Abstract: A soft freeze assembly for a refrigerator including a freezer storage compartment having a first temperature includes a second storage compartment positioned within the freezer storage compartment. A heat source is positioned with respect to the second storage compartment and configured to heat air within the second storage compartment to a second temperature greater than the first temperature within the freezer storage compartment. A controller is in operational control communication with the heat source and configured to operate the heat source.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for filtering and drying a product. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises a container having a plurality of porous walls and a plurality of solid walls that divide the container into a plurality of product chambers, a plurality of vacuum chambers, and, preferably, a plurality of heat transfer chambers. Each product chamber shares at least one porous wall with an adjacent vacuum chamber. Each product chamber preferably shares at least one solid wall with an adjacent heat transfer chamber. According to the method of the present invention, a product is introduced into the product chambers, where the product is held while a substance is filtered from the product through the porous walls and the product is dried by reducing the pressure in the vacuum chambers and the product chambers.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment and an evaporator chamber. Air is circulated between the chamber and each compartment. Air from the fresh food compartment is returned through a return duct. The evaporator has one section in the evaporator chamber and another section in the return air duct so that the fresh food compartment return air passes over both of the evaporator sections while the freezer return air passes over only the evaporator section in the evaporator chamber.