Refrigerator icemaking console

Abstract

A refrigerator utilizes a center console in a fresh food compartment that extends only a portion of the height of the fresh food compartment and separated from each of the side walls of the fresh food compartment. In some instances, the center console may be insulated and house an icemaker, as well as provide an ability to support fully extendible sliding shelves, baskets and/or storage bins within the fresh food compartment. In some instances, the fully extendible sliding shelves, baskets and/or storage bins may be supported by a top of the center console, while in other instances, they may be supported along the sides of the center console.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bottom mount refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a freezer compartment disposed in the cabinet;   a fresh food compartment disposed in the cabinet above the freezer compartment and having a top wall, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, the bottom wall separating the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment;   an icemaking console extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the top wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the icemaking console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the icemaking console from the fresh food compartment; and   an icemaker disposed within the icemaking console.   
     
     
         2 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more fresh food doors closing the fresh food compartment; and   one or more freezer doors closing the freezer compartment.   
     
     
         3 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more fresh food doors include one or more hinged doors. 
     
     
         4 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more freezer doors include one or more hinged doors. 
     
     
         5 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more freezer doors include one or more sliding doors. 
     
     
         6 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising an ice dispenser coupled to the icemaking console to dispense ice generated by the icemaker, wherein the ice dispenser is externally accessible when the one or more fresh food doors and the one or more freezer doors are closed. 
     
     
         7 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the icemaking console includes a sealing surface against which at least one door among the one or more fresh food doors and the one or more freezer doors forms a seal when closed. 
     
     
         8 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the freezer compartment has a top wall extending generally parallel to the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment, wherein the icemaking console further extends downwardly from the top wall of the freezer compartment only a portion of a height of the freezer compartment, and wherein the ice dispenser extends below a bottom edge of the one or more fresh food doors. 
     
     
         9 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein a front of the icemaking console is covered by at least one door among the one or more fresh food doors and the one or more freezer doors. 
     
     
         10 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the icemaking console includes first and second side walls respectively facing the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment, the bottom mount refrigerator further comprising:
 one or more first sliding storage elements extending between the first side wall of the fresh food compartment and the first side wall of the icemaking console and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment; and   one or more second sliding storage elements extending between the second side wall of the fresh food compartment and the second side wall of the icemaking console and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment;   
       wherein each first sliding storage element and each second sliding storage element is configured to support a food item within the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         11 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein each first sliding storage element and each second sliding storage element comprises a shelf, a basket or a storage bin. 
     
     
         12 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more first sliding storage elements and the one or more second sliding storage elements is supported by a plurality of full extension slide rails permitting substantially full extension thereof outwardly from the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         13 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more shelves extending substantially between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment above the icemaking console and supported by the icemaking console. 
     
     
         14 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more shelves includes a first sliding shelf configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         15 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the first sliding shelf is supported by at least one full extension slide rail permitting substantially full extension of the first sliding shelf outwardly from the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         16 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one full extension slide rail comprises at least one undermount slide rail extending along an underside of the first sliding shelf and slidably coupling the first sliding shelf to the icemaking console. 
     
     
         17 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment defines an opening into the freezer compartment, wherein the icemaking console is positioned over the opening such that the interior compartment of the icemaking console is open to the freezer compartment and is cooled by air circulated within the freezer compartment. 
     
     
         18 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the interior compartment of the icemaking console is maintained at a below freezing temperature. 
     
     
         19 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising an evaporator disposed within or behind the icemaking console. 
     
     
         20 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the evaporator is disposed rearwardly from the icemaker. 
     
     
         21 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 20 , wherein the evaporator is a fresh food evaporator and the icemaking console includes an interior wall separating the icemaker from the fresh food evaporator. 
     
     
         22 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 21 , wherein the evaporator includes a tube extending through the interior wall and coupled to the icemaker to provide direct cooling of the icemaker. 
     
     
         23 . A bottom mount refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a freezer compartment disposed in the cabinet;   a fresh food compartment disposed in the cabinet above the freezer compartment and extending substantially a full width of the cabinet, the fresh food compartment having a top wall, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, the bottom wall separating the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment;   an insulated console extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the top wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the insulated console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the insulated console from the fresh food compartment, the one or more walls including first and second side walls respectively facing the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment;   one or more full width shelves extending between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment above the insulated console;   one or more first sliding storage elements extending between the first side wall of the fresh food compartment and the first side wall of the insulated console and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment; and   one or more second sliding storage elements extending between the second side wall of the fresh food compartment and the second side wall of the insulated console and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment.   
     
     
         24 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more full width shelves includes a first sliding shelf supported by the insulated console between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         25 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 23 , wherein each first sliding storage element and each second sliding storage element comprises a shelf, a basket or a storage bin, and wherein at least one of the one or more first sliding storage elements and the one or more second sliding storage elements is supported by a plurality of full extension slide rails permitting substantially full extension thereof outwardly from the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         26 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 23 , further comprising an icemaker disposed within the insulated console. 
     
     
         27 . The bottom mount refrigerator of  claim 26 , wherein the insulated console further includes an ice dispenser. 
     
     
         28 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet;   fresh food and freezer compartments respectively disposed in the cabinet at first and second elevations relative to one another, the fresh food compartment having first and second side walls, a dividing wall that separates the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment and an end wall that extends generally parallel to the dividing wall proximate a top or bottom end of the cabinet;   an icemaking console extending substantially vertically from the dividing wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the end wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the icemaking console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the icemaking console from the fresh food compartment; and   an icemaker disposed within the icemaking console.   
     
     
         29 . The refrigerator of  claim 28 , wherein the first elevation is higher than the second elevation, wherein the dividing wall is a bottom wall of the fresh food compartment, wherein the end wall is a top wall of the fresh food compartment, and wherein the icemaking console extends upwardly from the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         30 . The refrigerator of  claim 28 , wherein the first elevation is lower than the second elevation, wherein the dividing wall is a top wall of the fresh food compartment, wherein the end wall is a bottom wall of the fresh food compartment, and wherein the icemaking console extends downwardly from the top wall of the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         31 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet;   fresh food and freezer compartments respectively disposed in the cabinet at first and second elevations relative to one another, the fresh food compartment having first and second side walls, a dividing wall that separates the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment and an end wall that extends generally parallel to the dividing wall proximate a top or bottom end of the cabinet;   a console extending substantially vertically from the dividing wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the end wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall;   a sliding shelf extending substantially between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment above the console and supported by the console, wherein the sliding shelf is supported by at least one full extension slide rail coupled to the console and permitting substantially full extension of the sliding shelf outwardly from the fresh food compartment.   
     
     
         32 . The refrigerator of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one full extension slide rail comprises at least one undermount slide rail extending along an underside of the sliding shelf and slidably coupling the sliding shelf to the console. 
     
     
         33 . The refrigerator of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one full extension slide rail comprises first and second full extension slide rails extending generally parallel to one another and slidably coupling the sliding shelf to the console. 
     
     
         34 . The refrigerator of  claim 31 , further comprising one or more glides extending generally parallel to the at least one full extension slide rail to guide the sliding shelf. 
     
     
         35 . The refrigerator of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more glides includes at least one glide supported by the console. 
     
     
         36 . The refrigerator of  claim 31 , wherein the sliding shelf has first and second sides respectively extending along the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment, and wherein the first and second sides are unsupported by the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment. 
     
     
         37 . The refrigerator of  claim 36 , wherein the console includes first and second side walls respectively facing the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment, wherein the refrigerator further comprises one or more first storage elements extending between the first side wall of the fresh food compartment and the first side wall of the console and one or more second storage elements extending between the second side wall of the fresh food compartment and the second side wall of the console, wherein each first storage element and each second storage element is configured to support a food item within the fresh food compartment, and wherein the first and second sides of the sliding shelf are unsupported by any of the first and second storage elements. 
     
     
         38 . The refrigerator of  claim 31 , wherein the console is an icemaking console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the console from the fresh food compartment, and wherein the refrigerator further comprises an icemaker disposed in the console.