Abstract:
An elongated polymeric ribbon is mounted to the cabinet of a refrigerator/freezer or the door and at least one electrical conductor is integrally formed in the ribbon, which also integrally includes at least one fluid conduit. In one embodiment, the ribbon is mounted in association with an elongated spine, such that a module can be mounted anywhere along the spine and coupled to the polymeric ribbon for receiving operating utilities therefrom. This system provides the manufacturer with the capability of positioning a module requiring operating utilities at any desired location within a refrigerator/freezer cabinet and/or on the doors of the refrigerator/freezer. The ribbon connector is accessed by connections which allow dealers to customize refrigerators for individual consumers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a system for providing electrical and fluid utilities to a cabinet, such as a refrigerator cabinet, in which a single extruded or molded ribbon-like cable integrally includes both electrical and fluid conduits to which modules can be coupled for receiving utilities therefrom. 
     New refrigeration designs are incorporating flexibility for the consumer in selecting different features. Some of the features include, for example, module components such as disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 12/402,559 entitled V ACUUM  F OOD  P RESERVATION  S YSTEM ; Ser. No. 12/402,747 entitled C HILLING AND  T HAWING  M ODULAR  A PPLIANCE  S YSTEM ; and Ser. No. 12/402,731 entitled M ODULAR  D OOR  M OUNTED  C LIMATE  C ONTROLLED  M EDICINE  C OMPARTMENT , all of which were filed on Mar. 12, 2009, which require utilities in the form of electrical operating power, data signals, fluids in either liquid or gaseous form, or the like, for their operation. The disclosures of these applications are incorporated herein by reference. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/402,644, filed Mar. 12, 2009, entitled R EFRIGERATOR  W ITH  M ODULE  R ECEIVING  C ONDUITS  discloses a modular system in which utilities are supplied by separate fluid and electrical conduits which are molded into the refrigerator cabinet and which have specific outlets at discreet locations to allow modules to be installed therein at incremental locations where such outlets exist. The disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     A mounting system for providing a continuous mounting spine for selective positioning modules anywhere along the spine is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/469,915, filed May 21, 2009, entitled R EFRIGERATOR  M ODULE  M OUNTING  S YSTEM , which is assigned to the present assignee, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     In order to provide even greater flexibility for the mounting of modules requiring operating utilities, it would be desirable to allow the manufacturer or dealer to provide the consumer with the flexibility of selecting a module location at any desired position within the interior cabinet of a refrigerator/freezer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The system of one embodiment of the present invention provides such flexibility by incorporating an elongated polymeric ribbon, which is mounted to the cabinet of a refrigerator/freezer or the doors thereof and at least one electrical conductor integrally formed in the ribbon, which also integrally includes at least one fluid conduit. Modules can then be mounted to connect to the ribbon at any desired location along the length of the ribbon. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator/freezer cabinet includes an elongated spine supported within the cabinet and including a continuous mounting channel and an elongated polymeric ribbon mounted in association with the spine and integrally including at least one electrical conductor and at least one fluid conduit, such that a module can be physically mounted anywhere along the spine and coupled to the polymeric ribbon for receiving operating utilities therefrom. 
     In one embodiment interface connectors are provided which engage the ribbon such that modules can plug into the connectors for installation at consumer selected locations prior to delivery of the refrigerator/freezer to the consumer. Such systems, thereby, provides the manufacturer, a distribution center, or an installer with the capability of positioning a module requiring operating utilities at any desired location within a refrigerator/freezer cabinet and/or on the doors of the refrigerator/freezer. 
     These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is front elevational view of a refrigerator/freezer embodying the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective exploded view of the ribbon cable of the present invention, shown with a coupler for coupling a module to the ribbon cable and an end cap; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the connector and a ribbon cable during assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged exploded horizontal cross-sectional view of the ribbon cable showing a module associated therewith; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the ribbon cable and module of  FIG. 4  once the module is attached thereto; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the combination of the ribbon cable of the present invention and a continuous mounting spine; 
         FIG. 7  is a horizontal fragmentary cross-sectional view of the ribbon cable and spine of  FIG. 6  showing a module for coupling to the ribbon and spine; 
         FIG. 8  is a horizontal fragmentary cross-sectional view of the ribbon cable and spine of  FIG. 7  showing the module coupled to the ribbon and spine; 
         FIG. 9  is a fragmentary perspective view of the installed module shown in  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a rear elevational view of the module shown in  FIGS. 4-9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a refrigerator/freezer  10  embodying the present invention, which includes a side-by-side refrigerator cabinet  12  and freezer cabinet  14 . Each of the cabinets  12  and  14  include side walls  11  and  13 , respectively, and a rear wall  15  and  17 , respectively. Refrigerator  10  also includes a closure door  16  for the refrigerator cabinet  12 , which is conventionally hinged to cabinet  12 , and a freezer closure door  18 , also conventionally hinged to the freezer cabinet  14 . Both doors  16  and  18  include suitable seals for providing an airtight, thermally insulated sealed connection between the doors and the respective cabinets. Each of the doors  16  and  18  also include side edges  19  and  21 , respectively. 
     Refrigerator  10  is adapted to receive a variety of shelves and modules, as described below, at different incrementally located positions defined by, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , a plurality of vertically spaced shelf/module supports  22  extending inwardly from the sidewalls of the refrigerator cabinet  12  and similar supports  24  for the freezer compartment  14 . The edges of doors  16  and  18  include similar vertically spaced shelf supports  26  and  28 . respectively. The shelf and module extend in parallel relationship to one another and extend from the front of the cabinets to the rear walls. 
     Alternatively, rear walls  15  and  17  of cabinets  12  and  14 , respectively, may include vertically extending tracks with vertically spaced slots for receiving mounting tabs on the shelves and modules for attaching them in a cantilevered fashion to the cabinets at selected incrementally located locations. Doors  16  and  18  may likewise include a pair of spaced-apart tracks with notches for receiving tabs and the bins or modules mounted within the doors. Such mechanical mounting structure is conventional. 
     Mounted in spaced relationship by spacers  34  ( FIGS. 4-5 ) to the rear walls  15  and  17  of the refrigerator/freezer are generally vertically extending elongated ribbon cables  50  embodying the present invention. The cables  50  integrally include, as described below, both at least one electrical conductor for providing operating power to modules coupled thereto as well as a conduit for supplying fluid to such modules. Such fluids include, for example, water, coolant fluids such as a glycol or alcohol water mixture, or chilled air. The electrical conductors and fluid conduits are horizontally spaced from one another within the ribbon cable  50  with the electrical conductors capable of providing either operating power, data, or control signals in analog or digital format to modules mounted within the refrigerator or freezer compartments and coupled to the ribbon cable, as described below. Doors  16  and  18  likewise may include ribbon cables  50  of the same construction and which extend vertically, typically centrally within the doors to provide operating power and/or fluids to modules within the doors. 
     The refrigerator cabinet  12  will typically include numerous shelves  30  at spaced locations within the cabinet and modules, such as modules  40  and  42 , which are electrically and fluidly coupled to ribbon cable  50  for receiving power and/or fluids therefrom. Similarly, the freezer cabinet  14  includes shelves  30  which are adjustable within the shelf supports  24  for supporting frozen goods thereon and modules  44 ,  46 , and  48 , which are coupled to the utility supplying ribbon  50  in freezer cabinet  14 . The doors  16  and  18  likewise may include modules  43 , and  45  and  47  respectively. The doors may also include conventional several storage bins such as bins  41  and  49  in the refrigerator door  16  and freezer door  18 , respectively. The modules may include, for example, an ice maker, water dispensing unit, or the type of module disclosed in the above-identified pending patent applications or any other type of module which require operating power, data, cooling fluids, or other utility available from the ribbon cable  50 . Having briefly described the overall concept of providing an umbilical-like ribbon cable for supplying utilities to plug-in modules, a description of the ribbon cable, which integrally include electrical and fluid conduits, is presented with respect to  FIGS. 2-5 . 
     Ribbon cable  50  is mounted to a wall of a refrigerator, typically the rear wall, by spacers  34  ( FIG. 4 ) which are located at vertically and horizontally spaced intervals as necessary to support the ribbon and allow accessibility for coupling the connectors  70  to the ribbon as described below. The spacers may be bonded to the ribbon with suitable adhesive material and likewise to the surface of wall  15 , or if necessary, suitable fasteners can be extended through the ribbon in the areas through which fasteners  90 ,  92 , and  94  ( FIG. 4 ) extend. The ribbons  50  extend vertically the height of the cabinets  12 ,  14 , and doors  16 ,  18 . The ribbon cable  50  is manufactured of a polymeric material and is integrally formed to integrally include electrical conductors, such as 18 to 20 gauge conductors  51 - 56  ( FIG. 2 ). The conductors  51 - 56  can be conventional insulated wires which may include an insulator around the conductive elements and are co-extruded with the ribbon cable  50  together with fluid conduits  58  and  59 . The ribbon  50  can be extruded utilizing a conventional co-extruding process to integrate conductors  51 - 56  within the cable  50  as well as the fluid transmitting conduits  58  and  59 . Conduits  52  and  59  are of a size sufficient to provide the desired flow of fluids and can be from about 6 mils to about 19 mils in their major axis. Alternatively the ribbon can be injection molded in a suitable molding apparatus which holds the conductors in place during the molding process. The materials employed for the body of the ribbon cable  50  may include any one of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyurethane, and/or polystyrene to provide the desired strength and temperature resistant properties as well as insulating properties for the conductors and fluids handled by the cable  50 . 
     Access to the conductors  51 - 56  and fluid conduits  58 ,  59  is provided by connectors  70 , such as shown in  FIGS. 2-5  wherever along the ribbon that a utility needs to be introduced to the ribbon or where a module is to be coupled for utilizing a utility available from the ribbon. One such connector will be installed along the rear wall  57  of the ribbon and connect the ribbon to a source of utilities (shown schematically at  64  in  FIG. 4 ) in a manner similar to the coupling of the ribbon to a module. Each of the connectors  70  includes a rear section  72  having semicircular recesses  71  at spaced locations for receiving the semicircular sections  61  on the rear surface  57  of cable  50 . Rear section  72  also includes semi-oval recesses  73  for receiving the oval half profile of the conduits  58  and  59 , as shown in  FIGS. 2-3 . Connector  70  also includes a front section  74  hinged to rear section  72  by a polymeric living hinge  75 . Section  74  includes conduit-piercing pins  80  extending through the connector  70  in the semi circular conductor receiving recesses  76 . Pins  80  are made of a conductive material and include knife edges  82  for piercing the ribbon  50  for engaging and circumscribing conductors  51 - 56  for making electrical contact therewith. The outwardly extending pins on the opposite side of edges  82  are engaged by sockets, such as sockets  132 ,  134  ( FIG. 4 ), coupled to a module, such as module  40 , for supplying operating power thereto. 
     The front section  74  of connector  70  is secured to rear section  72  initially by pairs of locking tabs  77  which fit within slots  77 ′ to initially hold the connector  70  in place at a selected location along the continuously selectable length of ribbon cable  50 . Once the initial position has been established and the clamp-like connector  70  has been positioned on ribbon cable  50 , front section  74  is firmly secured to rear section  72  by means of a plurality of self threading fasteners, such as threaded screws  90 ,  92 , and  94  ( FIGS. 4-5 ) which extend through apertures  84  in section  74 . In order to provide fluid communication to the conduits  58  and  59 , knife edge piercing threaded fittings  100  and  102  are provided and self-threaded into the relatively thin walls of conduits  58  and  59 , as best seen in  FIG. 5 . For such purpose, each of the fittings  100  include a sharp knife edge end  101  and threads  103  of sufficient length to extend through apertures  78  and  79  in front section  74  of the connector  70 . Each of the fittings  100  and  102  also include a backing flange  105  and sealing O-ring  106 , which assures a fluid-tight seal between the fittings  100 ,  102  and the conduits  58 ,  59 . Each of the fittings integrally include a nipple  110  to receive a quick disconnect fitting  120  in sealable relationship thereto. Fitting  120  can be a fitting such as manufactured by the John Guess Company, such as Model No. 5/16SCV, or similar coupling. Fitting  120  has an end  122  for receiving nipple  110  and an opposite end  124  which sealably receives the nipple  130  extending from module  40  to supply the fluid, such as a coolant, to module  40  from one of the conduits  58  or  59 . A similar fluid coupling arrangement is provided for the other of the conduits as required by a given module. 
     Module  40  also includes female sockets  132  and  134  with pin-receiving contacts  136  for engaging electrical contact pins  80  extending from the ribbon cable connector  70 . The conductors and utilities through the conduits  58  and  59  can be supplied through a connector  70  coupled to the rear surface of the ribbon in a manner similar to that shown in  FIG. 4  but coupled to the utilities at a location spaced from a connector for a module. A sealing end cap  140 , such as shown in  FIG. 2 , which extends over and sealably engages the opposite ends of ribbon cable  50 .  FIG. 5  illustrates the coupling of one of the modules  40  to the ribbon  50 , it being understood that the other modules in the cabinets and doors are similarly coupled to the ribbon as is the ribbon to the supply of utilities. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a module, such as module  150  shown in  FIG. 6 , is coupled to the rear wall  17  of a cabinet, such as a refrigerator cabinet  12  or freezer cabinet  14 , by means of a structural spine  160 , which can be of the type described in the above-identified copending patent application Ser. No. 12/469,915, filed on May 21, 2009, entitled R EFRIGERATOR  M ODULE  M OUNTING  S YSTEM . Associated with this installation is the same ribbon cable  50  as in the embodiment described above and is mounted within a recess  117  in rear wall  17  by spacers, such as spacers  34  described above. Associated with spine  160  is a channel  170  for receiving a mounting flange  172  extending from the rear wall of module  150 . The spine  160  includes a rear wall  162  having a cutout  164  to allow the connector  70 , mounted to ribbon  50  as described above, to extend therethrough and permit the coupling elements, including pins  80  and fitting  120  to be accessed by module  150 . Spine  160  also includes inwardly projecting lips  166  and  168 , which fit within generally U-shaped slots  171  and  173  of flange  172  for physically mounting the module, such as module  150 , to the spine  160 . Spine  160  may include additional ducts  165  and spaced outlets  167  to provide cooling for the interior of cabinets  12  and/or  14 , in addition to the utilities supplied to module  150  from ribbon  50 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , module  150  is coupled to the connector pins  80  and fittings  120  through the utilization of the same type of connectors as employed in the previous embodiment, namely, connectors  132  and  134 . Nipples  130  and contacts  136  couple to connectors  120  and pins  80 , respectively. Module  150  is mounted within the channel  170  by rotating the module to allow flange  172  to fit within and engage channel  170  and then move module  150  to a position aligning sockets  132  and  134  with apertures  164  and connector  70 . The module  150  is then rotated against the surface  161  of spine  160 , completing the connection to connector  70  as seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     In  FIGS. 6-10 , the benefits of the mechanical spine mounting system allowing infinite adjustability of the vertical position of a module (or bin) is possible, together with the benefits of the use of a ribbon  50  supplying utilities at any desired location. This combination provides the benefits of both a mechanically adjustable spine and the adjustable access to utilities for a module. 
     It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiments of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.