Temperature regulating features for a refrigerator icebox

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber and a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, the door at least partially defining an icebox and comprising an outer door panel and an inner door panel spaced apart along the transverse direction to define a door gap that is filled with insulation, wherein a nominal door gap thickness is defined away from the icebox and an icebox door gap thickness is defined adjacent the icebox, the icebox door gap thickness being less than the nominal door gap thickness. An insulated cover is mounted to the door to at least partially define and thermally isolate the icebox from the chilled chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;   a door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, the door at least partially defining an icebox and comprising an outer door panel and an inner door panel spaced apart along the transverse direction to define a door gap that is filled with insulation, wherein a nominal door gap thickness is defined away from an icebox and an icebox door gap thickness is defined adjacent the icebox, the icebox door gap thickness being less than the nominal door gap thickness; and   an insulated cover mounted to the door to at least partially define and thermally isolate the icebox from the chilled chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the icebox door gap thickness is less than 80% of the nominal door gap thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the icebox door gap thickness is less than 50% of the nominal door gap thickness. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the icebox is sealed from the chilled chamber on a top side, a front side, a back side, and lateral sides of the icebox. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fan positioned in fluid communication with the icebox for circulating a flow of air through the icebox.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the fan is positioned to intake air from the chilled chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to:
 determine that a defrost cycle is needed; and   operate the fan for a predetermined amount of time to purge humid air from the icebox.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the determination that the defrost cycle is needed is based on an elapsed time since a prior defrost cycle, an indication of frost buildup, or a number of icemaking cycles performed since the prior defrost cycle. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the determination that the defrost cycle is needed is based on at least one of a freezer temperature or a freezer evaporator temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heating assembly in thermal communication with the icebox for selectively heating the icebox.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the heating assembly comprises:
 a plurality of resistive heaters positioned within the insulated cover and in or on the door.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor for detecting an icebox temperature of the icebox.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the icebox is maintained at a temperature between about 15° and 20° Fahrenheit above a temperature of the chilled chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the insulated cover comprises a hard outer shell filled with an insulating material. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a craft icemaker positioned within the icebox.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ice storage bin positioned below the icebox for storing ice.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the chilled chamber is a freezer compartment of the refrigerator appliance. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator appliance is a side-by-side refrigerator appliance. 
     
     
         19 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;   a door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, the door at least partially defining an icebox, wherein a thickness of the door is reduced proximate the icebox; and   an insulated cover mounted to the door to at least partially define and thermally isolate the icebox from the chilled chamber.