Variable position air damper for a refrigerator
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25D-017/04
F25D-011/02
출원번호
US-0047923
(2011-03-15)
등록번호
US-8794019
(2014-08-05)
발명자
/ 주소
Kuehl, Steven John
Guarino, James Charles Leslie
출원인 / 주소
Whirlpool Corporation
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
1인용 특허 :
6
초록▼
A refrigerator, including a cabinet having top, bottom, rear and opposing side walls that collectively define a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment, employs a cooling system and an air plenum to deliver a cooling air flow into the freezer and fresh food compartments. The air plenum incl
A refrigerator, including a cabinet having top, bottom, rear and opposing side walls that collectively define a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment, employs a cooling system and an air plenum to deliver a cooling air flow into the freezer and fresh food compartments. The air plenum includes a variable position air damper having a first, substantially straight portion and a second arcuate portion that forms an air scoop. The air damper is slidably mounted within the air plenum between first and second positions. The variable position air damper is selectively arranged in the first position to efficiently deliver a volume of the cooling air flow into the freezer compartment, the second position to deliver the cooling airflow into the fresh food compartment or in an infinite number of intermediate positions to deliver the cooling airflow into both compartments.
대표청구항▼
1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet having top, bottom, and opposing side walls that collectively define a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment;a cooling system for developing and delivering a cooling air flow for the freezer and fresh food compartments;an air plenum interconnecting
1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet having top, bottom, and opposing side walls that collectively define a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment;a cooling system for developing and delivering a cooling air flow for the freezer and fresh food compartments;an air plenum interconnecting the cooling system, freezer compartment and fresh food compartment;a fresh food plenum including an inlet portion, an outlet portion and an intermediate portion, said outlet portion leading to the fresh food compartment; andan air damper slidably mounted for linear movement within the air plenum, said air damper including an arcuate portion defining an air scoop, said air scoop constituting the inlet portion of the fresh food plenum and being slidably re-positionable to selectively: enable the cooling air flow into the freezer compartment while blocking the cooling air flow from entering the fresh food plenum and the fresh food compartment in a first position; block the cooling air flow from entering the freezer compartment while redirecting the cooling air flow along the air scoop and into the fresh food compartment in a second position; and enable the cooling air flow to be delivered into both the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment in at least one position between the first and second positions. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a drive motor, said drive motor being operated to position the air damper. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising: a freezer compartment temperature sensor;a fresh food compartment temperature sensor;a plurality of control elements for selecting a desired temperature in each of the freezer and fresh food compartments; anda control unit operatively connected to the freezer compartment temperature sensor, the fresh food compartment temperature sensor, the plurality of control elements and the drive motor, said control unit activating the drive motor to selectively position the air damper based on a sensed cooling need in each of the freezer and fresh food compartments. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air plenum includes an inlet portion, an outlet portion and a damper portion located between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, said air damper being arranged in the damper portion of the air plenum. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air damper includes a static portion and a sliding portion that collectively define the fresh food plenum. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the static portion includes a guide track, said sliding portion being selectively shifted along the guide track. 7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a door pivotally mounted at a passage disposed between the freezer and fresh food compartments to selectively enable cold air to pass from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compartment, said arcuate portion of the air damper being operatively connected to the door through a linkage. 8. A method of delivering a cooling air flow from a cooling system to one or both of a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment in a refrigerator comprising: sensing a need for cooling in at least one of the freezer and fresh food compartments;activating a cooling system to generate a cooling air flow;selectively re-positioning an air damper, including an arcuate portion forming an air scoop at an inlet thereof, along a linear path in an air plenum interconnecting the cooling system, the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment;guiding the cooling air flow based on the sensed need for cooling into one of the group consisting of: the freezer compartment, while blocking the cooling air flow from being redirected by the air scoop into the fresh food compartment; the fresh food compartment, while blocking the cooling air flow into the freezer compartment; and both the freezer and fresh food compartments. 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: activating a drive motor to slide the air damper between a first position wherein cooling air is directed into the freezer compartment, a second position wherein cooling air is directed into the fresh food compartment, and a plurality of intermediate positions wherein cooling air is directed into both the freezer and fresh food compartments. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the air damper is re-positioned through a linkage connected to a door pivotally mounted at a passage between the freezer and fresh food compartments. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the air damper slides along the linear path in unison with the pivoting of the door. 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the air damper is manually re-positioned. 13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cooling air flow leaves the cooling system, travels though the air plenum, and is then selectively delivered by the air damper. 14. The method according to claim 8, wherein guiding the cooling air flow occurs after the cooling airflow leaves the cooling system and travels through the air plenum, and prior to entering any of the freezer compartment, the fresh food compartment, or both the freezer and fresh food compartments. 15. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet having top, bottom, and opposing side walls that collectively define a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment;a cooling system for developing and delivering a cooling air flow for the freezer and fresh food compartments;an air plenum interconnecting the cooling system, freezer compartment and fresh food compartment; andan air damper slidably mounted for linear movement within the air plenum, said air damper including an inlet at a first end thereof, an outlet at a second end thereof and an arcuate portion defining an air scoop, the air scoop being located at the first end and slidably re-positionable from a first state in which the air scoop is positioned to enable the cooling air flow to enter the freezer compartment, while preventing the cooling air flow from passing along the scoop into the fresh food compartment, to a second state in which the air scoop is positioned to block the cooling air flow from entering the freezer compartment, while redirecting the cooling air flow along the air scoop and into the fresh food compartment, said air scoop also being slidably re-positionable between the first state and the second state so that the cooling air flow is delivered to both the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
Williams Stephen G. (Ohio Township ; Warrick County IN) Guess Ronald W. (Scott Township ; Vanderburgh County IN) Cook Lori A. (Scott Township ; Vanderburgh County IN), Air baffle for a refrigerator.
Elsom Kyle B. (Cedar Rapids IA) Vandarakis Toni L. (Iowa City IA) Klemmensen Ramon L. (Cedar Falls IA), Air flow control for multi-port refrigerator duct.
Linstromberg William J. (Lincoln Township ; Berrien County MI) Janke Donald E. (Benton Township ; Berrien County MI), Power switch and baffle assembly for a refrigerator.
Chae, Su Nam; Kim, Kyeong Yun; Lee, Jang Seok; Oh, Min Kyu; Lee, Youn Seok, Refrigerator having cold air generating compartment and machine room positioned at upper portion of cabinet.
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