Refrigerator appliance with pressure equalization features
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsSlawomir Pawel Bolek, Ryan Joseph Thomas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a food storage chamber. An aperture is defined through an exterior wall of the cabinet such that the aperture extends from the food storage chamber to an ambient environment around the refrigerator appliance. A grommet is positioned in the aperture and sealingly engaged with the aperture around a perimeter of the aperture. The grommet includes a lumen extending fully through the grommet such that fluid communication between the food storage chamber and the ambient environment is permitted through the lumen in the grommet.
Claims20
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 plurality of walls, the cabinet defining a food storage chamber for receipt of food items;
- an aperture defined through an exterior wall of the plurality of walls, whereby the aperture extends from the food storage chamber to an ambient environment around the refrigerator appliance;
- and
- a grommet positioned in the aperture and sealingly engaged with the aperture around a perimeter of the aperture, the grommet comprising a lumen extending fully through the grommet whereby fluid communication between the food storage chamber and the ambient environment is permitted through the lumen in the grommet.
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a food storage chamber for receipt of food items;
- an aperture defined through an exterior wall of the cabinet, whereby the aperture extends from the food storage chamber to an ambient environment around the refrigerator appliance;
- and
- a grommet positioned in the aperture and sealingly engaged with the aperture around a perimeter of the aperture, the grommet comprising a lumen extending fully through the grommet whereby fluid communication between the food storage chamber and the ambient environment is permitted through the lumen in the grommet.
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a food storage chamber for receipt of food items;
- an aperture defined through an exterior wall of the cabinet;
- a grommet positioned in the aperture, the grommet comprising a passage and a lumen, wherein the lumen permits fluid communication between the food storage chamber and the ambient environment through the grommet;
- and
- a conduit positioned in and extending through the passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.