Secondary cooling path in refrigerator

• US 9,500,401 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Cur, Nihat O., Wu, Guolian
• Primary Examiner(s): Elve, M. Alexandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US15/017,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20160153692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 62/71, 62/73, 621/75, 623/35, 623/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 comprising a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment;

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

a compartment positioned remotely from the freezer compartment, the compartment comprising an ice maker and an ice storage area;

a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the refrigerator extending from a pump wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice storage area as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path; and

a venting conduit connected to the secondary cooling path upstream of the pump and downstream of a heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment wherein the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to the atmosphere.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the pump is positioned outside of freezer compartment and along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice storage area is an ice bin.

5. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the ice storage area is an ice bin and the ice compartment is positioned within a fresh food compartment door.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein a standby power source is operably connected to the pump and causing the pump to be operable when a power outage occurs to the refrigerator.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a standby power source is operably connected to the pump and causing the pump to be operable when a power outage occurs to the refrigerator.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the ice storage area is an ice bin and the heat exchanger is an evaporator and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 further comprising a hot liquid defrost system having a three way valve upstream of the pump and downstream from the heat exchanger that switches between allowing coolant to flow through the secondary cooling path and allowing a hot liquid to flow through the secondary cooling path.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a hot liquid defrost system having a three way valve upstream of the pump and downstream from the heat exchanger that switches between allowing coolant to flow through the secondary cooling path and allowing a hot liquid to flow through the secondary cooling path.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the ice maker is a defrost device and is at a lower temperature than the ice storage area to thereby attract moisture to the ice maker and reduce frost within the ice storage area.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice maker is at a lower temperature than the ice storage area thereby attracting moisture from the ice storage area to the ice maker.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the ice maker is the coldest location in the compartment.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the compartment further comprises a fan that, when on, circulates cold air from the ice maker into the ice storage area and the compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door.

15. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the venting conduit is a tube that is vertically oriented relative to the secondary cooling path at the location where the venting conduit is connected to the secondary cooling path.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein suction pressure at the pump is one atmosphere.

17. An appliance comprising:

a cabinet comprising a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the fresh food compartment having a fresh food compartment door;

a compartment positioned outside of the freezer compartment, the compartment comprising an ice maker and an ice storage area;

a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the appliance extending from a pump wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice storage area as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path; and

a venting conduit connected to the secondary cooling path upstream of the pump and downstream of a heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment wherein the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to the atmosphere.

18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the compartment further comprises a fan that, when on, circulates cold air from the ice maker into the ice storage area and the compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door;

the pump is positioned outside of freezer compartment and along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path; and

the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to the atmosphere.

19. An appliance comprising:

a refrigerator cabinet comprising a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment;

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

a compartment positioned remotely from the freezer compartment, the compartment comprising an ice maker;

a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the appliance extending from a pump wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice storage area as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path;

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

a venting conduit connected to the secondary cooling path upstream of the pump and downstream of a heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment wherein the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to the atmosphere.

20. The appliance of claim 19, wherein the compartment is an ice compartment that comprises the ice maker and an ice bin and wherein the compartment further comprises a fan that, when on, circulates cold air from the ice maker into the ice bin and the compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door;

the pump is positioned outside of freezer compartment and along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path;

the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to the atmosphere;

the ice compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door; and

the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin.