Low energy refrigerator heat source
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorPatrick J. Boarman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator is provided that includes a low energy refrigerator heat source. The refrigerator includes a heat source positioned at a source of latent heat. The heat source harvested heat from the source of latent heat and stores said heat in a fluid within that heat reservoir or heat exchanger. The warmed fluid is then supplied via a fluid pathway to an application requiring a heat output. Thus, the heat reservoir provides heat to the application without use of an energy-consuming device, which reduces the energy consumption of the refrigerator.
Claims20
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet body of one or more exterior walls separating interior space of the refrigerator from ambient air and a door that provides access to the cabinet body;
- a heat reservoir positioned on the one or more exterior walls of the cabinet body at a source of latent heat within an indoor environment, the heat reservoir harvesting heat from the indoor environment's source of latent heat;
- an application having a heat output, the application at a location generally remote from the heat reservoir;
- a liquid pathway disposed in at least a portion of the one or more exterior cabinet walls between the heat reservoir and the application for supplying the heat output at the application from the heat reservoir;
- a pump in operable communication with the liquid pathway for moving liquid through the liquid pathway between the heat reservoir and the application.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet body and a door that provides access to the cabinet body;
- a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet body;
- an application having a heat output associated with an operation of the refrigerator;
- a liquid pathway positioned at a source of latent heat, the liquid pathway between the source of latent heat and the application for supplying the heat output for the operation from the source of latent heat, at least a portion of the liquid pathway is disposed in the door to minimize condensation;
- a pump in operable communication with the liquid pathway for moving the latent heat in liquid through the liquid pathway between the source of latent heat and the application.
A method for using latent heat in a refrigerator, comprising:
- providing a cabinet body with a refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment, one or more doors providing access to the cabinet body, and a heat reservoir disposed on the cabinet body from ambient air surrounding the cabinet body;
- positioning the cabinet body with the heat reservoir indoors where there is a source of latent heat from ambient air surrounding the cabinet body;
- harvesting heat from the source of latent heat surrounding the cabinet body with a liquid;
- moving the liquid through the cabinet body to an application having a heat output;
- supplying the heat output at the application using the latent heat in the liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.