Refrigerator appliance and airflow system

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance is provided, including an outer case forming a refrigeration compartment and an inlet flow passage configured to provide cooled air from a cooling system to the refrigeration compartment. An airflow panel is positioned at a top wall at the refrigeration compartment. The airflow panel is positioned in fluid communication with the inlet flow passage to receive a flow of fluid. The airflow panel includes a plurality of openings providing fluid communication from a volume between the airflow panel and the top wall to the refrigeration compartment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
 an outer case forming a refrigeration compartment, the outer case forming an inlet flow passage configured to provide cooled air from a cooling system to the refrigeration compartment; and   an airflow panel positioned at a top wall at the refrigeration compartment, wherein the airflow panel is positioned in fluid communication with the inlet flow passage to receive a flow of fluid, the airflow panel comprising a plurality of openings providing fluid communication from a volume between the airflow panel and the top wall to the refrigeration compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein an interior wall separates the refrigeration compartment from a freezer compartment, and wherein the inlet flow passage is formed through the interior wall to provide fluid communication between the freezer compartment and the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet flow passage is formed through a rear wall of the outer case. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a shelf releasably mountable to a plurality of mounts, the plurality of mounts positioned at an inner liner at the refrigeration compartment, wherein two or more of the plurality of mounts form a gap between one another.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , the interior wall forming an outlet flow passage providing fluid communication between the refrigeration compartment and the freezer compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a damper device positioned at the inlet flow passage, the damper device configured to modulate the flow of fluid from a freezer compartment to the refrigeration compartment.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , the airflow panel forming at least one protrusion into the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , the airflow panel forming a platform configured to receive a lighting assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the lighting assembly is positionable at the platform in the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the lighting assembly is positionable at a volume between the airflow panel and the top wall at the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , the outer case forming an insulation layer extending between the top wall and an outer wall substantially co-directional to the top wall, wherein a cross-sectional area of the insulation layer is substantially uniform between the top wall and the outer wall. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the substantially uniform cross-sectional area of the insulation layer extends along a vertical direction and a width direction. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the outer case forms a freezer compartment, and wherein the freezer compartment and the refrigeration compartment are positioned in side-by-side arrangement. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the interior wall extends along a vertical direction from the top wall to a base wall to form the refrigerator appliance in side-by-side arrangement. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , the outer case forming a molded plastic or foam outer case, the outer case comprising a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along a vertical direction and width direction between the top wall and an outer wall of the outer case. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
 an outer case forming a refrigeration compartment, the outer case forming an inlet flow passage configured to provide cooled air from a cooling system to the refrigeration compartment, the outer case forming an insulation layer extending between the top wall and an outer wall substantially co-directional to the top wall, wherein a cross-sectional area of the insulation layer is substantially uniform between the top wall and the outer wall; and   an airflow panel positioned at a top wall at the refrigeration compartment, wherein the airflow panel is positioned in fluid communication with the inlet flow passage to receive a flow of fluid, the airflow panel comprising a plurality of openings providing fluid communication from a volume between the airflow panel and the top wall to the refrigeration compartment.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein an interior wall separates the refrigeration compartment from a freezer compartment, and wherein the inlet flow passage is formed through the interior wall to provide fluid communication between the freezer compartment and the refrigeration compartment. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the inlet flow passage is formed through a rear wall of the outer case. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the outer case forms a freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment in a side-by-side arrangement. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the outer case forms a freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment in a top-bottom arrangement.