Thermal improvements in vis refrigerators

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance includes a cabinet having a trim breaker defining a mullion region and a refrigerant system. The cabinet defines a first compartment and a second compartment. The refrigerant system includes a refrigerant defining a flow path through a compressor, a heat loop coupled to the compressor, a condenser coupled to the heat loop, and an evaporator assembly coupled to the compressor and the condenser. The heat loop is routed around a perimeter of the cabinet and through the mullion region. The evaporator assembly includes at least one first evaporator disposed in the first compartment and a second evaporator disposed in the second compartment. The at least one first evaporator may include a first roll bond evaporator coupled to a second roll bond evaporator in series with the first, or a wire-on-tube evaporator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerant system for a vacuum insulated appliance, comprising:
 a trim breaker including a first compartment perimeter, a second compartment perimeter, and a mullion region between the first compartment perimeter and the second compartment perimeter;   a compressor;   a condenser;   a heat loop extending from the compressor and along the trim breaker to the condenser, wherein the heat loop extends:
 along the first compartment perimeter; 
 through the mullion region toward the second compartment perimeter and crossing a center line and a midline of the trim breaker, the midline being between the first and second compartment perimeter and normal to the center line; 
 along the second compartment perimeter; and 
 through the mullion region toward the first compartment perimeter and crossing the center line and the midline of the trim breaker; 
   an evaporator assembly; and   a refrigerant configured to be directed from the compressor, through the heat loop to the condenser, and through the evaporator assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerant system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a 3-way valve disposed between the condenser and the evaporator assembly, wherein the evaporator assembly includes a first evaporator and a second evaporator, and wherein the refrigerant is directed to the first and second evaporators by the 3-way valve.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerant system of  claim 2 , wherein the first evaporator is a fin-on-tube evaporator, and wherein the second evaporator includes at least one roll bond evaporator. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerant system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one roll bond evaporator includes first and second roll bond evaporators arranged in series along a flow path of the refrigerant. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerant system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat loop extends parallel to the midline in the mullion region. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerant system of  claim 1 , wherein in the mullion region the heat loop includes a send segment and a return segment, wherein the send segment extends toward the second compartment perimeter parallel with the center line and crossing the midline and then parallel to the midline, and wherein the return segment extends toward the first compartment perimeter parallel with the center line and crossing the midline and the parallel with the midlines. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerant system of  claim 1 , wherein in the mullion region the heat loop includes a send segment and a return segment, wherein the send segment extends along the first compartment perimeter and then at an obtuse angle to cross the center line and the midline toward the second compartment perimeter, and wherein the return segment extends along the second compartment perimeter and then at an obtuse angle to cross the center line and the midline toward the first compartment perimeter. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerant system of  claim 1 , wherein in the mullion region the heat loop includes a send segment and a return segment, and wherein at least a portion of the return segment and a portion of the send segment extend parallel with one another. 
     
     
         9 . An appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a trim breaker coupled to the cabinet and defining a first compartment perimeter, a second compartment perimeter, and a mullion region between the first and second compartment perimeters;   a machine compartment at least partially defined by the cabinet;   a compressor disposed within the machine compartment;   a condenser disposed within the machine compartment;   a heat loop extending from the compressor, along the trim breaker, and to the condenser, wherein the heat loop has a send segment and a return segment extending across the mullion region, and wherein each of the send segment and the return segment cross an appliance center line.   
     
     
         10 . The appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the cabinet includes an outer wrapper and an inner liner, and wherein the outer wrapper and the inner liner define a vacuum insulated cavity therebetween. 
     
     
         11 . The appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the machine compartment is at least partially defined by an outer surface of the outer wrapper of the cabinet. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 9 , wherein each of the send segment and the return segment include a first portion that extends parallel to a midline between the first and second compartment perimeters and a second portion that crosses the midline. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the second portion of each of the send segment and the return segment is disposed proximate to the appliance center line. 
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the send segment is disposed proximate to a first side edge of the trim breaker, and wherein the second portion of the return segment is disposed proximate a second opposing side edge of the trim breaker. 
     
     
         15 . The appliance of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first evaporator assembly; and   a second evaporator assembly arranged in parallel along a flow path for a refrigerant.   
     
     
         16 . The appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the second evaporator assembly includes first and second evaporators arranged in series along the flow path. 
     
     
         17 . A refrigerant system for a vacuum insulated appliance, comprising:
 a compressor;   a condenser;   a heat loop extending from the compressor and to the condenser, wherein the heat loop is configured to extend along perimeters of first and second compartments of said vacuum insulated appliance between the compressor and the condenser;   an evaporator assembly including:
 a first evaporator assembly; 
 a second evaporator assembly arranged in parallel with the first evaporator assembly along a flow path, the second evaporator assembly including a first evaporator and a second evaporator arranged in series along the flow path; and 
   a refrigerant configured to be directed along the flow path from the compressor, through the heat loop, to the condenser, and through the evaporator assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerant system of  claim 17 , wherein the heat loop is configured to cross a center line of said vacuum insulated appliance between the perimeter of the first compartment and the perimeter of the second compartment. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerant system of  claim 18 , wherein the heat loop includes a send segment and a return segment between the perimeter of the first compartment and the perimeter of the second compartment, and wherein each of the send segment and the return segment is configured to cross the center line. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerant system of  claim 17 , wherein the first evaporator assembly is a fin-on-tube evaporator, and wherein the first and second evaporators are first and second roll bond evaporators.