초록 ▼

A refrigerator having a crisper pan with a back passageway that is always open and a front passageway that is adjustable so that the operator can adjust the amount of flow through ventilation to control the humidity in the pan. The lid for the pan also functions as a refrigerator shelf and the back

A refrigerator having a crisper pan with a back passageway that is always open and a front passageway that is adjustable so that the operator can adjust the amount of flow through ventilation to control the humidity in the pan. The lid for the pan also functions as a refrigerator shelf and the back passageway is defined by a gap between the lid and the back of the pan. The front passageway is defined by a front lid plenum having a floor with a plurality of ports. A slide gate positioned in the plenum has a plurality of windows which, by sliding laterally in the plenum, can be made to respectively align with the ports to enable flow through ventilation. Full or partial sealing of the ports is provided by sliding the slide gate laterally to alter the alignment of the windows with the ports.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A container for providing a relatively high humidity storage region in a refrigerator compartment, comprising: a drawer having a bottom, side walls, a back wall, and a front wall, the top of each of said side walls having a flanged lip; a cover adapted for mounting horizontally near the botto

1. A container for providing a relatively high humidity storage region in a refrigerator compartment, comprising: a drawer having a bottom, side walls, a back wall, and a front wall, the top of each of said side walls having a flanged lip; a cover adapted for mounting horizontally near the bottom of said refrigerator compartment, said cover having underside parallel slide channels for receiving said lips wherein said drawer is slidably engageable in said slide channels to a closed position underneath said cover; said cover extending rearwardly past said back wall of said drawer in said closed position; a continuously open passageway under said cover into the back of said container for receiving natural convection air from said refrigerator compartment in said closed position; and said cover having a shuttered front port for providing an operator controllable front passageway from said container wherein the amount of flow-through ventilation of said natural convection air through said container between said back and front passageways is operator adjustable. 2. The container recited in claim 1 wherein said cover has a lateral rib extending down behind the top of said back wall of said drawer, said continuously open back passageway passing through the space between said rib and said back wall of said drawer. 3. The container recited in claim 2 wherein there is a gap between said back wall of said drawer and a horizontal section of said cover, said continuously open back passageway also passing through said gap. 4. The container recited in claim 1 wherein said shuttered front port comprises a horizontal port having a laterally slidable gate comprising a horizontal plate having at least one window adapted for slidably aligning with said port to provide said front passageway. 5. A crisper chamber for providing a relatively high humidity storage region in a refrigerator compartment, comprising: a crisper pan having a bottom, side walls, a back wall, and a front wall, said side walls having outwardly extending lips; a lid adapted for mounting horizontally near the bottom of said refrigerator, said lid having parallel underside slide channels for receiving said lips and supporting said crisper pan underneath said lid; said lips of said pan being slidable in said slide channels to a closed position wherein said pan is underneath said lid; said back wall of said pan being spaced from said lid in said closed position defining a continuously open back passageway from said refrigerator compartment into said crisper chamber for receiving natural convection air; said lid having a front passageway from said crisper chamber wherein flow-through ventilation of said natural convection air through said chamber from said back passageway to said front passageway is provided for reducing the humidity in said crisper chamber; said front passagway comprising a plenum in said lid between said chamber and said compartment, said plenum having a horizontally disposed port communicating from said plenum to said compartment; and operator actuable means for closing said front passageway to adjust or eliminate said flow-through ventilation of said natural convection air, said closing means comprising a laterally slidable gate for sealing said port. 6. The chamber recited in claim 5 wherein said lid defines a horizontal shelf for supporting objects in said refrigerator compartment. 7. The chamber recited in claim 5 wherein said slidable gate comprises a plate having at least one window adapted for slidably aligning with said port to provide said front passageway. 8. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerated food compartment comprising side walls, a back wall, a floor, a ceiling and a front door; means for introducing cold air into said food compartment adjacent to said ceiling through said back wall, said cold air flowing down along said back wall and up along said front door by natural convection; a high humidity chamber positioned adjacent to said floor for storing food within said refrigerated food compartment, said chamber comprising a horizontal shelf having parallel underside front-to-back guide channels; said chamber further comprising a pan having parallel rims with flanges for slidably engaging said guide channels, said pan being slidable in said channels between a back closed position underneath said shelf wherein said shelf provides a cover for said pan and a front open position used for accessing the interior of said pan from its top side; said chamber having a continuously open back passageway communicating from said refrigerated food compartment to said chamber when said pan is in said closed position for receiving said natural convection air; said shelf having a front passageway for providing flow through ventilation of said chamber by said natural convection air flowing in said back passageway and out said front passageway, said flow through ventilation removing moisture from said chamber; and means for adjusting the size of said front passageway independently from said back passageway to control said flow through ventilation of said chamber. 9. The refrigerator recited in claim 8 wherein said adjusting means comprises means for sealing said front passageway. 10. The refrigerator recited in claim 8 wherein said back passageway defines a gap between said back wall of said pan and said shelf in said closed position. 11. The refrigerator recited in claim 8 wherein said front passageway defines a plenum between said chamber and said compartment, said plenum having a horizontal port communicating with said compartment, said adjusting means comprising a lateral slide gate for sealing said port. 12. The refrigerator recited in claim 8 wherein said shelf has a lateral rib extending down behind the back of said pan, said back passageway comprising a space between said rib and said back of said pan. 13. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerated food compartment comprising side walls, a back wall, a floor, a ceiling and a front door; means for introducing cold air into said food refrigerated food compartment adjacent to said ceiling through said compartment back wall, said cold air flowing down along said compartment back wall and up along said front door by natural convection; a crisper pan having a bottom, side walls, a back wall and a front wall, each of said pan side walls having a flanged lip; a shelf horizontally mounted in said refrigerated food compartment adjacent to said floor, said shelf having a pair of underside front-to-back slide channels for slidably receiving said flanged lips wherein said crisper pan is suspended underneath and covered by said shelf in a closed position; said back wall of said pan being spaced from said shelf in said closed position providing a continuously open back passageway for receiving said natural convection air; said shelf having a front plenum communicating with the interior of said pan, said plenum having at least one horizontal port communicating to said refrigerated food compartment thereby defining a front passageway from said pan through said plenum and into said refrigerated food compartment by way of said port wherein said natural convection air flows into said pan through said back passageway and out of said pan through said front passageway; and an operator actuable horizontal slide shutter for opening and closing said port to control the flow through ventilation of said pan. 14. The refrigerator recited in claim 13 wherein said shelf has a lateral rib extending down behind said back wall of said pan. 15. The refrigerator recited in claim 13 wherein said plenum has a plurality of ports communicating to said refrigerated food compartment and wherein said slide shutter has a plurality of windows adapted for respectively aligning with said ports in one slide position of said slide shutter.