General Electric Company

Gerald Eugene Sturgeon

Richard DeVos

Steven James Gray

Martin Christopher Severance

Arthur Wilson Scrivener

Jeffery Allen Tupis

Gary O Scheldorf

Glen O Adams

Robert I Derman

A refrigerator airflow distribution assembly includes an airflow diverter in flow communication with freezer compartment air. The diverter includes a primary flow path and at least one diverter opening therethrough, and together with a cover forms a secondary flow path in flow communication with the first flow path through the diverter opening. Freezer compartment air is directed to the primary flow path, and a portion of the air in the primary flow path flows through the diverter openings and into the secondary flow path, and is introduced to the fresh food compartment through one or more vents in the cover. Metered airflow through the diverter reduces temperature gradients in the refrigerator, as well as provides a regulated temperature source for a storage drawer in the fresh food storage compartment.

Refrigerator airflow distribution assembly

A refrigerator includes a vertically extending airflow distribution assembly for reducing vertical temperature gradients therein, and laterally extending air passages are in flow communication with the air distribution assembly for reducing horizontal temperature gradients therein. A single fan simultaneously directs freezer compartment air into the air distribution assembly, the laterally extending passages and into a storage drawer for temperature regulation therein. A damper is located in flow communication with a light assembly and is selectively positionable to cool the refrigeration compartment through the air distribution assembly and the laterally extending passages, as well as to remove heat from the light assembly that may damage a refrigeration compartment liner.

Refrigerator airflow distribution system and method

A hermetically sealed rotary refrigerant compressor, comprising a compression chamber, a roller eccentrically rotatable in the chamber, and a vane slidably mounted in a slot in the wall of the chamber dividing the chamber between a low pressure suction side and a high pressure compression side including means for modulating the pressure differential between the low pressure suction side and the high pressure compression side of the vane at a preselected time in the compression cycle so as to minimize the frictional forces between the vane and vane slot caused by the pressure differential in the chamber.

Rotary compressor with reduced friction between vane and vane slot

A rotary compressor of the type having an outer metal cylinder casing, a metal cylinder with a vane slot and a vane and the method of assembling the compressor by forming the cylinder with a circular chamber, the center of which is in alignment with the central axis of the cylinder and having a circular outer wall slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the casing. A vane slot is cut in the cylinder which slot is open at one end into the chamber. A vane is placed in the slot to divide the chamber into a high pressure side and a low pressure side. The cylinder has formed therein three curved elongated ports spaced from each other in the cylinder between the chamber and outer wall. The length of each port and thickness of the metal between the port and outer wall of the cylinder cooperate to provide adequate strength for welding and sufficiently flexible to absorb any significant distortion forces caused by welding without transmitting the distortion forces to the vane slot. The cylinder outer wall is welded to the casing adjacent the three ports. Additionally, there may be a fourth weld located from 5.degree. to 15.degree. from a diameter line of the cylinder passing through the center of the vane slot and central axis of the cylinder on the high pressure side of the cylinder chamber.

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Louisville, KY, United States of America

Gerald Eugene Sturgeon