1. A filter housing assembly comprising:
a filter housing for enclosing a filter media, said filter housing having a body and a top portion for forming a fluid-tight seal with said body, said filter housing top portion including:
an ingress port;
an egress port;
a filter key located on said top portion and having a top surface, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides, said filter key including spaced protrusions or fingers on said longitudinal sides of said filter key extending laterally from said top surface, wherein said fingers include winged extensions having slanted or angled faces for mating attachment to a filter base or manifold.
2. (canceled)
3. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 wherein said fingers include a diamond shaped cross-section.
4. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 including a boss extending in an axial direction above said top surface of said filter key, said boss having an angled face of predetermined width ramping upwards from said filter key top surface and lateral segments or wings extending beyond said boss width.
5. A filter housing assembly comprising:
a filter housing for enclosing a filter media, said filter housing having a body and a top portion for forming a fluid-tight seal with said body, said filter housing top portion including:
an ingress port;
an egress port;
a filter key located on said top portion and having a top surface, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides, said filter key including spaced protrusions or fingers on said longitudinal sides of said filter key extending laterally from said top surface, wherein said filter key is formed integrally with said filter housing top portion.
6. (canceled)
7. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 including having said filter key attached to said filter housing top portion by snap fit, friction fit, welding, or bonding.
8. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 including a filter manifold or base attached to said filter housing top portion, said filter manifold or base comprising an attachment structure for fixably receiving said filter key.
9. The filter housing assembly of claim 8 wherein one of said ingress or egress ports is located on said filter manifold.
10. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 wherein said ingress port and said egress port are off axial center of said filter housing.
11. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 wherein said spaced protrusions or fingers are integrally formed with said filter key.
12. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 including having said spaced protrusions or fingers forming a predetermined pattern for identifying different filter attributes unique to a filter encased within said filter housing.
13. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 including having said filter key color-coded, transparent, translucent, mirrored, textured, materially modified, or having a conductively signature for identifying different filter attributes specific to a filter encased within said filter housing.
14. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 wherein said filter key includes a locking nub or tab for attachment to said top portion.
15. The filter housing assembly of claim 1 wherein said top portion includes a filter key location boss or support member extending axially upwards from said top portion at a distance away from an axial center point, and filter key lateral support members located opposite said filter key location boss on the other side of said axial center point and extending axially upwards from said top portion, said filter key lateral support members having a separation approximately equal to said filter key width, said filter key location boss and said filter key lateral support members forming a structural support with exposed surfaces for attaching said filter key to said top portion.
16. A filter housing assembly comprising:
a filter housing for enclosing a filter media, said filter housing having a body and a top portion for forming a fluid-tight seal with said body, said filter housing top portion including:
an ingress port;
an egress port;
a filter manifold attached to said filter housing top portion, said filter manifold comprising an attachment structure for receiving said filter key
a filter key located on said top portion and having a top surface, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides, said filter key including spaced protrusions, drive keys, or fingers on said longitudinal sides of said filter key extending laterally from said top surface, and having winged extensions with slanted or angled faces, wherein said winged extensions have a diamond shaped cross-section.
17. A filter housing assembly comprising:
a filter housing for enclosing a filter media;
a filter head having at least one port in fluid communication with said filter media, said filter head forming a fluid-tight seal with said filter housing;
a filter manifold comprising:
a base portion axially centered about said filter head;
a port in fluid communication with said filter media; and
a first attachment structure located on said base portion for receiving a filter key;
wherein said filter manifold is formed integrally with said filter head, and
said filter key having a top surface, a bottom, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides, said filter key including:
spaced protrusions or fingers on said longitudinal sides of said filter key extending laterally from said top surface and having winged extensions; and
a second attachment structure located on said filter key bottom for attaching said filter key to said first attachment structure on said filter manifold.
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
21. The filter housing assembly of claim 17 wherein said filter key is fixably or removably attached to said filter manifold.
22. The filter housing assembly of claim 17 wherein said filter key fingers include slanted or angled faces on said winged extensions.
23. The filter housing assembly of claim 22 wherein said winged extensions have a diamond shaped cross-section.
24. The filter housing assembly of claim 17 wherein said filter head includes a filter key location boss or support member extending axially upwards from said filter head top surface at a distance away from said filter head axial center point, and filter key lateral support members located opposite said filter key location boss on the other side of said axial center point and extending axially upwards from said filter head top surface, said filter key lateral support members having a separation approximately equal to said filter key width, said filter key location boss and said filter key lateral support members forming a structural support with exposed surfaces for attaching said filter key to said filter head.
25. The filter housing assembly of claim 24 wherein said filter key location boss includes an aperture for receiving a locking nub or tab from said filter key.
26. The filter housing assembly of claim 17 wherein said filter manifold first attachment structure includes an axially extending protrusion, extending upwards relative to said filter manifold base portion.
27. The filter housing assembly of claim 26 wherein said filter key second attachment structure includes a complementary groove or slot on said filter key bottom to attach with said axially extending protrusion of said filter manifold
28. (canceled)
29. (canceled)
30. (canceled)
31. The filter housing assembly of claim 17 wherein said first attachment structure includes an axially extending protrusion having a dovetail shape.
32. The filter housing assembly of claim 17 wherein said filter manifold includes radially extending arms about said base portion, providing structural support for a shroud.
33. The filter housing assembly of claim 17 including a boss extending in an axial direction above said top surface of said filter key, said boss having an angled face of predetermined width ramping upwards from said filter key top surface and lateral segments or wings extending beyond said boss width.
34-52. (canceled)
53. A method for extracting a filter housing assembly from a filter base comprising:
applying an axial insertion force to said filter housing assembly already connected to said filter base towards said filter base thereby inserting a filter key on said filter housing assembly further into a slidable floating lock of said filter base;
releasing said slidable floating lock, such that said floating lock moves relative to said filter key under a resilient retraction force;
aligning fingers on said filter key between fingers or drive keys on said floating lock; and
applying an axial extraction force to said filter housing assembly to remove said filter housing assembly from said filter base.
54. A refrigerator in combination with a filter assembly comprising:
an outer cabinet;
a refrigeration compartment disposed within said outer cabinet and having a rear wall, a pair of opposing side walls, at least one door disposed opposite said rear wall, a top and a bottom;
a freezer compartment disposed in said outer cabinet and adjacent to said refrigeration compartment;
a water dispenser disposed in said door and in fluid communication with said filter assembly with automated assembly for changing a sump and filter media from said refrigerator;
said filter assembly comprising:
a filter housing for enclosing a filter media, said filter housing having a body and a top portion for forming a fluid-tight seal with said body, said filter housing top portion including:
an ingress port;
an egress port; and
a filter key located attached to said filter housing and having a top surface, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides, said filter key including spaced protrusions or fingers on said longitudinal sides of said filter key extending laterally from said top surface.
55. The combination according to claim 54 including having said filter key formed integrally with said filter housing top portion.
56. The filter housing assembly of claim 54 including having said filter key removably attached to said top portion.
57. The filter housing assembly of claim 54 including a filter manifold attached to said filter housing top portion, said filter manifold comprising an attachment structure for fixably receiving said filter key.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of controlling a refrigerating apparatus, the method comprising:
controlling a temperature in a storage chamber of the refrigerating apparatus to a freezing point temperature zone in a super cooling state by adjusting cold air supplied to the storage chamber;
determining whether a temperature of articles stored in the storage chamber is stabilized in the freezing point temperature zone; and
controlling the temperature in the storage chamber to a temperature below a freezing point by increasing an amount of the cold air supplied to the storage chamber when it is determined that the temperature of articles stored in the storage chamber is stabilized in the freezing point temperature zone by the cold air,
wherein the determining of whether the temperature of articles stored in the storage chamber is stabilized in the freezing point temperature zone comprises determining whether a temperature of a surface of the stored articles is equal to a temperature of the storage chamber, and
wherein the controlling of the temperature in the storage chamber to the temperature below the freezing point comprises performing a super-cooling process, and lowering the temperature of the storage chamber to the temperature below the freezing point to cancel the super-cooling state, so that the surface of the stored articles and the core of the stored articles are simultaneously frozen.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether the temperature of the articles stored in the storage chamber is stabilized in the freezing point temperature zone includes determining whether or not the temperature in the storage chamber is maintained within the freezing point temperature zone for a designated time.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the increasing the amount of the cold air includes adjusting at least one of an amount of the cold air and a direction of the cold air supplied to the storage chamber.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling of the temperature in the storage chamber to the temperature below the freezing point generates phase change of the stored articles stabilized in the freezing point temperature zone to freeze the stored articles.
5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising maintaining the temperature in the storage chamber at a preserving temperature comprising decreasing the amount of the cold air supplied to the storage chamber when the freezing of stored articles is completed.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the preserving temperature is a temperature between the temperature of the freezing point and a temperature below the freezing point.
7. A method of controlling a refrigerating apparatus comprising:
maintaining a temperature in a storage chamber at a freezing point temperature zone for a first designated time by supplying cold air to the storage chamber such that a temperature of articles stored in the freezing chamber is in a super cooling state in the freezing point temperature zone; and
maintaining the temperature in the storage chamber at a temperature below a freezing point for a second designated time by adjusting the cold air when the first designated time has passed,
wherein the maintaining the temperature in the storage chamber at the freezing point temperature zone comprises determining whether a temperature of a surface of the stored articles is equal to a temperature of the storage chamber; and
wherein the maintaining of the temperature in the storage chamber to the temperature below the freezing point comprises performing a super-cooling process, and when a first designated time has passed, lowering the temperature of the storage chamber to the temperature below the freezing point to cancel the super-cooling, so that the surface of the stored articles and the core of the stored articles are simultaneously frozen.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:
the first designated time is a time to cool centers as well as surfaces of the articles stored in the storage chamber to the temperature of the freezing point; and
the second designated time is a time to freeze the stored articles.
9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising maintaining the temperature in the storage chamber at a preserving temperature comprising adjusting the cold air when the second designated time has passed.
10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the adjusting of the cold air includes adjusting at least one of an amount of the cold air and a direction of the cold air supplied to the storage chamber.
11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the temperature below the freezing point is a temperature at which phase change of the stored articles occurs.
12. A method of controlling a refrigerating apparatus, comprising:
controlling a temperature in a storage chamber to a freezing point temperature zone in a super cooling state by supplying cold air to the storage chamber;
sensing a temperature of articles stored in the storage chamber;
determining whether or not the temperature of the stored articles is maintained within the freezing point temperature zone by determining whether a temperature of a surface of the stored articles is equal to a temperature of the storage chamber; and
when it is determined that the temperature of the stored articles is maintained within the freezing point temperature zone, lowering the temperature in the storage chamber to a temperature below a freezing point by adjusting the cold air so as to cancel the super cooling state, so that the surface of the stored articles and a core of the stored articles are simultaneously frozen.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the determining as to whether or not the temperature of the stored articles is maintained within the freezing point temperature zone includes:
sensing the temperature in the storage chamber; and
determining whether or not the temperature in the storage chamber is maintained within the freezing point temperature zone.
14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising determining whether or not the temperature of the stored articles is maintained within the freezing point temperature zone for a designated time.
15. A refrigerating apparatus comprising:
a storage chamber to store articles;
an internal temperature sensing unit to sense a temperature in the storage chamber;
a plurality of refrigerating units to adjust cold air supplied to the storage chamber; and
a control unit configured to control a temperature in the storage chamber to a freezing point temperature zone in a super cooling state by controlling the refrigerating units, to determine whether the temperature of the articles stored in the storage chamber are maintained within the freezing point temperature zone, and to lower the temperature in the storage chamber to a temperature below a freezing point to cancel the super cooling state when a temperature of articles stored in the storage chamber are maintained within the freezing point temperature zone, so that a surface of the stored articles and a core of the stored articles are simultaneously frozen.
16. The refrigerating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control unit maintains the temperature in the storage chamber within the freezing point temperature zone for a designated time.
17. The refrigerating apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a surface temperature sensing unit to sense a surface temperature of the stored articles,
wherein the control unit determines whether or not the temperature in the storage chamber and the surface temperature of the stored articles are maintained within the freezing point temperature zone in the controlling of the temperature in the storage chamber to the freezing point temperature zone.
18. The refrigerating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the refrigerating units include:
a plurality of dampers formed on respective wall surfaces of the storage chamber to open and close discharge holes, through which the cold air is discharged; and
a fan to adjust a supply amount of the cold air.
19. The refrigerating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the temperature below the freezing point is a temperature at which phase change of the stored articles occurs.
20. The refrigerating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control unit controls the refrigerating units to maintain the storage chamber at a preserving temperature when the freezing of stored articles is completed.