US-12618606-B2 - Heated door for a refrigerator appliance

US12618606B2US 12618606 B2US12618606 B2US 12618606B2US-12618606-B2

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance having an articulating mullion includes features for reducing localized condensation on the mullion of the refrigerator appliance. The door and the articulated mullion of the refrigerator appliance include features that can reduce the formation of condensation by providing heat to specific areas of the door or mullion.

Inventors

Brent Alden Junge

Assignees

HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220708

Claims (8)

1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising: a cabinet comprising a first wall and a second wall, laterally spaced from the first wall, defining a lateral dimension of a chamber, a top and a bottom, vertically spaced from the top, defining a vertical dimension of the chamber; a door comprising: a first inner surface and a first outer surface spaced apart from the first inner surface; a first side connecting a first edge of the first inner surface with a first edge of the first outer surface and a second side connecting a second edge of the first inner surface with a second edge of the first outer surface; a first heating element positioned adjacent to the second edge of the first inner surface, wherein the first heating element is in direct contact with the first inner surface and the second side; a second heating element directly affixed to the second side, wherein the second heating element is generally perpendicular to the first inner surface; and an articulating mullion rotatably hinged at the second side and supported in rotation between a first position when the door is in a closed position and a second position when the door is in an open position, the articulating mullion having a front face; the door rotatably mounted at the first side to the first wall for rotation between the closed position in which the door sealingly encloses at least a portion of the chamber and the open position in which the chamber is not enclosed; and wherein the front face of the articulating mullion is adjacent to the first heating element and the second heating element when the articulating mullion is in the first position.
2 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first heating element is in thermal communication with the front face when the articulating mullion is in at least the first position.
3 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first heating element comprises a resistance wire.
4 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first heating element is electrically powered.
5 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein an electrical power supply is selectively applied to the first heating element.
6 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second heating element comprises a resistance wire.
7 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second heating element is electrically powered.
8 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 7 , wherein an electrical power supply is selectively applied to the second heating element.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure is related generally to refrigerator appliances and more particularly to a door having a heated portion for refrigerator appliances. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Refrigerator appliances generally include one or more chilled compartments, e.g., a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, or the like, to maintain foods at low temperatures (i.e., lower than ambient). The chilled compartment(s) of a refrigerator are typically accessible through an opening, with access provided by one or more doors connected by hinges to the rest of the appliance. Some refrigerator appliances include two rotatably mounted opposing doors for access to a single opening, e.g., the fresh food compartment. Such door configurations are generally referred to as “French doors.” French doors are desirable because they reduce the weight load on the door hinge. French doors divide the opening in two, such that each door weighs less than a single door would weigh. The relatively reduced weight of each individual door in a French door configuration allows the size of the support structure of each door to be reduced. French doors also increase accessibility to the refrigerator cabinet and provide additional storage arrangements that are not possible with a single-door design. However, French doors require additional sealing areas; in particular, the middle portion of the refrigerator opening where the two doors meet must maintain a seal when the doors are closed. Accordingly, some French door refrigerators include a stationary vertical mullion bar in the middle of the corresponding opening, and each of the two doors may sealingly engage the stationary mullion. A stationary mullion limits the size of items that can be put into the refrigerator. Some French door refrigerators include an articulating mullion rotatably attached via pivot points or hinges to one of the doors such that access to the compartment via the opening is not obstructed by the mullion when the door to which the articulating mullion is attached is opened. When closed, each of the doors sealingly engages the mullion with opposing edges of the doors spaced apart for clearance. Conventional mullions for French door refrigerator appliances, and in particular articulated mullions, are generally formed, at least partially, of thermally conductive materials, such as e.g., metal. Thermally conductive materials are chosen because they typically have advantageous magnetic properties. The magnetic properties of the thermally conducting material allow such articulated mullions to seal against a magnetized sealing element or a magnetized portion of a cabinet or door of a refrigerator appliance when the door(s) of the refrigerator appliance are in a closed position. During closed-door operation of such French door refrigerator appliances, relatively cool air within the refrigerator appliance contacts an interior or rear wall of the articulating mullion while relatively warm ambient air surrounding the refrigerator appliance contacts an exterior or front wall of the articulating mullion in the space between opposing door side surfaces, resulting in a temperature differential. When the warm ambient air contacts the cool front wall, the warm air is cooled on contact and may cause condensation or “sweat” on the front wall depending on the humidity of the ambient air. The condensation is unsightly and may collect in areas that can cause a safety concern (e.g., a risk or mold or mildew growth) or negatively affect the performance of the refrigerator appliance. To prevent such condensation, conventional articulating mullions typically include an electrically powered heating device within the mullion to remedy this undesirable effect. The heating device may heat at least the exterior wall of the mullion to a temperature sufficient to minimize or prevent the moisture present in the ambient air from condensing on the articulating mullion. To provide power to these heating devices, electrically conductive wires are typically routed from the door to which the articulating mullion is attached to the heating element within the mullion. However, routing conductors from the door to the heating element in the mullion may be problematic. For example, for safety and aesthetic reasons, exposed conductors between the door and the articulating mullion may be undesirable. Routing conductors through pivot points subjects the conductors to repeated bending and undesired stresses. The design of some pivot points linking a French door to an articulating mullion make the routing of wires impractical or impossible. Accordingly, improved doors and articulating mullions for use in refrigerator appliances that address one or more of the above-described challenges would be beneficial. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present subject matter is directed to a refrigerator appliance having a door and an articulating mullion that includes features for improving the perfo