Refrigerator temperature control system incorporating freezer compartment temperature sensor
US6006531A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 5, 1998 |
| Grant date | Dec 28, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 5, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S236/19
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A refrigerator temperature control system includes a passageway for delivering a supply of cooling air from a freezer compartment to a fresh food compartment. A diverter member is positioned about the passageway in the freezer compartment for channeling the air through the passageway. A freezer compartment temperature sensor is routed from a temperature control unit in the fresh food compartment, through a bore formed in an insert which defines the air passageway, into a specialized chamber formed as part of the diverter member. The chamber is in fluid communication with the flow of air to the fresh food compartment through a bleed hole. To increase its surface area, the sensor is preferably coiled within the chamber and an insulation jacket extends about the sensor from within the fresh food compartment, with the insulation jacket creating a seal within the bore. In addition, a supporting sleeve extends about the sensor between the temperature control unit and the coiled portion of the sensor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.