US 9,285,151 B2Granted

Refrigerator with temperature control

AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation

InventorsTim L. Coulter, Thomas E. Gose, Steven G. Herndon, James H. Jenkins, Jr., Bill J. Koons, Brent A. Kramer, Scott W. Leimkuehler, Dean A. Martin, Alvin V. Miller, Kevin Lee Noel, Mauro M. Oliveira, Lester J. Ott, Ron S. Paulsen, Chad J. Rotter, David Allen Stauffer, Kyle B. Van Meter, Alan M. Welch, Robert L. Wetekamp

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Abstract

An insulated icemaking compartment is provided in the fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator. The icemaking compartment may be integrally formed with the liner of the fresh food compartment, or alternatively, may be modular for installation anywhere in the fresh food compartment. A removable bin assembly with a front cover normally seals the icemaking compartment to maintain the temperature in the compartment. A cold air duct formed in the rear wall of the refrigerator supplies cold air from the freezer compartment to the icemaking compartment. A return air duct directs a portion of the air from the icemaking compartment back to the freezer compartment. An air vent in the icemaking compartment directs another portion of air into the fresh food compartment. A control system provides for controlling refrigerator functions in a manner that promotes energy efficiency.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A refrigerator, comprising:

a. a refrigerator cabinet;
b. a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet;
c. a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet;
d. an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet and positioned remotely from the freezer compartment, the ice compartment having an ice maker, an ice storage bin, and a variable speed icemaking fan disposed within the ice compartment;
e. an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control temperature in the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment;
f. an ice compartment temperature sensor associated with the ice compartment and electrically connected to the electronic control system;
g. a fresh food compartment temperature sensor associated with the fresh food compartment and electrically connected to the electronic control system;
h. a freezer compartment temperature sensor associated with the freezer compartment and electrically connected to the electronic control system;
i. an ambient temperature sensor electrically connected to the electronic control system;
and
j. wherein the electronic control system generates an electrical cooling instruction for one of the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment, and the ice compartment dependent upon at least two of the sensed temperatures and a stored temperature set point for the said one of the fresh trod compartment, the freezer compartment, and the ice compartment;
k. wherein the electronic control system maintains the ice compartment at a temperature at or below freezing and further wherein the electronic control system adjusts a temperature within the ice compartment by controlling an electronic control damper and the variable speed icemaking fan;
and
l. wherein a position of the electronic control damper and a speed of the variable speed icemaking fan are based, at least in part, on a preprogrammed ice maker state.

11 more elements

A refrigerator, comprising:

a refrigerator cabinet;
a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet;
a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet;
an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet, the ice compartment positioned remotely from the freezer compartment with an ice maker and an ice storage bin disposed within the ice compartment;
an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control temperature in the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment, wherein the electronic control system generates an electrical cooling instruction for one of the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment, and the ice compartment dependent upon at least two of the sensed temperatures and a stored temperature set point for the said one of the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment, and the ice compartment;
and
the electronic control system is further adapted to cycle on and off a cooling system of the refrigerator based on a cut-in temperature and a cut-out temperature associated each of the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment, and the ice compartment and wherein the electronic control system is further adapted to adjust the delta between cut-in temperature and the cut-out temperature during operation of the refrigerator to thereby improve temperature performance and energy efficiency of the refrigerator;
wherein the electronic control system maintains the ice compartment at a temperature at or below freezing and further wherein the electronic control system adjusts a temperature within the fresh food compartment by controlling a variable speed icemaking fan disposed within the ice compartment and an electronic control damper selectively controlling an airflow from the ice compartment to the fresh food compartment.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/830,227Filed 14 Mar 2013 · continuation
Priority: 18 May 2005
Published: US 2013/0199230 A18 Aug 2013
Granted: 15 Mar 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification35 codes

F25C 1/04
Producing ice: by using stationary moulds
B23P 15/26
Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass: heat exchangers or the like
F25C 1/00
Producing ice
F25C 5/24
Distributing ice: for storing bins

Family

Application11/131,701Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 May 2005
Application11/139,237Parent of this continuation · filed 27 May 2005
Application11/421,800Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Jun 2006
US 7,284,390 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Oct 2007
US 7,337,620 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Mar 2008
US 2013/0199230 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Aug 2013
US 8,695,370 B2Parent of this continuation
Application11/139,237Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2006/0260345 A1Published application
US 2006/0260347 A1Published application
US 2006/0260350 A1Published application
US 9,285,151 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.