Augmented door bin cooling using a dedicated air duct in a dual-evaporator refrigerator configuration

A refrigerator, comprising:

• a fresh food compartment defining an opening to the fresh food compartment, an interior wall along a portion of the fresh food compartment and having a portion adjacent the opening;
• a mullion adjacent the fresh food compartment and defining a lower side of the fresh food compartment, the interior wall extending away from the mullion;
• an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment remote from the opening and defining an interior;
• a duct in fluid communication with the interior of the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the fresh food compartment on a second end thereof in a position adjacent the opening, the duct having a first portion thereof that extends downwardly from the first end, a second portion extending through the mullion, and third portion further extending vertically upward adjacent the opening to an outlet in the interior wall, the outlet surrounding the second end of the duct;
• and
• a door at least partially enclosing the opening to the fresh food compartment when in a closed position and having a door compartment extending from a lower side of the door only partially upward along a lower portion of the door through less than half of a total height of the door, the door compartment defining an upper portion and a lower portion and having a vent opening positioned adjacent the top portion of the door compartment, the vent opening being horizontally aligned with and in communication with the second end of the duct to direct air into the door compartment, without any portion of the duct being positioned within the door and with only the duct opening contacting the door, the lower portion of the door compartment being open to the fresh food compartment via a plurality of openings on a surface of the door compartment facing inward with respect to the fresh food compartment when the door is in the closed position.

A refrigerator, comprising:

• a fresh food compartment defining an opening and an interior wall having a portion adjacent the opening;
• a mullion adjacent the fresh food compartment and defining a lower side of the fresh food compartment, the interior wall extending away from the mullion;
• an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment remote from the opening and defining an interior;
• a duct in fluid communication with the interior of the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the fresh food compartment on a second end of the duct that is in a position adjacent the opening, the duct having a first portion thereof that extends downwardly from the first end, a second portion extending through the mullion, and a third portion further extending vertically upward adjacent the opening to an outlet in the interior wall, the outlet surrounding the second end of the duct;
• and
• a door at least partially enclosing the opening to the fresh food compartment when in a closed position and having a door compartment extending from a lower side of the door only partially upward along a lower portion of the door through less than half of a total height of the door, the door compartment defining an upper portion and a lower portion and having a vent opening positioned adjacent the top portion of the door compartment, the vent opening being horizontally aligned with and in communication with the second end of the duct to direct air into the door compartment, without any portion of the duct being positioned within the door and with only the duct opening contacting the door, the lower portion of the door compartment being open to the fresh food compartment.