# US 12,181,204 B2 · Wireless anti-condensation system for a refrigerator appliance mullion > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,204 B2 - Document ID: US12181204B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/950,289 - Filed: 2022-09-22 - Published: 2024-03-28 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-09-22 - Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Vineeth Vijayan; Jordan Andrew Waymeyer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181204B2 ## CPC - F25D 21/04: Preventing the formation of frost or condensate - F25D 21/08: by electric heating - F28D 15/02: in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes {(heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257)} - F28D 15/0275: {Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores} - F25D 2323/021: French doors - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) ## Abstract A refrigerator appliance having a cabinet defining a chamber and a rotatably hinged door to at least partially seal the chamber or provide access to the chamber. The cabinet includes an induction coil and the door includes a heat pipe to provide a wireless anti-condensation system to a refrigerator mullion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising: a cabinet comprising: a first vertical wall and a second vertical wall spaced laterally from the first vertical wall; a bottom wall and a top wall spaced vertically above the bottom wall, the first and second vertical walls and the bottom and top walls defining a lateral and a vertical dimension of a chamber; and a groove formed in the bottom wall, the groove comprising cam surfaces; an induction coil within the bottom wall of the cabinet; a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet and supported for rotation between a closed position in which an inner surface of the door abuts at least one of the first and second vertical walls and the bottom and top walls to seal a portion of the chamber, and an open position providing access to a portion of the chamber; an articulating mullion rotatably hinged to the door; and a heat pipe extending between a sealed first end and a sealed second end, the heat pipe positioned within the articulating mullion, wherein the induction coil is positioned such that the second sealed end of the heat pipe is adjacent to the induction coil when the door is in the closed position, wherein the cam surfaces interact with a tab extending from a bottom portion of the mullion, wherein the tab comprises the sealed second end of the heat pipe and the induction coil is integrated with the groove, and wherein the heat pipe is operatively coupled to the induction coil when the door is in the closed position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, the heat pipe further comprising: an elongate hollow tube having the sealed first end and the sealed second end, the elongate hollow tube defining a heat pipe axis; wherein the heat pipe axis is substantially parallel to a vertical axis of the mullion, the sealed first end proximate to a top portion of the mullion and the sealed second end proximate to a bottom portion of the mullion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The refrigerator appliance of claim 2, wherein the hollow tube is formed from one or more thermally conductive materials. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 wherein the hollow tube comprises copper. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 wherein a portion of at least one of the sealed first end and the sealed second end comprises a ferrous material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The refrigerator appliance of claim 2, the heat pipe further comprising a refrigerant contained within the hollow tube. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The refrigerator appliance of claim 6, wherein the heat pipe is a thermosyphon. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The refrigerator appliance of claim 2, wherein the first end of the heat pipe is a condenser and the second end is an evaporator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 wherein the induction coil is selectively powered through an electrical control circuit within the cabinet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The refrigerator appliance of claim 9 wherein the electrical control circuit comprises a door position sensor to determine when the door is in the closed position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The refrigerator appliance of claim 9 wherein the induction coil is powered when the door is in the closed position. ### Claim 12 A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising: a cabinet comprising: a first vertical wall and a second vertical wall spaced laterally from the first vertical wall; a bottom wall and a top wall spaced vertically above the bottom wall, the first and second vertical walls and the bottom and top walls defining a vertical and a lateral dimension of a chamber; and a groove formed in the top wall, the groove comprising cam surfaces; an induction coil within the top wall of the cabinet; a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet and supported for rotation between a closed position in which an inner surface of the door abuts the bottom and top walls and at least one of the first and second vertical walls to seal a portion of the chamber, and an open position providing access to a portion of the chamber; an articulating mullion rotatably hinged to the door; and a heat pipe extending between a sealed first end and a sealed second end, the heat pipe positioned within the articulating mullion, the heat pipe including a wick, wherein the induction coil is positioned such that an end of the heat pipe is adjacent to the induction coil when the door is in the closed position, wherein the cam surfaces interact with a tab extending from a top portion of the mullion, wherein the tab comprises the sealed second end of the heat pipe and the induction coil is integrated with the groove, and wherein the heat pipe is operatively coupled to the induction coil when the door is in the closed position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, the heat pipe further comprising: an elongate hollow tube having the sealed first end and the sealed second end, the elongate hollow tube defining a heat pipe axis; and a refrigerant; wherein the heat pipe axis is substantially parallel to a vertical axis of the mullion, the sealed second end proximate to a top portion of the mullion, the sealed first end proximate to a bottom portion of the mullion, and the wick extending between the first end and the second end. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The refrigerator appliance of claim 13, wherein the hollow tube is formed from one or more thermally conductive materials. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The refrigerator appliance of claim 14, wherein a portion of the sealed second end comprises a ferrous material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The refrigerator appliance of claim 13 wherein the first end is a condenser end and the second end is an evaporator end. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The refrigerator appliance of claim 16, wherein the wick is configured to transport the liquid state refrigerant from the first end to the second end. ### Claim 18 A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising: a cabinet comprising: a first vertical wall and a second vertical wall spaced laterally from the first vertical wall; a bottom wall and a top wall spaced vertically above the bottom wall, the first and second vertical walls and the bottom and top walls defining a vertical and a lateral dimension of a chamber; and a groove formed in one of the top wall or the bottom wall, the groove comprising cam surfaces; an induction coil within one of the top wall or the bottom wall, the location of the induction coil corresponding to the location of the groove; a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet and supported for rotation between a closed position in which an inner surface of the door abuts the bottom and top walls and at least one of the first and second vertical walls to seal a portion of the chamber, and an open position providing access to a portion of the chamber; an articulating mullion rotatably hinged to the door; and a heat pipe extending between a sealed first end and a sealed second end, the heat pipe positioned within the articulating mullion, wherein the induction coil is positioned such that the second sealed end of the heat pipe is adjacent to the induction coil when the door is in the closed position, wherein the cam surfaces interact with a tab extending from one of a top portion or a bottom portion of the mullion, the location of the tab corresponding to the location of the groove, wherein the tab comprises the sealed second end of the heat pipe and the induction coil is integrated with the groove, and wherein the heat pipe is operatively coupled to the induction coil when the door is in the closed position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The refrigerator appliance of claim 18, the heat pipe further comprising: an elongate hollow tube having the sealed first end and the sealed second end, the elongate hollow tube defining a heat pipe axis; wherein the heat pipe axis is substantially parallel to a vertical axis of the mullion, the sealed first end proximate to a top portion of the mullion and the sealed second end proximate to a bottom portion of the mullion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The refrigerator appliance of claim 19, wherein the sealed first end of the heat pipe is a condenser and the sealed second end is an evaporator.