Whirlpool Corporation

Lorenzo Bianchi

Diego Barone

Steven John Kuehl

Nihat O Cur

Andrea Olivani

Enrica Monticelli

John Joseph Vonderhaar

Raffaele Paganini

Alessandro Boer

Carolina Biotti

Stefano Tavolazzi

Marco Maritan

Gaetano Paviglianiti

Giuliano Rosi

Luca Nardi

A distributed refrigeration appliance system in a residential kitchen and other locations in a dwelling including multiple separate refrigeration appliance modules, a central cooling system and a cooling circuit. The system can also include one or more satellite stations having a heat exchanger and arranged for supplying chilled air to one or more refrigeration appliance modules. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can include a thermal cascade cooling device to cool the module to lower temperatures than the cooling circuit can attain. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can be refrigeration/storage modules that can provide refrigerated, unconditioned or heated storage space. The central cooling system can be a vapor compression system having a refrigerant circuit connecting the modules. Alternately, the central cooling system can cool a secondary cooling medium circuit. The refrigeration system can also have more than one refrigeration machine providing cooling to the secondary refrigeration loop.

Distributed refrigeration system with optional storage module and controller

A distributed refrigeration appliance system for use in a residential kitchen and other locations in a dwelling and includes multiple separate refrigeration appliance modules, a central cooling system and a cooling circuit. The system can also include one or more satellite stations having a heat exchanger and arranged for supplying chilled air to one or more refrigeration appliance modules. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can include a thermal cascade cooling device to cool the module to lower temperatures than the cooling circuit can attain. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can be refrigeration/storage modules that can provide refrigerated, unconditioned or heated storage space. The central cooling system can be a vapor compression system having a refrigerant circuit connecting the modules. Alternately, the central cooling system can cool a secondary cooling medium circuit. The refrigeration system can also have more than one refrigeration machine providing cooling to the secondary refrigeration loop.

Refrigeration appliance with optional storage module

Temporary refrigerator storage modules

A method of fast freezing a food item using a freezing process that estimates a temperature value of a food item, selects from a plurality of freezing routines based on the estimated temperature, and activates the selected routine. This process is repeated until the temperature of the food item reaches a desired temperature.

Method for controlling a food fast freezing process in a refrigerator and refrigerator in which such method is carried out

A method for controlling the humidity inside a refrigerator, having at least a cavity and a refrigeration circuit including an evaporator and a compressor, comprising the step of measuring the relative humidity level inside the cavity, measuring the temperature of the evaporator and feeding the above measured values to a control algorithm capable of driving the refrigeration circuit in order to maintain substantially constant the average level of relative humidity and corresponding to a set value.

Method for controlling humidity in a domestic refrigerator, and refrigerator adapted to carry out such method

A refrigeration appliance includes at least one water reservoir and a piping system connecting the water reservoir to a water dispenser and device for maintaining the water reservoir at a predetermined temperature. The piping system is designed for allowing a recirculation of water from and to the water reservoir in order to assure that the water delivered by the dispenser is at the correct temperature.

Refrigeration appliance with a water dispenser

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a cabinet forming a fresh food storage compartment and a freezer compartment, at least one door for opening and closing the cabinet, and an adsorbing device containing a desiccant material for collecting moisture from air inside the cabinet, wherein the adsorbing device is mounted inside the cabinet.

Refrigerator with moisture adsorbing device

A refrigerator shelf having a plate surrounded by a frame. A guide is connected to the frame for slidable guiding of a closure member. The closure member is formed from an assembly of hinged-together bar elements which are able to pass between an extended position in which the closure member closes a chamber formed between the shelf and an underlying shelf, and a retracted position into the guide.

Growing community of inventors

Varese, Italy

Lorenzo Bianchi