9231 results about "Icebox" patented technology

A method of managing an inventory of household products through virtual storage, such as in a virtual refrigerator, freezer, pantry, using electronic devices such as a smart phone. The virtual storage includes at least one of a description of each product in the virtual storage; the date each product was purchased; the expiration date of each product; and the freshness level of each product, including whether each product is still fresh, needs to be used within a certain time period, or needs to be thrown out. Related features include generation of shopping lists, coupons and recipes for a consumer based on the products in virtual storage or depleted therefrom.

A mounting arrangement for a refrigerator fan, comprising an electric motor (11) to whose shaft is affixed a propeller (12) with an axial flow passing through a refrigerated air outlet (4b) provided through an internal divisional wall (6) of the refrigerator; a support frame (20) having a marginal portion (21) and incorporating a central hub (22) in which is affixed the electric motor (11); a flexible support (30) in the form of an annular flange presenting an outer portion (31), which is peripherally and removably affixed to the contour of the refrigerated air outlet (4b), an inner portion (32) provided with a central opening (35) and with retaining means (36), which are removably locked to the marginal portion (21) of the support frame (20); and an annular membrane portion (33) interconnecting the outer portion (31) and the inner portion (32), in order to allow for small relative axial and radial displacements therebetween.

Various embodiments described herein comprise array of light emitting diodes and a cylindrical lens having front and rear curved surfaces. The cylindrical lens is disposed to receive light from the light emitting diodes and to redistribute the light. The cylindrical lens is located no more than about 8 inches distance from the front an illumination target, which may for example, comprise products on shelves in a refrigerator. The front and rear surfaces of the cylindrical lens are shaped to provide substantially uniform illumination across the target.

Disclosed herein are an automatic door opening/closing apparatus to automatically open or close a door without applying any manual force to the door, and a refrigerator having the same. The automatic door opening/closing apparatus devised to automatically open or close a sliding door that is mounted, in a drawer manner, to a refrigerator body, includes a drive device coupled to the sliding door to automatically open or close the sliding door with respect to the refrigerator body, an input part to receive an user input and to operate the drive device based on the user input, a sensing part to sense an open or closed state of the sliding door, and a controller to operate the drive device based on signals from the input part and signals from the sensing part.

A vacuum heat insulator according to the present invention includes a core molded to be plate-shaped with the use of a binding agent. The vacuum heat insulator assumes any one of the following configurations. A) The core is formed by curing a fiber aggregate by means of a binding agent. The fibers have an average fiber diameter of at least 0.1 μm but at most 10 μm, and voids defined by fibers have a void diameter of at most 40 μm. The core has a percentage of the voids of at least 80%. B) The binding agent is varied in concentration in a through-thickness direction of the core. C) A cured layer solidified by the binding agent is formed on at least one side surface of the core. D) The core contains fibers having a length of at most 100 μm. The fibers are oriented perpendicular to a direction of heat transmission. Such vacuum heat insulator is excellent in adiabatic property. Refrigerators, to which such a vacuum heat insulator is applied, are made small in size, or have a large inner volume, or contribute to energy saving.

An electric supply system for the door of refrigerators and freezers and other appliances comprising a cabinet (10) to which is articulated an end edge (21) of a door (20) carrying an electronic control means (30), comprising a connecting means (15) mounted to each region of the cabinet (10) that is foreseen to receive and affix a respective hinge (40); an auxiliary electric wiring (16) connecting each connecting means with an internal electric circuit of the appliance; a duct (22) provided in the door (20) and having an inlet (22a) opened to the interior of the door (20) and a pair of outlets (22b) opened to the outside of the end edge (21), one of them bearing a tubular hinge pin (42) of a respective hinge (40); an electric wiring (31) mounted through the duct (22) and the hinge pin (42) and having an internal end (32) connected with the electronic control means (30) and an external end (33) coupled to the connecting means (15) adjacent to the hinge (40).

The present invention is a vacuum packaging system that is comprised of a very convenient vacuum pump and canister-sealing device that is an integral component of a refrigerator. The device is comprised of: 1) one or more external vacuum hose input ports or retractable combination hose/input ports, for applying a vacuum for packaging canisters, bottles or jars, or a remote bag sealing unit; 2) an internal configuration comprised of one or more vacuum hose input ports or retractable combination hose/input ports, canister lid storage attachments and/or carousel storage attachments; and/or 3) an external, integral or removable bagging unit (recessed into the refrigerator door) for vacuum sealing and cutting plastic bagging material.

An insulation box unit and a refrigerator of the present invention employs i) rigid urethane foam with a 8.0 MPa-or-greater bending modulus, and a 60 kg/m³-or-lower density, and ii) a vacuum insulation material. The proper bending modulus provides the insulation box unit with a substantial strength, even in the case that the coverage of the vacuum insulation material with respect to the surface of the outer box exceeds 40%. The proper density prevents the insulation box unit from poor insulation efficiency due to undesired solid thermal conductivity. Despite of an extended use of the vacuum insulation material, the insulation box unit offers an excellent insulation efficiency and therefore accelerates energy saving. According to the recycling method of the present invention, rigid urethane foam formed of tolylene di-isocyanate composition, which was separated from refrigerator wastes, is recycled as a material of rigid urethane foam.

An appliance comprises a cabinet, a door movably mounted to the cabinet and having a peripheral edge, and a standardized service interface located on the peripheral edge. The standardized service interface is configured to supply at least one service for use by a consumer electronic device. The peripheral edge can be the top edge of the door and the standardized service interface can receive the service from the use environment of the appliance. A connector can be incorporated into the standardized service interface to selectively supply the consumer electronic device with the service. The appliance can comprise a refrigerator. The service can comprise mechanical, power, or data communication.

An ice maker assembly includes, in an exemplary embodiment, an ice bucket that has a bottom wall, opposing side walls extending from the bottom wall, a front wall, and a back wall. The bottom wall, side walls, front wall, and back wall define an ice collection cavity. The ice bucket also includes a plurality of ribs extending from the bottom wall into the ice collection cavity, and a rotatable auger extending between the front and back walls.

Systems and method for operating and monitoring refrigerators are described. Temperature cycles within the compartment are characterized using statistical, frequency and pattern analysis techniques to derive a steady-state characteristic of temperature within the compartment. A thermal sensor inside the conditioned area is monitored and temperature data sets can be analyzed to determine performance in comparison to a baseline, and energy consumption. Analysis of continuous temperature readings taken from individual or groups of freezers identifies patterns of variations in temperature cycles from which feedback on efficiency can be inferred. Electrical load can be determined by measuring or estimating current usage and identifying periods of time when compressors are active in the refrigerator.

An insulated icemaking compartment is provided in the fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator. The icemaking compartment may be integrally formed with the liner of the fresh food compartment, or alternatively, may be modular for installation anywhere in the fresh food compartment. A removable bin assembly with a front cover normally seals the icemaking compartment to maintain the temperature in the compartment. A cold air duct formed in the rear wall of the refrigerator supplies cold air from the freezer compartment to the icemaking compartment. A return air duct directs a portion of the air from the icemaking compartment back to the freezer compartment. An air vent in the icemaking compartment directs another portion of air into the fresh food compartment. A control system provides for controlling refrigerator functions in a manner that promotes energy efficiency.

A pulse system for detaching ice includes a power supply for applying a high-power heating pulse to the interface between ice and an object such as a cold plate of an ice making system, an ice-container, a heat-exchanger, a refrigerator surface or an airplane wing. Pulse heating may be generated within a metal foil or resistive film disposed upon an object to be deiced, or a capillary tube proximate the object to be deiced. An interfacial layer of ice is melted and the ice is released from the object. A force, for example gravity, pressure of vaporization or mechanical scraping, removes the ice from the object.

A refrigerator includes a main body cabinet having a first storage room and a second storage room to be divided with the first storage room and respectively cooled, an evaporator having a first evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet and cooling the first storage room, a second evaporating part disposed at the main body cabinet to be apart from the first evaporating part and cooling the second storage room, and a refrigerant moving pipe connecting the first and second evaporating parts, and a duct guiding cooling air generated by the first and second evaporating parts to the first and second storage rooms to respectively cool the first and second storage rooms, the first and second evaporating parts and the refrigerant moving pipe are formed with one evaporating pipe. The refrigerator forms integrally an evaporator for cooling a first storage room and a second storage room respectively.

The invention relates to a freshness retaining and sealing device and a refrigerator with the same. The freshness retaining and sealing device comprises a drawer, a cover and a shelf, wherein the cover is arranged under the shelf in a hanging mode, both the top surface of the drawer and the bottom surface of the cover are flat surfaces inclining downwards from the front to the back, and the drawer is closed or opened through the horizontal movement of the cover in a front and back mode. The refrigerator includes a refrigeration chamber which is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes and the freshness retaining and sealing device, and at least one of the ventilation holes is lower than the cover. According to the freshness retaining and sealing device, the size of the ventilation space to be opened can be adjusted to meet the needs of different stored objects through the sliding of the cover. The air inside and outside the drawer is in cyclic exchange to achieve rapid air exchange when the drawer is opened. The cover and the drawer form a highly sealing state when the drawer is closed, and meanwhile, the sealing condition can prevent the evaporation of water to achieve the effect of moisture retaining.

A multi-layer pouch assembly consisting of one or multiple inner sealed pouches that contain the ground produce or other product, and a surrounding mesh pouch or bag, acting as a filter for the juice contained in the inner pouches. The outer mesh or gauze pouch which completely envelops or surrounds the inner produce containing pouches has a volume at least equal to the total volume of the inner pouches, to allow for the pressing and expansion of the ground produce when the inner bags are burst by a press platen. Another alternative embodiment employs a third outermost sealable plastic pouch that is capable of holding the gauze bag or pouch, which holds the produce-containing pouches. This outer pouch can be sealed and serves as the package and container for storage in refrigerators or suitable storage facilities.

The embodiments disclose means to inhibit the growth and migration of bacteria, mildew and fungus by applying various coatings which contain an inorganic anti-microbial agent onto metal, glass, and plastic substrates. The substrates are used in the manufacture of components for the interior of refrigerators and freezers, which include wire (100) and glass shelving (200, 300), plastic crisper baskets (500) and other articles within the food storage area. The coatings include the inorganic anti-microbial agent combinet with a matrix resin which are applied by electrostatic powder coating (916), roller coating (810), or robotic spraying (710), and then cured.

A substrate processing system comprises a plurality of CVD processing units (15a-15c) and one refrigerator (101). A supply line (102) for supplying a cooling medium from the refrigerator to the CVD processing units, and a feedback line (103) for feeding the cooling medium back to the refrigerator from the processing units are laid in the system. The cooling medium from the refrigerator is thus distributively fed to the processing units. Circuits (104a-104c) are laid out in rod stages (33), objects of temperature control, in the respective processing units. Each circuit is connected to the supply line and to the feedback line. The cooling medium is circulated around the circuits to control the temperatures of the rod stages stably. When the temperature of the rod stage rises, the cooling medium at a low temperature is taken in the circuit from the supply line to cool the rod stage.

A lubricating oil composition for refrigerator is formed by adding an organic compound that includes a double bond in the molecule such as α-olefin or conjugated diene to a base oil. Capable of being stably used for a long time in the presence of oxygen, the lubricating oil composition for refrigerator according to the invention is suitable for an open-type car air-conditioner, an electric driven car air-conditioner, a gas heat pump, an air conditioning device, a refrigerator, a vending machine, a showcase, various hot-water supply systems or a heating/cooling system.