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US 10,627,150 B2Granted
Refrigerator with targeted cooling zone
AssigneeMidea Group Co., Ltd.
InventorMark Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator appliance having a targeted cooling zone for cooling objects within the fresh-food compartment. The cooling zone may include one or more identifying features. The identifying features may be positioned adjacent an outlet of an air flow channel supplying the cooling air stream from a cooling source. The identifying features may have insulating and/or non-insulating properties.
Claims20
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cooling source;
- a fresh-food compartment;
- a shelf positioned within said compartment, wherein at least a substantially horizontal planar portion of said shelf includes one or more identifying features;
- an air flow channel in fluid communication with said cooling source and said fresh-food compartment, said air flow channel having an outlet adjacent to said one or more identifying features of said planar portion of said shelf;
- said planar portion of said shelf having said one or more identifying features assists a user to position an object for targeted cooling within a cooling zone, wherein the object for targeted cooling is disposed upon or adjacent to said one or more identifying features of said shelf planar portion in said cooling zone;
- wherein said one or more identifying features include one or more heat insulating members as a top contact surface of said shelf such that said one or more heat insulating members is positioned between the object and a remaining portion of said shelf to directly contact the object:
- and
- wherein said remaining portion of said shelf includes a first portion and a second portion surrounding said first portion, and wherein said one or more heat insulating members is disposed on said first portion when said top contact surface of said one or more heat insulating members is supporting the object thereon and said second portion surrounding said first portion is without said one or more insulating members, and wherein said one or more heat insulating members is removable from said first portion of said shelf.
5 more elements
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cooling source;
- a fresh-food compartment;
- a shelf positioned within said compartment, wherein said shelf includes a planar portion and one or more insulating members, wherein said planar portion of said shelf includes a first portion and a second portion defining an outer periphery of said first portion, and said one or more insulating members is removably disposed upon said first portion and made of a first material to directly contact an object placed upon said shelf and wherein said first portion and said second portion are made of a second material, wherein said first material is a different material from said second material;
- an air flow channel in fluid communication with said cooling source and said fresh-food compartment, said air flow channel having an outlet adjacent to said first portion of said shelf having said one or more insulating members to create a targeted cooling zone;
- and
- said first portion of said planar portion positioning said one or more heat insulating members downstream of said outlet to assist a user to position the object for targeted cooling within said cooling zone.
3 more elements
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cooling source;
- a fresh-food compartment;
- a shelf positioned within said compartment, wherein a planar portion of said shelf is made at least partially of glass and one or more insulating members, wherein a contact surface of said planar portion includes said one or more insulating members to directly contact an object placed upon said shelf, wherein said one or more insulating members are made of a different material than said glass;
- wherein said one or more insulating members is positionable between a first configuration that is disposed on a first planar portion of said shelf planar portion wherein said one or more insulating members is said contact surface, and a second configuration wherein said one or more insulating members is removed from said shelf to uncover said first planar portion of said shelf whereby said first planar portion is still present and is exposed to contact the object;
- an air flow channel in fluid communication with said cooling source and said fresh-food compartment, said air flow channel having an outlet positioned above and adjacent to said one or more insulating members of said shelf planar portion;
- and
- said one or more insulating members of said shelf downstream of said outlet assist a user to position the object for targeted cooling within a cooling zone.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.