Appliance with a vacuum-based reverse airflow cooling system using one fan

• US 8,141,549 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Armstrong, James, Barber, Philip Ames, Broniak, Jay Andrew, Froelicher, Steve B., Laundroche, Kevin Scott, McGonagle, Michael Paul, Watkins, Derek Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): MASHRUWALA, NIKHIL P
• Application Number:
  US12/209,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20100065035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 126/21.A, 126/25.R, 126/273.A, 126/273.R, 126/190, 126/193, 126/198, 219/394, 312/236
• US Class Current: 126/198
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/006 Arrangements for circulation of cooling air

Abstract

An appliance includes a housing having an airflow channel communicating with outside of the appliance; a first chamber in the housing and having a first opening; a first door for selectively closing the first opening, the first door having a first airway communicating with the outside of the appliance; a second chamber in the housing and having a second opening; a second door for selectively closing the second opening, the second door having a second airway communicating with the outside of the appliance; and a fan in the airflow channel. The airflow channel includes a central segment disposed between the first and second chambers and communicating with the first and second airways. When activated, the fan causes ambient air to pass through the first and second airways before entering the central segment so that the first and second doors are cooled off by the ambient air.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

a housing having an airflow channel in flow communication with outside of the appliance;

a first chamber disposed in the housing and having a first opening;

a first door for selectively closing the first opening, the first door having a first airway in flow communication with the outside of the appliance;

a second chamber disposed in the housing and having a second opening;

a second door for selectively closing the second opening, the second door having a second airway in flow communication with the outside of the appliance; and

a fan disposed in the airflow channel,

wherein the airflow channel comprises a central segment disposed between the first and second chambers and in flow communication with the first and second airways, and

wherein when activated, the fan draws ambient air from the outside of the appliance through the first airway and the second airway in a direction toward the central segment and then through the central segment to cool the first door and the second door with the ambient air before the air enters the central segment.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the airflow channel further comprises a first segment disposed between the housing and the first chamber and in flow communication with the central segment, and a second segment disposed between the housing and the second chamber and in flow communication with the first segment and the outside of the appliance, the fan being disposed between the first and second segments so that when the fan is activated, the second segment has a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure.

3. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a Human Machine Interface disposed on or in at least one of the first and second doors.

4. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the Human Machine Interface comprises at least one of a consumer interface and a feedback display.

5. An appliance comprising:

a housing having an airflow channel in flow communication with outside of the appliance;

a first oven chamber disposed in the housing and having a first frontal opening;

a first door for selectively closing the first frontal opening, the first door having a first airway in flow communication with the outside of the appliance;

a second oven chamber disposed in the housing and having a second frontal opening;

a second door for selectively closing the second frontal opening, the second door having a second airway in flow communication with the outside of the appliance;

a Human Machine Interface disposed on or in one of the first and second doors; and

a fan disposed in the airflow channel,

wherein the airflow channel comprises a central segment disposed between the first and second oven chambers and in flow communication with the first and second airways, and

wherein when activated, the fan draws ambient air from the outside of the appliance through the first airway and the second airway in a direction toward the central segment and then through the central segment to cool the first door and the second door with the ambient air before the air enters the central segment.

6. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the airflow channel further comprises a first segment disposed between the housing and the first oven chamber and in flow communication with the central segment, and a second segment disposed between the housing and the second oven chamber and in flow communication with the first segment and the outside of the appliance, the fan being disposed between the first and second segments so that when the fan is activated, the second segment has a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure.

7. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the first segment has a first inlet in flow communication with the outside of the appliance.

8. The appliance of claim 6, wherein when the fan is activated, the first segment has a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure.

9. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the first oven chamber is disposed above the second chamber and comprises a first back, the first segment adjacent to and extending along the first back.

10. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the second oven chamber comprises a second back and a bottom, the second segment adjacent to and extending along the second back and the bottom.

11. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the Human Machine Interface comprises at least one Of a consumer interface and a feedback display.

12. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the appliance comprises an oven.

13. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the first door is rotatably attached to one of the first oven chamber and the housing.

14. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the second door is rotatably attached to one of the second oven chamber and the housing.

15. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the fan is the only fan disposed in the airflow channel.