1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet body of one or more exterior walls separating interior space of the refrigerator from ambient air and a door that provides access to the cabinet body;
a heat reservoir positioned on the one or more exterior walls of the cabinet body at a source of latent heat within an indoor environment, the heat reservoir harvesting heat from the indoor environment’s source of latent heat;
an application having a heat output, the application at a location generally remote from the heat reservoir;
a liquid pathway disposed in at least a portion of the one or more exterior cabinet walls between the heat reservoir and the application for supplying the heat output at the application from the heat reservoir;
a pump in operable communication with the liquid pathway for moving liquid through the liquid pathway between the heat reservoir and the application.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the heat reservoir comprises a heat storage battery.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the heat reservoir includes a heat exchanger.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the heat reservoir is positioned on an exterior surface of the cabinet body for harvesting heat from ambient air.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the source of latent heat comprises ambient air.
6. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the source of latent heat comprises a condenser coil.
7. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the application comprises;
a. an icemaker having an ice mold with the heat output for harvesting ice from the ice mold supplied from the heat reservoir;
b. a defrost operation with the heat output for defrosting supplied from the heat reservoir;
c. an anti-condensation operation with the heat output supplied from the heat reservoir;
d. an anti-freezing operation with the heat output supplied from the heat reservoir;
e. a storage space having a warming operation with heat output supplied from the heat reservoir.
8. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet body and a door that provides access to the cabinet body;
a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet body;
an application having a heat output associated with an operation of the refrigerator;
a liquid pathway positioned at a source of latent heat, the liquid pathway between the source of latent heat and the application for supplying the heat output for the operation from the source of latent heat, at least a portion of the liquid pathway is disposed in the door to minimize condensation;
a pump in operable communication with the liquid pathway for moving the latent heat in liquid through the liquid pathway between the source of latent heat and the application.
9. The refrigerator of claim 8 further comprising a heat exchanger at the source of latent heat, the heat exchanger includes a liquid head carrier for moving heat in the liquid heat carrier from the source of latent heat to the application.
10. The refrigerator of claim 8 further comprising a liquid heat reservoir at the source of latent heat, the heat reservoir for harvesting and storing heat from the source of latent heat.
11. The refrigerator of claim 10 further comprising a liquid supply line connected between the liquid heat reservoir and the application for supplying the heat output for the operation from the liquid heat reservoir.
12. The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein the heat exchanger is positioned on an exterior surface of the cabinet body for harvesting heat from ambient air around the refrigerator.
13. The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein the heat exchanger is positioned proximate a condensing coil within the cabinet body.
14. The refrigerator of claim 8 wherein the application comprises an icemaker having an ice mold, wherein the heat output for harvesting ice from the ice mold is supplied from the source of latent heat.
15. A method for using latent heat in a refrigerator, comprising:
providing a cabinet body with a refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment, one or more doors providing access to the cabinet body, and a heat reservoir disposed on the cabinet body from ambient air surrounding the cabinet body;
positioning the cabinet body with the heat reservoir indoors where there is a source of latent heat from ambient air surrounding the cabinet body;
harvesting heat from the source of latent heat surrounding the cabinet body with a liquid;
moving the liquid through the cabinet body to an application having a heat output;
supplying the heat output at the application using the latent heat in the liquid.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising pumping the liquid from a heat exchanger to the application through a liquid supply line.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the heat reservoir has a body of the liquid for storing heat from the source of latent heat in ambient air surrounding the cabinet body.
18. The method of claim 15 further comprising harvesting latent heat from:
a. an ambient source;
b. a refrigeration cycle.
19. The method of claim 15 further comprising melting at least partially a batch of ice housed in an ice bin using the latent heat.
20. The method of claim 15 further comprising warming an ice mold in an icemaker using the latent heat for harvesting ice from the icemaker.
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 producing an electron emission device comprising a first conductive film having an electron emission part and a second conductive film spaced apart from the first conductive film, the electron emission device capable of being driven by applying a higher electric potential to the second conductive film than an electric potential of the first conductive film, the method comprising:
(A) a first step of preparing a first conductive film, second conductive film, and a material which constitutes an electron emission part and is connected at least to the first conductive film, and
(B) a second step of setting a threshold electric field strength, which is needed to start electron emission in a situation where a higher electric potential is applied to the first conductive film than that applied to the second conductive film, to a value greater than a threshold electric field strength, which is needed to start electron emission in a situation where a higher electric potential is applied to the second conductive film than that applied to the first conductive film, by performing electron emission by applying a voltage between the first conductive film and the second conductive film in a forward direction such that an electric potential of the second conductive film is higher than an electric potential of the first conductive film, and by performing electron emission by applying a voltage between the first conductive film and the second conductive film in a reverse direction such that an electric potential of the first conductive film is higher than an electric potential of the second conductive film, after the first step,
wherein a maximum value of an absolute value of the voltage in the reverse direction is greater than a maximum value of an absolute value of the voltage in the forward direction and is greater than an absolute value of a voltage applied between the first conductive film and the second conductive film when the electron emission device is driven.
2. A method of producing an electron emission device according to claim 1, wherein electrons are emitted by applying an electric field of 1\xd7106 Vcm or less to the electron emission part.
3. A method of producing an electron emission device according to claim 2, wherein the first conductive film and the second conductive film are spaced apart by 0.1 \u03bcm or greater.
4. A method of producing an electron emission device according to claim 1, wherein the electron emission part is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a carbon fiber, an insulating film having a dipole layer disposed on the surface thereof, a film formed mainly of carbon and including metal particles, and an amorphous carbon layer.
5. A method of producing an electron source including a plurality of electron emission devices, the method including the step of producing the plurality of electron emission devices using a production method according to claim 4.
6. A method of producing an image display device including an electron source and a luminescent material, the method including the step of producing the electron source using a production method according to claim 5.
7. A method of producing an electron emission device comprising a first conductive film having an electron emission part and a second conductive film spaced apart from the first conductive film, the electron emission device capable of being driven by applying a higher electric potential to the second conductive film than an electric potential of the first conductive film, the method comprising:
(A) a first step of preparing a first conductive film, second conductive film, and a material which constitutes an electron emission part and is connected at least to the first conductive film, and
(B) a second step of setting a threshold electric field strength, which is needed to start electron emission in a situation where a higher electric potential is applied to the first conductive film than that applied to the second conductive film, to a value greater than a threshold electric field strength, which is needed to start electron emission in a situation where a higher electric potential is applied to the second conductive film than that applied to the first conductive film, by performing electron emission by applying a voltage between the first conductive film and the second conductive film in a forward direction such that an electric potential of the second conductive film is higher than an electric potential of the first conductive film, and by performing electron emission by applying a voltage between the first conductive film and the second conductive film in a reverse direction such that an electric potential of the first conductive film is higher than an electric potential of the second conductive film, after the first step,
wherein the electron emission device is produced by a production method in which a maximum value of an absolute value of the voltage in the reverse direction is greater than a maximum value of an absolute value of the voltage in the forward direction, and
wherein an absolute value of a voltage applied between the first conductive film and the second conductive film when the electron emission device is driven is smaller than a maximum value of an absolute value of the voltage in the reverse direction.