Convertible refrigerator/freezer

Abstract

A refrigerator provides for flexibility in the allocation of refrigerator space. The refrigerator includes multiple compartments. Each of the compartments can be convertible or resizable between a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment. Preferably, each compartment is independently temperature controlled. To resize the compartments, positionable separators can be used.

1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a refrigerator cabinet;    at least one door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet for providing access to inside of the refrigerator cabinet;    a first compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;    a second compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;    wherein at least one of the first compartment and the second compartment is convertible between a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1  further comprising a moveable separator between the first compartment and the second compartment adapted for placement in one of a plurality of positions to alter a size of the first compartment and a size of the second compartment.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1  further comprising a first damper associated with the first compartment and a second damper associated with the second compartment.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1  further comprising a first cold control associated with the first compartment and a second cold control associated with the second compartment.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4  wherein the first cold control and the second cold control are electrically connected to a SPDT switch.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1  further comprising a refrigerant system comprising a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporation loop.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6  further comprising a first damper associated with the first compartment and a second damper associated with the second compartment wherein the refrigerant system provides cool air and the first damper controls airflow into the first compartment and the second damper controls airflow into the second compartment.  
   
   
       8 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a refrigerator cabinet;    at least one door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet for providing access to inside of the refrigerator cabinet;    a first compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;    a second compartment disposed within the refrigerator compartment;    a refrigerant system disposed within the refrigerator cabinet adapted to provide cooled air;    a first damper to selectively provide the cooled air to the first compartment;    a second damper to selectively provide the cooled air to the second compartment.    
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8  further comprising a control system operatively connected to the refrigeration system, the first damper and the second damper.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9  wherein the control system is adapted to evaluate temperature associated with the first compartment and temperature associated with the second compartment and to selectively open and close the first damper and the second damper.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator of  claim 9  wherein the control system maintains the first compartment at a first temperature and the second compartment at a second temperature, the first temperature being independent of the second temperature.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator of  claim 8  further comprising a separator between the first compartment and the second compartment and positionable in a plurality of locations to adjust a size of the first compartment and a size of the second compartment.  
   
   
       13 . In a refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet, a door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerant system adapted for providing cooled air and disposed within the cabinet, and a first compartment and a second compartment, an improved control system comprising a first damper associated with the first compartment for providing the cooled air to the first compartment; a second damper associated with the second compartment for providing the cooled air to the second compartment.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13  wherein temperature of the first compartment is independent of the second compartment such that the first compartment and the second compartment are independently convertible between food storage at a temperature above freezing and freezer storage at a temperature below freezing.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator of  claim 13  wherein the control system further comprises an intelligent control.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15  wherein the intelligent control is adapted to evaluate temperature of the first compartment and temperature of the second compartment.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16  wherein the intelligent control is further adapted to control the refrigerant system, the first damper and the second damper based on the temperature of the first compartment and the temperature of the second compartment.  
   
   
       18 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a refrigerator cabinet;    at least one door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet for providing access to inside of the refrigerator cabinet;    a removable and repositionable separator adapted to divide an interior of the refrigerator cabinet into multiple convertible compartments.    
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18  further comprising a plurality of dampers for selectively providing cooled air to the interior of the refrigerator cabinet.  
   
   
       20 . In a refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet, at least any door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet, an improved interior to the refrigerator cabinet, said improved interior comprising a plurality of size adjustable and convertible compartments.  
   
   
       21 . The refrigerator of  claim 20  further comprising a repositionable separator for altering the size of at least two of the plurality of size adjustable and convertible compartments.  
   
   
       22 . A refrigerator adapted for providing a user flexibility in allocation of refrigerator space comprising: 
 a refrigerator cabinet;    at least one door operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet to provide access to the refrigerator space wherein the refrigerator space is divided into multiple compartments through at least one positionable separator;    wherein each of the compartments is convertible.