Refrigerator appliance having a rotating compartment liner separating a freezer and a convertible chamber

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a primary chilled chamber and a compartment liner dividing the primary chilled chamber into a freezer chamber and a convertible chamber. The compartment liner is rotatable for accessing the freezer chamber and a door is rotatably mounted to the compartment liner for accessing the convertible chamber. The freezer chamber and the convertible chamber have approximately the same storage volume and are cooled using a single sealed system.

1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising;
 a cabinet defining a primary chilled chamber;   a compartment liner rotatably mounted to the cabinet, the compartment liner dividing the primary chilled chamber into a first chilled chamber and a second chilled chamber when in a closed position, the compartment liner being movable to an open position to provide selective access to the first chilled chamber, the compartment liner comprising a flange that extends outward along all sides of the compartment liner, the flange defining a rear sealing surface that seals against the cabinet in the closed position;   a door rotatably mounted to the compartment liner for providing selective access to the second chilled chamber, the door sealing against a front sealing surface of the flange in the closed position; and   a rear access door rotatably mounted to the compartment liner to provide selective access to the second chilled chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first chilled chamber is a freezer compartment and the second chilled chamber is a convertible compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 2 , wherein a temperature in the convertible compartment is adjustable between 0° F. and 60° F. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first chilled chamber is maintained at a first temperature and the second chilled chamber is maintained at a second temperature, the second temperature being at least 30° F. higher than the first temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first chilled chamber defines a first depth measured along the transverse direction and the second chilled chamber defines a second depth measured along the transverse direction, the second depth being greater than 50% of the first depth. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the first depth is substantially equivalent to the second depth. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first chilled chamber defines a first storage volume and the second chilled chamber defines a second storage volume, wherein the second storage volume is greater than 60% of the first storage volume. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the first storage volume is substantially equivalent to the second storage volume. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the rear access door is transparent. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment liner and the door extends across an entire width and an entire height of the cabinet and the door extends across an entire width and an entire height of the compartment liner. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first chilled chamber and the second chilled chamber are cooled using a single sealed system. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining a primary chilled chamber;   a compartment liner rotatably mounted to the cabinet, the compartment liner dividing the primary chilled chamber into a freezer chamber and a convertible chamber when in a closed position, the compartment liner being movable to an open position to provide selective access to the freezer chamber, the compartment liner comprising a flange that extends outward along all sides of the compartment liner, the flange defining a rear sealing surface that seals against the cabinet in the closed position;   a door rotatably mounted to the compartment liner for providing selective access to the convertible chamber, the door sealing against a front sealing surface of the flange in the closed position:   a rear access door rotatably mounted to the compartment liner to provide selective access to the convertible chamber; and   a sealed system positioned within the primary chilled chamber for directly cooling the freezer chamber, the freezer chamber being in fluid communication with the convertible chamber through a flow control device.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the flow control device is a set of louvres positioned on the compartment liner. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein a temperature in the convertible compartment is adjustable between 0° F. and 60° F. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the freezer chamber defines a first depth measured along the transverse direction and the convertible chamber defines a second depth measured along the transverse direction, the second depth being greater than 50% of the first depth. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the first depth is substantially equivalent to the second depth. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the freezer chamber defines a first storage volume and the convertible chamber defines a second storage volume, wherein the second storage volume is greater than 60% of the first storage volume. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the first storage volume is substantially equivalent to the second storage volume. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment liner comprises a layer of insulation within walls of the compartment liner. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the compartment liner comprises a layer of insulation within walls of the compartment liner.