AIRFLOW DIVERTER FOR A COOLING COMPARTMENT

Abstract

An airflow diverter for a cooling compartment. The airflow diverter is disposed between an evaporator outlet and an evaporator inlet of the cooling compartment, which forms a barrier between the evaporator outlet and evaporator inlet by preventing direct flow of air from the evaporator outlet to the evaporator inlet. Because air is prevented from immediately flowing back to the evaporator inlet from the evaporator outlet, the airflow path of cooled air exiting the evaporator outlet is lengthened. As such, the airflow diverter allows cool air to fully circulate within the cooling compartment before returning to the evaporator inlet. This creates a more efficient cooling system and a more uniform temperature within the cooling compartment

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention relates generally to a cooling compartment, and more particularly, to air circulation in a cooling compartment of a cooling appliance.

2. Related Art

Generally, a cooling appliance includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment which are partitioned from each other to store various foods at low temperatures in appropriate states for a relatively long time.

A freezer basket located inside the freezer compartment provides storage space for food items which are to be kept frozen. An evaporator assembly usually located behind the freezer basket is typically mounted to the back wall on the inside of the freezer compartment. The evaporator assembly includes an evaporator inlet and evaporator outlet used in conjunction to circulate the cold air in and around food items located within the freezer basket. Generally, cooled air travels from the evaporator outlet to the evaporator inlet. An evaporator fan of the evaporator outlet blows cold air out of the evaporator assembly into the interior of the freezer compartment where the freezer basket is located. Preferably, the cold air exiting the evaporator outlet fully circulates within the entire freezer compartment before returning to the evaporator assembly through the evaporator inlet.

Unfortunately, cold air exiting the fan cover of the evaporator fan tends to return to the evaporator inlet through the shortest possible airflow path. This creates a problem in conventional freezer compartments because the shortest airflow path between the evaporator outlet and inlet avoids complete circulation throughout the entire freezer compartment, which prevents adequate airflow within the freezer basket. The airflow path in conventional freezers creates a “short-circuit” between the evaporator outlet and inlet.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate different views of a conventional freezer compartment 304. FIG. 8 shows a freezer basket 50 and an evaporator assembly 40 including an evaporator outlet 42 and evaporator inlet 44. A conventional “short-circuit” airflow path 300 between the evaporator outlet 42 and evaporator inlet 44 is illustrated in FIG. 8. Short-circuit airflow path 300 displays a short airflow path between the evaporator outlet 42 and evaporator inlet 44. FIG. 9 illustrates the “short circuit” airflow path 300 within the overall “short-circuit” air circulation pattern 301. As seen in FIG. 9, there is a high occurrence of stagnant air and much of the interior of basket 50 does not receive airflow.

This occurs because nothing in conventional freezer compartment 304 provides a barrier that prevents cooled air exiting evaporator outlet 42 from traveling directly to evaporator inlet 44. Therefore, cooled air in conventional freezer compartment 304 is able to flow directly from evaporator outlet 42 to evaporator inlet 44 through, for example, air gap 30 which exists between conventional basket 50 and back wall 26 (FIG. 9). Cooled air exiting conventional evaporator outlet 42 is not diverted into basket 50 before returning to evaporator inlet 44. Therefore, the cooling capacity of conventional freezer compartment 304 is lessened.

Thus, the short-circuit airflow path caused by the configuration of conventional freezers prevents effective cooling of many food items located within the freezer basket. As a result, the energy efficiency of conventional freezers and cooling compartments with similar configurations is compromised.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As described herein, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention overcome one or more of the above or other disadvantages known in the art.

An aspect of the present invention relates to an airflow diverter for a cooling compartment. The cooling compartment includes a plurality of walls, one of the walls having an evaporator outlet and an evaporator inlet. An airflow diverter is disposed between the evaporator outlet and the evaporator inlet.

The airflow diverter forms a barrier between the evaporator outlet and the evaporator inlet by preventing direct flow of air from the evaporator outlet to the evaporator inlet. Because air entering the cooling compartment is prevented from immediately flowing back to the evaporator inlet, the airflow path of cooled air exiting the evaporator outlet is lengthened. As such, a more efficient cooling system for a cooling compartment is provided because air can fully circulate within the cooling compartment before returning to the evaporator inlet. The airflow diverter also creates a more uniform temperature when used in a cooling compartment.

These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. Moreover, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made briefly to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a cooling appliance having as an element thereof an embodiment of an airflow diverter;

FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with the access doors of the fresh food compartment being in an open position and the drawer for the freezer compartment being removed for clarity to better show an embodiment of the airflow diverter positioned between an evaporator outlet and an evaporator inlet;

FIG. 3 is a partial, perspective view of a freezer compartment of a cooling appliance in which an embodiment of the airflow diverter of FIG. 2 is implemented;

FIG. 4 is a view cross-sectional view of the freezer compartment of FIG. 3, taken along line A-A;

FIG. 5 is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 with arrows added to illustrate an improved airflow path made possible through implementation of the airflow diverter of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a partial, perspective view of the freezer compartment of FIG. 3 illustrating the improved airflow path of FIG. 5 within the overall improved circulation pattern made possible through implementation of the airflow diverter of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a partial, perspective view of an exemplary freezer compartment illustrating a cross-section of an exemplary improved airflow pattern made possible through implementation of an airflow diverter in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional, side view of a conventional freezer compartment illustrating the “short-circuit” airflow path which occurs without the use of an airflow diverter; and

FIG. 9 is a partial, perspective view of the conventional freezer compartment of FIG. 8 illustrating the short-circuit airflow path of FIG. 8 within the overall short-circuit circulation pattern which occurs without the use of an airflow diverter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a cooling appliance 100, such as a refrigerator, a freezer, a chiller, and the like, having as an element thereof an embodiment of an airflow diverter that, when implemented as shown and described, provides improved cooling within one or more compartments 102, 104 formed in a body 106 of the cooling appliance 100. The body 106 of the cooling appliance 100 includes opposing sidewalls 123 coupled with a top wall 122, a bottom wall 124 and a back wall (226 in FIG. 2). The cooling appliance 100 described above is coolable by a conventional vapor-compression temperature control circuit (not shown).

In one embodiment, the freezer compartment 104 and the fresh food compartment 102 are arranged in a bottom mount configuration in the body 106 of the cooling appliance 100 such that the freezer compartment 104 is disposed or arranged beneath or below the fresh food compartment 102. Although the cooling appliance 100 in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 is shown as the “bottom freezer” type, the teaching of the description set forth above is applicable to other types of cooling appliances, including but not limited to, side-by-side refrigerator/freezers. Embodiments of the present invention are therefore not intended to be limited to any particular type or configuration of a cooling appliance, except those having an evaporator outlet proximate an evaporator inlet, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and further described below.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the fresh food compartment 102 is shown with French doors 134 and 135, but a single access door can be used instead of the French doors 134, 135. Optionally, French door 134 (or 135) may contain a water and/or ice dispenser 115 on the front of the door as shown. The access door 132 and the French doors 134, 135 close frontal access openings of the freezer compartment 104 and the fresh food compartment 102, respectively. Each French door 134, 135 is mounted to the main body 106 by a top hinge 136 and a corresponding bottom hinge 137, thereby being rotatable about its outer vertical edge between an open position for accessing the respective part of the fresh food compartment 102, as shown in FIG. 2, and a closed position for closing the respective part of the fresh food compartment 102, as shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, when an access door 132 is used for the freezer compartment 104, it is rotatably mounted to the main body 106 in a known fashion. When a drawer is used for the freezer compartment 104, it is slidably received in the freezer compartment 104 in a known fashion.

FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective view of the cooling appliance 100 of FIG. 1 with the access doors of the fresh food compartment 102 being in an open position and the drawer for the freezer compartment 104 being removed for clarity. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 106 has a top wall 122 that connects the two sidewalls 123 to each other at the top edges thereof. A mullion 125 connects the two sidewalls 123 to each other and separates the fresh food compartment 102 from the freezer compartment 104. The main body 106 also has a bottom wall 124, which connects the two sidewalls 123 to each other at the bottom edges thereof. The main body 106 further comprises a back wall 226 that connects the top wall 122, the two sidewalls 123 and the bottom wall 124. The back wall 226 of the freezer compartment 104 contains the evaporator outlet 242, which is positioned proximate an evaporator inlet 244. An airflow diverter 260 is positioned in contact with the back wall 226 in order to provide a barrier between the evaporator outlet 242 and the evaporator inlet 244 that causes air expelled from the evaporator outlet 242 to be circulated within a food storage basket (250 in FIG. 3) and/or the compartment 104 before reaching the evaporator inlet 244. In other words, the airflow diverter 260 is configured to prevent the direct flow of air from the evaporator outlet 242 to the evaporator inlet 244. Thus, the airflow diverter 260 forms a barrier between the evaporator outlet 242 and evaporator inlet 244 that prevents most or all of the air expelled from the evaporator outlet 242 from directly entering the evaporator inlet 244.

FIG. 3 is a partial, perspective view of a freezer compartment 104 of a cooling appliance 100 in which an embodiment of the airflow diverter 260 of FIG. 2 is implemented. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the freezer compartment 104 of FIG. 3, taken along line A-A. Together, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate how embodiments of an airflow diverter 260 are positioned relative to various components of a cooling appliance, such as, but not limited to an evaporator assembly 240 and a food storage basket 250.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in an embodiment of the present invention, an evaporator assembly 240 is mounted in, coupled with, and/or integrally formed with the back wall 226 inside the freezer compartment 104. In addition or alternatively, evaporator assembly 240 may be disposed at least partially within an evaporator compartment 210. In another embodiment, as mentioned above, the evaporator assembly 240 may be mounted in, coupled with, and/or integrally formed with either sidewall 123. The evaporator assembly 240 comprises at least an evaporator 246, evaporator outlet 242, and an evaporator inlet 244. The evaporator assembly 240 may also comprise an evaporator fan 245. Evaporator fan cover 243, which covers evaporator fan 245, is affixed to, coupled with, and/or integrally formed with back wall 226 inside freezer compartment 104. An icemaker 270 may be optionally located within the freezer compartment 104.

Turning back to FIG. 3, a removable basket 250 made of a suitable material is positioned inside the freezer compartment 104. Non-limiting examples of such a material include but are not limited to plastic, wire, metal and/or combinations thereof. Basket 250 is used for the storage of food items and is slideable along the bottom wall 124 inside the freezer compartment 104. In an embodiment of the present invention, the interior of basket 250 is defined by solid bottom and side surfaces. Alternatively, ventilation slits may be formed on a portion of any or all side surfaces 252, 253, 256 of basket 250, as shown in FIG. 3. One or more side surfaces 252, 253, 256 of basket 250 may have an edge 254, 251 disposed orthogonally thereto. In the case of a wire basket 250, one or more objects may be used to further define, surround, and/or enclose the back, sides and bottom of basket 250. If a wire basket 250 is in a fully loaded condition, however, further defining the surfaces of wire basket 250 may not be necessary. In another embodiment of the present invention, when a drawer is used for the freezer compartment 104, the basket 250 may comprise the drawer. In that case, one of the side surfaces of basket 250 is defined by access door 132 (FIG. 1).

In one embodiment, at least one airflow diverter 260 is located within the freezer compartment 104. In an alternative embodiment, at least one airflow diverter may be positioned within the fresh food compartment 102 between an evaporator outlet 242 and an evaporator inlet 244 when the evaporator outlet and evaporator inlet 244 are both positioned in/on the same back wall 226 or side wall 123.

With respect to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, airflow diverter 260 is shown and described in relation to the back surface 256 of basket 250 and wall 226. For example, airflow diverter 260 of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 links the back surface 256 of basket 250 to wall 226 in order to form a barrier between the evaporator outlet 242 and evaporator inlet 244. However, other embodiments of the airflow diverter 260 can be utilized to link any basket surface 252, 253, 256 and/or edge 254, 251 with its respective compartment 104 wall 123, 226 (or door 132).

Preferably, when the top of basket 250 is disposed at a height between that of the evaporator inlet 244 and the bottom of evaporator fan cover 243, airflow diverter 260 links the upper edge 251 (FIG. 3) of the back surface 256 of the freezer basket 250 with the back wall 226.

In an embodiment, the top surface of airflow diverter 260 angles up from basket 250 to the wall having the evaporator outlet 242 and evaporator inlet 244. FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment wherein the airflow diverter 260 angles up to link upper edge 251 (FIG. 3) of the back surface 256 of basket 250 to the back wall 226, proximate the basket 250 back surface 256, at the height on the back wall 226 where the bottom of evaporator fan cover 243 and the back wall 226 meet.

In another embodiment, an airflow diverter 260 may additionally or alternatively link either or both basket 250 side surfaces 253 to their proximate, respective sidewalls 123 inside the freezer compartment 104. In those cases, it may be appropriate to use the upper edge(s) 254 of the side surface(s) 253 as a linkage point. Depending on where in the freezer compartment the evaporator assembly 240 is installed, it may even be appropriate to implement an airflow diverter 260 to link the front surface 252 of basket 250 with the interior surface of the access door 132 located inside the freezer compartment 104 when the access door 132 is closed.

In one embodiment, the airflow diverter 260 is a solid substrate, but in other embodiments, the substrate that forms the airflow diverter 260 may be hollow. Non-limiting examples of such a substrate include but are not limited to plastic and/or metal. Although FIG. 3 shows airflow diverter 260 having a rectangular shape, in varying embodiments of the present invention, airflow diverter 260 may be alternatively shaped as a rectangular tube, a triangular tube, or any other shape which can effectively link the back surface 256 of basket 250 to back wall 226 and minimize or eliminate air gaps between the basket 250 and the back wall 226.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of an improved airflow path 200 of cool air exiting the evaporator outlet 242. This exemplary airflow path 200 is made possible through the implementation of an airflow diverter 260 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Without the airflow diverter 260, most of the cold air from the evaporator outlet 242 would return directly to the evaporator inlet 244 without first circulating within the remainder of the food storage compartment 104.

As seen in FIG. 5, air introduced from evaporator inlet 244 into evaporator compartment 210 is cooled by evaporator 246 of evaporator assembly 240. While a portion of the cooled air travels into the fresh food compartment 102 (not shown), evaporator fan 245 blows cooled air through from evaporator compartment 210 through evaporator outlet 242 into freezer compartment 104 via openings in evaporator fan cover 243. Airflow diverter 260, acting as a barrier preventing the direct flow of air from the evaporator outlet 242 to the evaporator inlet 244, streamlines cooled air exiting the evaporator fan cover 243 into basket 250. The cooled air of airflow path 200 inside basket 250 then flows in a circular pattern, dispersing air throughout the interior of basket 250 before returning to evaporator inlet 244 via air gap 220 located below basket 250.

As the cool air of airflow path 200 circulates throughout the freezer compartment 104, heat is exchanged between the contents of freezer compartment 104 and the cool air of airflow path 200. Cooling of freezer compartment 104 is most efficient when the maximum amount of heat is exchanged between cool air exiting evaporator outlet 242 and the contents of freezer compartment 104. The longer the airflow path 200, the more heat exchanged. Therefore, it is desirable to force cold air exiting evaporator outlet 242 into the longest possible airflow path before returning back to evaporator inlet 244. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the exemplary airflow diverter 260 lengthens the airflow path of cooled air exiting the evaporator outlet 242 by preventing the “short-circuit” between the conventional evaporator outlet 42 and evaporator inlet 44 illustrated in FIG. 8.

FIG. 6 further illustrates the improved airflow path 200 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 within an exemplary overall improved air circulation pattern 201. Comparing FIG. 6 to FIG. 9, exemplary air circulation pattern 201 of the present invention indicates a higher degree of air circulation throughout the entire freezer compartment 104 and specifically within basket 250 as compared to that provided by the conventional “short-circuit” air circulation pattern 301. Furthermore, FIG. 9 indicates a much higher occurrence of stagnant air than does the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6.

A cross-section 202 of an exemplary improved air circulation pattern made possible through implementation of an airflow diverter in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 7. As shown, air fully circulates within the freezer compartment 104, specifically within the interior of basket 250 and throughout the bottom of basket 250, before returning to the evaporator inlet. As air warms, it rises up to the top of freezer compartment 104 and also returns to evaporator inlet 244 (not shown) for cooling. Thus, in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, cold air exiting the evaporator outlet 242 is prevented from immediately flowing back to evaporator inlet 244, which provides a cooling capacity superior to that of at least some conventional cooling appliances.

Implementation of an airflow diverter provides a number of advantages over the conventional freezer compartment 304 not utilizing an airflow diverter 260 in accordance with the present invention. For example, less electrical energy is used in freezer compartments 104 in accordance with the present invention to produce the same amount of cooling as conventional freezer compartments 304. Moreover, freezer compartments 104 in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention also afford more comprehensive circulation patterns, which create a more uniform temperature within the freezer compartment 104 whether or not freezer basket 250 is full. When freezer basket 250 is in a lightly loaded condition, improved airflow circulation patterns provided by implementation of airflow diverter 260 allows air to flow around items, cooling freezer compartment 104 and reducing the possibility of stagnant air. When freezer basket 250 is in a heavily loaded condition, airflow diverter 260 forces air to flow over the items in freezer basket 250, which continues to circulate air throughout freezer compartment 104 before returning to evaporator inlet 244.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2-7, the airflow diverter 260 is shown positioned along the back wall 226 of the body 106 of the cooling appliance 100. In other embodiments, such as where the evaporator outlet 242 and the evaporator inlet 244 are disposed on a side wall 123 of the body of a cooling appliance 100, the airflow diverter 260 would be positioned along that sidewall 123 in order to prevent air expelled from the evaporator outlet 242 from bypassing an interior of a food storage basket and/or a central portion of a compartment 102 and/or 104 and flowing directly to the evaporator inlet 244.

An airflow diverter in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is not limited to use in a freezer compartment of a cooling appliance. In fact, an airflow diverter in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in any cooling compartment that utilizes an evaporator outlet and evaporator inlet.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, as used herein, the term “links” and the phrase “airflow diverter 260 links” means at least any of the following and/or combinations thereof: airflow diverter 260 is a separate component that attaches to the back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is a separate component that attaches to the basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is integrally formed with the back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is integrally formed with the basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is mounted on back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is mounted on basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is coupled with back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is coupled with basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is removeably coupled with back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is removeably coupled with basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is bolted to back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is bolted to basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is resting on back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is resting on basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is touching back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is touching basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is connected to back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is connected to basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is resting on back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is resting on basket 250; airflow diverter 260 is glued to on back wall 226; airflow diverter 260 is glued to basket 250. Regardless of the embodiment, the airflow diverter 260 is positioned to separate an evaporator outlet 242 from an evaporator inlet 244, the evaporator outlet 242 and evaporator inlet 244 positioned in/on the same wall 132, 123, 226 of a compartment 102, 104 of a cooling appliance 100, the airflow diverter 260 further positioned to cover a gap between the wall 132, 123, 226 and a side surface 252, 253, 256 and/or an edge 254, 251 of a basket 250 that would otherwise channel air directly from the evaporator outlet 242 to the evaporator inlet 244.

While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims. For example, features of various embodiments/variations can be combined. Thus, while there have shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to various specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results be within the scope of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, that embodiments of the invention be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A cooling compartment, comprising:

a plurality of walls, wherein one of the walls has an evaporator outlet positioned proximate an evaporator inlet; and

an airflow diverter positioned between the evaporator outlet and the evaporator inlet.

2. The cooling compartment of claim 1, wherein:

the airflow diverter is configured to prevent direct flow of air from the evaporator outlet to the evaporator inlet.

3. The cooling compartment of claim 1, further comprising:

a basket positioned inside the cooling compartment,

wherein the airflow diverter links the basket to the one of the plurality of walls that has the evaporator outlet and the evaporator inlet.

4. The cooling compartment of claim 3, wherein:

the basket interior is defined by bottom and side surfaces.

5. The cooling compartment of claim 3, wherein:

ventilation slits are formed on a portion of at least one surface of the basket.

6. The cooling compartment of claim 3, wherein:

a top surface of the airflow diverter angles up from a surface of the basket to the one of the plurality of walls proximate the surface of the basket.

7. The cooling compartment of claim 1, wherein:

the airflow diverter is a solid substrate.

8. The cooling compartment of claim 1, wherein:

a shape of the airflow diverter is one of a rectangle, a rectangular tube, and a triangular tube.

9. The cooling compartment of claim 1, wherein:

the cooling compartment is a freezer compartment of a cooling appliance.

10. A wall for a cooling appliance, the wall comprising:

an evaporator outlet;

an evaporator inlet; and

an airflow diverter positioned between the evaporator outlet and the evaporator inlet,

wherein the evaporator outlet is positioned proximate the evaporator inlet.

11. The wall of claim 10, wherein:

at least one of the evaporator outlet, the evaporator inlet, and the airflow diverter is integrally formed with the wall.

12. The wall of claim 10, wherein:

the airflow diverter forms a barrier between the evaporator outlet and the evaporator inlet.

13. The wall of claim 10, wherein:

the cooling appliance is a freezer.