| CPC F25D 17/02 (2013.01) [F25B 41/40 (2021.01); F25D 21/14 (2013.01); F25D 23/065 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a vacuum-insulated structure comprising (i) an outer wall, (ii) an inner wall facing the outer wall, the inner wall defining a refrigerable compartment, (iii) a space separating the outer wall from the inner wall, the space having a pressure that is less than ambient pressure of an external environment, and (iv) a pass-through through the vacuum-insulated structure providing access from the external environment to the refrigerable compartment, the pass-through comprising an outer aperture through the outer wall and an inner aperture through the inner wall that is aligned with the outer aperture;
an evaporator disposed within the refrigerable compartment, the evaporator configured to lower or maintain a temperature of the refrigerable compartment below ambient temperature;
one or more of a water dispenser and an ice-maker disposed within the refrigerable compartment;
a refrigerant line that extends through the pass-through and into the refrigerable compartment, the refrigerant line in fluid communication with the evaporator;
a water line extending through the pass-through and into the refrigerable compartment, the water line in liquid communication with the one or more of the water dispenser and the ice-maker; and
a housing that at least partially houses the evaporator within the refrigerable compartment, the housing comprising a wall directly adjacent the pass-through that entirely separates the water line from the refrigerant line where the water line and the refrigerant line extend from the pass-through and into the refrigerable compartment to at least partially thermally insulate the water line from the refrigerant line within the refrigerable compartment.
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10. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a vacuum-insulated structure defining a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, the vacuum-insulated structure comprising (i) a refrigerator pass-through therethrough providing access from an external environment to the refrigerator compartment and (ii) a freezer pass-through therethrough providing access from the external environment to the freezer compartment;
a refrigerator evaporator disposed within the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator evaporator configured to lower or maintain a temperature of the refrigerator compartment below ambient temperature;
a freezer evaporator disposed within the freezer compartment, the freezer evaporator configured to lower or maintain a temperature of the freezer compartment below ambient temperature;
a refrigerator refrigerant line that extends through the refrigerator pass-through and into the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator refrigerant line in fluid communication with the refrigerator evaporator;
a freezer refrigerant line that extends through the freezer pass-through and into the freezer compartment, the freezer refrigerant line in fluid communication with the freezer evaporator;
a refrigerator water line extending through the refrigerator pass-through and into the refrigerator compartment;
a freezer water line extending through the freezer pass-through and into the freezer compartment;
a refrigerator housing that at least partially houses the refrigerator evaporator within the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator housing comprising a wall directly adjacent the refrigerator pass-through that entirely separates the refrigerator water line from the refrigerator refrigerant line where the refrigerator water line and the refrigerator refrigerant line extend from the refrigerator pass-through and into the refrigerator compartment to at least partially thermally insulate the refrigerator water line from the refrigerator refrigerant line within the refrigerator compartment; and
a freezer housing that at least partially houses the freezer evaporator within the freezer compartment, the freezer housing comprising a wall directly adjacent the freezer pass-through that entirely separates the freezer water line from the freezer refrigerant line where the freezer water line and the freezer refrigerant line extend from the freezer pass-through and into the freezer compartment to at least partially thermally insulate the freezer water line from the freezer refrigerant line within the freezer compartment.
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17. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a vacuum-insulated structure defining a freezer compartment, the vacuum-insulated structure comprising (i) a rear wall and (ii) a freezer pass-through through the rear wall providing access from an external environment to the freezer compartment;
an ice-maker disposed within the freezer compartment; and
a freezer water line extending through the freezer pass-through and into the freezer compartment, the freezer water line comprising a conduit portion with an open end in fluid communication with the ice-maker;
wherein, the conduit portion extends through the freezer pass-through solely at an acute angle relative to horizontal in the forward and downward directions so that water is able to flow via force of gravity through an entirety of the conduit portion and into the ice-maker, and
wherein, the conduit portion extends into the freezer compartment; and wherein, the refrigeration appliance further comprises a freezer refrigerant line and a freezer housing that houses a freezer evaporator within the freezer compartment, the freezer housing comprising a wall proximate the freezer pass-through that separates the freezer water line from the freezer refrigerant line where the freezer water line and the freezer refrigerant line extend from the freezer pass-through and into the freezer compartment.
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