Refrigerator with plural storage chambers

Claim 2

A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet including a substantially planar bottom member and side members extending vertically therefrom, said cabinet further comprising storage chamber means for storing items to be refrigerated, said storage chamber means having a front opening and a normally closed door hingedly associated therewith to provide access to said storage chamber means, said storage chamber means also having at least one shelf extending between said side members and horizontally dividing said storage chamber means into at least two discrete storage spaces; refrigeration means for refrigerating air, said refrigeration means comprising means for forcing circulation of said refrigerated air through at least two discrete air circulation paths; and at least two non-communicating discrete air flow conduits, each conduit being associated with a storage space and forming a portion of one of said circulation paths, each conduit being closed from an inlet to an outlet thereof and comprising means for directing said refrigerated air from said outlet to said inlet in a substantially horizontal path relative to said at least one shelf, wherein by controlling the temperature of air within each conduit, each storage space may be maintained at a different temperature.

Claim 3

The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein each of said shelves is adjustably mounted in said cabinet.

Claim 4

The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said cabinet comprises an exterior cabinet and an interior cabinet which forms said storage chamber means, said interior cabinet being disposed in said exterior cabinet in spaced relation thereto and said air flow conduits being formed in the space between said interior and exterior cabinets.

Claim 5

The refrigerator of claim 3 wherein said refrigeration means is disposed in said air flow conduits.

Claim 6

The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein said refrigeration means includes at least two evaporator-fan pairs, each evaporator-fan pair being disposed in a discrete conduit.

Claim 7

The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein said refrigeration means includes an evaporator common to all of said conduits and a fan disposed in each of said conduits.

Claim 8

The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein said refrigeration means includes a fan common to all of said conduits and an evaporator disposed in each of said conduits.

Claim 9

The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein said refrigeration means includes an evaporator and a fan both of which are common to all of said conduits, and said conduits including damper means for independently controlling the amount of air passing through any one of said conduits.

Claim 10

The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said air flow conduits are disposed at a rear portion of said cabinet and said refrigeration means is disposed in said air flow conduits.

Claim 11

The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein said directing means are positioned adjacent said front opening of the storage chamber to form discrete air curtains between the outlet and inlet of each circulation path and prevent fluid communication between the at least two storage spaces when said door is in an open position.

Claim 12

The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein said directing means comprises damper means for adjustably controlling the amount of air passing through each inlet and outlet.

Claim 13

The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said damper means comprises a damper rotatably supported in each inlet.

Claim 14

The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said damper means comprises a damper rotatably supported in each outlet.

Claim 15

The refrigerator of claim 11 wherein said damper means comprises a damper rotatably supported in said inlets and outlets.

Claim 16

A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet including a substantially planar bottom member and side members extending vertically therefrom, said cabinet further comprising storage chamber means for storing items to be refrigerated, said storage chamber means having a front opening and a normally closed door hingedly associated therewith to provide access to said storage chamber means, said storage chamber means also having at least one shelf extending between said side members and horizontally dividing said storage chamber means into at least two discrete storage spaces; refrigeration means for refrigerating air, said refrigeration means comprising means for forcing circulation of said refrigerated air through at least two discrete air circulation paths; and at least two non-communicating discrete air flow conduits, each conduit being associated with a storage space and forming a portion of one of said circulation paths so that by controlling the temperature of air within each conduit, each storage space may be maintained at a different temperature, each conduit also being closed from an inlet to an outlet thereof and including means for directing said refrigerated air substantially only along an outer boundary of said storage means adjacent said front opening from the conduit outlet to the conduit inlet in a substantially horizontal path relative to said at least one shelf, thereby forming a discrete air curtain between each conduit outlet and inlet to prevent the incursion of warm air through said front opening into said discrete storage spaces when said door is pivoted to an open position.

Claim 17

A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet including a substantially planar bottom member and side members extending vertically therefrom, said cabinet further comprising storage chamber means for storing items to be refrigerated, said storage chamber means having a front opening and a normally closed door hingedly associated therewith to provide access to said storage chamber means, said storage chamber means also having at least one shelf extending between said side members and horizontally dividing said storage chamber means into at least two discrete storage spaces; refrigeration means for refrigerating air, said refrigeration means comprising means for forcing circulation of said refrigerated air through at least two discrete air circulation paths; and at least two non-communicating discrete air flow conduits, each conduit being associated with a storage space and forming a portion of one of said circulation paths so that by controlling the temperature of air within each conduit, each storage space may be maintained at a different temperature, each conduit also being closed from an inlet to an outlet thereof and including means for directing said refrigerated air substantially only along an outer boundary of said storage means adjacent said front opening from the conduit outlet to the conduit inlet in a substantially horizontal path relative to said at least one shelf, thereby forming a discrete air curtain between each conduit outlet and inlet to prevent the incursion of warm air through said front opening into said discrete storage spaces when said door is pivoted to an open position.

Claim 18

The refrigerator of claim 15 wherein each of said shelves is adjustably mounted in said cabinet.

Claim 19

The refrigerator of claim 15 wherein said cabinet comprises an exterior cabinet and an interior cabinet which forms said storage chamber means, said interior cabinet being disposed in said exterior cabinet in spaced relation thereto and said air flow conduits being formed in the space between said interior and exterior cabinets.

Claim 20

The refrigerator of claim 17 wherein said refrigeration means is disposed in said air flow conduits.

Claim 21

The refrigerator of claim 18 wherein said refrigeration means includes at least two evaporator-fan pairs.

Claim 22

The refrigerator of claim 15 wherein said conduits include damper means for independently controlling the amount of air passing through any one of said conduits.

Claim 23

The refrigerator of claim 15 wherein said air flow conduits are disposed at a rear portion of said cabinet and said refrigeration means is disposed in said air flow conduits.

Claim 24

The refrigerator of claim 15 wherein said directing means are positioned adjacent said front opening of the storage chamber to form said discrete air curtains.

Claim 25

The refrigerator of claim 22 wherein said directing means comprise damper means for adjustably controlling the amount of air passing through each inlet and outlet.

Claim 26

The refrigerator of claim 22 wherein said damper means comprise a damper rotatably supported in each inlet.

Claim 27

The refrigerator of claim 22 wherein said damper means comprise a damper rotatably supported in each outlet.

Claim 28

The refrigerator of claim 22 wherein said damper means comprise a damper rotatably supported in said inlets and outlets.