General Electric Company

Raymond M Schreck

James R Griffin

Robert B Gelbard

James R Young

Bill G Brown

David A Gilda

A vacuum thermal insulation panel comprises a pair of laminated plastic and aluminum sheets together with a plastic edge strip sealed to the edges of the sheets so as to define an evacuable volume in which a glass fiber mat is disposed. The insulation panel of the present invention takes advantage of the light-weight, low cost and low thermal conductivity of plastic materials to form an evacuable volume into which a glass fiber insulating mat is disposed for support of the panel which is evacuated to provide improved thermal insulation. Additionally, a gas permeation barrier is employed on the edge strip of the panel to minimize gas permeation at its edges. A metal foil layer provides gas permeation protection through the large surface areas of the sheets themselves.

Vacuum thermal insulation panel

An ice dispenser assembly including an ice piece storage receptacle having an open top and including means for dispensing ice pieces contained therein. A stationary track member is provided on each side of the ice piece storage receptacle and each track member has a rearward horizontal portion, a forward downwardly curved portion, and a forward upwardly curved portion. Two pairs of spaced guide elements, each pair including a forward guide element and a rearward guide element are secured to the receptacle on each side thereof and slidable in each of the stationary track members to move the ice piece storage receptacle from a first position to a second position. The pairs of guide elements are located in their rearward horizontal portion of the track members when the ice piece storage receptacle is in its first position and the forward guide element of each pair of guide elements is in the downwardly curved portion and the rearward guide element of each pair is in the upwardly curved portion when the receptacle is in its second position. By this arrangement the ice piece storage receptacle may be tilted downwardly thus allowing bulk ice piece access through the top opening of the receptacle.

Ice dispenser assembly

A refrigerator having a freezer compartment on top and a fresh food compartment below with an air duct connecting the two compartments. A temperature control system and method of controlling is provided and includes a temperature sensing element located at the top of the fresh food compartment and shielded from the stream of cold air being directed into the fresh food compartment. The temperature sensing element changes the temperature in both the freezer and fresh food compartments without changing the constant ratio of those respective compartment temperatures. An air flow assembly divides the cold air entering the fresh food compartment through the connecting air duct between the top of the compartment and the bottom. The air flow control assembly is arranged to divide the cold air stream such that the ratio of the difference in the freezer and fresh food compartment temperatures is changed. By this air flow system and method, the interaction between the cold air flow control and the temperature sensing element provides that the temperature in the freezer compartment may be adjusted up or down while the fresh food compartment temperature remains relatively constant.

Household refrigerator air flow control and method

A suction line/capillary tube assembly which provides improved heat exchange between the cool gaseous refrigerant conveyed by the suction line and the warm liquid refrigerant conveyed by the capillary tube in a refrigeration system. The assembly is generally characterized by the capillary tube being within and in direct thermal contact with the suction line wall along a substantial length thereof, which length is at least approximately two feet. In a first specific embodiment, the capillary tube is soldered to the inside of the suction line, as opposed to merely being loosely passed therethrough. In a second specific embodiment, an aluminum suction line is fabricated with an internal extruded channel defined between a pair of ridges extending from the interior surface of the suction line. A copper capillary tube is snugly positioned in the channel and preferably the ridges are deformed toward each other so as to substantially surround the capillary tube. In a method of providing a suction line/capillary tube assembly as contemplated by the second specific embodiment, the operation of deforming the ridges is accomplished by forcing a closure tool through the suction line. In a third specific embodiment, the capillary tube is snugly positioned within a longitudinal bore formed within the wall of the suction line.

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Louisville, KY, United States of America

Raymond M Schreck