Demand air door heater for refrigerator
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorRobert E. Porter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigeration system includes a powered barrier or air door that controls air flow between refrigerated compartments. The powered door includes a powered actuator that is electrically connected to and in parallel with an electric heating element configured to melt ice and/or frost that could otherwise interfere with operation of the door. A switch determines if the door is opened or closed and a controller provides electrical power to the powered actuator and the electric heating element until the door shifts to the desired opened or closed position.
Claims20
A refrigeration system, comprising:
- a freezer compartment;
- a refrigerator compartment;
- a powered cooling unit that reduces a temperature of air in the freezer compartment;
- a passageway fluidly interconnecting the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment;
- a first sealing surface extending around at least a portion of the passageway;
- a barrier member that closes off the passageway when in a closed position to thereby prevent air flow from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment, and wherein the barrier member permits air flow from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment when in an open position, and wherein the barrier member defines a surface that faces the passageway when the barrier member is in its closed position, and a second sealing surface extending around the barrier member surface, wherein the first and second sealing surfaces engage one another to prevent air flow past the barrier member when the barrier member is in the closed position;
- an electrically powered actuator that is mechanically connected to the barrier member and shifts the barrier member from the closed position to the open position;
- an electric heating element extending along one of the first and second sealing surfaces;
- a controller that utilizes at least one operating parameter of the refrigeration system as an input to control the electrically powered actuator and the electric heating element, wherein when the barrier is to be opened or closed, the controller activates the powered actuator and the electric heating element simultaneously until the barrier is opened or closed.
A method of controlling air flow between a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment of a refrigeration system, the refrigeration system having a powered cooling unit that reduces a temperature of air in the freezer compartment and a passageway fluidly interconnecting the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment, and a first sealing surface extending around at least a portion of the passageway, the method comprising:
- providing a barrier member that moves between open and closed positions to control air flow between a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment, wherein the barrier member defines a surface that faces the passageway when the barrier member is in its closed position, and a second sealing surface extending around the barrier member surface, wherein the first and second sealing surfaces engage one another to prevent air flow past the barrier member when the barrier member is in the closed position;
- providing an electrically powered actuator that is mechanically connected to the barrier member to move the barrier member from the closed position to the open position;
- providing an electric heating element adjacent the barrier member to melt ice to permit the barrier member to open and/or close;
- providing a sensor indicating if the barrier member is open or closed;
- utilizing an operating parameter of the refrigeration system as a control input to determine when the barrier member is to be opened and closed;
- when the barrier member is to be opened, simultaneously providing electric power to the electrically powered actuator and to the electric heating element until the barrier member is opened;
- and
- when the barrier member is to be closed, simultaneously providing electric power to the electrically powered actuator and the electric heating element until the barrier member is closed.
A refrigeration system, comprising:
- a freezer compartment;
- a refrigeration compartment;
- a passageway between the freezer compartment and the refrigeration compartment;
- an electrically powered door including an electrically powered actuator that opens and closes the door to control air flow through the passageway, the door forming a seal closing off the passageway when the door is in the closed position;
- an electric heating element adjacent the seal, wherein the electric heating element is connected in parallel to the electrically powered door;
- and
- a controller configured to simultaneously supply electrical power to the electrically powered door and the electric heating element based on at least one operating parameter of the refrigeration system, wherein when the barrier is to be opened or closed, the controller activates the powered actuator and the electric heating element simultaneously until the barrier is opened or closed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.