Abstract: A control assembly for a compact refrigeration unit and the like includes a display panel, a control board having an LED and a switch pad, a flexible extension extending between the switch and the display panel, and a mount supporting the display panel and control board and having a switch support laterally restraining the flexible extension and an open ended light guide directing light from the LED to the display panel. The mount can be a monolithic structure having a switch support and light guide for each of multiple switches and LEDs. The mount includes a removable back cover that clamps the control board in place.

Abstract: A drawer refrigerator has a partitioned cabinet with one or more pull-out drawers. The pull-out drawer(s) can have an adjustable divider fence for dividing the storage space of the drawer. The divider fence can have two dividers each defined by two spaced apart elongated rods that are coupled together at a hub and have end pieces with flat surfaces that abut inside surfaces of the drawer walls. A hand operated screw knob mounted to the hub can be used to lock the position of the divider fence.

Abstract: A wine cooler unit has a refrigerated cabinet housing two pull-out assemblies, each having a door panel and one or more wine racks. One rack can be mounted to the door panel, and one or more follower racks can be extended and retracted by movement of the door panel mounted rack, or by independent manual movement thereof. Two or more racks can be pulled out from the cabinet in a staggered or cascading fashion in which an upper rack extends from the cabinet to a lesser extent than a next lower rack to provide access to the bottles on each rack. The door panels can be made of a glass thermopane allowing visual inspection of the contents inside the cabinet. The cabinet can be cooled by a refrigeration system having two evaporators, which provide two independent cooling zones, one for each pull-out assembly. A capacitance-operated control can be provided under the glass front of one door panel for controlling the temperature zones inside the cabinet.

Abstract: A combination refrigerator/freezer unit with an insulated cabinet defining a refrigerator section, a freezer section and at least one air passage between the freezer section and refrigerator section. A single evaporator is disposed in the freezer section. A controller controls operation of the refrigeration system. The controller receives input signals from freezer and refrigerator sensors and controls the refrigeration system to pass refrigerant to the evaporator in the freezer section according to at least one temperature parameter of the refrigerator section sensed by the refrigerator sensor.

Abstract: A cooling unit apparatus and method for controlling a defrost cycle using a multi-parameter defrost control system. The unit includes a refrigeration assembly with a compressor and an evaporator, a defrost temperature sensor that senses a temperature related to the defrost cycle, a controller configured to control a defrost cycle based on an elapsed defrost time and the defrost temperature. The controller is programmed with a defrost set point and a maximum defrost time. The controller ends the defrost cycle when the elapsed defrost time is greater than the maximum defrost time or when the defrost temperature is greater than the defrost set point, whichever occurs first.

Abstract: A clear ice maker unit has a clear ice maker mechanism with a cascading water evaporator configured to make clear ice during ice making cycles. A controller uses fuzzy logic to control the clear ice maker and determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle based on input signals from a thermistor in the ice storage bin. The controller will prevent initiation of an ice making cycle when the ice bin is at or below a threshold temperature. The controller will also prohibit ice making when the ice bin is at or below a second, slightly higher temperature for more than a prescribed period of time. In this way, the clear ice maker can recognize an uneven distribution of ice and maintain an optimal amount of ice in the bin.

Abstract: A cooling unit with a refrigeration assembly including an evaporator and an insulated cabinet including an ice maker chamber that is cooled by the evaporator. The cooling unit includes an ice maker mechanism disposed in the ice maker chamber, the ice maker mechanism including an ice mold with cavities, an ice mold heater, ejector blades, and strippers. The ice maker mechanism can produce ice and eject the ice into an ice bin within the cabinet during a plurality of ice ejection cycles. The ice is ejected by energizing the mold heater and rotating the plurality of ejector blades through the plurality of cavities. A controller tracks an elapsed time since a previous ice ejection cycle and prohibits a next ice ejection cycle when the elapsed time is below a prescribed time period. A next ice ejection cycle is also prohibited when an ice mold thermistor is below a threshold temperature.

Abstract: A cooling unit has a refrigeration control system configured to receive coded user inputs to control functions of the unit. The coded user input is a combination of at least two user inputs and evokes a command signal in the control system that is different from either of the command signals corresponding to the constituent user inputs. The constituent user input signals come from input to different control buttons. The coded user input signal comes from input to a combination of the different control buttons, for example, a hold input to one button and a monetary touch or repeated touching input to another button.

Abstract: A cooling unit includes a cabinet with a cooling chamber, a refrigeration system including an evaporator mounted, a compressor, a condenser, and a controller for controlling the cooling unit. The controller has a memory, a processor and an output interface. The controller monitors at least one parameter of the cooling unit, logs in the memory data corresponding to the at least one parameter, and outputs the logged data via the output interface. The cooling unit can include a sensor that monitors a parameter that is logged in memory. The sensor can be a temperature sensor. The logged data can be compared to stored error conditions to detect whether an error condition has occurred. If an error condition has occurred, an error code is logged in memory and can be outputted via the output interface.

Abstract: A drawer refrigerator, including an evaporator, compressor and condenser, has a partitioned cabinet with two vertically stacked pull-out drawers having drawer bins. A single evaporator is located adjacent both drawer cavities and is partitioned to keep the temperature in both drawer bins approximately equal. The pull-out drawers can have a bottle bin with recesses holding the necks of wine, soda or like bottles. The bottle bin slides on the top edges of the drawer bin at its sides and can be moved front to back. The pull-out drawers can have an underside compartment opening at both sides of the drawer containing a removable storage bin. The pull-out drawers can also have an adjustable divider fence with pairs of lateral and transverse divider rods extending between the side walls and between the door panels and the rear walls of the drawer bins. The rods are coupled by a hub having a hand operated screw knob for locking the position of the fence.

Abstract: A cooler unit has a control housing that is mounted to a floor of a cabinet liner that is sloped in a downward direction toward the opening of the cooler unit. The control housing retains consumable items that are stored on the floor of the cabinet liner so that the items do not fall out of the cooler unit. Particularly, the control housing can retain wine bottles. The control housing houses a controller that controls the operation of the cooler unit. The control housing can include a display and user inputs so that a user can easily manage the cooler unit.

Abstract: A cooler unit has improved control components. The cooler unit includes a digital control unit with a circuit board having high-voltage components and a display. The refrigeration also includes a control housing with a display window, the display positioned to be seen through the display window and covered by a display cover positioned within the display window. The display cover serves to mechanically and electrically isolate the display. The control housing is mounted to a floor of a cabinet liner that is sloped in a downward direction toward the opening of the cooler unit, the control housing retains food and beverage items that are stored on the floor of the cabinet liner so that the items do not exit fall out of the cooler unit.

Abstract: A drawer refrigeration unit provides two distinct zones of cooling in a single cabinet for two pull-out drawers. The refrigeration system includes an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser. The single evaporator system is aided by a damperless air circulation system to maintain the temperature zones at a temperature differential that is at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The present invention can thus be used as a combination refrigerator and freezer drawer unit using only one evaporator in a cross-ventilated cabinet.

Abstract: A drawer refrigerator, including an evaporator, compressor and condenser, has a partitioned cabinet with two vertically stacked pull-out drawers having drawer bins. A single evaporator is located adjacent both drawer cavities and is partitioned to keep the temperature in both drawer bins approximately equal. The pull-out drawers can have a bottle bin with recesses holding the necks of wine, soda or like bottles. The bottle bin slides on the top edges of the drawer bin at its sides and can be moved front to back. The pull-out drawers can have an underside compartment opening at both sides of the drawer containing a removable storage bin. The pull-out drawers can also have an adjustable divider fence with pairs of lateral and transverse divider rods extending between the side walls and between the door panels and the rear walls of the drawer bins. The rods are coupled by a hub having a hand operated screw knob for locking the position of the fence.