Refrigeration appliance with conduit system in fluid communication with both refrigeration compartment and freezer compartment

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance includes: (a) a cabinet including (i) a vacuum insulated structure at least partially defining a refrigeration compartment and a freezer compartment and (ii) a conduit system in fluid communication with both the refrigeration compartment and the freezer compartment; (b) a refrigeration door coupled to the cabinet, the refrigeration door manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position where the refrigeration door denies access to the refrigeration compartment from an external environment and (ii) an open position where the refrigeration door allows access to the refrigeration compartment from the external environment; and (c) a refrigeration door coupled to the cabinet, the refrigeration door manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position where the refrigeration door denies access to the refrigeration compartment from an external environment and (ii) an open position where the refrigeration door allows access to the refrigeration compartment from the external environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigeration appliance comprising:
 a cabinet comprising (i) a vacuum insulated structure at least partially defining a refrigeration compartment and a freezer compartment and (ii) a conduit system in fluid communication with both the refrigeration compartment and the freezer compartment;   a refrigeration door coupled to the cabinet, the refrigeration door manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position where the refrigeration door denies access to the refrigeration compartment from an external environment and (ii) an open position where the refrigeration door allows access to the refrigeration compartment from the external environment; and   a freezer door or drawer coupled to the cabinet, the freezer door or drawer manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position where the freezer door denies access to the freezer compartment from the external environment or a storage compartment of the drawer is disposed within the freezer compartment and (ii) an open position where the freezer door allows access to the freezer compartment from the external environment or the storage compartment of the freezer drawer is at least partially withdrawn from the freezer compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein
 the vacuum insulated structure comprises (i) a refrigeration inner liner at least partially defining the refrigeration compartment, (ii) a freezer inner liner at least partially defining the freezer compartment, and (iii) an outer wrapper that at least partially envelopes both the refrigeration inner liner and the freezer inner liner but is separated therefrom by a contiguous space; and   the conduit system allows air to flow from the freezer compartment, through the freezer inner liner, through the contiguous space, through the outer wrapper, alongside the outer wrapper, through the contiguous space again, and then through the refrigeration inner liner into the refrigeration compartment.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 2 , wherein
 the refrigeration inner liner is disposed above the freezer inner liner.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 2 , wherein
 the contiguous space further separates the refrigeration inner liner from the freezer inner liner.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 2 , wherein
 the refrigeration inner liner comprises an aperture that is aligned with an aperture of outer wrapper, and   the conduit system extends through the apertures of the refrigeration inner liner and the outer wrapper that are aligned.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 5 , wherein
 the vacuum insulated structure further comprises a refrigeration passthrough disposed within the apertures of the refrigeration inner liner and the outer wrapper, forms an air-tight seal against the refrigeration inner liner and the outer wrapper, and extends through the contiguous space between the apertures; and   the conduit system comprises an aperture that extends through the refrigeration passthrough.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 2 , wherein
 the freezer inner liner comprises an aperture that is aligned with an aperture of outer wrapper, and   the conduit system extends through the apertures of the freezer inner liner and the outer wrapper that are aligned.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 7 , wherein
 the vacuum insulated structure further comprises a freezer passthrough disposed within the apertures of the freezer inner liner and the outer wrapper, forms an air-tight seal against the freezer inner liner and the outer wrapper, and extends through the contiguous space between the apertures; and   the conduit system comprises an aperture that extends through the freezer passthrough.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 2 , wherein
 the refrigeration inner liner comprises an aperture that is aligned with a first aperture of the outer wrapper;   the vacuum insulated structure further comprises a refrigeration passthrough disposed within the aperture of the refrigeration inner liner and the first aperture of the outer wrapper, forms an air-tight seal against the refrigeration inner liner and the outer wrapper, and extends through the contiguous space;   the freezer inner liner comprises an aperture that is aligned with a second aperture of outer wrapper;   the vacuum insulated structure further comprises a freezer passthrough disposed within the aperture of the freezer inner liner and the second aperture of the outer wrapper, forms an air-tight seal against the freezer inner liner and the outer wrapper, and extends through the contiguous space; and   the conduit system comprises (a) an aperture of the refrigeration passthrough, (b) an aperture of the freezer passthrough, and (c) a tube comprising (i) a first end that terminates within the aperture of the refrigeration passthrough or proximate the refrigeration passthrough within the refrigeration compartment and (ii) a second end that terminates within the aperture of the freezer passthrough or proximate to the freezer passthrough within the freezer compartment.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cabinet further comprises a refrigeration evaporator disposed within the refrigeration compartment; and   the conduit system comprises a refrigeration tube positioned to direct condensate collected from the refrigeration evaporator from the refrigeration compartment to outside of the refrigeration compartment.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cabinet further comprises a freezer evaporator disposed within the freezer compartment; and   the conduit system comprises a freezer conduit positioned to direct condensate collected from the freezer evaporator from the refrigeration compartment to outside the freezer compartment.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cabinet further comprises a drain pan, and   the conduit system is in further fluid communication with the drain pan.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cabinet further comprises a machine room, and   the conduit system terminates within the machine room.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 13 , wherein
 the vacuum insulated structure is disposed above the machine room.   
     
     
         15 . A refrigeration appliance comprising:
 a cabinet comprising
 a vacuum insulated structure comprising
 a refrigeration inner liner at least partially defining a refrigeration compartment and comprising an aperture, 
 a freezer inner liner at least partially defining a freezer compartment and comprising an aperture, and 
 an outer wrapper that at least partially envelopes both the refrigeration inner liner and the freezer inner liner but is separated therefrom by a contiguous space, the outer wrapper comprising (i) a first aperture that is aligned with the aperture through the refrigeration inner liner and (ii) a second aperture that is aligned with the aperture through the freezer inner liner, 
 
 a refrigeration evaporator disposed within the refrigeration compartment, 
 a freezer evaporator disposed within the freezer compartment, and 
 a conduit system comprising
 a refrigeration conduit comprising (i) a first portion positioned to accept condensate collected from the refrigeration evaporator, (ii) a body extending from the first portion, through the aperture of the refrigeration inner liner, through the contiguous space between the refrigeration inner liner and the outer wrapper, and through the second aperture of the outer wrapper, and (iii) a second portion disposed external to an outer surface of the outer wrapper, and 
 a freezer conduit comprising (i) a first portion positioned to accept condensate collected from the freezer evaporator, (ii) a body extending from the first portion, through the aperture of the freezer inner liner, through the contiguous space between the freezer inner liner and the outer wrapper, and through the second aperture of the outer wrapper, and (iii) a second portion disposed external to the outer surface of the outer wrapper, 
 
   wherein, the refrigeration conduit and the freezer conduit are fluidly coupled external to the outer surface of the outer wrapper.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a refrigeration door coupled to the cabinet, the refrigeration door manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position where the refrigeration door denies access to the refrigeration compartment from an external environment and (ii) an open position where the refrigeration door allows access to the refrigeration compartment from the external environment; and 
 a freezer door or drawer coupled to the cabinet, the freezer door or drawer manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position where the freezer door denies access to the freezer compartment from the external environment or a storage compartment of the drawer is disposed within the freezer compartment and (ii) an open position where the freezer door allows access to the freezer compartment from the external environment or the storage compartment of the freezer drawer is at least partially withdrawn from the freezer compartment. 
 
     
     
         17 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 16 , wherein
 as the refrigeration door is manipulated from the closed position to the open position, air flows (i) from the freezer compartment and into the freezer conduit, (ii) from the freezer conduit and into the refrigeration conduit, and (iii) from the refrigeration conduit and into the refrigeration compartment.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 15 , wherein
 the vacuum insulated structure further comprises a refrigeration passthrough within the aperture of the refrigeration inner liner and the first aperture of the outer wrapper, the refrigeration passthrough forming an air-tight seal against the refrigeration inner liner and the outer wrapper and extending through the space between the refrigeration inner liner and the outer wrapper;   the body of the refrigeration conduit extends through the refrigeration passthrough;   the vacuum insulated structure further comprises a freezer passthrough within the aperture of the freezer inner liner and the second aperture of the outer wrapper, the freezer passthrough forming an air-tight seal against the freezer inner liner and the outer wrapper and extending through the space between the freezer inner liner and the outer wrapper; and   the body of the freezer conduit extends through the freezer passthrough.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 15 , wherein
 the refrigeration inner liner is disposed above the freezer liner, and   the refrigeration conduit and the freezer conduit become fluidly coupled elevationally below the second aperture of the outer wrapper.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigeration appliance of  claim 15 , wherein
 the conduit system further includes a drain conduit comprising (i) a first end fluidly coupled to the refrigeration conduit and the freezer conduit and (ii) a second end in fluid communication with a drain pan.