Secondary cooling path in refrigerator

• US 8,359,874 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Guolian, Cur, Nihat O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US12/105,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20090260370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 623/44, 623/53, 62434-435, 623/33, 621/49
• US Class Current: 62/149
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/06 Damage
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 45/00 Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/182 Ice bins therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/185 with freezing trays
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/025 using primary and secondary refrigeration systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/02 for circulating liquids, e.g. brine
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/06 Removing frost defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/12 by hot-fluid circulating system separate from the refrigerant system
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the refrigerator wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path. A pump is positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path. A tube having a first end proximate the pump and an opposite end exposed to atmosphere may control suction pressure associated with the pump. The refrigerator reduces frost build up through configuration of the secondary cooling path or performing ice harvesting operations which melt frost. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating hot liquid. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating liquid coolant during a power outage.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the freezer compartment mounted below the fresh food compartment;

a first fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment;

an ice compartment mounted at the first fresh food compartment door, the ice compartment comprising an ice maker and an ice bin;

a secondary cooling path providing a single path for circulating liquid coolant wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path;

a pump positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path;

a tube having a first end proximate the pump and an opposite end exposed to atmosphere to thereby control suction pressure associated with the pump; and

a three-way valve in fluid connection with the pump wherein the three-way valve provides for switching between circulating liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path and circulating a hot liquid through the secondary cooling path.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the secondary cooling path is configured to provide for cooling the ice maker to a lower temperature than the ice bin to thereby attract moisture to the ice maker.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 wherein the ice maker is adapted for performing an ice harvesting operation during which frost associated with the ice maker melts.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 further comprising a fan positioned within the ice compartment to circulate cold air from the ice maker to the ice bin.

5. The refrigerator of claim 2 further comprising a stand-by power source electrically connected to the pump for powering the pump during a power outage to thereby provide for circulating the liquid coolant during a power outage.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 wherein the power source is a battery.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a primary cooling path for circulating cold air wherein the primary cooling path circulates cold air from the freezer compartment to the ice maker compartment and from the ice maker compartment to the fresh food compartment to thereby reduce frost buildup inside the ice maker compartment.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the hot liquid is heated using an electric heater.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the hot liquid is heated using heat from a condenser of the refrigerator.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the hot liquid is circulated to the ice compartment bassist in an ice harvesting operation.

11. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the freezer compartment mounted below the fresh food compartment;

a first fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment;

an ice compartment mounted at the first fresh food compartment door, the ice compartment comprising a direct contact ice maker and an ice bin;

a secondary cooling path providing a single path for circulating liquid coolant wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path;

a pump positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path;

wherein the secondary cooling path being configured to provide for cooling the ice maker to a lower temperature than the ice bin to thereby attract moisture to the ice maker; and

a three-way valve in fluid connection with the pump wherein the three-way valve provides for switching between circulating liquid coolant through the single path of the secondary cooling path and circulating a hot liquid through the secondary cooling path.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein the ice maker is adapted for performing an ice harvesting operation during which frost associated with the ice maker melts.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 further comprising a fan positioned within the ice compartment to circulate cold air from the ice maker to the ice bin.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11 further comprising a stand by power source electrically connected to the pump for powering the pump during a power outage to thereby provide for circulating the liquid coolant during a power outage.

15. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein the power source is a battery.

16. The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein the single path of the secondary cooling path is a non-branched path.

17. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the freezer compartment including a single heat exchanger and being mounted below the fresh food compartment;

a first fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment;

an ice compartment mounted at the first fresh food compartment door, the ice compartment comprising an ice maker and an ice bin;

a secondary cooling path providing a single path for circulating liquid coolant wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the heat exchanger in the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path;

a pump positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path;

a primary cooling path for circulating cold air wherein the primary cooling path circulates cold air from the freezer compartment to the ice maker compartment and from the ice maker compartment to the fresh food compartment to thereby reduce frost buildup inside the ice maker compartment; and

a three-way valve in fluid connection with the pump wherein the three-way valve provides for switching between circulating liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path and circulating a hot liquid through the secondary cooling path.