Refrigerator appliance having a drain pan
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMartin Nicholas Austin, Stephanos Kyriacou, Justin Berger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A refrigerator appliance is provided with a drain pan mounted below a condenser of the refrigerator appliance. The drain pan includes features such as a channel for directing air through the drain pan. The channel can, e.g., increase the efficiency of the condenser and/or promote evaporation of liquid contained within the drain pan.
Claims19
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- an evaporator;
- a condenser;
- and
- a drain pan disposed below said condenser and in fluid communication with said evaporator so as to receive liquid condensate from said evaporator, said drain pan defining a containment volume configured for holding liquid directed from said evaporator, said drain pan also extending between a top and a bottom along a vertical direction, said drain pan comprising:
- a bottom plate;
- an outer wall extending upwardly from said bottom plate along the vertical direction, said outer wall also extending around a periphery of said bottom plate;
- and
- an inner wall extending upwardly from said bottom plate along the vertical direction, said inner wall defining a channel for directing a flow of air through said drain pan along the vertical direction between the bottom of said drain pan and the top of said drain pan.
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- an evaporator;
- a condenser;
- and
- a drain pan disposed below said condenser and in fluid communication with said evaporator so as to collect liquid condensate directed from said evaporator, said drain pan extending between a top and a bottom along a vertical direction, said drain pan defining at least one channel for directing air through said drain pan along the vertical direction between the top and the bottom of said drain pan.
A drain pan for an appliance, the drain pan defining a containment volume configured for holding liquid, the drain pan extending between a top and a bottom along a vertical direction, the drain pan comprising:
- a bottom plate;
- an outer wall extending upwardly from said bottom plate along the vertical direction, said outer wall also extending around a periphery of said bottom plate;
- and
- an inner wall extending upwardly from said bottom plate along the vertical direction, said inner wall defining a channel for directing a flow of air through the drain pan along the vertical direction between the bottom of the drain pan and the top of the drain pan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.