Refrigeration – Material cooling means including gas-liquid contactor – With gas forcing or directing means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-16
2001-09-11
Bennett, Henry (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Material cooling means including gas-liquid contactor
With gas forcing or directing means
C062S441000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286330
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an air filter system for use in a refrigerator, and a refrigerator having an air filter system which filters air flowing between the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator into the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.
2. Description of Related Art
Various devices have been proposed over the years to filter air from the refrigerated, fresh food compartment of a refrigerator, to reduce food odors in the compartments of the refrigerator, as well as reduce odors in the air flowing back into the freezer compartment. By reducing food odors in the refrigerated, fresh food compartment of a refrigerator, odors in ice made in the freezer compartment, as well as the taste of such ice is improved.
Such devices have included fans, glow discharge lamps, ozone decomposing catalysts, deodorant blocks, particles of activated carbon, and ultraviolet lamps operative to radiate an ultraviolet ray to a photocatalyst layer, among others. Additionally, some refrigerators manufactured in Japan utilize a ceramic filter built into the refrigerator; however, the filter is not changeable, and only lasts approximately seven years. The present devices of the types previously described have many disadvantages since: they generally include many parts and components; the filter, or deodorant device, is not easily and readily changed by the user of the refrigerator, or may not be changed at all; and they are not inexpensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, prior to the development of the present invention, there has been no air filter system or refrigerator having an air filter system, which: includes a small number of parts and components; is easily and readily changed by the user of the refrigerator; and is inexpensive to manufacture and use. Therefore, the art has sought an air filter system, and a refrigerator having an air filter system, which: includes few parts and components; has a filter which is easily and readily changed by the user of the refrigerator; and is inexpensive to manufacture and use.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, the foregoing advantages have been achieved through the present air filter system for use in a refrigerator having a fresh food compartment, having a plurality of planar wall surfaces, and a freezer compartment with an air return passageway disposed in fluid communication between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. The air filter system for filtering at least some of the air flowing from the fresh food compartment through the air return passageway into the freezer compartment, of the present invention, may include: a housing having an interior defined by a plurality of wall members formed integral with each other, each wall member having an inner surface and an outer surface; at least two of the wall members having integrally formed on each of their inner surfaces at least one support member; a replaceable air filter supported by the at least two support members, the air filter being disposed intermediate at least one opening formed in the housing and the air return passageway; at least one mounting member formed integral with at least one wall member, the at least one mounting member having a mounting surface lying in a plane which is substantially coplanar with at least one of the planar wall surfaces of the fresh food compartment; and a releasable connector disposed on the mounting surface of the at least one mounting member which releasably connects the housing to at least one of the planar wall surfaces of the fresh food compartment, whereby upon disconnecting the housing from the fresh food compartment, the air filter may be easily replaced.
A feature of the present invention is that the replaceable air filter may be: a ceramic filter; a charcoal filter; or a carbon filter. Another feature of the present invention is that the carbon filter may be polypropylene fibers impregnated with carbon. The replaceable air filter may have a generally rectangular shape.
A further feature of the present invention is that the releasable connector may include hook and loop fasteners, at least one of the hook or loop fasteners secured to the mounting surface of the at least one mounting member and at least one of the other hook or loop fasteners may be adapted to be secured to at least one of the planar walls surfaces of the fresh food compartment. Another feature of the present invention is that the housing may include two mounting members, and a releasable connector is disposed on each mounting surface of each mounting member. An additional feature of the present invention is that the at least one mounting member may extend outwardly from the at least one wall member, or it may extend inwardly into the housing.
An additional feature of the present invention is that the wall members defining the housing may include two sidewall members and a front wall member. The inner surface of each sidewall member may have at least one support member integrally formed thereon. A further feature of the present invention is that the support members may be disposed substantially perpendicular to a substantially perpendicularly disposed planar wall surface of the fresh food compartment. An additional feature of the present invention is that there may be tipper and lower support members formed internally on the inner surface of each side wall member.
The air filter system, and refrigerator having an air filter system, of the present invention, when compared with previously proposed refrigerator air filter systems, have the advantages of: including few parts and components; the air filter may be easily and readily changed by the user of the refrigerator; and the air filter system may be easily and economically manufactured.
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Amana Company L.P.
Bennett Henry
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Jones Mel
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