartment in a manner that does not interfere with shelving in the fresh food compartment. What is needed is an improved refrigerator which addresses such problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a refrigerator with an ice making compartment remote from a freezer.

A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to route supply air and return air from a freezer of a refrigerator to a remote ice making compartment of the refrigerator.

Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to route air to and from a remote ice making compartment of the refrigerator separate from air routed to and from a fresh food compartment of the refrigerator.

Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to route air to and from a fresh food compartment of the refrigerator in a manner which does not interfere with shelving within the fresh food compartment.

One or more of these and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow. No single embodiment need exhibit each and every object, feature, and advantage as different embodiments may have different objects, features, or advantages. The present invention is not to be limited by or to these objects, features, and advantages.

According to one aspect, a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, an ice making compartment remote from the freezer compartment, and a fresh food compartment duct riser extending upwardly along a back of the fresh food compartment. The refrigerator further includes a shroud associated with a freezer compartment evaporator, an ice compartment supply duct leading from the shroud to the ice making compartment, and an ice compartment return duct leading from the ice making compartment towards the freezer compartment evaporator. The ice compartment supply duct has a split pathway and is positioned behind the fresh food compartment duct riser.

According to another aspect, a refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet and below the fresh food compartment, and an ice making compartment remote from the freezer compartment, the ice making compartment containing an ice maker. The refrigerator further includes a fresh food compartment duct riser extending upwardly along a back of the fresh food compartment, an ice compartment supply duct embedded in foam behind the fresh food compartment duct riser and leading upwardly to the ice making compartment, and an ice compartment return duct leading downwardly from the ice making compartment.

According to another aspect, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet and below the fresh food compartment, an ice making compartment remote from the freezer compartment, the ice making compartment containing an ice maker, and an ice compartment supply duct leading upwardly to the ice making compartment for supplying air to the ice making compartment, the ice compartment supply duct having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion joined at a top of the ice compartment supply duct, separated at intermediate portions to form a recess therebetween, and joined at a lower portion of the ice compartment supply duct. The refrigerator further includes an ice compartment return duct leading downwardly from the ice making compartment for returning air from the ice making compartment, a fresh food compartment duct riser extending upwardly along the back of the fresh food compartment, the fresh food compartment duct riser covering the ice compartment supply duct, a shelf support positioned within the recess, and at least one shelf supported by the shelf support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1illustrates one embodiment of a refrigerator of the present invention. InFIG. 1a refrigerator10has a cabinet12. Fresh food compartment French doors14L,14R are shown for providing access to the fresh food compartment18. A freezer compartment drawer16is shown for providing access the freezer compartment20. As shown inFIG. 1, the freezer compartment20is mounted on the bottom of the fresh food compartment18. A water and ice dispenser13is positioned on one of the left fresh food compartment door14L.

In the configuration of a refrigerator shown inFIG. 1, ice is made within an ice making compartment which is remote from the freezer compartment and delivered to the water and ice dispenser13. The ice making compartment may be insulated and may be formed from the liner of the fresh food compartment or otherwise.FIG. 1Aillustrates the refrigerator10with the French doors14L,14R open and showing the ice making compartment22within the fresh food compartment18. Note that the ice making compartment22is remote from the freezer compartment20, an ice maker and ice storage bin may be disposed within the ice making compartment22.

FIG. 2illustrates the interior of one such example of a refrigerator10. The freezer compartment20may include one or more drawers30. A plurality of shelf supports32are shown in the fresh food compartment18for supporting shelves28. The middle one of the shelf supports32is positioned within a recess26of a fresh food compartment duct riser34which extends upwardly along a back of the fresh food compartment. The recess26is a space which may be between the split portions of the fresh food compartment duct riser34. One of the advantages of such a design is maximizing useable space within the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator by placement of a shelf support32within the recess26while still allowing cold air to be supplied to the refrigerator or fresh food compartment18.

FIG. 3further illustrates air distribution features of the refrigerator10. The fresh food compartment duct riser34is shown. An opening46is provided for air and a filter door45may be present at the opening46. Behind the fresh food compartment duct riser34are ice making compartment supply ducts50,52as shown inFIGS. 3A and 5A. The ice making compartment supply ducts50,52may be foamed in-place. Supply air as indicated by arrow40may travel upwardly through a refrigerator compartment supply duct. Return air may ultimately travel downwardly to an evaporator42. Supply air may be provided by an evaporator fan shroud43associated with a freezer compartment evaporator42. Note that the fresh food compartment duct riser34has a split air pathway.

FIG. 4illustrates a rear view of the fresh food compartment duct riser34as may be mounted at a back of the fresh food compartment and sealed with a gasket. The fresh food compartment duct riser34has a top end60and a bottom end58with an opening70near the top end60and an opening72near the bottom end58. A supply duct portion54and a supply duct portion56are joined together at their upper portions, separated at their immediate portions to form the recess26therebetween, and joined at their lower portions. Thus, the fresh food compartment supply duct portion54and the fresh food compartment supply duct portion56may share an opening70at an upper portion of the fresh food compartment. The recess26or spacing between the supply duct portion54and the supply duct portion56at their immediate portions may be used to access a shelf support.

The fresh food compartment duct riser34may define the air passage way to the fresh food compartment. Alternatively, or in addition to the use of risers, ducts in the form of tubing may be used as shown inFIG. 5which may be foamed in place behind the fresh food compartment duct riser. As shown inFIG. 5, the ice compartment supply ducts50,52may be formed of plastic tubing with support ribs80therebetween. The ice compartment supply ducts50,52provides cold air to the ice maker22which may be disposed in the ice making compartment. An ice making compartment return duct51is shown to return air from the ice making compartment.FIG. 6illustrates another view of the ice compartment supply ducts50,52wherein the ducts50,52are separated into a first portion50A,52A and a second portion50B,52B.FIG. 7illustrates another view of the ice compartment supply ducts50,52which provide a split air pathway. An air duct gasket90is shown and a cover92for attaching to a body94of the supply duct.

FIG. 8illustrates a shelf28connected at a rail32within a recess26. The rail32may include a plurality of openings100which serve as shelf supports. One or more shelf supports100may be used for supporting the shelf28.

FIG. 9illustrates a view showing air flow in the refrigerator from a rear position with the ice making compartment supply ducts50,52shown for bringing cold air to the outlet49and the inlet47for providing return air.

FIG. 10is another view showing air flow in the refrigerator. The fresh food compartment duct riser34is shown with a filter door45shown near the top along with louvers41L,41R on opposite sides of the filter door45. In addition, the outlet49for supply air to the ice making compartment and the inlet47for return air from the ice making compartment are also shown.

FIG. 11illustrates ice making compartment supply and refrigeration compartment supply. An air separator110is shown. Air supply to the refrigeration compartment or fresh food compartment is provided at outlet111while air supply to the ice making compartment is provided at air outlet112. Thus, supply air may be separated with a portion of the air conveyed to the ice making compartment and a portion of the air conveyed to the fresh food compartment. A damper113is also shown to control air flow from the outlet111of the air separator110. In normal operation most of the cold air is directed towards the freezer compartment through outlet115.

FIG. 12illustrates returning of air to an evaporator. A refrigeration compartment return inlet116is shown and an ice making compartment air return inlet118is also shown. Thus, return air from both the fresh food compartment and the ice making compartment may be merged at the evaporator.

FIG. 13provides another view for supply and return air. The air separator110is shown as well as the refrigeration compartment return inlet116and the ice making air return inlet118. Blocks121,123are shown on opposite sides. The blocks121,123may be formed from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or other type of foam. As shown inFIG. 14, return air may be directed to evaporator120.FIG. 14also illustrates a shroud125and the blocks121,123on opposite sides, the blocks121,123associated with air return.FIG. 15provides another view of the air separator110.

The invention has been shown and described above, and it is understood that many alternatives modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the present invention may be used in various different types of refrigerator configurations, duct work may be of various types and configuration, various sources of cold air may be used, and the ice compartment duct riser may or may not be used. These and other variations, options, and alternatives may be used with the present invention.