Injection-molded refrigerator liner with air ducts

Abstract

An injection-molded door liner for a door of a refrigerator appliance is provided. The door liner is injection molded as a single, integral piece and defines an icebox compartment, a cooling air inlet duct, and a cooling air outlet duct. A sealed cooling system circulates cooling air into the icebox compartment through the cooling air inlet duct and the cooling air is returned to the sealed cooling system through the cooling air outlet duct.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An injection molded door liner for a door of a refrigerator appliance, the door liner comprising:
 an icebox compartment defined at least in part by the door liner, the icebox compartment having a back wall and a plurality of sidewalls;   a cooling air inlet duct defined by the door liner and configured to receive cooling air from a sealed cooling system; and   a cooling air outlet duct defined by the door liner and configured to return cooling air to the sealed cooling system,   wherein the door liner is injection molded as a single, integral part.   
     
     
         2 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 1 , wherein the door liner defines a space around each of the inlet duct and the outlet duct, such that the inlet duct and the outlet duct may be surrounded in insulating foam. 
     
     
         3 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling air inlet duct and the cooling air outlet duct extend from a first end proximate to one of the plurality of sidewalls of the icebox compartment to a second end proximate to a door mating surface defined by the door liner. 
     
     
         4 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 3 , wherein the second end of the inlet duct is configured to receive an inlet duct gasket and the second end of the outlet duct is configured to receive an outlet duct gasket. 
     
     
         5 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 4 , wherein the inlet duct gasket is compressed to form a seal with a cooling air supply duct and the outlet duct gasket is compressed to form a seal with a cooling air return duct when the door is in a closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 1 , wherein the door liner is between about 1/16 inch and 3/16 inch thick. 
     
     
         7 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 1 , wherein the door liner is about ⅛ inch thick. 
     
     
         8 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet duct and the outlet duct each comprise a rectangular profile having radiused corners. 
     
     
         9 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet duct and the outlet duct each comprise an oblong profile. 
     
     
         10 . The injection molded door liner of  claim 1 , wherein the door liner is disposed in a fresh food chamber and the icebox compartment comprises an ice maker and an ice storage bin. 
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet including a liner defining a chilled chamber;   a door configured to provide access into the chilled chamber;   a door liner that is injection molded as a single, integral piece and mounted in the door, the door liner defining a sub-compartment, the sub-compartment comprising:
 an icebox cavity; 
 an inlet for receiving chilled air into the icebox cavity from a sealed cooling system; and 
 an outlet for returning chilled air to the sealed cooling system. 
   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the door liner defines a space around each of the inlet and the outlet, such that the inlet and the outlet may be surrounded in insulating foam. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the inlet and the outlet extend from a first end proximate to the icebox cavity to a second end proximate to a door mating surface defined by the door liner. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the second end of the inlet is configured to receive an inlet gasket and the second end of the outlet is configured to receive an outlet gasket. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the inlet gasket is compressed to form a seal with a chilled air supply duct and the outlet gasket is compressed to form a seal with a chilled air return duct when the door is in a closed position. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the door liner is between about 1/16 inch and 3/16 inch thick. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the door liner is about ⅛ inch thick. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the inlet and the outlet each comprise a rectangular profile having radiused corners. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the inlet and the outlet each comprise an oblong profile. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the icebox cavity comprises an ice maker and an ice storage bin.