Refrigerators with near-zero compartments

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a refrigerator including a third compartment arranged to maintain its temperature at, near or slightly below a freezing point of water so that aqueous articles stored therein may be cooled down to their freezing point but not completely frozen. More particularly, such a refrigerator generally includes a subzero compartment, an overzero compartment, and a near-zero compartment, where a control unit may be arranged to control temperatures of the compartments below zero degree, near (or at zero) degree, and over zero degree, respectively. Such a near-zero compartment is arranged to be in fluid communication with a cooling unit and/or subzero compartment to receive a subzero air stream therefrom, and defines an internal space which may preferably not be in direct fluid communication with either of the subzero and overzero compartments so that the control unit may control the temperature of the near-zero compartment at least substantially independently of the temperatures of the subzero and overzero compartments. Such a near-zero compartment of this invention may be incorporated to any household refrigerators, freezers, industrial refrigerators and/or freezers, household or commercial beverage dispensers, and the like. Such a near-zero compartment may also be manufactured as a separate console designated to chill beverages containers down to their freezing points. Furthermore, such a near-zero compartment may be provided as an add-on unit which may be retrofit into conventional refrigerators and/or freezers.

1 . A near-zero compartment of a refrigerator including at least one subzero compartment, at least one overzero compartment, at least one near-zero compartment, at least one cooling unit, and at least one control unit, wherein said cooling unit is configured to provide a subzero air stream to at least one of said subzero, overzero, and near-zero compartments and wherein said control unit is configured to control an amount of said air stream supplied to each of said compartments to control temperatures of said subzero, near-zero, and overzero compartments below zero degree, near zero degree, and over zero degree, respectively, said near-zero compartment comprising: 
 a body; and    at least one air inlet through which said air stream is supplied into said body by at least one of said cooling unit and subzero compartment,    wherein said control unit is configured to control said amount of said air stream through said air inlet in order to maintain a temperature inside said body at least one of near, at, and slightly below zero degree.    
   
   
       2 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to open and to close said air inlet to operatively isolate said near-zero compartment from said subzero and overzero compartments.  
   
   
       3 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 1 , wherein said body is configured to include a plurality of retainers which are configured to occupy at least a substantial portion of one inner surface of said body and to at least partially retain fluid containers therein.  
   
   
       4 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 3 , wherein at least a substantial number of said retainers are configured to have fixed dimensions.  
   
   
       5 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 3 , wherein at least a substantial number of said retainers are configured to have adjustable dimensions.  
   
   
       6 . The near-zero compartment of claim I further comprising at least one door configured to open and close and to provide an access to an interior of said body but not to interiors of said subzero and overzero compartments.  
   
   
       7 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 1 , wherein said body is configured to define at least one inlet opening configured to receive a fluid container therethrough.  
   
   
       8 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 8 , wherein said body is configured to define at least one outlet opening configured to dispense said fluid container therethrough.  
   
   
       9 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to control said amount of said air stream in order to maintain said temperature inside said body at least substantially independently of temperatures inside said subzero and overzero compartments.  
   
   
       10 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 9 , wherein said control unit includes at least one control switch which is configured to be operatively coupled to said control unit and to control said amount of said air stream.  
   
   
       11 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 1  wherein said body is configured to retain a plurality of fluid containers further comprising: 
 at least one sensor unit configured to be disposed inside said body, to operatively couple with said control unit, and to detect freezing of fluid in said fluid containers,    wherein said control unit is further configured to monitor said sensor unit and to maintain said temperature inside said body over a preset value to prevent at least one of complete freezing of said fluid, partial freezing of said fluid beyond a preset extent, expansion of said containers, and explosion of said containers.    
   
   
       12 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 11 , wherein said sensor unit is configured to monitor at least one of a dimension of said fluid container and a change in said dimension.  
   
   
       13 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 11 , wherein said sensor unit is configured to monitor at least one of a temperature inside said near-zero compartment and a temperature of a surface of said fluid container.  
   
   
       14 . The near-zero compartment of  claim 11 , wherein said sensor unit is configured to monitor an uneven mass distribution inside said fluid container.  
   
   
       15 . A refrigerator having a plurality of compartments, a cooling unit, and a control unit, said cooling unit configured to supply a subzero air stream directly to at least one of said compartments and then indirectly to the rest of said compartments, and said control unit configured to control amounts of said air streams supplied to said compartments in order to control temperatures of said compartments, said refrigerator comprising: 
 at least one subzero compartment configured to receive said air stream from said cooling unit;    at least one near-zero compartment configured to receive said air stream from at least one of said cooling unit and subzero compartment; and    at least one overzero compartment configured to receive said air stream from at least one of said cooling unit, subzero compartment, and near-zero compartment,    wherein said control unit is configured to control a temperature of said near-zero compartment at least substantially independently of temperatures of said subzero and overzero compartments.    
   
   
       16 . A method of refrigerating fluid containers by providing an air stream with a temperature lower than zero degree thereto comprising the steps of: 
 providing a first compartment including its own air inlet;    supplying said air stream to said first compartment through said air inlet; and    controlling an amount of said air stream to said first compartment in order to maintain said fluid containers at least one of near, at, and slightly below zero degree.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , said providing step comprising the step of: 
 defining in said first compartment a separate internal space which is not in fluid communication with other compartments.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of: 
 providing a door to said first compartment; and    providing an access to an interior of said first compartment through said door.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of: 
 providing at least one second compartment; and    adjusting an amount of said air stream supplied to said first compartments in order to maintain a temperature of said first compartment independently of temperatures of said second compartment.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of: 
 disposing at least one fluid container in said first compartment;    incorporating at least one sensor to said first compartment;    sensing at least one of a temperature of said first compartment and a physical characteristics of said fluid containers disposed in said first compartment; and    preventing at least one of complete freezing of fluids in said containers, partial freezing of said fluids beyond a preset extent, expansion of said containers beyond a preset extent, and explosion of said containers by controlling said amount of said air stream supplied to said first compartment.