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US 8,074,469 B2Granted
Refrigerator with a convertible compartment
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsTimothy Allen Hamel, Rita Barksdale, Chris George Bissig, John R. Brumleve, Jonathan Crosby, Rajesh Swarnkar, Thomas F. White, Martin Mitchell Zentner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a first compartment, a second compartment and a multi-functional compartment that is disposed between the first compartment and the second compartment and is adjustable between temperature modes selected from the group consisting of a fresh food temperature mode, a soft freeze mode, a freezer mode and a chiller temperature mode.
Claims20
A refrigerator comprising:
- a first compartment;
- a second compartment;
- a multifunctional compartment disposed between the first compartment and the second compartment, the multifunctional compartment being adjustable between temperature modes selected from the group consisting of a fresh food temperature mode, a soft freeze mode, a freezer mode, and a chiller temperature mode;
- and
- a heater disposed in the multifunctional compartment and configured to adjust temperature in the multifunctional compartment.
2 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a first compartment;
- a second compartment;
- a multifunctional compartment disposed between the first compartment and the second compartment, the multifunctional compartment being adjustable between temperature modes selected from the group consisting of a fresh food temperature mode, a soft freeze mode, a freezer mode, and a chiller temperature mode;
- a heater configured to adjust temperature in the multifunctional compartment;
- a sub-compartment;
- an evaporator disposed in the sub-compartment;
- a fan for distributing cooling air from the sub-compartment to the multifunctional compartment;
- a temperature sensor disposed in the multifunctional compartment for generating a temperature signal representing the temperature within the multifunctional compartment;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the temperature sensor and the heater, the controller being configured to energize the heater after the temperature signal reaches a threshold.
7 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a fresh food compartment;
- a freezer compartment;
- a multifunctional compartment disposed between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, the multifunctional compartment being adjustable between temperature modes selected from the group consisting of a fresh food temperature mode, a soft freeze mode, a freezer mode, and a chiller compartment temperature mode;
- a heater configured to adjust temperature in the multifunctional compartment;
- a first sub-compartment;
- a first evaporator disposed in the first sub-compartment;
- a first fan for distributing cooling air from the first sub-compartment to the, multifunctional compartment;
- a temperature sensor disposed in the multifunctional compartment for generating a temperature signal representing the temperature within the multifunctional compartment;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the temperature sensor and the heater, the controller being configured to energize the heater after the temperature signal reaches a threshold.
7 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a fresh food compartment;
- a freezer compartment disposed below the fresh food compartment;
- a multifunctional compartment disposed between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment;
- a heater disposed in the multifunctional compartment for increasing temperature in the multifunctional compartment;
- a sub-compartment;
- an evaporator disposed in the sub-compartment;
- a fan for distributing cooling air from the sub-compartment to the multifunctional compartment;
- a temperature sensor disposed in the multifunctional compartment for generating a temperature signal representing the temperature in the multifunctional compartment;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the temperature sensor and the heater, the controller being configured to energize at least one of the heater and the fan after the temperature signal reaches a threshold.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.