US 12,292,224 B2
Refrigerator
Hao Bai, Liangning Province (CN); Pieter-Dirk Berkhout, Dordrecht (NL); Joost Marinius Van Rooijen, Kapelle (NL); and Leendert Jan Antoon Jansen, Rotterdam (NL)
Assigned to Thetford BV, Etten-Leur (NL)
Filed by Thetford BV, Etten-Leur (NL)
Filed on Aug. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/892,196.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/236,807, filed on Aug. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0068630 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. F25D 17/08 (2006.01); F25D 11/02 (2006.01); F25D 17/06 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 17/08 (2013.01) [F25D 11/02 (2013.01); F25D 17/065 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a housing defining an interior;
at least one exterior door closing the interior of the housing;
a freezer disposed within the interior and having a freezer door and an interior freezer compartment;
a cooling unit for cooling the interior of the refrigerator, the cooling unit including a heat exchanger disposed within the interior of the housing;
at least one ventilation duct vertically extending through the freezer door, the at least one ventilation duct having a first end in communication with an upper zone of the interior of the refrigerator and being isolated from the interior freezer compartment of the freezer;
an airflow path extending between the heat exchanger and a lower end of the at least one ventilation duct; and
a cooling fan for directing a source of air from within the refrigerator across the heat exchanger, along the airflow path, vertically upwardly into the lower end of the at least one ventilation duct, and through the at least one ventilation duct, and out through the first end of the at least one ventilation duct,
wherein the airflow path further extends fully through the at least one ventilation duct to an upper zone of the interior of the refrigerator located above the freezer.