The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 01, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 19, 2000
Jane Albert, Dahinda, IL (US);
William J. Vestal, II, Monmouth, IL (US);
Richard D. Smith, Jr., Galesburg, IL (US);
Maytag Corporation, Newton, IA (US);
Abstract
A food storage system mounted in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator includes an enclosure defined by inner and outer housings, as well as a food receptacle slidably positioned in the inner housing. The inner and outer housings are spaced so as to define a zone therebetween within which air is forced to flow in order to cool the contents of the receptacle. A tunnel insert is positioned in a mullion zone defined between fresh food and freezer liners of the refrigerator, with the tunnel insert being formed with a through hole for directing the flow of cooling air into the food storage system, a channel for directing an exhaust flow of cooling air from the food storage system out of the fresh food compartment within the mullion zone and an enlarged opening defining a return air passage for the overall fresh food compartment. The tunnel insert, within the mullion zone, channels the exhaust air from the food storage system to the return air passage. The channel is preferably defined by four walls, three of which are created by a groove formed in the tunnel insert and the fourth wall being defined by a portion of the fresh food compartment liner which seats against the tunnel insert. An air inlet cover is provided to extend over supply air openings formed in a freezer liner of the refrigerator, with the inlet cover including forwardly angled louvers to assist in directing a flow of cooling air to the food storage system.