REFRIGERATORS WITH HYBRID THERMOELECTRIC AND COMPRESSOR-BASED REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/690,471 filed on Sep. 4, 2024. This provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to refrigerators. More specifically, this disclosure relates to refrigerators with hybrid thermoelectric and compressor-based refrigeration systems.

BACKGROUND

Existing household refrigerators often use compressor-based cooling systems to meet all cooling needs, which can vary significantly in terms of cooling amount, timing, duration, location, and temperature. However, existing household refrigerators may have a cooling capacity designed to handle peak load conditions, such as during initial cool-down (pulldown). In some cases, this results in a cooling capacity that may be two to two and a half times greater than what is useful for typical steady-state operation. An oversized refrigeration system leads to reduced energy efficiency at the system level due to frequent on/off cycling of the compressor and limits the ability to precisely control temperatures in different compartments, containers, or other specific areas within a refrigerator.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to refrigerators with hybrid thermoelectric and compressor-based refrigeration systems.

In a first embodiment, a refrigerator includes a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment, and an ice compartment. The refrigerator also includes at least one evaporator configured to cool at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. The refrigerator further includes a condenser configured to supply a refrigerant to the at least one evaporator and a compressor configured to receive the refrigerant from the at least one evaporator and supply the refrigerant to the condenser. In addition, the refrigerator includes a thermoelectric heat pump system having (i) a first side secondary loop configured to dissipate heat through a heat exchange loop and (ii) a second side secondary loop configured to cool at least one of the fresh food compartment and the ice compartment.

Any single one or any combination of the following features may be used with the first embodiment. The heat exchange loop may be attached to at least one of an inner side of an envelope of the refrigerator, a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and a cold liquid container located within the fresh food compartment. The cold liquid container may be a cold water reservoir for the refrigerator. The thermoelectric heat pump system may be configured to reverse a direction of a polarity of the thermoelectric heat pump system such that the second side secondary loop operates as a defroster for at least one of the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment. The thermoelectric heat pump system may be configured to reverse a direction of a polarity of the thermoelectric heat pump system such that the second side secondary loop operates as an ice harvesting heater. The thermoelectric heat pump system may be configured to cool the fresh food compartment and the ice compartment sequentially. The thermoelectric heat pump system may be configured to cool the fresh food compartment and the ice compartment simultaneously. The refrigerator may include a subcooler configured to be cooled by the thermoelectric heat pump system. The subcooler may be configured to cool the refrigerant supplied by the condenser to the at least one evaporator.

In a second embodiment, a method of operating a refrigerator includes cooling, via a vapor-compression refrigeration system, a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment of the refrigerator. The method also includes cooling, via a thermoelectric heat pump system, at least one of the fresh food compartment or an ice compartment of the refrigerator. The vapor-compression refrigeration system includes at least one evaporator configured to cool at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. The vapor-compression refrigeration system also includes a condenser configured to supply a refrigerant to the at least one evaporator. The vapor-compression refrigeration system further includes a compressor configured to receive the refrigerant from the at least one evaporator and supply the refrigerant to the condenser. The thermoelectric heat pump system includes (i) a first side secondary loop configured to dissipate heat through a heat exchange loop and (ii) a second side secondary loop configured to cool the at least one of the fresh food compartment and the ice compartment.

Any single one or any combination of the following features may be used with the second embodiment. The method may include reversing a direction of a polarity of the thermoelectric heat pump system such that the second side secondary loop operates as a defroster for at least one of the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment. The method may include reversing a direction of a polarity of the thermoelectric heat pump system such that the second side secondary loop operates as an ice harvesting heater. The method may include cooling the fresh food compartment and the ice compartment sequentially based on an air temperature within the food compartment and an air temperature within the ice compartment. The fresh food compartment and the ice compartment may be cooled simultaneously. The method may include providing cooling, via the thermoelectric heat pump system, to a subcooler configured to cool the refrigerant supplied by the condenser to the at least one evaporator.

In a third embodiment, an icemaker configured for installation in a refrigerator includes a thermoelectric heat pump system having a first side and a second side. The second side is configured to provide cooling for the icemaker. The first side is configured to dissipate heat within a compartment of the refrigerator.

Any single one or any combination of the following features may be used with the third embodiment. The compartment may be a fresh food compartment. The first side may include heat transfer fins configured to dissipate the heat within the compartment of the refrigerator. The second side may include heat transfer fins configured to cool an ice compartment of the refrigerator. The ice compartment may be located within a door of the refrigerator or the compartment of the refrigerator. The thermoelectric heat pump system may be configured to reverse a direction of a polarity of the thermoelectric heat pump system such that the second side operates as an ice harvesting heater.

Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, means to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like.

Moreover, various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed from computer readable program code and embodied in a computer readable medium. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or more computer programs, software components, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computer readable program code. The phrase “computer readable program code” includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase “computer readable medium” includes any type of medium capable of being accessed by a computer, such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A “non-transitory” computer readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transport transitory electrical or other signals. A non-transitory computer readable medium includes media where data can be permanently stored and media where data can be stored and later overwritten, such as a rewritable optical disc or an erasable memory device.

As used here, terms and phrases such as “have,” “may have,” “include,” or “may include” a feature (like a number, function, operation, or component such as a part) indicate the existence of the feature and do not exclude the existence of other features. Also, as used here, the phrases “A or B,” “at least one of A and/or B,” or “one or more of A and/or B” may include all possible combinations of A and B. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” and “at least one of A or B” may indicate all of (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including at least one A and at least one B. Further, as used here, the terms “first” and “second” may modify various components regardless of importance and do not limit the components. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first user device and a second user device may indicate different user devices from each other, regardless of the order or importance of the devices. A first component may be denoted a second component and vice versa without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

It will be understood that, when an element (such as a first element) is referred to as being (operatively or communicatively) “coupled with/to” or “connected with/to” another element (such as a second element), it can be coupled or connected with/to the other element directly or via a third element. In contrast, it will be understood that, when an element (such as a first element) is referred to as being “directly coupled with/to” or “directly connected with/to” another element (such as a second element), no other element (such as a third element) intervenes between the element and the other element.

As used here, the phrase “configured (or set) to” may be interchangeably used with the phrases “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of” depending on the circumstances. The phrase “configured (or set) to” does not essentially mean “specifically designed in hardware to.” Rather, the phrase “configured to” may mean that a device can perform an operation together with another device or parts. For example, the phrase “processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C” may mean a generic-purpose processor (such as a CPU or application processor) that may perform the operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device or a dedicated processor (such as an embedded processor) for performing the operations.

The terms and phrases as used here are provided merely to describe some embodiments of this disclosure but not to limit the scope of other embodiments of this disclosure. It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. All terms and phrases, including technical and scientific terms and phrases, used here have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of this disclosure belong. It will be further understood that terms and phrases, such as those defined in commonly-used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined here. In some cases, the terms and phrases defined here may be interpreted to exclude embodiments of this disclosure.

Definitions for other certain words and phrases may be provided throughout this patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

None of the description in this application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included in the claim scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the claims. Moreover, none of the claims is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle. Use of any other term, including without limitation “mechanism,” “module,” “device,” “unit,” “component,” “element,” “member,” “apparatus,” “machine,” “system,” “processor,” or “controller,” within a claim is understood by the Applicant to refer to structures known to those skilled in the relevant art and is not intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example refrigerator in accordance with this disclosure;

FIGS. 2A through 2G illustrate an example thermoelectric heat pump (TEHP) system in accordance with this disclosure;

FIGS. 3 through 10 illustrate schematic diagrams of example refrigerators equipped with both a compressor-based cooling system and a thermoelectric heat pump system in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example thermoelectric heat pump ice making apparatus for use in a refrigerator equipped with a compressor-based cooling system in accordance with this disclosure; and

FIG. 12 illustrates an example method for operating a refrigerator equipped with both a compressor-based cooling system and a thermoelectric heat pump system in accordance with this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 12, discussed below, and the various embodiments of this disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be appreciated that this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and all changes and/or equivalents or replacements thereto also belong to the scope of this disclosure. The same or similar reference denotations may be used to refer to the same or similar elements throughout the specification and the drawings.

As noted above, existing household refrigerators often use compressor-based cooling systems to meet all cooling needs, which can vary significantly in terms of cooling amount, timing, duration, location, and temperature. However, existing household refrigerators may have a cooling capacity designed to handle peak load conditions, such as during initial cool-down (pulldown). In some cases, this results in a cooling capacity that may be two to two and a half times greater than what is useful for typical steady-state operation. An oversized refrigeration system leads to reduced energy efficiency at the system level due to frequent on/off cycling of the compressor and limits the ability to precisely control temperatures in different compartments, containers, or other specific areas within a refrigerator.

This disclosure provides various refrigerators with hybrid thermoelectric and compressor-based refrigeration systems. Various embodiments of this disclosure provide refrigerators that combine compressor-based refrigeration systems with thermoelectric heat pump (TEHP) systems. In these embodiments, the compressor-based refrigeration systems primarily handle steady-state heat loads of the refrigerators. The TEHP systems address dynamic loads and provide precise individualized cooling to specific areas, such as cabinets, containers, ice-making and storage assemblies, water storage and dispensing systems, and other specialized locations.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example refrigerator 100 in accordance with this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 includes an envelope (which may also be referred to here as a main body) 110 in which a front surface is open, a storage compartment 120 formed inside the envelope 110 and in which refrigerated and/or frozen items are stored, doors 130 configured to open and close the open front surface of the envelope 110, at least one cooling system (not shown) configured to cool the storage compartment 120, and an ice making device 160 configured to make ice. The at least one cooling system may be a hybrid thermoelectric and compressor-based refrigeration system as discussed in greater detail below.

The envelope 110 forms the exterior of the refrigerator 100. The envelope 110 includes an inner case 111 forming the storage compartment 120 and an outer case 112 coupled to the outside of the inner case 111. An insulating material (not shown) configured to prevent leakage of cold air from the storage compartment 120 is filled in between the inner case 111 and the outer case 112 of the envelope 110.

The storage compartment 120 is divided into a plurality of spaces by a horizontal partition 121 and a vertical partition 122. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the storage compartment 120 may be divided into a fresh food compartment (which may also be referred to here as a refrigerating compartment) 120a, a first freezer compartment (which may also be referred to here as a freezing compartment) 120b, and a second freezer compartment 120c. The fresh food compartment 120a may refrigerate and store food or other items, and the first freezer compartment 120b and second freezer compartment 120c may freeze and store food or other items. A shelf 123 on which food or other items may be placed is provided inside the storage compartment 120. However, the number and arrangement of the storage compartments 120 and shelf 123 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1.

The storage compartment 120 may be opened and closed using the doors 130. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the fresh food compartment 120a may be opened and closed by a first upper door 130aa and a second upper door 130ab. In addition, the first freezer compartment 120b may be opened and closed by a first lower door 130b, and the second freezer compartment 120c may be opened and closed by a second lower door 130c. However, the number and arrangement of the doors 130 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1.

A dispenser 140 may be provided on one side of the doors 130. The dispenser 140 may discharge water and/or ice according to a user input. In other words, through the dispenser 140, a user can directly dispense water and/or ice to the outside without opening the doors 130. The dispenser 140 may be installed on the outside of a door 130 or the envelope 110. For example, the dispenser 140 may be installed on the first upper door 130aa. However, the location of the dispenser 140 is not limited to the first upper door 130aa, and the dispenser 140 may be installed in any position where a user can dispense water and/or ice, such as the second upper door 130ab, the first lower door 130b, the second lower door 130c, or the outer case 112 of the envelope 110.

The ice making device 160 may be installed on one side of the storage compartment 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the ice making device 160 may be provided in the upper left of the fresh food compartment 120a in accordance with the dispenser 140 installed in the first upper door 130aa. However, the location of the ice making device 160 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1, and the ice making device 60 may be provided in the first freezer compartment 120b, the second freezer compartment 120c, or on the horizontal partition 121 between the fresh food compartments 120a, the first freezer compartment 120b, and the second freezer compartment 120c.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a refrigerator 100, various changes may be made to FIG. 1. For example, each individual component of the refrigerator 100 may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions, and the refrigerator 100 overall may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions. Also, the various components of the refrigerator 100 may be fabricated using any suitable materials and in any suitable manner. In addition, the refrigerator 100 may include any suitable number of each component shown here, and those components may be placed in any suitable arrangement.

FIGS. 2A through 2G illustrate an example thermoelectric heat pump (TEHP) system 200 in accordance with this disclosure. In particular, FIG. 2A illustrates an example TEHP system 200, FIG. 2B illustrates an example of thermal insulation wrapping the TEHP system 200, FIG. 2C illustrates an example thermoelectric module (TEM) 202 of the TEHP system 200, FIG. 2D illustrates an example heat transfer block 204 of the TEHP system 200, and FIGS. 2E through 2G illustrate example alternative arrangements of the TEHP system 200.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the TEHP system 200 is configured to transfer heat from water or air for cooling or heating water or air. The TEHP system 200 may also be referred to as a thermoelectric module system and can include the TEM 202. The TEHP system 200 can also include a heat transfer block 204a having an output water channel 208a and a heat transfer block 204b having a supply water channel 208b. The TEHP system 200 can further include an output inlet 212a, a supply inlet 212b, an output outlet 214a, a supply outlet 214b, and a power source 216. In some embodiments, the TEHP system 200 may be wrapped in a thermal insulation 222 as shown in FIG. 2B. The thermal insulation 222 may improve the efficiency of the TEHP system 200 when transferring heat or cooling.

The TEM 202 transfers energy from one side of the TEM 202 to the other. The TEM 202 is illustrated in FIG. 2C in greater detail. For example, the TEM 202 can transfer heat to a first side (hot side) 218 from a second side (cold side) 220 when energy is applied from the power source 216. If the poles of the power source 216 are reversed, the first side 218 and the second side 220 are also reversed such that the TEM 202 can transfer heat from the first side 218 to the second side 220.

The heat transfer block 204, as shown in FIG. 2D, is used to assist in drawing or outputting heat from different types of fluids by the TEM 202. The heat transfer block 204 includes a water channel 208, an inlet 212, and an outlet 214.

A heat transfer block 204 can be placed on the first side 218 of the TEM 202 as the heat transfer block 204a including the output water channel 208a, the output inlet 212a, and the output outlet 214a. A heat transfer block 204 can also be placed on the second side 220 of the TEM 202 as the heat transfer block 204b including the supply water channel 208b, the supply inlet 212b, and the supply outlet 214b.

The water channel 208 of each heat transfer block 204 can be structured to wind back and forth in the heat transfer block 204 to increase or maximize heat transfer with a fluid. Here, the fluid can enter the water channel 208 at the inlet 212 and exits at the outlet 214. The portion of the heat transfer block 204 that includes the water channel 208 can be attached to the TEM 202.

In some embodiments, the TEHP system 200 may include additional components. For example, the TEHP system 200 may include heat transfer fins. In some embodiments, the TEHP system 200 may include fewer components. For example, the TEHP system 200 may omit the heat transfer block 204a or the heat transfer block 204b. FIG. 2E illustrates one of the possible combinations of components in the TEHP system 200 including the TEM 202, heat transfer fins 210A on the first side 218 of the TEM 202, and heat transfer fins 210B on the second side 220 of the TEM 202. FIG. 2F illustrates another one of the possible combinations of components in the TEHP system 200 including the TEM 202, the water channel 208 on the first side 218 of the TEM 202, and heat transfer fins 210 on the second side 220 of the TEM 202. FIG. 2G illustrates yet another one of the possible combinations of components in the TEHP system 200 including the TEM 202 and heat transfer fins 210 on the second side 220 of the TEM 202. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2G, the first side 218 of the TEM 202 may be placed directly against an object to be cooled or heated. Note, however, that other combinations of these components may be used in other implementations of the TEHP system 200.

Although FIGS. 2A through 2G illustrate one example of a TEHP system 200, various changes may be made to FIGS. 2A through 2G. For example, each individual component of the TEHP system 200 may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions, and TEHP system 200 overall may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions. Also, the various components of the TEHP system 200 may be fabricated using any suitable materials and in any suitable manner. In addition, the TEHP system 200 may include any suitable number of each component shown here, and those components may be placed in any suitable arrangement.

FIGS. 3 through 10 illustrate schematic diagrams of example refrigerators 300-1000 equipped with both a compressor-based cooling system and a thermoelectric heat pump system in accordance with this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 300 includes an envelope 310, a fresh food compartment 320 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 322 in which frozen items are stored, and an ice making device 360 configured to make ice. While not shown in FIG. 3, it should be understood that the refrigerator 300 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, the refrigerator 300 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 300 may be similar to the TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 302 having a first side (hot side) secondary loop 304 and a second side (cold side) secondary loop 306. The TEM 302 transfers heat from the secondary loop 306 to the secondary loop 304, thereby cooling the fluid in the secondary loop 306 and heating the fluid in the secondary loop 304.

The secondary loop 306 delivers cooling simultaneously or sequentially to the ice making device 360 for ice-making and storage, as well as to the fresh food compartment 320 or other specialized compartments for individualized temperature control via operation of a valve 307. For example, the valve 307 may be configured to deliver the cooling to the ice making device 360 and/or the fresh food compartment 320 based on an air temperature of an ice compartment of the ice making device 360 and/or an air temperature the fresh food compartment 320. The secondary loop 304 dissipates heat to the ambient environment through a heat exchange loop 308, which may be attached to the inner side of the envelope 310. Additionally, the heat exchange loop 308 can provide an anti-sweating function, preventing condensate formation at the interface areas between the compartments and doors.

In some embodiments, the ice making device 360 may use an electric heater for ice harvesting, which is activated when ice is ready to be removed from a mold of the ice making device 360. In other embodiments, the ice making device 360 may reverse the polarity of the TEM 302 so that the secondary loop 306 circulates warmer liquid instead of colder, facilitating the ice harvesting process.

The compressor-based cooling system (which may also be referred to as a vapor-compression refrigeration system) of the refrigerator 300 includes a compressor 351 configured to compress a refrigerant to a high pressure, a condenser 352 configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, a first evaporator 357a and a second evaporator 357b configured to evaporate the refrigerant, and a refrigerant pipe 358 provided to guide the refrigerant. During operation of the refrigerator 300, the compressor-based cooling system can perform a refrigeration cycle, where the compressor 351 provides compressed refrigerant to the condenser 352. The condenser 352 can condense the refrigerant and provide the condensed refrigerant to the evaporators 357a-357b to cool the fresh food compartment 320 and the freezer compartment 322 via evaporation of the refrigerant. The evaporated refrigerant can be provided to the compressor 351 from the evaporators 357a-357b to repeat the refrigeration cycle.

In some embodiments, the TEHP system may utilize a heat exchange loop attached to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger to dissipate heat as shown in FIG. 4, rather than a heat exchange loop attached to the envelope as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerator 400 includes an envelope 410, a fresh food compartment 420 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 422 in which frozen items are stored, and an ice making device 460 configured to make ice. While not shown in FIG. 4, it should be understood that the refrigerator 400 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, the refrigerator 400 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 400 may be similar to the TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 402 that includes a first side (hot side) secondary loop 404 and a second side (cold side) secondary loop 406. The TEM 402 transfers heat from the secondary loop 406 to the secondary loop 404, thereby cooling the fluid in the secondary loop 406 and heating the fluid in the secondary loop 404. The secondary loop 406 can deliver cooling simultaneously or sequentially to the ice making device 460 for ice-making and storage, as well as to the fresh food compartment 420 or other specialized compartments for individualized temperature control via operation of a valve 407. For example, the valve 407 may be configured to deliver the cooling to the ice making device 460 and/or the fresh food compartment 420 based on an air temperature of an ice compartment of the ice making device 460 and/or an air temperature the fresh food compartment 420. The secondary loop 404 dissipates heat to the ambient environment through heat exchange loop attached to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger 409, which may be located on the outer side of the envelope 410.

In some embodiments, the ice making device 460 may use an electric heater for ice harvesting, which is activated when ice is ready to be removed from a mold of the ice making device 460. In other embodiments, the ice making device 460 may reverse the polarity of the TEM 402 so that the secondary loop 406 circulates warmer liquid instead of colder, facilitating the ice harvesting process.

The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 400 includes a compressor 451, a condenser 452, evaporators 457a-457b, and a refrigerant pipe 458. The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 400 can operate in the same or similar manner as the compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 300.

In some embodiments, the TEHP system may utilize a heat exchange loop attached to a cold liquid container to dissipate heat as shown in FIG. 5, rather than a heat exchange loop attached to the envelope as shown in FIG. 3 or a heat exchange loop attached to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the refrigerator 500 includes an envelope 510, a fresh food compartment 520 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 522 in which frozen items are stored, and an ice making device 560 configured to make ice. While not shown in FIG. 5, it should be understood that the refrigerator 500 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, refrigerator 500 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 500 may be similar to TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 502 that includes a first side (hot side) secondary loop 504 and a second side (cold side) secondary loop 506. The TEM 502 transfers heat from the secondary loop 506 to the secondary loop 504, thereby cooling the fluid in the secondary loop 506 and heating the fluid in the secondary loop 504. The secondary loop 506 can deliver cooling simultaneously or sequentially to the ice making device 560 for ice-making and storage, as well as to the fresh food compartment 520 or other specialized compartments for individualized temperature control via operation of a valve 507. For example, the valve 507 may be configured to deliver the cooling to the ice making device 560 and/or the fresh food compartment 520 based on an air temperature of an ice compartment of the ice making device 560 and/or an air temperature the fresh food compartment 520. The secondary loop 504 dissipates heat to the ambient environment through a heat exchange loop attached to a cold liquid container 511, which is located within the fresh food compartment 520. For example, the cold liquid container 511 may be a cold water reservoir for the refrigerator 500 (for instance, to provide water for a water dispenser of the refrigerator 500).

In some embodiments, the ice making device 560 may use an electric heater for ice harvesting, which is activated when ice is ready to be removed from a mold of the ice making device 560. In other embodiments, the ice making device 560 may reverse the polarity of the TEM 502 so that the secondary loop 506 circulates warmer liquid instead of colder, facilitating the ice harvesting process.

The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 500 includes a compressor 551, a condenser 552, evaporators 557a-557b, and a refrigerant pipe 558. The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 500 can operate in the same or similar manner as the compressor-based cooling systems of the refrigerators 300, 400.

In some embodiments, the TEHP system may utilize any combination of a heat exchange loop attached to the envelope as shown in FIG. 3, a heat exchange loop attached to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger as shown in FIG. 4, and/or a heat exchange loop attached to a cold liquid container as shown in FIG. 5 to dissipate heat as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerator 600 includes an envelope 610, a fresh food compartment 620 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 622 in which frozen items are stored, and an ice making device 660 configured to make ice. While not shown in FIG. 6, it should be understood that the refrigerator 600 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, refrigerator 600 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 600 may be similar to TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 602 that includes a first side (hot side) secondary loop 604 and a second side (cold side) secondary loop 606. The TEM 602 transfers heat from the secondary loop 606 to the secondary loop 604, thereby cooling the fluid in the secondary loop 606 and heating the fluid in the secondary loop 604. The secondary loop 606 can deliver cooling simultaneously or sequentially to the ice making device 660 for ice-making and storage, as well as to the fresh food compartment 620 or other specialized compartments for individualized temperature control via operation of a valve 607. For example, the valve 607 may be configured to deliver the cooling to the ice making device 660 and/or the fresh food compartment 620 based on an air temperature of an ice compartment of the ice making device 660 and/or an air temperature the fresh food compartment 620.

The secondary loop 604 dissipates the heat to the ambient environment through a heat exchange loop 608, which may be attached to the inner side of the envelope 610. Additionally, the heat exchange loop 608 can provide an anti-sweating function, preventing condensate formation at the interface areas between the compartments and doors. The secondary loop 604 further dissipates heat to the ambient environment through a heat exchange loop attached to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger 609, which may be located on the outer side of the envelope 610. While not shown, the secondary loop 604 can dissipate the heat to the ambient environment through a heat exchange loop attached to a cold liquid container located within fresh food compartment 620, similar to what is described regarding the refrigerator 500.

In some embodiments, the ice making device 660 may use an electric heater for ice harvesting, which is activated when ice is ready to be removed from a mold of ice making device 660. In other embodiments, the ice making device 660 may reverse the polarity of the TEM 602 so that the secondary loop 606 circulates warmer liquid instead of colder, facilitating the ice harvesting process.

The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 600 includes a compressor 651, a condenser 652, evaporators 657a-657b, and a refrigerant pipe 658. The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 600 can operate in the same or similar manner as the compressor-based cooling systems of the refrigerators 300-500.

In some embodiments, the refrigerator may include a subcooler cooled by the TEHP as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the refrigerator 700 includes an envelope 710, a fresh food compartment 720 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 722 in which frozen items are stored, and an ice making device 760 configured to make ice. While not shown in FIG. 7, it should be understood that the refrigerator 700 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, refrigerator 700 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 700 may be similar to TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 702 that includes a first side (hot side) secondary loop 704 and a second side (cold side) secondary loop 706. The TEM 702 transfers heat from the secondary loop 706 to the secondary loop 704, thereby cooling the fluid in the secondary loop 706 and heating the fluid in the secondary loop 704.

Via operation of a valve 707, the secondary loop 706 can deliver cooling simultaneously or sequentially to the ice making device 760 for ice-making and storage, as well as to a subcooler 755 to provide subcooling for the compressor-based cooling system as discussed in greater detail below. For example, the valve 707 may be configured to deliver the cooling to the ice making device 760 and/or the subcooler 755 based on an air temperature of an ice compartment of the ice making device 760 and/or an operating state of the compressor-based cooling system. While not shown in FIG. 7, it should be understood that, in some embodiments, the secondary loop 706 can also deliver cooling to fresh food compartment 720 or other specialized compartments for individualized temperature control, similar to what is described regarding the refrigerators 300-600.

The secondary loop 704 dissipates heat to the ambient environment through a heat exchange loop 708, which may be attached to the inner side of the envelope 710. Additionally, the heat exchange loop 708 can provide an anti-sweating function, preventing condensate formation at the interface areas between the compartments and doors. The secondary loop 704 further dissipates the heat to the ambient environment through a heat exchange loop attached to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger 709, which may be located on the outer side of the envelope 710.

In some embodiments, the ice making device 760 may use an electric heater for ice harvesting, which is activated when ice is ready to be removed from a mold of ice making device 760. In other embodiments, the ice making device 760 may reverse the polarity of the TEM 702 so that the secondary loop 706 circulates warmer liquid instead of colder, facilitating the ice harvesting process.

The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 700 includes a compressor 751, a condenser 752, evaporators 757a-757b, and a refrigerant pipe 758. The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 700 can operate in the same or similar manner as the compressor-based cooling systems of the refrigerators 300-600. Here, however, the compressor-based cooling system includes the subcooler 755, which subcools the condensed refrigerant. In some compressor-based cooling systems, subcooling is achieved through an oversized condenser and increased airflow. However, the extent of subcooling can be limited by the ambient temperature, since the refrigerant temperature at the subcooler exit cannot drop below the ambient temperature. Because the subcooler 755 is cooled by the TEHP system, the subcooler 755 is not subject to this limitation, allowing the subcooler 755 to cool the refrigerant well below the ambient temperature. This results in significantly greater subcooling, leading to enhanced cooling capacity and a higher coefficient of operation (COP) for the compressor-based refrigeration system. In some cases, the amount of cooling (denoted Δh) generated by the TEHP system is at a much higher temperature than the freezer temperature and with a smaller temperature lift. As a result, the COP of the TEHP system is higher than that of a compressor-based refrigerator, which typically operates with a temperature lift exceeding about 100° F. (about 38° C.). Ultimately, this increases the overall COP of the refrigerator 700. In some embodiments, the subcooled refrigerant is provided to the evaporators 757a-757b to cool the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment via evaporation of the refrigerant, and the evaporated refrigerant is provided to the compressor 751 from the evaporators 757a-757b to repeat the refrigeration cycle.

In some embodiments, defrost heating loops can be installed and attached to the first and/or second evaporators of any of refrigerators 300-700. For example, a defrosting heat loop could be tied into the secondary loop 304 of the refrigerator 300 and attached to the evaporators 357a-357b. By reversing the polarity of the TEM 302, the TEHP system can circulate warmer liquid to the evaporators 357a-357b for defrosting. Similar arrangements could be used in the refrigerators 400-700.

In the examples of the refrigerators 300-700, the TEHP system utilizes secondary loops on both the cold and hot sides of the TEM. Another approach is to use heat transfer fins for direct heat exchange on one or both of the hot and cold sides of a TEM as shown in FIGS. 8 through 10. As shown in FIG. 8, the refrigerator 800 includes an envelope 810, a fresh food compartment 820 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 822 in which frozen items are stored, and an ice making device 860 configured to make ice located within an ice compartment 821 of the fresh food compartment 820. While not shown in FIG. 8, it should be understood that the refrigerator 800 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, the refrigerator 800 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 800 may be similar to TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 802 that includes a first side (hot side) 804 and a second side (cold side) 806. The second side 806 is in direct contact with the ice making device 860, and the first side 804 is equipped with heat transfer fins 807 to facilitate heat exchange between the TEM 802 and the air in the fresh food compartment 820. The direct contact arrangement of the TEM 802 eliminates the need for an ice harvest heater. For ice harvesting or defrosting the ice compartment 821, the TEHP can provide heating to the ice making device 860 by operating with reversed polarity.

The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 800 includes a compressor 851, a condenser 852, evaporators 857a-857b, and a refrigerant pipe 858. The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 800 can operate in the same or similar manner as the compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerators 300-700.

In some embodiments, a TEHP system, an ice making device, and/or an ice compartment for a refrigerator may be located in a position other than a fresh food compartment. For example, the TEHP system, ice making device, and/or ice compartment may be located on a door of a refrigerator, similarly as shown in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, the refrigerator 900 includes an envelope 910, a fresh food compartment 920 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 922 in which frozen items are stored, a door 930, and an ice making device 960 configured to make ice, which is located within an ice compartment 921 of door 930. While not shown in FIG. 9, it should be understood that the refrigerator 900 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, refrigerator 900 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 900 may be similar to TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 902 that includes a first side (hot side) 904 and a second side (cold side) 906. The second side 906 is in direct contact with the ice making device 960, and the first side 904 is equipped with heat transfer fins 907 to facilitate heat exchange between the TEM 902 and the air in the fresh food compartment 920. The direct contact arrangement of the TEM 902 eliminates the need for an ice harvest heater. For ice harvesting or defrosting the ice compartment 921, the TEHP can provide heating to the ice making device 960 by operating with reversed polarity. While not shown in FIG. 9, it should be understood that the refrigerator 900 includes a compressor-based cooling system, which may be similar or identical to the compressor based cooling system used by any of the refrigerators 300-800.

In some embodiments, a TEHP system may utilize a combination of heat transfer fins and a secondary loop as shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, the refrigerator 1000 includes an envelope 1010, a fresh food compartment 1020 in which refrigerated items are stored, a freezer compartment 1022 in which frozen items are stored, and an ice making device 1060 configured to make ice. While not shown in FIG. 10, it should be understood that the refrigerator 1000 may include additional components, such as those described above with respect to the refrigerator 100 (like shelves, doors, etc.). However, the refrigerator 1000 is not limited to any particular configuration.

The TEHP system of the refrigerator 1000 may be similar to TEHP system 200 and may include a TEM 1002 that includes a first side (hot side) equipped with heat transfer fins 1007 to facilitate heat exchange between the TEM 1002 and the air in the fresh food compartment 1020, and a second side (cold side) secondary loop 1006 for ice-making and storage. The TEM 1002 transfers heat from the secondary loop 1006 to the heat transfer fins 1007, thereby cooling the fluid in the secondary loop 1006 and heating the heat transfer fins 1007. For ice harvesting, the TEHP system can provide heating to the ice making device 1060 by operating with reversed polarity.

The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 1000 includes a compressor 1051, a condenser 1052, evaporators 1057a-1057b, and a refrigerant pipe 1058. The compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerator 1000 can operate in the same or similar manner as the compressor-based cooling system of the refrigerators 300-800.

Although FIGS. 3 through 10 illustrate examples of refrigerators 300-1000 equipped with both a compressor-based cooling system and a TEHP system, various changes may be made to FIGS. 3 through 10. For example, each individual component of each refrigerator 300-1000 may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions, and each refrigerator 300-1000 overall may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions. Also, the various components of each refrigerator 300-1000 may be fabricated using any suitable materials and in any suitable manner. In addition, each refrigerator 300-1000 may include any suitable number of each component shown here, and those components may be placed in any suitable arrangement.

In some embodiments, a TEHP system may utilize heat transfer fins on the first side and the second side of a TEM as shown in FIG. 11, rather than utilizing heat transfer fins on only the first side of the TEM as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic diagram of a TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 for use in a refrigerator equipped with a compressor-based cooling system in accordance with this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 11, the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 is shown as being used within a fresh food compartment 1120 of a refrigerator 1110, which can be understood to include a compressor-based cooling system for cooling the fresh food compartment 1120. However, this is merely for ease of explanation, and the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 can be installed in other locations of a refrigerator equipped with a compressor-based cooling system. For example, the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 could be installed within a freezer compartment, a door, etc.

As shown in FIG. 11, the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 includes an ice compartment 1121, an ice making device 1160, and a TEHP system similar to TEHP system 200. The TEHP system includes a TEM 1102 that includes a first side (hot side) 1104 and a second side (cold side) 1106. The first side 1104 is equipped with heat transfer fins 1107 to facilitate heat exchange between the TEM 1102 and the air in the fresh food compartment 1120. The second side 1106 is equipped with heat transfer fins 1108 to facilitate heat exchange between the TEM 1102 and the air in the ice compartment 1121.

In some embodiments, the ice making device 1160 may use an electric heater for ice harvesting, which is activated when ice is ready to be removed from a mold of ice making device 1160. In other embodiments, the ice making device 1160 may reverse the polarity of the TEM 1102 so that second side 1106 generates warmer air instead of colder, facilitating the ice harvesting process.

Although FIG. 11 illustrates one example of a TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 for use in a refrigerator equipped with a compressor-based cooling system, various changes may be made to FIG. 11. For example, each individual component of the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions, and the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 overall may have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions. Also, the various components of the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 may be fabricated using any suitable materials and in any suitable manner. In addition, the TEHP ice making apparatus 1100 may include any suitable number of each component shown here, and those components may be placed in any suitable arrangement.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example method 1200 for operating a refrigerator equipped with both a compressor-based cooling system and a TEHP system in accordance with this disclosure. While the method 1200 shown in FIG. 12 is described as being performed using the refrigerator 700 shown in FIG. 7, the method 1200 shown in FIG. 12 could be used with any suitable refrigerator system refrigerator equipped with both a compressor-based cooling system and a TEHP without departing from this disclosure. For example, the method 1200 could be used for operation of any of the refrigerators described above.

As shown in FIG. 12, at operation 1210, a refrigerator equipped with both a vapor-compression refrigeration system and a TEHP system cools, via its vapor-compression refrigeration system, a fresh food compartment (such as the fresh food compartment 720) and a freezer compartment (such as the freezer compartment 722) of the refrigerator. At operation 1220, the refrigerator may optionally provide cooling, via the TEHP system, to a subcooler (such as the subcooler 755) configured to cool the refrigerant supplied by a compressor (such as the compressor 751) to at least one evaporator (such as evaporator(s) 757a-757b) configured to cool at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. At operation 1230, the refrigerator cools, via the TEHP system, at least one of the fresh food compartment or an ice compartment of the refrigerator. At operation 1240, the refrigerator reverses a direction of a polarity of the TEHP system such that a second side secondary loop of the TEHP system operates as a defroster for at least one of the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment or as an ice harvesting heater.

Although FIG. 12 illustrates one example of a method 1200 for operating a refrigerator equipped with both a compressor-based cooling system and a TEHP system, various changes may be made to FIG. 12. For example, while shown as a series of steps, various steps in FIG. 12 may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or occur any number of times (including zero times).

Although this disclosure has been described with reference to various example embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that this disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.