Refrigerators typically have a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment. In addition refrigerators may have ice and water features to provide for chilling and dispensing water and making and dispensing ice. The addition of ice and water features presents various problems in different contexts.
For example, one problem is associated with adding ice and water features to a bottom mount refrigerator. In a bottom mount refrigerator, the freezer compartment is positioned below the fresh food compartment. There is a limited amount of useable space in the fresh food compartment and adding ice and water features may reduce the space in the fresh food compartment. One approach to addressing such a problem is to create an in-the-door ice maker/storage system where the cold air is drawn from the freezer compartment. However, there are problems with such an approach. One problem is that cold air stream-based solutions may not provide enough cooling capacity to refrigerator features, whether within the refrigerator or on the door, thus limiting their capacity and performance. Another problem is that air duct gaskets may be required and air leaks may be experienced.
An alternative approach is to provide for secondary cooling within the refrigerator or on the door of the refrigerator. A secondary coolant loop may be used to bring to cold from the freezer compartment to the in-the-door ice maker/storage system. The idea eliminates the potential problems associated with air duct gaskets and air leaks. Yet problems remain with such an approach. In particular, there is the possibility of frost buildup inside the ice maker and ice storage assemblies when the ice maker is not in the freezer compartment, but elsewhere in the refrigerator.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds