Antisweat refrigerator cabinet

• US 5,725,294 A
• Filed: 01/15/1997
• Issued: 03/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Froelicher, Stephen Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANSEN, JAMES ORVILLE
• Application Number:
  US08/784,329
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 312/400, 312/401, 312/405, 312/406, 312/406.1, 312/406.2, 312/116, 312/296, 312/236, 49/478.1, 49/501, 220/467, 62/273, 62/277, 62/13, 62/451, 62/452, 62/453
• US Class Current: 312/401
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a front face surrounding the front openings of the storage compartments. Operation of the refrigerator tends to cause some portions of the face to be colder than the dew point temperature of the surrounding air. Moisture in the surrounding air tends to condense on such colder than dew point portions. Sheets of aluminum foil are in intimate contact with the inside of the case, extend along those portions of the face subject to condensation and project onto adjacent areas of the case which are warmer than the dew point temperature. This keeps the temperature of those portions subject to condensation above the dew point temperature. Portions of the doors, such as the adjacent peripheral walls of doors on multi-compartment units, also may tend to be below the dew point temperature. Sheets of aluminum foil are positioned in intimate contact with the inside of those portions of the doors and project onto adjacent areas of the doors which are warmer than the dew point temperature. This keeps those portions of the doors above the dew point temperature.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising;

an outer case comprising a top wall and side walls;

an inner liner defining a storage compartment with a front opening;

a face adjacent said front opening;

a door selectively engaging said face for closing said front opening;

at least a portion of said face being so disposed that operation of said refrigerator tends to cool said portion of said face to a temperature below the dew point temperature of the surrounding air; and

a thin sheet of material having a high thermal conductivity positioned in substantial surface contact with a inside surface of a side wall of said case, said sheet of material being a metal foil, an edge of said material disposed proximate said face portion and said material projecting from said face portion onto an area of said case side wall having a temperature above the dew point temperature of the surrounding air for assuring that a temperature of said face portion is above the dew point temperature of the surrounding air.

2. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said sheet of material has a thermal conductivity between about 60 and 230 BTU'"'"'s per hour/foot/degree Fahrenheit.

3. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said metal foil has a thickness between about 0,005 and 0.05 inch.

4. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said sheet of metal foil is formed from a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum and copper.

5. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

said sheet of material has a thickness between about 0.005 and 0.05 inch.

6. A refrigerator comprising:

an outer case;

liner means positioned within said case and defining a plurality of storage compartments, each of said compartments having a front opening;

a front face adjacent a periphery of each of said compartment front openings;

a plurality of doors for closing said compartment front openings, each of said doors including a front wall and a peripheral wall;

said peripheral wall of each door being positioned adjacent to said front face when that door closes the corresponding compartment front opening;

at least a portion of said door peripheral walls being so disposed that operation of said refrigerator tends to cool said portion of said door peripheral walls to a temperature below a dew point temperature of surrounding air; and

a thin sheet of material having a high thermal conductivity positioned in substantial surface to surface contact with an inside surface of said portion of at least one of said door peripheral walls and extending along substantially an entire length of said wall and projecting onto an inside surface of said front wall having a temperature above the dew point temperature of the surrounding air for assuring that said portion of said peripheral door side walls has a temperature above the dew point temperature of the surrounding air.

7. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said sheet of material has a thermal conductivity between about 60 and 230 BTU'"'"'s per hour/foot/degree Fahrenheit.

8. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said sheet of material is a metal foil.

9. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said metal foil has a thickness between about 0.005 and 0.05 inch.

10. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said sheet of metal foil is formed from a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum and copper.

11. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said sheet of material has a thickness between about 0.005 and 0.05 inch.

12. A refrigerator comprising:

an outer case;

liner means positioned within said case and defining a plurality of storage compartments, each of said compartments having a front opening;

a front face adjacent a periphery of each of compartments front openings;

a mullion positioned between said pair of compartments, said mullion comprising opposing ends and a front forming part of said front face;

a pair of doors for closing said compartment front openings, each of said doors including a front panel and a peripheral wall;

said peripheral wall of each door being positioned adjacent to said front face when that door closes the corresponding compartment front opening;

a corresponding portion of said peripheral wall of each of said doors closing said adjacent pair of compartment front openings being adjacent said mullion front when that door is closed;

operation of said refrigerator tending to cause a portion of said mullion front surface to have a temperature below a dew point temperature of surrounding air;

a thin sheet of metal being positioned in substantial surface to surface contact with an inside surface of one end of said mullion and projecting onto an inside surface of said front face having a temperature above the dew point of the surrounding air for assuring that said mullion portion has a temperature above the dew point temperature of the surrounding air.

13. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 12, wherein:

said sheet of material has a thermal conductivity between about 60 and 230 BTU'"'"'s per hour/foot/degree Fahrenheit.

14. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said sheet of material is a metal foil.

15. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 14, wherein:

said metal foil has a thickness between about 0.005 and 0.05 inch.

16. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 14, wherein:

said sheet of metal foil is formed from a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum and copper.

17. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 16, wherein:

said sheet of material has a thickness between about 0.005 and 0.05 inch.