US 12,270,589 B2
Antimicrobial air ducts
Mehmet Ali Acar, Izmir (TR); Muhammad Khizar, St. Joseph, MI (US); Andrea Olivani, Milan (IT); and Matteo Parnisari, Biandronno (IT)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Aug. 29, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/115,817.
Prior Publication US 2020/0072527 A1, Mar. 5, 2020
Int. Cl. F25D 17/04 (2006.01); A61L 9/20 (2006.01); B01D 53/00 (2006.01); B01D 53/88 (2006.01); B01J 23/08 (2006.01); B01J 23/50 (2006.01); B01J 23/66 (2006.01); B01J 35/23 (2024.01); B01J 35/39 (2024.01); F25D 17/06 (2006.01); F25D 17/08 (2006.01); F24F 8/24 (2021.01)
CPC F25D 17/042 (2013.01) [A61L 9/205 (2013.01); B01D 53/007 (2013.01); B01D 53/885 (2013.01); B01J 23/08 (2013.01); B01J 23/50 (2013.01); B01J 23/66 (2013.01); B01J 35/23 (2024.01); B01J 35/39 (2024.01); F25D 17/065 (2013.01); F25D 17/08 (2013.01); A61L 2209/12 (2013.01); B01D 2255/104 (2013.01); B01D 2255/20707 (2013.01); B01D 2255/20715 (2013.01); B01D 2255/209 (2013.01); B01D 2255/802 (2013.01); B01D 2257/708 (2013.01); B01D 2257/91 (2013.01); F24F 8/24 (2021.01); F25D 2317/041 (2013.01); F25D 2317/0417 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet coupled to one or more doors forming a storage compartment; and
an air purifying duct system positioned in the storage compartment, wherein the air purifying duct system comprises:
an air duct in fluid communication with the storage compartment, wherein the air duct includes at least two air duct intakes positioned on opposing sidewalls of the storage compartment and at least one air duct exhaust, wherein the at least two air duct intakes are fluidly coupled via the air duct;
a fan configured to draw air from the storage compartment into the air duct through the at least two air duct intakes and exhaust the air into the storage compartment through the at least one air duct exhaust;
a photocatalyst disposed on at least a portion of an interior surface of the air duct between the at least two air duct intakes and the at least one air duct exhaust;
one or more LEDs positioned to project light onto the photocatalyst; and
a controller operably coupled with the fan and the one or more LEDs;
and
wherein air that enters the at least two air duct intakes passes through the portion of the air duct containing the photocatalyst prior to exiting the air duct through the at least one air duct exhaust, further wherein upon detection of the one or more doors closing, the controller drives the fan to form an air circulation path configured to direct pathogens within the storage compartment into the air duct using the fan and the controller communicates with the one or more LEDs to emit light.