Abstract:
A compartment for storing items in a mullion wall separating refrigerated compartments is provided. One exemplary embodiment provides a refrigerator with a first refrigerated compartment selectively coverable by a first door and a second refrigerated compartment selectively coverable by a second door. A mullion separates the first and second refrigerated compartments. A storage compartment is located in the mullion and separable from the first refrigerated compartment by a selectively closeable lid.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    I. Field of the Disclosure 
         [0002]    This disclosure relates to a compartment for storing items in a refrigerated compartment. More specifically, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a compartment for storing items in a mullion wall between refrigerated compartments. 
         [0003]    II. Description 
         [0004]    Continual efforts are made to increase and/or use storage space within a refrigerator. This effort often includes identifying ways to use existing space more efficiently to provide additional storage opportunities. 
         [0005]    Therefore, it is an object, feature, or advantage of this disclosure to provide a storage compartment in previously unutilized space within a refrigerated compartment. 
         [0006]    The various styles of refrigerators offer different opportunities for using known space within the refrigerator a new way or identifying previously unused space for use in new ways. The space located between two refrigerated compartments, such as in a mullion wall, can be used more efficiently. 
         [0007]    Therefore, another object, feature, or advantage of this disclosure is to provide a storage compartment in a space within a mullion wall. 
         [0008]    Another object, feature, or advantage of this disclosure to provide a storage compartment that is accessible through a refrigerated compartment. 
         [0009]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of this disclosure to provide a storage compartment in a wall separating two refrigerated compartments. 
         [0010]    One or more of these and/or other objects, features or advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    This disclosure is directed generally to a storage compartment located in a mullion wall of a refrigerated compartment. 
         [0012]    One exemplary embodiment provides a refrigerator with a first compartment selectively coverable by a first door and a second compartment selectively coverable by a second door. A mullion separates the first and second compartment. A storage compartment is located in the mullion and separable from the first compartment by a selectively closeable lid. In a one aspect, the first and second compartments are refrigerated compartments. 
         [0013]    Another embodiment provides a refrigerator with two or more adjoining compartments selectively coverable by one or more doors. A mullion wall is located between the two or more compartments. A storage compartment is formed in part by a set of compartment walls circumscribed by an opening within the mullion. A selectively closeable lid is disposed over the opening for separating the storage compartment from one of the two or more compartments. An aspect the embodiment includes the two or more compartments being refrigerated compartments. 
         [0014]    Yet another embodiment provides a refrigerator with a fresh food compartment selectively coverable by one or more doors and a fresh food drawer disposed beneath the fresh food compartment. A mullion is disposed between the fresh food compartment and the fresh food drawer. The mullion has a top wall and a food storage compartment is disposed within the mullion. The food storage compartment has an opening disposed in the top wall of the mullion. A cover is selectable between open and closed positions disposed over the opening of the food storage compartment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein, and where: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial representation of a refrigerator in accordance with an illustrative embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial representation of a refrigerator with doors removed for purposes of showing an illustrative embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial representation a storage compartment taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2  in accordance with an illustrative embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 4A  is a pictorial representation of sectional view taken along line  4 A- 4 A in  FIG. 3  in accordance with an illustrative embodiment; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 4B  is pictorial representation of a storage compartment configuration in accordance with an illustrative embodiment; and 
           [0021]      FIGS. 5A-5B  are pictorial representations of a storage compartment and cover in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    Generally illustrated pictorially in  FIGS. 1-2  is a bottom mount refrigerator  10 . The refrigerator  10  includes a cabinet  11  housing one or more compartments, such as a refrigerated or fresh food compartment  12 , refrigerated or fresh food compartment  14  (e.g., a pantry compartment), and freezer compartment  16 . Doors are provided for selectively opening and closing the aforementioned compartments. Specifically, doors  18  are provided for the refrigerated or fresh food compartment  12 , door  20  for the refrigerated or fresh food compartment  14  and door  22  for the freezer compartment  16 . One of the doors  18  includes an ice dispenser  20 , which may also include a water dispenser. Optionally, the refrigerator  10  may be configured without water and/or ice dispenser. 
         [0023]    As best illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the refrigerated or fresh food compartment  12  may include a shelving or bin system, such as for example one or more bins  30 ,  32 ,  34  slideably supported underneath shelf  46 . The bins  30 ,  32 ,  34  may be configured to extend across the refrigerated compartment  12 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the refrigerated compartment  12  includes side walls  42  spaced apart by a back wall  44  and a mullion  26  having a top wall  40  spaced between the side walls  42  and the back wall  44 . The bins  30 ,  32 ,  34  may be configured to slide atop the top wall  40  of the mullion  26 . The bins  30 ,  32 ,  34  may be configured to have a depth less than the depth of the side walls  42  so that the front of the bins  30 ,  32 ,  34  are set back away from the doors  18  when in the closed position as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0024]    Beneath the bins  30 ,  32 , and  34  is a mullion  26  that includes a top wall  40  and a bottom wall  48 . The mullion  26  separates the refrigerated compartment  12  from the refrigerated compartment  14 . According to one aspect, the mullion  26  may be configured to separate the refrigerated compartment  12  from a refrigerated pantry compartment  14 . The refrigerator  10  also includes a mullion  28  spaced between the refrigerated compartment  14  and freezer compartment  16 . The mullions  26 ,  28  are configured to extend generally between side walls  42  and to back wall  44 . The refrigerated compartment  14  may be configured as a freezer compartment, similar to freezer compartment  16 . Accordingly, mullion  28  could be configured to separate a pair of freezer compartments or a pair of refrigerated or fresh food compartments. Similarly, mullion  26  may be configured to separate a pair of refrigerated or fresh food compartments. 
         [0025]    Disposed within mullion  26  is a storage compartment  36  accessible through doors  18 . The storage compartment  36  is set back from the front edge of the mullion  26  and has a length generally extending between side walls  42  and a depth extending rearward toward back wall  44  terminating generally at, in front of or underneath bins  30 ,  32 ,  34 . In one aspect, the storage compartment  36  may be configured to extend partially underneath bins  30 ,  32 ,  34 . In another aspect, storage compartment  36  may be configured to terminate generally at the vertical face of each bin  30 ,  32 ,  34 . The front wall of the storage compartment  36  may be configured generally adjacent the front wall edge of mullion  26  or may be set back a distance from the front wall edge of mullion  26  in accordance with one or more embodiments of this disclosure. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 4A-4B  illustrate pictorially the depth of the storage compartment  36  and possible configurations within a refrigerator, such as in a mullion wall between two compartments. According to one aspect, the bottom wall  48  of the mullion  26  may be configured to support and/or form a part of the bottom wall of the storage compartment  36 .  FIG. 4A  provides an illustrative embodiment of the storage compartment  36  with the front wall of the storage compartment  36  being set back from the front edge of the mullion  26 . 
         [0027]    The storage compartment  36  may be configured having a length extending generally between the side walls  42  of the refrigerated compartment  12 . The length of the storage compartment extends rearward toward the back wall  44  of the refrigerated compartment  12  and terminates generally at the forward vertical faces of bins  30 ,  32 ,  34 . One or more covers  38 ,  39  (see  FIGS. 5A-5B ) are configured over the opening of the storage compartment  36 . According to one aspect, the compartment walls  52 , best illustrated in  FIGS. 5A-5B , may be insulated or include one or more heating elements to control the temperature within the storage compartment  36 . In the case where the refrigerated compartment  14  is configured as a freezer compartment, one or more of the compartment walls  52  may be configured to receive freezer air to provide a storage compartment  36  capable of operating at temperatures below the temperature of the refrigerated compartment  12 . For example, as pictorially represented in  FIG. 4B , the bottom wall of the storage compartment  36  may form a portion or part of the bottom wall  48  of the mullion  26 . In such a configuration, temperature of the storage compartment  36  may be controlled in various manners, such as by the air temperature in the refrigerated compartment  14 . In another aspect, the compartment  14  may be a freezer compartment and the storage compartment  36  may be chilled to temperatures below the temperature of the refrigerated compartment  12  by freezer compartment air. Conversely, the compartment  14  may be operated at a temperature above the temperature of the refrigerated compartment  12 , such as by adjusting the air temperature in compartment  14  to be warmer than the air temperature in compartment  12 . 
         [0028]    An illustrative embodiment of a storage compartment  36  is provided in  FIGS. 5A-5B . The storage compartment  36  includes compartment walls  52  forming side walls spaced between end walls connected by a bottom wall. In one aspect, one or more or all walls  52  of the storage compartment  36  may be translucent, semitransparent, semiopaque, pellucid, limpid, or optically clear. As such, peering through the refrigerated compartment  12  one could see into the refrigerated compartment  14  shown in  FIG. 4B  by looking through the storage compartment  36 . In another aspect, one or more or all walls  52  may be opaque. Similarly, portions of or the entire bottom wall  48  of mullion  26  may be translucent, semitransparent, semiopaque, pellucid, limpid, optically clear, or alternatively opaque. For example, peering through the refrigerated compartment  12  one could see into the refrigerated compartment  14  shown in  FIG. 4A  by looking through the storage compartment  36  and bottom wall  48 . The storage compartment  36  may be configured with one or more dividers for segregating space within the storage compartment. Like the walls  52 , the dividers or other components making up a part, portion or feature of the storage compartment  36  may be translucent, semitransparent, semiopaque, pellucid, limpid, optically clear, or alternatively opaque. The storage compartment  36  may be configured as one or more independent storage compartments with independent covers. As illustrated, a pair of covers  38 ,  39  are configured over the opening of the storage compartment  36 . The covers may be translucent, semitransparent, semiopaque, pellucid, limpid, optically clear, or alternatively opaque. In one aspect, covers  38 ,  39  are configured as a pair of inter-sliding covers.  FIG. 5A  illustrates one cover  38  being moved from the closed position to an open position,  FIG. 5B  illustrates one cover  39  being moved from a closed position to an open position, and  FIG. 3  illustrates covers  38 ,  39  in the closed position. In this manner, covers  38 ,  39  may be slid from one side to the other between side walls  42  of the refrigerated compartment  12  to provide access to the storage compartment  36 . According to one aspect, a divider may be configured within compartment  36  generally proximate the terminal overlapping ends of covers  38 ,  39  so as to prevent items within the storage compartment  36  from being pushed into an opposite side of the storage compartment  36 . Other configurations for covers  38 ,  39  are contemplated. For example, covers  38 ,  39  may be configured to slide rearward and forward to provide access to storage compartment  36 . In this embodiment, covers  38 ,  39  may be configured to slide underneath bins  30 ,  32 ,  34  toward the back wall  44  when moved from a closed to an open position and back toward the front wall edge of the mullion  26  when moved from the open position to a closed position. Covers  38 ,  39  may be configured with one or more handles whereby the covers may be manipulated between opened and closed positions as best illustrated in  FIGS. 5A-5B . Covers  38 ,  39  may be configured to rotate about a hinge point to allow the front edge of the covers (i.e. the edges nearest to the front wall edge of the mullion  26 ) to rotate up and down to provide access to the storage compartment  36 . In another aspect, covers  38 ,  39  may be removable to allow access to the storage compartment  36  and replaceable to cover the storage compartment  36  when not in use. Covers  38 ,  39  may be removable to allow the covers to be cleaned and replaced, and to allow the storage compartment  36  to be cleaned. As previously indicated, one or more dividers may be included within the storage compartment  36  to divide up space within the storage compartment  36 . The dividers may be adjustable across the length of the storage compartment  36  to adjust the space accordingly. 
         [0029]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4A , the bottom compartment wall  52  is generally adjacent the bottom wall  48  of mullion  26  which forms the top wall of refrigerated or fresh food compartment  14 . In this manner, the temperature variance between the covers  38 ,  39  and the bottom compartment wall  52  of storage compartment  36  is generally equal or within a temperature range that does not cause uneven temperature distributions within the storage compartment  36 . Thus, the covers  38 ,  39  generally see a temperature associated with refrigerated compartment  12  and the bottom compartment wall  52  of the storage compartment  36  generally sees the temperature associated with the refrigerated compartment  14 . In this manner, an even temperature distribution is provided within the storage compartment  36 . Temperature within the storage compartment  36  could also be user-specified or user-controlled. One or more heating elements could be configured to warm the storage compartment whereas freezer air could be moved into or about the storage compartment  36  for chilling it to a desired temperature, and in one aspect, even below the temperature of the refrigerated compartment  12  and/or refrigerated compartment  14 . User controls could be provided for setting an operating temperature for the storage compartment  36 . 
         [0030]    Although embodiments of the disclosure include configuring mullion  26  with a storage compartment  36 , other placements for a storage compartment, similar to storage compartment  36 , are contemplated. For example, a similar storage compartment could be configured within mullion  28  separating refrigerated compartment  14  from freezer compartment  16 . A similar type of storage compartment could be configured in the bottom wall of the freezer compartment  16 . One or more of the side walls  42  or back wall  44  of the refrigerated compartment  12  could be configured with a similar storage compartment. Taking into consideration the temperature difference on the compartment walls making up the storage compartment may dictate where one or more of like storage compartments may be configured within the walls (e.g. mullion wall) of the cabinet  11  of refrigerator  10 . 
         [0031]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 5A-5B , the storage compartment  36  may be configured as a modulated component of the refrigerator  10 . For example, the storage compartment  36  may be removed whereby one may peer and even reach through the refrigerator compartment  12  into the refrigerator compartment  14  via access through the space that would otherwise be occupied by the storage compartment  36  as illustrated in  FIG. 4B . In another aspect, with the storage compartment  36  removed one could peer through and/or reach the bottom wall  48  of the mullion via access through the space that would otherwise be occupied by the storage compartment  36  as illustrated in  FIG. 4A . The storage compartment  36  could be configured as a modulated component whereby the storage compartment could be sized, shaped or otherwise designed according to use or variation in refrigerator models and styles. For example, the storage compartment could be one or more modulated compartments configured to be removably received within the space shown in  FIGS. 4A-4B . In one aspect, two or more storage compartments could be configured to replace a single storage compartment. Alternatively, a blank or plug could be configured to occupy the storage compartment  36  space in a refrigerator model or style that does not offer such features. In the various embodiments, the modulated components could be removed for cleaning, replacement or swapping out with other modulated components. One compartment type could be configured for a desired operating temperature having one or more heating elements whereas another compartment type could be configured with additional insulation for operating at a desired temperature. Furthermore, one or more of the walls  52  could be configured with vents for introducing air into the compartment or passing air through the compartment. The compartment could be configured with one or more ducts for receiving warmer or cooler air than the temperature of the air in the refrigerated compartment  12  and/or refrigerator compartment  14 . The depth of the storage compartment could be configured to exceed the depth of the mullion. As such, variations in the size, shape, features and modularity of the storage component are contemplated herein. 
         [0032]    The present invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiments described herein. In particular, the present invention contemplates numerous variations in the type of ways in which embodiments of the invention may be applied to a storage compartment disposed in a mullion or like wall. The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list or limit any of the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. It is contemplated that other alternatives or exemplary aspects that are considered included in the disclosure. The description is merely examples of embodiments, processes or methods of the invention. It is understood that any other modifications, substitutions, and/or additions may be made, which are within the intended spirit and scope of the disclosure. For the foregoing, it can be seen that the disclosure accomplishes at least all of the intended objectives. 
         [0033]    The previous detailed description is of a small number of embodiments for implementing the invention and is not intended to be limiting in scope. The following claims set forth a number of the embodiments of the invention disclosed with greater particularity.