Refrigerator appliance with direct-cooled in-door chamber

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet that defines a chilled chamber. A door is rotatably mounted to the cabinet at a front portion of the chilled chamber. A food storage chamber is defined within the door. The refrigerator appliance also includes a sealed system configured for generating chilled air. The sealed system is in direct fluid communication with the in-door food storage chamber to provide the chilled directly to the in-door food storage chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet extending from a top to a bottom along the vertical direction, the cabinet also extending from a left side to a right side along the lateral direction, the cabinet defining a fresh food chamber, the fresh food chamber extending along the vertical direction between the top and the bottom of the cabinet, along the lateral direction between the left and right sides of the cabinet, and along the transverse direction between a front portion and a back portion, the front portion of the fresh food storage chamber defining an opening for receipt of food items;   a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet at the front portion of the fresh food storage chamber such that the door rotates between a closed position where the door sealingly encloses at least a portion of the fresh food storage chamber and an open position to permit access to the fresh food chamber, the door comprising an outer casing comprising a thermally insulated wall that defines an in-door chamber within the outer casing, the door further comprising a front panel rotatably mounted to the outer casing of the door such that the front panel of the door permits access to the in-door chamber when the door is in the closed position;   a sealed system configured for generating chilled air; and   a duct directly fluidly connecting the sealed system with the in-door chamber to provide the chilled air directly from the sealed system to the in-door chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a variable speed blower fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge the chilled air from the sealed system into the duct and directly to the in-door chamber from an evaporator of the sealed system. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet also defines a freezer chamber extending along the vertical direction between the top and bottom of the cabinet and spaced apart from the fresh food chamber along the vertical direction, wherein the duct is a first duct, and further comprising a second duct extending from the in-door chamber to the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 3 , further comprising a valve in the first duct, the valve configured to divert a portion of the chilled air to a third duct, the third duct extending from the valve to the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 4 , further comprising a variable speed blower fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge the chilled air from the sealed system into the first duct. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 3 , further comprising a variable speed blower fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge a first portion of the chilled air from the sealed system into the first duct and an axial fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge a second portion of the chilled air from the sealed system directly into the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 6 , further comprising a check valve in the second duct, the check valve oriented within the second duct such that air flow from the freezer chamber to the in-door chamber through the second duct is obstructed by the check valve. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet comprises a plurality of thermally insulated walls, and the duct extends from the sealed system to the in-door chamber through the thermal insulation of at least one of the plurality of thermally insulated walls. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the door is a first fresh food chamber door, further comprising a second fresh food chamber door mirrored with the first fresh food chamber door whereby the first fresh food chamber door and the second fresh food chamber door cooperatively sealingly enclose the fresh food chamber when the first fresh food door is in the closed position and the second fresh food door is in a closed position, the second fresh food door comprising a second outer casing and a second thermally insulated wall defining a fresh food storage chamber within the second outer casing. 
     
     
         10 . A refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, the chilled chamber comprising a front portion and an opening for receipt of food items defined at the front portion;   a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet at the front portion of the chilled chamber such that the door rotates between a closed position where the door sealingly encloses at least a portion of the chilled chamber and an open position to permit access to the chilled chamber, the door comprising an outer casing comprising a thermally insulated wall that defines an in-door chamber within the outer casing, the door further comprising a front panel rotatably mounted to the outer casing of the door such that the front panel of the door permits access to the in-door chamber when the door is in the closed position;   a sealed system configured for generating chilled air; and   a duct directly fluidly connecting the sealed system with the in-door chamber to provide the chilled air directly from the sealed system to the in-door chamber.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , further comprising a variable speed blower fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge the chilled air from the sealed system into the duct and directly to the in-door chamber from an evaporator of the sealed system. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the cabinet also defines a freezer chamber positioned below and spaced apart from the fresh food chamber, wherein the duct is a first duct, and further comprising a second duct extending from the in-door chamber to the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 12 , further comprising a valve in the first duct, the valve configured to divert a portion of the chilled air to a third duct, the third duct extending from the valve to the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , further comprising a variable speed blower fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge the chilled air from the sealed system into the first duct. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 14 , further comprising a variable speed blower fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge a first portion of the chilled air from the sealed system into the first duct and an axial fan in fluid communication with the sealed system to urge a second portion of the chilled air from the sealed system directly into the freezer chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 15 , further comprising a check valve in the second duct, the check valve oriented within the second duct such that air flow from the freezer chamber to the in-door chamber through the second duct is obstructed by the check valve. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the cabinet comprises a plurality of thermally insulated walls, and the duct extends from the sealed system to the in-door chamber through the thermal insulation of at least one of the plurality of thermally insulated walls. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the door is a first fresh food chamber door, further comprising a second fresh food chamber door mirrored with the first fresh food chamber door whereby the first fresh food chamber door and the second fresh food chamber door cooperatively sealingly enclose the fresh food chamber when the first fresh food door is in the closed position and the second fresh food door is in a closed position, the second fresh food door comprising a second outer casing and a second thermally insulated wall defining a fresh food storage chamber within the second outer casing.