Heat rejection system for a condenser of a refrigerant loop within an appliance

A heat rejection system for an appliance, the heat rejection system comprising:

• a cabinet defining a machine compartment disposed at a rear of the cabinet and proximate a refrigerated compartment;
• a linear compressor disposed within the machine compartment, the linear compressor adapted to compress a refrigerant within a refrigerant line, the refrigerant line in thermal communication with the refrigerated compartment;
• a condenser of the refrigerant line positioned at an angle with respect to an axis of the linear compressor, the condenser in thermal communication with at least an exterior surface of the linear compressor, the condenser adapted to reject heat from the refrigerant and deliver the heat to a stream of process air to define a stream of heated air;
• and
• a condenser fan positioned between the condenser and the linear compressor, the condenser fan adapted to draw the stream of heated air from the condenser and also draw a separate stream of fresh air from an area laterally adjacent to the machine compartment and under a front portion of the refrigerated compartment via a fresh air duct, wherein the stream of heated air and the separate stream of fresh air combine within a mixing space defined between the condenser, the fresh air duct and the condenser fan to define mixed air that is directed toward the linear compressor for cooling the exterior surface of the linear compressor, wherein the stream of heated air enters the mixing space through the condenser and the separate stream of fresh air enters the mixing space via the fresh air duct, wherein a condenser wall includes the condenser and separates the stream of process air from the separate stream of fresh air, and wherein the separate stream of fresh air does not undergo a heat exchange process upstream of the fresh air duct and under the front portion of the refrigerated compartment.

A heat rejection system for an appliance, the heat rejection system comprising:

• a linear compressor adapted to compress a refrigerant within a refrigerant line;
• a micro-channel condenser of the refrigerant line positioned at a 45 degree angle with respect to a linear axis of the linear compressor, the micro-channel condenser in thermal communication with at least an exterior surface of the linear compressor, the micro-channel condenser adapted to reject heat from the refrigerant delivered through the micro-channel condenser and deliver the heat to a stream of process air to define a stream of heated air;
• and
• a condenser fan positioned between the micro-channel condenser and the linear compressor and proximate a leading edge of the micro-channel condenser, the condenser fan adapted to draw the stream of heated air from the micro-channel condenser and also draw a separate stream of fresh air from a fresh air vent positioned adjacent to a trailing edge of the micro-channel condenser, wherein the stream of heated air and the separate stream of fresh air combine at a mixing space defined between the micro-channel condenser, the fresh air vent and the condenser fan to define mixed air that is directed toward the linear compressor for cooling the exterior surface of the linear compressor, wherein a condenser wall includes the condenser and separates the stream of process air from the separate stream of fresh air, wherein the separate stream of fresh air enters the mixing space directly from the fresh air vent, and wherein the separate stream of fresh air does not undergo a heat exchange process upstream of the fresh air vent.