Refrigerator appliances having multiple freezer chambers

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance is generally provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet extending along a vertical direction from an upper portion to a lower portion. The cabinet may also extend along a transverse direction from a rear portion to a front portion. The cabinet may define a plurality of operably-independent chilled chambers and, optionally, a modular ice making assembly.

1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a transverse direction, and a lateral direction defining a mutually orthogonal direction system, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet extending along the vertical direction from an upper portion to a lower portion, the cabinet extending along the transverse direction from a rear portion to a front portion, the cabinet defining a plurality of operably-independent chilled chambers, the plurality of operably-independent chilled chambers comprising
 a top freezer chamber positioned at the upper portion and accessible through a top freezer opening at the front portion, 
 a fresh food chamber positioned below the top freezer chamber and accessible through a middle fresh food opening at the front portion, and 
 a bottom freezer chamber positioned at the lower portion below the fresh food chamber and accessible through a bottom freezer opening at the front portion; and 
   a modular ice making assembly comprising
 a housing slidably mounted within the top freezer chamber, 
 an icemaker enclosed within the housing, and 
 a cavity door fixed to the housing and selectively movable between a covered position restricting access to the ice storage cavity and an uncovered position permitting access to the ice storage cavity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a top door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to selectively move between an open position permitting access through the top freezer opening and a closed position restricting access to the top freezer chamber;   a middle door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to selectively move between an open position permitting access through the middle fresh food opening and a closed position restricting access to the fresh food chamber; and   a bottom door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to selectively move between an open position permitting access through the bottom freezer opening and a closed position restricting access to the bottom freezer chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the top door comprises a pair of top French doors, wherein the middle door comprises a pair of middle French doors, and wherein the bottom door comprises a pair of bottom French doors. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 2 , wherein each door comprises a perimeter gasket to sealingly engage the cabinet in a closed position and isolate a corresponding chilled chamber from the other chilled chambers. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the top door, the middle door, or the bottom door comprises a pair of French doors rotatably mounted to the cabinet to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position permits access to the top door, the middle door, or the bottom door, and wherein the closed position restricts access to the top door, the middle door, or the bottom door. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the top freezer chamber comprises a first top freezer compartment and a second top freezer compartment operably-independent of the first top freezer compartment. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom freezer chamber comprises a first bottom freezer compartment and a second bottom freezer compartment operably-independent of the first bottom freezer compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet extends along the lateral direction between a first side portion and a second portion, and wherein the fresh food chamber extends in the lateral direction from the first side portion to the second side portion. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the modular ice making assembly comprises a dispenser actuator mounted to the housing to selectively dispense ice from the ice storage cavity. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a transverse direction, and a lateral direction defining a mutually orthogonal direction system, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet extending along the vertical direction from an upper portion to a lower portion, the cabinet extending along the transverse direction from a rear portion to a front portion, the cabinet defining a plurality of operably-independent chilled chambers; and   a modular ice making assembly comprising a housing defining an ice storage cavity and an icemaker enclosed within the housing, the housing and the icemaker enclosed therein being slidably mounted within a complementary portion of one of the operably-independent chilled chambers and selectively removable therefrom, wherein the modular ice making assembly is operable outside of the one of the operably-independent chilled chambers.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of operably-independent chilled chambers comprises
 a fresh food chamber positioned and accessible through a fresh food opening at the front portion, and   a freezer chamber positioned accessible through a freezer opening at the front portion, wherein the freezer chamber defines the complementary portion to selectively receive the modular ice making assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the freezer chamber is a top freezer chamber defined above the fresh food chamber, and wherein the freezer opening is a top freezer opening. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 15 , further comprising a bottom freezer chamber positioned at the lower portion below the fresh food chamber and accessible through a bottom freezer opening at the front portion. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a top door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to selectively move between an open position permitting access through the top freezer opening and a closed position restricting access to the top freezer chamber;   a middle door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to selectively move between an open position permitting access through the middle fresh food opening and a closed position restricting access to the fresh food chamber; and   a bottom door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to selectively move between an open position permitting access through the bottom freezer opening and a closed position restricting access to the bottom freezer chamber.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , further comprising a pair of French doors rotatably mounted to the cabinet to move between an open position permitting access to one or more of the plurality of chilled chambers and a closed position restricting access to the one or more of the plurality of chilled chambers. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the modular ice making assembly comprises a dispenser actuator mounted to the housing to selectively dispense ice from the ice storage cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the modular ice making assembly comprises a cavity door movably mounted to the housing to selectively move between a covered position restricting access to the ice storage cavity and an uncovered position permitting access to the ice storage cavity. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrical plug-socket connection formed between the top freezer chamber and the housing of the modular ice making assembly to couple the modular ice making assembly to a common power source with the cabinet. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , further comprising an electrical plug-socket connection formed between the one of the operably-independent chilled chambers and the housing of the modular ice making assembly to couple the modular ice making assembly to a common power source with the cabinet.