MODULAR REFRIGERATOR and ICEMAKER

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a sealed system, a cooling recipient, and a heat pipe. To transport cooling capacity to the cooling recipient, evaporator in the sealed system includes a cold plate section with heat transfer surface. A cold end of the heat pipe is attached to the cold plate section of the evaporator. An internal refrigerating or freezing compartment, an external compartment, an ice maker, or an ice-making cabinet could be a recipient of cooling capacity. Air flowing around a warm end of the heat pipe brings cooling potential to the internal and/or external compartments. Icemaker and/or ice-making cabinet can be located in the freezing compartment, in the freezing compartment door, in refrigerating compartment, or in refrigerating compartment door. To facilitate heat transfer the warm end of the heat pipe is in heat transfer contact with an ice making cavity that receives and freezes water to ice. Depending on design and application an assembly of the cold plate section of the evaporator and the cold end of the heat pipe can be accessible either from inside or from outside of the refrigerator.

What I claim is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator with a refrigerator cabinet, a cooling recipient, control means, and a refrigeration sealed system including:
 a compressor to compress refrigerant vapor;   a condenser to condense vapor refrigerant to liquid;   an expansion device;   an evaporator with a cold plate section to evaporate liquid refrigerant, said cold plate section with a heat transfer surface configured to have refrigerant flow therethrough to absorb heat and wherein liquid refrigerant evaporates;   a heat pipe with a cold end that is in heat transfer contact with the heat transfer surface of the cold plate and a warm end that is in heat transfer communications with the cooling recipient providing cooling to said recipient.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  further comprising an internal cooling compartment inside of the refrigerator cabinet, a door to access to this compartment, and an evaporating section of the evaporator to evaporate a part of liquid refrigerant providing cooling to said cooling compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2  wherein the cooling compartment is a freezing compartment 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2  wherein the cooling compartment is a refrigerating compartment. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  wherein an assembly of the cold plate section of the evaporator and the cold end of the heat pipe is accessible from outside of the refrigerator cabinet. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  wherein an assembly of the cold plate section of the evaporator and the cold end of the heat pipe is accessible from inside of the refrigerator cabinet. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  wherein the cooling recipient is an icemaker. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7  wherein the warm end of the heat pipe is disposed either in the refrigerating compartment or in the door of the refrigerating compartment and wherein either said compartment or said door contains the icemaker. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8  wherein the icemaker includes an ice making cavity for receiving water and freezing water to ice and wherein the warm end of the heat pipe is in heat transfer contact with the ice making cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7  wherein icemaker located either in the freezing compartment or in the door of the freezing compartment and wherein the warm end of the heat pipe is disposed in said compartment or said door. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10  wherein the icemaker includes an ice making cavity for receiving water and freezing water to ice and wherein the warm end of the heat pipe is in heat transfer contact with the ice making cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  wherein the cooling recipient is an internal cooling compartment inside of the refrigerator cabinet. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12  wherein the internal cooling compartment is a refrigerating compartment. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  wherein the cooling recipient is an external cooling compartment. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  wherein the refrigeration sealed system includes a multi-way valve located after the condenser directing refrigerant flow to the evaporating sections. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1  having a fan to enhance heat transfer from the warm end of the heat pipe to the cooling recipient. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16  wherein the cooling recipient is provided with a temperature sensor that sends a signal to stop the fan when the cooling recipient temperature reaches or drops below a set temperature. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 17  wherein the cold plate is provided with a cold plate temperature sensor that sends signals to stop refrigerant flow through the cold plate when the cold plate temperature drops below a predetermined temperature level or derivative of the cold plate temperature change exceeds a predetermined pace of the temperature reduction. 
     
     
         19 . A method for refrigerating, freezing, and ice-making with a refrigerator comprising of a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigeration sealed system, a heat pipe with a cold and a warm ends, and a recipient to be provided with cooling, said refrigeration sealed system consisting of all essential elements of refrigeration sealed systems including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator that includes a cold plate section with a heat transfer surface, said cold plate section is configured to have refrigerant flow there through; the method to transfer cooling potential from the evaporator to the cooling recipient by positioning the cold end of the heat pipe in heat transfer contact with the heat transfer surface of the cold plate and the warm end in heat transfer communications with the cooling recipient.