Refrigerator

• US 9,175,893 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Junge, Brent Alden, Kyriacou, Stephanos, Weirich, Kristin Marie, Katu, Umakant Suresh, Mitchell, Alan Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyler, Cheryl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTIN, ELIZABETH J
• Application Number:
  US12/796,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20100242526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 62443-445, 165/171
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/065 with compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/08 by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body defining a compartment, the compartment having an access opening and a first wall, a door supported by the main body for selectively closing at least part of the access opening, a sub-compartment on the door, the sub-compartment comprising a second wall having an opening, a heat exchanger supported by the first wall and positioned so that when the door is closed the heat exchanger is exposed to an interior of the sub-compartment through the opening, and a refrigeration system having a working medium for cooling the heat exchanger, where the heat exchanger further includes one or more segments of the refrigeration system attached to a heat exchanging plate.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body defining a compartment, the compartment having an access opening and a first wall;

a door supported by the main body for selectively closing at least part of the access opening;

a sub-compartment on the door, the sub-compartment comprising a second wall having an opening;

a heat exchanger supported by the first wall and positioned so that when the door is closed the heat exchanger is exposed to an interior of the sub-compartment through the opening, the heat exchanger comprising a heat exchanging plate with a first surface exposed to the interior of the sub-compartment when the door is closed and a second surface on an opposite side of the heat exchanging plate from the first surface, the heat exchanging plate comprising a plurality of semi-spherical projections formed by the heat exchanging plate such that the semi-spherical projections of the plurality of semi-spherical projections extend outward from the first surface of the heat exchanging plate and are exposed to the interior of the sub-compartment when the door is closed, the semi-spherical projections defining receiving channels formed by the heat exchanging plate on the second surface of the heat exchanging plate, receiving portions of the receiving channels being formed in the second surface; and

a sealed refrigeration system containing a working medium for cooling the heat exchanger, and comprising a fluid connection loop between an evaporator and a condenser of the sealed refrigeration system, the fluid connection loop being attached to the heat exchanging plate,

wherein the fluid connection loop comprises a serpentine portion disposed the first wall, the serpentine portion being thermally coupled to the heat exchanger, the serpentine portion comprising a plurality of bent sections that are received in the receiving channels on the second surface of the heat exchanging plate.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein first surface of the heat exchanging plate is exposed to the interior of the sub-compartment through the opening the second wall.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the heat exchanging plate further comprises a plurality of short projections and a plurality of long projections extending outward from the first surface.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the heat exchanging plate further comprises a plurality of projections extending outward from the first surface, the projections having the same dimensions and a generally rectangular cuboid shape.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the second surface of the heat exchanging plate is unexposed to the to the interior of the sub-compartment.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein a plurality of projections extend outward from the second surface to form one or more receiving channels for receiving a defrost heater.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanging plate is constructed as an extrusion.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the heat xchanging plate is constructed as a die cast piece.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer compound applied at an interface between the bent sections and the heat-exchanging plate.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the bent sections are assembled with the heat-exchanging plate by vacuum brazing.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the bent sections are moulded within the heat-exchanging plate.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the fluid connection loop comprises one or more through channels of the heat-exchanging plate connected to a plurality of tubes.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the fluid connection loop is assembled with the heat-exchanging plate by a molten zinc dip.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of fin-shaped projections extending outward from the second surface of the heat exchanging plate to define sides of the receiving channels.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the fin-shaped projections defining sides of the receiving channels are aligned on either side of the bent sections of the serpentine portion of the fluid connection loop.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of fin-shaped projections extending outward from the first surface of the heat exchanging plate.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the plurality of fin-shaped projections extending outward from the first surface of the heat exchanging plate comprises a set of short, fin-shaped projections and a set of long, fin-shaped projections, a short, fin-shaped projection being arranged adjacent to a long, fin-shaped projection.

18. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the heat exchanging plate is exposed to the interior of the sub-compartment to provide force convection cooling to the sub-compartment.