Secondary cooling path in refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the refrigerator wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path. A pump is positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path. A tube having a first end proximate the pump and an opposite end exposed to atmosphere may control suction pressure associated with the pump. The refrigerator reduces frost build up through configuration of the secondary cooling path or performing ice harvesting operations which melt frost. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating hot liquid. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating liquid coolant during a power outage.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment; a fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment; a compartment positioned remotely from the freezer compartment, the compartment comprising an icemaker and an ice storage area; a secondary cooling path in thermal contact with the icemaker and a heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment, the secondary cooling path comprising a liquid coolant, wherein the liquid coolant removes heat from the icemaker via thermal contact, and wherein the heat exchanger removes heat from the liquid coolant; and a venting conduit connected to the secondary cooling path downstream of the heat exchanger wherein the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to an atmosphere.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the compartment positioned remotely from the freezer compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door and wherein the liquid coolant fluidly moves within the secondary cooling path to remove heat from the icemaker via thermal contact and also release heat to the heat exchanger.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 further comprising a pump, wherein the pump is positioned outside of freezer compartment and along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path to drive a fluid movement of the liquid coolant within the secondary cooling path.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the ice storage area is an ice bin and wherein the refrigerator further comprises a pump positioned outside of the freezer compartment and along the secondary cooling path in fluid connection with the liquid coolant to drive flow of the liquid coolant.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the compartment positioned remotely from the freezer compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door.

6. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein a standby power source is operably connected to the pump and causing the pump to be operable when a power outage occurs to the refrigerator.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the ice storage area is an ice bin and the heat exchanger is an evaporator and wherein the liquid coolant cools the icemaker and the ice bin.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 further comprising a hot liquid defrost system having a three way valve upstream of the pump and downstream from the heat exchanger that switches between allowing the coolant to flow through the secondary cooling path and allowing a hot liquid to flow through the secondary cooling path.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a hot liquid defrost system having a three way valve upstream of a pump and downstream from the heat exchanger that switches between allowing the coolant to flow through the secondary cooling path and allowing a hot liquid to flow through the secondary cooling path.

10. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the icemaker is a defrost device and is at a lower temperature than the ice storage area to thereby attract moisture to the icemaker and reduce frost within the ice storage area.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the compartment further comprises a fan that, when on, circulates cold air from the icemaker into the ice storage area and the compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the venting conduit is a tube that is vertically oriented relative to the secondary cooling path at a location where the venting conduit is connected to the secondary cooling path.

13. An appliance comprising: a cabinet comprising a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the fresh food compartment having a fresh food compartment door; a compartment positioned outside of the freezer compartment, the compartment comprising an icemaker and an ice storage area; a secondary cooling path in thermal contact with the icemaker and a heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment, the secondary cooling path comprising liquid coolant, wherein the liquid coolant removes heat from the icemaker via thermal contact, and wherein the heat exchanger removes heat from the liquid coolant; and a venting conduit connected to the secondary cooling path downstream of the heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment wherein the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to an atmosphere.

14. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the compartment further comprises a fan that, when on, circulates cold air from the icemaker into the ice storage area and the compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door.

15. The appliance of claim 13, further comprising a pump, wherein the pump is positioned outside of freezer compartment and along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path.

16. The appliance of claim 15, wherein the venting conduit is upstream of the pump.

17. An appliance comprising: a refrigerator cabinet comprising a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment; a fresh food compartment door for providing access to the fresh food compartment; a compartment positioned remotely from the freezer compartment, the compartment comprising an icemaker; a secondary cooling path in thermal contact with the icemaker and a heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment, the secondary cooling path comprising liquid coolant configured to flow within the secondary cooling path such that the liquid coolant removes heat from the icemaker via thermal contact and the heat exchanger removes heat from the liquid coolant; and a venting conduit connected to the secondary cooling path and downstream of the heat exchanger disposed within the freezer compartment wherein the venting conduit has a first end disposed within the freezer compartment and a second end exposed to an atmosphere.

18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the compartment is an ice compartment that comprises the icemaker and an ice bin and wherein the compartment further comprises a fan that, when on, circulates cold air from the icemaker into the ice bin and the compartment is positioned within the fresh food compartment door.

19. The appliance of claim 17 further comprising a pump positioned outside of freezer compartment and along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path.

20. The appliance of claim 19, wherein the venting conduit is upstream of the pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bottom mount refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with the first fresh food compartment door open and showing an ice compartment positioned at the door.

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 showing a secondary cooling path where a liquid coolant is used.

(4) FIG. 4 is diagram showing air flow from the freezer compartment through the ice compartment and to the fresh food compartment.

(5) FIG. 5 is a diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 showing a secondary cooling path where either a liquid coolant or a hot liquid may be used.

(6) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a power source electrically connected to a pump for operating the pump during a power outage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a refrigerator 10. The refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerator housing or cabinet 12. A first fresh food compartment door 14 and a second fresh food compartment door 16 provide access to a fresh food compartment 18. A freezer door 20 provides access to the freezer compartment 22. The refrigerator 10 is shown in a bottom mount configuration in that the freezer compartment 20 is positioned below the fresh food compartment 18. An ice and water dispenser 24 is positioned on the first fresh food compartment door 14. Note that the ice and water dispenser 24 is positioned remotely from the freezer compartment 20.

(8) FIG. 2 illustrates the refrigerator 10 of FIG. 1 with the first fresh food compartment door 14 in an open position. An ice compartment 30 is shown positioned at the first refrigeration compartment door 14. The ice compartment 30 includes a direct contact ice maker 32 and an ice storage area or ice bin 34.

(9) FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a secondary cooling path 38. The freezer compartment 22 is shown which provides for cooling coolant within the secondary cooling path 38. The secondary cooling path 38 extends from a pump 42 along a coolant line 44 through the ice maker 32, forming one or more loops 48 proximate the ice maker and forming one or more loops 50 proximate the ice bin and back to the freezer compartment where a heat exchanger 40 formed from one or more loops is provided. Also shown in FIG. 3 is a fan 46 associated with the ice compartment 30. There is also a tube 54 with a top end 56 and a bottom end 58. The top end 56 of the tube 54 is exposed to the atmosphere while the bottom end is in the freezer compartment 22. In order to avoid vacuum in the suction side of the pump 42, the tube 54 which may be a small vertical tube is provided before the pump 42. This results in the system having one atmospheric pressure at the suction pressure.

(10) The ice maker 32 shown in FIG. 3 may also be used as a defrost device. The secondary cooling path 38 may provide for circulation in a manner that results in the ice maker 32 being the coldest place in the ice compartment 30 and thereby attracts moisture to its body. During an ice harvesting operation, frost which may have accumulated on the ice compartment 30 due to the moisture will melt due to the intense heat that is used in the ice harvesting process. Therefore, the ice maker 32 becomes a defrost device. To maintain the ice storage area or ice bin 34 below freezing, a small fan 46 may be used to circulate small amounts of cold air from the ice maker 32 into the ice bin 34 keeping the ice bin 34 both cold and dry.

(11) FIG. 4 illustrates another configuration for reducing frost buildup. In FIG. 4, a refrigerator 10 has a fresh food compartment 18 positioned above a freezer compartment 22. An ice compartment 30 is positioned remotely from the freezer compartment such as at a door providing access to the fresh food compartment 18. There are one or more air ducts 70 which bring cold air from the freezer compartment to the ice compartment 30. After cooling in the ice compartment 30, this air may leave the ice compartment such as through an opening or outlet port 72. Thus cold air from the freezer compartment 22 is routed to the ice compartment 30 first so as to keep the ice compartment 30 cold and dry. This cold air is not necessary for making ice as a direct contact ice maker is used as previously explained. The cold air from the freezer compartment 30 has an extremely low absolute humidity and therefore is able to absorb moisture from the ice compartment 30 before going back into the fresh food compartment 18 and eventually returning to the freezer compartment 22.

(12) When a secondary cooling path is used with a coolant, a hot liquid defrost system may also be implemented. As shown in FIG. 5, a three-way valve 62 may be used to switch between coolant and a hot liquid. A coolant container 60 is shown as well as a hot liquid container 64 which may be heated with a heat exchanger 66. During hot operation, the liquid is heated in a heat exchanger 66 that may be placed outside the refrigerator. The heat source can be the heat rejected from the condenser of the refrigerator or simply an electric heater. The hot liquid may be circulated to the ice compartment 30 for hot liquid ice harvesting thereby providing a low voltage approach to having an ice compartment in the door.

(13) Another advantage that can be realized from the secondary cooling path relates to extended cold operation of the refrigerator. As shown in FIG. 6, when a power outage is experienced, a battery or other stand by power source 70 may drive the pump 42 to thereby provide for cooling of the ice compartment 30 and the fresh food compartment 18.

(14) The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, contemplates numerous variations, options, and alternatives. For example, variations in the configuration of the refrigerator, variations in the type of liquid coolant, variations in the secondary cooling path, variations in the manner in which frost buildup is reduced, variations in the type of stand-by power source where used, and other variations, options and alternatives are within the spirit and scope of the invention.