DELI DRAWER WITH ADJUSTABLE AIRFLOW
An appliance drawer assembly configured to redirect airflow from a cold air dispensing unit. The drawer assembly includes at least one drawer, a top cover, and a pivot assembly. The drawer includes a first and second side wall, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall that together define an open storage area therein. The pivot assembly is configured to pivot the rear wall from a first position to a second position. The pivot assembly can include a grip portion and an arm portion slidably coupled to the top of the first side wall, or a pin coupled to the first side wall to engage the rear wall. The drawer can also include at least one integral scoop.
The present application relates generally to an appliance drawer. More particularly, it relates to an appliance drawer configured to redirect at least some of the airflow from a cold air dispensing unit.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONRefrigeration appliances, such as domestic refrigerators, are often provided with an air distribution system, such as an air duct or an air tower assembly, for the purpose of directing and dispersing cold air into one of the freezer and fresh food compartments. Often, the cold air is directed from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator. In bottom-mount refrigerators, the air tower extends vertically between the lower freezer compartment and the upper fresh food compartment to deliver cold air from an evaporator assembly located in the freezer compartment into the fresh food compartment. The air tower can discharge cold air into the fresh food compartment from one or more openings in the air tower.
In traditional refrigeration appliances, the cool air discharged into the fresh food compartment may not achieve a uniform distribution to every portion of the compartment. For example, drawer assemblies within the fresh food compartment may be relatively warmer than the interior of the main fresh food compartment due to reduced airflow. This can result in various issues, including relatively faster food spoilage stored in the drawer assemblies. Of course, there are other food products that may benefit from reduced airflow, and may degrade if the airflow into the drawer is too strong. Thus, it is desirable to provide a drawer assembly with adjustable airflow.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe following present a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. The summary does not represent an extensive overview of invention, nor is the summary intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. The sole purpose of the summary is to present certain concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the description of the invention that is presented hereinafter.
In accordance with one aspect, an appliance drawer assembly is configured to redirect airflow from a cold air dispensing unit. The appliance drawer assembly comprises at least one drawer including first and second side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall that together define an open storage area therein, wherein the rear wall is moveable relative to the side walls and front wall, and a pivot assembly is configured to pivot the rear wall from a first position to a second position, wherein the second position is relatively farther away from the front wall.
In accordance with a second aspect, a refrigeration appliance comprises a cabinet defining a storage space defined between first and second interior walls, and an interior rear face extending between the first and second interior walls, a drawer assembly including first and second side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall that together define an open storage area therein, wherein the rear wall is pivotally coupled to at least one of the first and second side walls, and the rear wall is located adjacent the interior rear face of the cabinet, a top cover extending over the open storage area, and a pivot assembly configured to pivot the rear wall from a first position to a second position, the second position being relatively farther away from the front wall.
In accordance with a third aspect, a refrigeration appliance comprises a cabinet defining a storage space defined between first and second interior walls, and an interior rear face extending between the first and second interior walls, at least one drawer assembly including first and second side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall that together define an open storage area therein, the rear wall being located adjacent the interior rear face of the cabinet, a top cover extending over the open storage area, and at least one scoop section integral to the rear wall, having a length that measures shorter than an entire length of the rear wall between the first and second side walls.
The foregoing and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Example embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the apparatus and methodology are described and illustrated in the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present disclosure. For example, one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices. Moreover, certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation.
Herein, when a range such as 5-25 (or 5 to 25) is given, this means preferably at least 5 and, separately and independently, preferably not more than 25. In an example, such a range defines independently at least 5, and separately and independently, not more than 25.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. It is to be appreciated that the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale from one figure to another or within a given figure. Also, the sizes of the components are somewhat arbitrarily drawn in order to facilitate an understanding of the drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, but it can be possible in certain instances to practice the present invention without those specific details. Additionally, the examples discussed are not intended to be a limit on the invention. For example, one or more aspects of the disclosed examples can be utilized in other examples and even other types of apparatus and devices.
Referring first to
The fresh food compartment 10 includes a compartment interior, indicated generally at 12, that comprises an interior first side face 14, an interior second side face 16 and an interior rear face 18 extending between the first and second side faces 14, 16. Secured to the back of the fresh food compartment 10 is a cold air dispensing unit 68 that provides cool airflow to the compartment 10. In one example, the cold air dispensing unit 68 is sometimes referred to as an “air tower” since it provides a plenum that contains cold air generated by an evaporator, and discharges the cold air via one or more discharge ducts into the fresh food compartment 10. In one example, as shown here, the air tower is in fluid communication with an evaporator in the bottom freezer compartment, and vertically extends upwards in the fresh food compartment to discharge the cold air. Often, the air tower is located on, in, or extensive with the rear wall of the fresh food compartment (i.e., interior rear face 18 of the liner). There is at least one shelf unit supported within the fresh food compartment 10 at the compartment interior 12. In
Below the at least one shelf unit 20 can be a drawer assembly 28 shown in
As noted above, it is desirable to provide the drawer assembly with adjustable airflow so that the user can enable relatively more or less airflow into the open storage area.
In one embodiment, the pivot assembly 38 includes a grip portion 46 and an arm portion 44 slidably coupled to one of the side walls 30, 32. As shown in
Turning now to
In the example embodiment depicted in
Regardless of the type of pivot assembly, an open position of the rear wall 40 allows more airflow to enter the drawer 28 than when the rear wall 40 is in a closed position. Nevertheless, the closed position can still allow some airflow into the drawer 28 (i.e., see
In one example, the rear wall 40 includes one integral scoop 64 centrally positioned (
In another embodiment, a refrigerator cabinet can accommodate more than one drawer assembly 28. For example, the cabinet can accommodate at least two drawers 28, having a first drawer with one integral scoop 64 and a second drawer with two integral scoops 64, vertically positioned above one another. When positioned in this manner, the drawers 28 create a staggered scoop assembly wherein the scoop sections do not vertically overlap with one another, or if there is overlap, it is minimal. Otherwise stated, the first drawer can be placed above the second drawer, or vice versa, such that the central scoop of the first drawer is positioned in between the two scoops of the second drawer. This arrangement allows for airflow traveling from above the drawer assemblies to be evenly distributed throughout each of the scoops, without one blocking the other.
In a further embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
The door stiffening bracket will be permanently encapsulated within the door after the self-expanding foam has fully cured. Assembling the door stiffening bracket into refrigerators will lead to fewer manufacturing defects. In this way, both manufacturing quality and throughput will be improved.
In yet a further embodiment, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
In the embodiment shown in
The cover assembly is inserted into the refrigerator cabinet by sliding the cover assembly on the rails. In particular, the rail engagement features on the side rails of the cover assembly slide under the sloped lower walls of the rails. The cover assembly is inserted into the refrigerator cabinet until the tabs of the cover assembly are received into the recesses of the front supports (
In a further embodiment, deli/crisper drawers used in French-door bottom mount refrigerators are shown in
Shown in
The elimination of the steel slides in the deli assembly provides a cost reduction compared to the current solution. Another advantage is the removal of all the visible ribs in the side of the deli pan with the addition of the roller track (white component) which contains all of the necessary “rolling” geometry for the wheels. The deli assembly provides a low-cost alternative to the current deli drawer solution, including a clear deli pan as opposed to a white pan. The fascia snaps together with the trim handle as shown in
In yet a further embodiment, the refrigeration appliance can be customizable. In one embodiment, each appliance module is about half the size of a current standard residential refrigerator and is configured to be stackable. These stackable modules can physically connect to another unit on either side, while each having its own cooling system and being completely self-reliant. The modules can be configured to have different functions, such as a freezer, a refrigerator, or any appliance with a temperature anywhere in between along the temperature scale. The modules can also have different types of openings, such as French doors, single drawer, multiple drawers, or a single door. These modules give a user control over the level of customization while minimizing manufacturing costs by designing everything around the same basic platform.
In a further embodiment, the refrigeration appliance includes an insulated cooler integrated with the refrigerator cabinet and cooling system. In one embodiment, the cooler is configured to fit neatly into a slot or housing in the refrigeration compartment, which allows it to function as storage when not being used for its transport capabilities. The cooler can be removed using a latch, which can also release a handle for easy carrying. In one embodiment, cold packs built into the cooler can be chilled, either from cold air from the compartment or by some direct connection with the air tower. In another embodiment, these cold packs can keep the cooler cold during transit. The cooler can remain in the refrigerator as storage meanwhile not taking up any additional space or impairing the functionality of the refrigerator. In this position, the cooler can accept items in advance of transport, and keep them cool and stored. Once the user desires to use the cooler, it can be removed and used in transport without any additional effort.
The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Examples of embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. An appliance drawer assembly configured to redirect airflow from a cold air dispensing unit, said drawer assembly comprising:
- at least one drawer including first and second side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall that together define an open storage area therein, wherein the rear wall is moveable relative to the side walls and front wall;
- and
- a pivot assembly configured to pivot the rear wall from a first position to a second position, wherein the second position is relatively farther away from the front wall.
2. The appliance drawer assembly of claim 1, wherein the drawer assembly further comprises a top cover comprising a shelf assembly.
3. The appliance drawer assembly of claim 1, the pivot assembly comprising a grip portion and an arm portion slidably coupled to the top of the first side wall.
4. The appliance drawer assembly of claim 3, the arm portion comprising a pin fixed to the rear wall configured to pivot the rear wall from the first position to the second position or the second position to the first position.
5. The appliance drawer assembly of claim 1, the pivot assembly comprising at least one pin coupled to the first side wall configured to engage a rear wall projection.
6. The appliance drawer assembly of claim 5, the rear wall projection comprising at least two teeth and at least one notch therebetween.
7. A refrigeration appliance comprising;
- a cabinet defining a storage space defined between first and second interior walls, and an interior rear face extending between the first and second interior walls,
- a drawer assembly including first and second side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall that together define an open storage area therein, wherein the rear wall is pivotally coupled to at least one of the first and second side walls, and the rear wall is located adjacent the interior rear face of the cabinet,
- a top cover extending over the open storage area, and
- a pivot assembly configured to pivot the rear wall from a first position to a second position, the second position being relatively farther away from the front wall.
8. The refrigeration appliance of claim 7, the top cover comprising a shelf assembly.
9. The refrigeration appliance of claim 7, the pivot assembly comprising a grip portion and an arm portion slidably coupled to the top of the first side wall.
10. The refrigeration appliance of claim 9, the arm portion comprising a pin fixed to the rear wall configured to pivot the rear wall from the first position to the second position or the second position to the first position.
11. The refrigeration appliance of claim 7, the pivot assembly comprising at least one pin coupled to the first side wall configured to engage a rear wall projection.
12. The refrigeration appliance of claim 11, the rear wall projection comprising at least two teeth and at least one notch.
13. A refrigeration appliance comprising;
- a cabinet defining a storage space defined between first and second interior walls, and an interior rear face extending between the first and second interior walls,
- at least one drawer assembly including first and second side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall that together define an open storage area therein, the rear wall being located adjacent the interior rear face of the cabinet,
- a top cover extending over the open storage area, and
- at least one scoop section integral to the rear wall, having a length that measures shorter than an entire length of the rear wall between the first and second side walls.
14. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, the top cover comprises a shelf assembly.
15. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, the least one scoop section centrally positioned on the rear wall relative to the first and second side walls.
16. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, the at least one drawer assembly comprising a first and second scoop section positioned integral to the rear wall wherein the first scoop section is adjacent to a first side wall and the second scoop is adjacent to a second side wall.
17. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, the cabinet comprising a first and second drawer assembly wherein a first drawer assembly comprises one centrally located scoop section and a second drawer assembly comprises a first and second scoop section positioned integral to the rear wall wherein the first scoop section is adjacent to a first side wall and the second scoop is adjacent to a second side wall.
18. The refrigeration appliance of claim 17, wherein the first drawer assembly is positioned vertically above the second drawer assembly.
19. The refrigeration appliance of claim 17, wherein the first drawer assembly is positioned vertically below the second drawer assembly.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 10, 2020
Publication Date: Aug 12, 2021
Inventors: Paul Dubina (Anderson, SC), Ricky Burgan (Anderson, SC), Dennis Schenk (Anderson, SC)
Application Number: 16/786,175