Refrigeration device with a region for storing food items in a generated field

Abstract

Provided is a refrigeration device for storing food within an electric field. The refrigeration device includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment vertically below an elevation of the fresh food compartment. A storage compartment in which a desired temperature for storing food is selectable by a user independently of a target temperature of at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. A refrigeration system provides a cooling effect to the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the storage compartment, and a conductor is arranged within close physical proximity to a bottom surface of the storage compartment. A control system controls delivery of an alternating electric signal to the conductor for generating an electric field that extends into the storage compartment, wherein the alternating electric signal comprises a frequency less than 1 kHz and a voltage greater than or equal to 1 kV.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigeration device for storing food within an electric field, the refrigeration device comprising:
 a fresh food compartment in which food is to be stored within a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above zero degrees Centigrade;   a freezer compartment for storing food in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below zero degrees Centigrade;   a storage compartment in which a desired temperature for storing food in the storage compartment is selectable by a user independently of the target temperature of at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment;   a refrigeration system that is operable to provide a cooling effect to the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the storage compartment;   a conductor arranged within close physical proximity to a bottom surface of the storage compartment; and   a control system that controls delivery of an alternating electric signal to the conductor for generating an electric field that extends into the storage compartment, wherein the alternating electric signal comprises a frequency less than 1 kHz and a voltage greater than or equal to 1 kV.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the desired temperature within the storage compartment is selectable by the user independently of the target temperature in both the fresh food and freezer compartments. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment is partitioned from an interior of the fresh food compartment and accessible via a door that restricts access to the interior of the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigeration device of  claim 3  further comprising a drawer that is removably received within the storage compartment and food to be stored within the storage compartment is to be placed in the drawer. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigeration device of  claim 4 , wherein the conductor is disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of the storage compartment at an elevation vertically beneath an elevation of the drawer received within the storage compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1  further comprising a second conductor arranged within close physical proximity to a top surface of the storage compartment and operatively connected to receive the alternating electric signal controlled by the control system. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigeration device of  claim 6 , wherein the signal delivered to the conductor and the signal delivered to the second conductor are substantially in phase with each other. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is adapted to convert a supply signal having a voltage of approximately 115 V and a frequency of approximately 60 Hz into the alternating electric signal. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigeration device of  claim 8 , wherein the alternating electric signal delivered to the conductor by the control system comprises a voltage within a range from about approximately 1 kV to approximately 10 kV, and a frequency of approximately 60 Hz. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the electric field generated in response to delivery of the alternating electric signal to the conductor has a field strength within a range from about 1 kV/m to about 150 kV/m. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment extends in a transverse direction, a distance that is substantially equal to a width of the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductor is permanently fixed adjacent to the bottom of the storage compartment, and is not removable from the refrigeration device by the user without subjecting the refrigeration device to damage. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductor is coupled to a floor of a drawer that is removably received within the storage compartment, to be removed from and inserted into the storage compartment with the drawer. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductor is substantially planar, and formed from an aluminum alloy comprising aluminum in combination with at least one of magnesium and silicon. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a storage compartment controller provided to the storage compartment that controls operation of the refrigeration system to establish the desired temperature within the storage compartment; and 
 a shield formed from an electrically-conductive material, the shield being arranged relative to the storage compartment controller to shield components of the storage compartment controller and a region outside of the refrigeration device from the field generated via the delivery of the alternating electric signal to the conductor. 
 
     
     
         16 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductor is not grounded to a ground terminal of the control system, and experiences an ungrounded voltage during the delivery of the alternating electric signal to the conductor. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigeration device of  claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment extends in a transverse direction, a distance that is approximately half of a width of the fresh food compartment or less. 
     
     
         18 . A refrigeration device for storing food within an electric field, the refrigeration device comprising:
 a primary food preservation compartment that is dedicated as either:
 a fresh food compartment in which food is to be stored within a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above zero degrees Centigrade, or 
 a freezer compartment for storing food in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below zero degrees Centigrade; 
   a storage compartment in which a desired temperature for storing food in the storage compartment is selectable by a user independently of the target temperature of the primary food preservation compartment;   a refrigeration system that is operable to provide a cooling effect to the primary food preservation compartment and the storage compartment;   a conductor arranged within close physical proximity to a bottom surface of the storage compartment; and   a control system that controls delivery of an alternating electric signal to the conductor for generating an electric field that extends into the storage compartment, wherein the alternating electric signal comprises a frequency less than 1 kHz and a voltage greater than or equal to 1 kV.