Fresh food compartment ice box door

Abstract

A refrigerator has a compartment defined by a liner. A door is configured to provide access into the compartment. A sub-compartment is mounted in the door. The sub-compartment has an access door that opens to provide access into the sub-compartment. The access door includes an inner door panel, an outer door panel, and a vacuum insulation panel disposed between the inner and outer door panels.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a compartment defined by a liner;   a door configured to provide access into said compartment;   a sub-compartment mounted in said door, said sub-compartment having an access door that opens to provide access into said sub-compartment, said access door further comprising:
 an inner door panel; 
 an outer door panel; and 
 a vacuum insulation panel disposed between said inner door panel and said outer door panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator as in  claim 1 , wherein said compartment is a fresh food compartment and said sub-compartment comprises a freezer sub-compartment with an icemaker and ice cube storage bin. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator as in  claim 1 , wherein said access door has a total thickness of less than 0.5 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator as in  claim 1 , further comprising an additional insulation material disposed against said vacuum insulation panel. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator as in  claim 4 , wherein said vacuum insulation panel and said additional insulation material have a combined thickness of less than 1.0 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator as in  claim 5 , wherein said vacuum insulation panel and said additional insulation material have a combined thickness of about 0.5 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator as in  claim 6 , wherein said access door has a total thickness of less than 0.75 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator as in  claim 4 , wherein said additional insulation material comprises a spray foam that is injected between said inner and outer door panels, said vacuum insulation panel disposed against said inner door panel, said foam injected between said vacuum insulation panel and said outer panel door and formed around a periphery of said vacuum insulation panel. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator as in  claim 8 , wherein said access door has a total thickness of less than 0.75 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator as in  claim 8 , wherein said inner door panel comprises a raised bed on which said vacuum insulation panel is attached, said foamed formed around the periphery of said vacuum insulation panel and said raised bed. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator as in  claim 4 , wherein said additional insulation material comprises a pre-formed sheet material, said vacuum insulation panel disposed against said inner door panel and said pre-formed sheet material disposed between said vacuum insulation panel and said outer panel door. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator as in  claim 11 , wherein said access door has a total thickness of less than 0.75 inches. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator as in  claim 12 , wherein said pre-formed sheet material comprises a closed-cell polystyrene foam sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator as in  claim 12 , wherein said pre-formed sheet material comprises a cast polyurethane sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator as in  claim 1 , further comprising a gasket seal disposed around an opening to said sub-compartment, said vacuum insulation panel having dimensions so as to extend outboard of a periphery of said gasket seal.