Soft freeze assembly for a freezer storage compartment
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsTim A. Hamel, Mark W. Wilson, Alexander Pinkus Rafalovich, Sathi Bandaru
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A soft freeze assembly for a refrigerator including a freezer storage compartment having a first temperature includes a second storage compartment positioned within the freezer storage compartment. A heat source is positioned with respect to the second storage compartment and configured to heat air within the second storage compartment to a second temperature greater than the first temperature within the freezer storage compartment. A controller is in operational control communication with the heat source and configured to operate the heat source.
Claims20
A soft freeze assembly for a refrigerator including a freezer storage compartment having a first temperature, said soft freeze assembly comprising:
- a second storage compartment positioned within the freezer storage compartment;
- a heat source positioned with respect to said second storage compartment and configured to heat air within said second storage compartment to a second temperature greater than the first temperature within said freezer storage compartment;
- and
- a controller in operational control communication with said heat source, said controller configured to operate said heat source.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a freezer storage compartment having a first temperature;
- and
- a soft freeze assembly mounted within said freezer storage compartment, said soft freeze assembly comprising:
- a second storage compartment;
- a heat source positioned with respect to said second storage compartment and configured to heat air within said second storage compartment to a second temperature greater than the first temperature within said freezer storage compartment;
- a thermistor positioned with respect to said second storage compartment and configured to detect a temperature within said second storage compartment;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to said thermistor, said controller in operational control communication with said heat source and configured to maintain the second temperature within said second storage compartment independent from the first temperature within said freezer storage compartment.
A method for freezing a food item within a refrigerator, said method comprising:
- providing a freezer storage compartment having a first temperature;
- positioning a soft freeze assembly within the freezer compartment, the soft freeze assembly comprising a second storage compartment, a heat source configured to heat air within the second storage compartment, and a thermistor positioned with respect to the second storage compartment, the thermistor configured to detect a temperature within the second storage compartment;
- and
- operatively coupling a controller to the thermistor and the heat source, the controller configured to maintain a second temperature within the second storage compartment independent from the first temperature within the freezer storage compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.