Side-by-side refrigerator appliance with freezer in door

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet that defines a chilled chamber including a fresh food portion a freezer portion. A door is rotatably mounted to the cabinet at a front portion of the chilled chamber. The door rotates between a closed position where the door sealingly encloses the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber and an open position to permit access to the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber. The door also includes an outer casing comprising a thermally insulated wall that defines a freezer chamber and a front panel rotatably mounted to the outer casing of the door such that the front panel of the door permits access to the freezer chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet extending from a top to a bottom along the vertical direction, the cabinet also extending from a left side to a right side along the lateral direction, the cabinet defining a chilled chamber, the chilled chamber extending along the vertical direction between the top and the bottom of the cabinet, along the lateral direction between the left and right sides of the cabinet, and along the transverse direction between a front portion and a back portion, the front portion of the chilled chamber defining an opening for receipt of food items, a partition within cabinet defining a fresh food portion and a freezer portion of the chilled chamber;   a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet at the front portion of the chilled chamber such that the door rotates between a closed position where the door sealingly encloses the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber and an open position to permit access to the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber, the door comprising an outer casing comprising a thermally insulated wall that defines a freezer chamber and a front panel rotatably mounted to the outer casing of the door such that the front panel of the door permits access to the freezer chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the partition is oriented in a plane defined by the lateral and transverse directions. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the freezer portion is positioned below the fresh food portion along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the freezer portion of the chilled chamber is operable at a lower temperature than the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the freezer portion of the chilled chamber defines a height along the vertical direction, the fresh food portion of the chilled chamber defines a height along the vertical direction, and wherein the height of the fresh food portion of the chilled chamber is approximately three times the height of the freezer portion of the chilled chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the freezer chamber extends along the vertical direction from a bottom of the door to a top of the door. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the door is a first door, further comprising a second door mirrored with the first door whereby the first door and the second door cooperatively sealingly enclose the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber when the first door is in the closed position and the second door is in a closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the second door comprises a dispenser recess in an exterior side of the second door, the dispenser recess defining a height along the vertical direction, and wherein the height of the dispenser recess is at least about eight inches. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 8 , further comprising an ice making assembly positioned within a sub-compartment on an interior side of the second door, the ice making assembly in communication with the dispenser recess to provide ice to the dispenser recess. 
     
     
         10 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet extending from a top to a bottom along the vertical direction, the cabinet defining a chilled chamber, the chilled chamber extending along the vertical direction between the top and bottom of the cabinet, the chilled chamber also extending between a front portion and a back portion, the front portion of the chilled chamber defining an opening for receipt of food items, a partition within cabinet defining a fresh food portion and a freezer portion of the chilled chamber; and   a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet at the front portion of the chilled chamber such that the door rotates between a closed position where the door sealingly encloses the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber and an open position to permit access to the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber, the door comprising an outer casing comprising a thermally insulated wall that defines a freezer chamber, and a front panel rotatably mounted to the outer casing of the door such that the front panel of the door permits access to the freezer chamber.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the partition is a horizontal partition extending along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the freezer portion is positioned below the fresh food portion along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the freezer portion of the chilled chamber is operable at a lower temperature than the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the freezer portion of the chilled chamber defines a height along the vertical direction, the fresh food portion of the chilled chamber defines a height along the vertical direction, and wherein the height of the fresh food portion of the chilled chamber is approximately three times the height of the freezer portion of the chilled chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the freezer chamber extends from a bottom of the door to a top of the door and extends from a left side of the door to a right side of the door. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the door is a first door, further comprising a second door mirrored with the first door whereby the first door and the second door cooperatively sealingly enclose the fresh food portion and the freezer portion of the chilled chamber when the first door is in the closed position and the second door is in a closed position. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the second door comprises a dispenser recess in an exterior side of the second door, the dispenser recess defining a height along the vertical direction, and wherein the height of the dispenser recess is at least about eight inches. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 17 , further comprising an ice making assembly positioned within a sub-compartment on an interior side of the second door, the ice making assembly in communication with the dispenser recess to provide ice to the dispenser recess.