Combined refrigerator-oven apparatus

• US 6,497,276 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mark A. George, Ron D. Clark
• Original Assignee: Mark A. George, Ron D. Clark
• Inventors: George, Mark A., Clark, Ron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US09/823,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20020170303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 633 Days
• Field of Search: 165/267, 165/206, 165/48.1, 165/58, 165/62, 165/64, 165/63, 126/39.C, 126/39.F, 126/39.G, 126/19.R, 126/84, 126/25.R, 126/273.R, 126/273.5, 126/274, 126/275.R, 126/275.E, 126/21.R, 126/21.A, 621/964, 623/31, 624/30, 993/27, 993/28, 993/35, 993/52, 993/57, 221/150.R, 221/150.HC, 219/679, 219/757, 219/702, 219/714, 219/719
• US Class Current: 165/206
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/045 Air flow control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 19/00 Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/08 Refrigerator tables
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/005 Combined cooling and heating devices

Abstract

A combined refrigerator-oven (20) includes an enclosed chamber (28) having a top wall (22), a bottom wall (24), and vertical side walls (26). The refrigerator-oven (20) further includes a heating unit (50) and a refrigeration unit (70). A controller (118) is in communication with the heating unit (50) and the refrigeration unit (70). When a cooling mode is selected, the controller (118) activates the refrigeration unit (70) to deliver cool air (62) into the enclosed chamber (28). When a heating mode is selected, the controller (118) activates the heating unit (50) to produce heat (66) in the enclosed chamber (28).

Claims

1. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus comprising:

an enclosed chamber including top, bottom, and vertical side walls, said bottom wall having an airflow inlet opening;

a gate removably blocking said airflow inlet opening;

a heating unit positioned in said enclosed chamber;

a refrigeration unit positioned outside of said enclosed chamber and having a cool air duct coupled to said airflow inlet opening; and

a controller in communication with said gate, said heating unit, and said refrigeration unit for selectively activating said refrigerator-oven apparatus;

wherein

when a cooling mode is selected, said controller actuates said gate to unblock said airflow inlet opening and activates said refrigeration unit to deliver cool air through said cool air duct to said enclosed chamber; and

when a heating mode is selected, said controller actuates said gate to block said airflow inlet opening and activates said heating unit.

2. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising surface burners mounted on top of said enclosed chamber.

3. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said enclosed chamber has an airflow outlet opening;

said refrigeration unit has a return air duct coupled to said airflow outlet opening; and

said apparatus further includes a second gate removably blocking said airflow outlet opening, said controller being in communication with said second gate to actuate said second gate to unblock said airflow outlet opening when said cooling mode is selected and to block said airflow outlet opening when said heating mode is selected.

4. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heating unit includes one of an electrical resistance heating element and a gas burner mounted on an interior surface of said enclosed chamber.

5. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said enclosed chamber has a heat exchange vent; and

said apparatus further includes a second gate removably blocking said heat exchange vent, said controller being in communication with said second gate to actuate said second gate to block said heat exchange vent when said cooling mode is selected and to unblock said heat exchange vent when said heating mode is selected.

6. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes a drawer slidably mounted below said enclosed chamber for housing said refrigeration unit.

7. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drawer includes a partition separating said refrigeration unit from a storage section in said drawer.

8. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said refrigeration unit comprises:

a compressor having a first inlet and a first outlet;

a condenser having a second inlet and a second outlet, said second inlet in fluid communication with said first outlet;

an evaporator having a third inlet and a third outlet, said third inlet in fluid communication with said second outlet, and said third outlet in fluid communication with said first inlet; and

an evaporator fan interposed between a cool air outlet of said evaporator and said cool air duct for drawing cool air away from said evaporator and into said cool air duct to cool said enclosed chamber.

9. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein:

said compressor, evaporator, and evaporator fan are mounted below said bottom wall of said enclosed chamber; and

said condenser is mounted on an outer surface of one of said vertical side walls.

10. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said apparatus further includes a drawer slidably mounted below said enclosed chamber, and said compressor, evaporator, and evaporator fan are located in said drawer.

11. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a selector in communication with said controller for pre-selecting said cooling and heating modes and for pre-selecting times and temperatures in which said refrigeration unit and said heating unit are to operate in each of said cooling and heating modes.

12. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a communication router in selective communication with said controller, said communication router being configured to enable an individual at a remote location to pre-select said cooling and heating-modes and to pre-select times and temperatures in which said refrigeration unit and said heating unit are to operate in each of said cooling and heating modes.

13. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said communication router comprises:

a communication input configured for connection to an external link for receiving a message from said remote location;

a processor in communication with said communication input, said processor identifying said message as one of a telephone call and a-refrigerator-oven control request;

a switch controllable by said processor, said switch having a switch input coupled to said communication input, a first switch output in communication with a telephone answering machine, and a second switch output in communication with said controller;

wherein

when said processor identifies said message as said telephone call, said processor enables said switch to route said message from said communication input to said first switch output; and

when said processor identifies said message as said refrigerator-oven control request, said processor enables said switch to route said message from said communication input to said second switch output.

14. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a data receiver in communication with each of said second switch output and said controller, said data receiver enabling communication between said second switch output and said controller in response to a received authorized access code.

15. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus comprising:

an enclosed chamber including top, bottom, and vertical side walls, said bottom wall having an airflow inlet opening;

surface burners mounted on top of said enclosed chamber;

a gate removably blocking said airflow inlet opening;

a heating unit positioned in said enclosed chamber, said heating unit including one of an electrical resistance heating element and a gas burner mounted on an interior surface of said enclosed chamber;

a refrigeration unit positioned outside of said enclosed chamber, said refrigeration unit including;

a cool air duct coupled to said airflow inlet opening of said enclosed chamber;

a compressor having a first inlet and a first outlet;

a condenser having a second inlet and a second outlet, said second inlet in fluid communication with said first outlet;

an evaporator having a third inlet and a third outlet, said third inlet in fluid communication with said second outlet, and said third outlet in fluid communication with said first inlet; and

an evaporator fan interposed between a cool air outlet of said evaporator and said cool air duct for drawing cool air away from said evaporator and into said cool air duct to cool said enclosed chamber; and

a controller in communication with said gate, said heating unit, and said refrigeration unit for selectively activating said refrigerator-oven apparatus;

wherein

when a cooling mode is selected, said controller actuates said gate to unblock said airflow inlet opening and activates said refrigeration unit to deliver cool air through said cool air duct to said enclosed chamber; and

when a heating mode is selected, said controller actuates said gate to block said airflow inlet opening and activates said heating unit.

16. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein:

said compressor, evaporator, and evaporator fan are mounted below said bottom wall of said enclosed chamber; and

said condenser is mounted on an outer surface of one of said vertical side walls.

17. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein:

said enclosed chamber has a heat exchange vent; and

said apparatus further includes a second gate removably blocking said heat exchange vent, said controller being in communication with said second gate to actuate said second gate to block said heat exchange vent when said cooling mode is selected and to unblock said heat exchange vent when said heating mode is selected.

18. A combined refrigerator-oven apparatus as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a selector in communication with said controller for pre-selecting said cooling and heating modes and for pre-selecting times and temperatures in which said refrigeration unit and said heating unit are to operate in each of said cooling and heating modes.

19. An adapter kit for converting an oven to a combined refrigerator-oven apparatus, said oven including an enclosed chamber having top, bottom, and vertical side walls, and said oven including a heating unit positioned in said enclosed chamber, said adapter kit comprising:

a gate assembly configured for mounting below said bottom wall of said enclosed chamber to removably block an airflow inlet opening into said enclosed chamber;

a refrigeration unit including;

a compressor having a first inlet and a first outlet;

a condenser having a second inlet and a second outlet, said second inlet configured for placement in fluid communication with said first outlet;

an evaporator having a third inlet and a third outlet, said third inlet configured for placement in fluid communication with said second outlet, and said third outlet configured for placement in fluid communication with said first inlet; and

an evaporator fan configured for connection to a cool air outlet of said evaporator and configured to draw cool air away from said evaporator; and

a control unit installable into said oven, said control unit including;

a controller configured to control each of said gate assembly, said heating unit, and said refrigeration unit; and

a selector in communication with said controller for enabling an individual to instruct said controller to operate in each of a heating and cooling mode, and to pre-select times and temperatures in which said refrigeration unit and said heating unit are to operate in each of said cooling and heating modes.

20. An adapter kit as claimed in claim 19 further comprising a communication router configured for selective communication with said controller of said control unit, said communication router being configured to enable an individual at a remote location to pre-select said cooling and heating modes and to pre-select times and temperatures in which said refrigeration unit and said heating unit are to operate in each of said cooling and heating modes.