Refrigerator with no-frost freezer

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance comprises a freezer compartment in which air cooled by an evaporator is circulated by a fan and a thermoelectric device having a hot side in heat exchange relationship with the evaporator or with the freezer compartment and a cold side in heat exchange relationship with air within at least a portion of the freezer compartment in order to reduce temperature oscillations in the freezer compartment or in said portion thereof during evaporator defrost cycle.

1 . Refrigeration appliance comprising:
 a freezer compartment in which air cooled by an evaporators is circulated by a fan;   at least one thermoelectric device having a hot side in thermal communication with the evaporator and a cold side in thermal communication with air within at least a portion of the freezer compartment in order to reduce temperature oscillations the portion during evaporator defrost.   
     
     
         2 . Refrigeration appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the freezer compartment is defined by a box-shaped sub-compartment. 
     
     
         3 . Refrigeration appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising a water tray disposed within the freezer compartment, wherein the hot side of the thermoelectric device is also in thermal communication with the water tray for keeping water in a liquid state in order to control relative humidity within the freezer compartment. 
     
     
         4 . Refrigeration appliance according to  claim 3 , further comprising a second thermoelectric device, wherein the hot side in thermal communication with the water tray belongs to the second thermoelectric device. 
     
     
         5 . Refrigeration appliance according to claim, further comprising an auxiliary heater for defrost. 
     
     
         6 . Refrigeration appliance according to  claim 4 , wherein the second thermoelectric device placed in a sub-compartment contained within the freezer compartment and containing the water tray. 
     
     
         7 . Refrigeration appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein the sub-compartment comprises an auxiliary fan in order to define an air flow on water tray. 
     
     
         8 . Refrigeration appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the sub-compartment comprises an internal wall defining an air plenum with apertures for the air flow. 
     
     
         9 . Refrigeration appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein the second thermoelectric device comprises a cold side in thermal communication with a metal shelf disposed above the water tray. 
     
     
         10 . Method for decreasing freezing burns in food items contained in a freezer compartment comprising:
 heating the evaporator ( 12 ) during a defrost phase with the help of a hot side of a thermoelectric device;   utilizing a cold side of the thermoelectric device to reduce temperature oscillations within the freezer compartment.   
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of controlling relative humidity within the freezer compartment through the use of hot side of the thermoelectric device in thermal communication with a quantity of water disposed within a water tray to maintain the water in the water tray in a liquid state. 
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of placing food items within a sub-compartment which does not contain the hot side of the thermoelectric device and contains the cold side of the thermoelectric device. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an evaporator;   a freezer compartment;   a water reservoir disposed in the freezer compartment containing a quantity of water in liquid state;   a first thermoelectric device comprising a hot side and a cold side, wherein the hot side of the first thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the evaporator and a cold side in thermal communication with the freezer compartment;   a second thermoelectric device comprising a hot side and a cold side, wherein the hot side is in thermal communication with the water reservoir;   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the freezer compartment further comprises a subcompartment. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the subcompartment further comprises a fan configured to force air over the quantity of water in the water reservoir. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the subcompartment further comprises apertures configured to allow air to pass between the fan and the water reservoir. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the water reservoir is disposed within the subcompartment. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , further comprising a metal shelf disposed above the water reservoir. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the cold side of the second thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the metal shelf. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , further comprising an auxiliary heater configured to activate when the refrigerator enters a defrost mode.