Door mounted chilled component with direct cooling
A refrigerator includes: a fresh food compartment with an interior wall, an opening, and a door movable between a closed position and an open position for accessing the fresh food compartment via the opening; a cold plate mounted in the interior wall with an evaporator in contact with the cold plate; a chilled component movably mounted on the door adjacent the cold plate, the chilled component includes a heat transfer plate on a side of the chilled component for thermal communication with the cold plate, and a biaser moves the chilled component into thermal communication with the cold plate when the door is closed. The chilled component may be: an ice maker, a liquid/drink cooler, a vegetable cooler, a meat cooler, and/or a wine cooler. The biaser may include the following for moving the chilled component: a spring, an inclined plane, a pulley and weights, and/or a hydraulic piston.
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a fresh food compartment with an interior wall, an opening, and a door movable between a closed position and an open position for accessing the fresh food compartment via the opening;
a cold plate mounted in the interior wall with an evaporator in contact with the cold plate;
a chilled component moveably mounted on the door adjacent the cold plate, the chilled component includes a heat transfer plate on a side of the chilled component for thermal communication with the cold plate, and
a biaser moves the chilled component into thermal communication with the cold plate when the door is closed,
wherein the biaser includes a spring for moving the chilled component into the cold plate.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the chilled component is an ice maker.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the evaporator is a coil evaporator or a plate evaporator.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the chilled component includes a fan for circulating air within the chilled component.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the chilled component is one of a liquid/drink cooler, vegetable cooler, meat cooler, or wine cooler.
6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the biaser includes an inclined plane for moving the chilled component into the cold plate.
7. A refrigerator comprising:
a fresh food compartment with an interior wall, an opening, and a door movable between a closed position and an open position for accessing the fresh food compartment via the opening;
a cold plate mounted in the interior wall with an evaporator in contact with the cold plate;
a chilled component moveably mounted on the door adjacent the cold plate, the chilled component includes a heat transfer plate on a side of the chilled component for thermal communication with the cold plate, and
a biaser moves the chilled component into thermal communication with the cold plate when the door is closed,
wherein the biaser includes a pulley and weights for moving the chilled component into the cold plate.
8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the chilled component is an ice maker.
9. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the evaporator is a coil evaporator or a plate evaporator.
10. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the chilled component includes a fan for circulating air within the chilled component.
11. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the chilled component is one of a liquid/drink cooler, vegetable cooler, meat cooler, or wine cooler.
12. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the biaser includes an inclined plane for moving the chilled component into the cold plate.
13. A refrigerator comprising:
a fresh food compartment with an interior wall, an opening, and a door movable between a closed position and an open position for accessing the fresh food compartment via the opening;
a cold plate mounted in the interior wall with an evaporator in contact with the cold plate;
a chilled component moveably mounted on the door adjacent the cold plate, the chilled component includes a heat transfer plate on a side of the chilled component for thermal communication with the cold plate, and
a biaser moves the chilled component into thermal communication with the cold plate when the door is closed,
wherein the biaser includes a hydraulic piston for moving the chilled component into the cold plate.
14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the chilled component is an ice maker.
15. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the evaporator is a coil evaporator or a plate evaporator.
16. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the chilled component includes a fan for circulating air within the chilled component.
17. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the chilled component is one of a liquid/drink cooler, vegetable cooler, meat cooler, or wine cooler.
18. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the biaser includes an inclined plane for moving the chilled component into the cold plate.