Air-cool refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
In air-cooled refrigerators with evaporators at the bottom, large ice blocks can obstruct water drainage outlets due to inadequate melting by traditional heating wires, leading to inefficiencies and user inconvenience, especially in designs where the evaporator is horizontally placed, reducing space utilization and user accessibility.
Innovation Solution
The evaporator is obliquely positioned, and a coiled heating wire with an extension portion through holes in a water receiving tray is used to ensure even heating and reduce the distance to the water drainage outlet, allowing for timely melting of ice and preventing blockages, while optimizing the shape of the heating wire for improved defrosting efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a traditional heating wire is used for defrosting the evaporator, then the evaporator can be heated, but the heating temperature cannot be set too high due to safety concerns, which may lead to large ice blocks blocking the water drainage outlet and cannot be melted in time
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire is divided into multiple segments: a first heating wire for the evaporator and a second heating wire (extension portion) for the water drainage outlet. This segmentation allows independent temperature control - the first heating wire operates at lower temperature for safety, while the second heating wire operates at higher temperature to melt ice blocks at the drainage outlet, resolving the contradiction between safety and drainage reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The water receiving tray acts as an intermediary structure that collects defrosting water and provides a pathway for the heating wire extension portion to reach the water drainage outlet. This intermediary structure enables the heating function to extend to the drainage outlet without compromising the safety of the main evaporator heating zone.
2Ease of manufacture
If the evaporator is horizontally placed to simplify installation, then installation is easier, but space utilization is reduced and user accessibility is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is designed with an adjustable inclination angle rather than being fixed horizontally. This dynamic positioning allows the evaporator to be installed at optimal angles for space utilization and user accessibility while maintaining installation feasibility. The adjustable design resolves the contradiction between installation ease and space utilization by providing flexibility in installation configuration.
3Area of stationary object
If the heating wire is positioned far from the water drainage outlet, then the evaporator heating area is maximized, but ice blocks at the drainage outlet cannot be melted in time
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire is segmented into two functional zones: the main heating portion wrapped around the evaporator for maximum heating area, and an extension portion (second heating wire) that reaches the water drainage outlet. This segmentation allows the heating system to simultaneously maximize evaporator heating area while providing timely ice melting at the drainage outlet, resolving the time delay contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating wire extends from the evaporator area through the water receiving tray to the drainage outlet, adding a spatial dimension to the heating function. This dimensional extension allows the heating system to cover both the evaporator surface and the drainage outlet location, eliminating the time loss for melting ice blocks at the outlet while maintaining comprehensive evaporator heating.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances air circulation, improves water drainage smoothness, increases space utilization, reduces user bending requirements, and ensures effective defrosting without additional heating wires, thus preventing outlet blockages and enhancing user experience.
Implementation Method 1
a heating wire, e.g., an aluminum tube heating wire, is generally adopted as a defrosting device of the evaporator
Implementation Method 2
the heat conduction bar transfers heat generated by the heater to the ice cube to melt the ice cube
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
An air-cool refrigerator, comprising a bottom liner, an evaporator, a water receiving tray, and a heating wire. A cooling chamber located at the bottom of the bottom liner is defined inside the bottom liner, and a water receiving tank is further formed on the bottom wall of the bottom liner; a water drainage outlet is formed at the bottom of the water receiving tank; the evaporator is provided in the cooling chamber, and is configured to cool an air flow entering the cooling chamber to form a cooled air flow; the water receiving tray is provided between the evaporator and the bottom wall of the bottom liner, and is configured to receive water on the evaporator, and a plurality of through holes are formed in a region of the water receiving tray facing towards the water receiving tank; the heating wire is provided between the water receiving tray and the evaporator in a coiled manner, and is configured to provide heat for defrosting of the evaporator, and the heating wire has an extension portion extending to the water receiving tank through the through holes. According to the extension portion of the present invention, the distance between the heating wire and the water drainage outlet can be shortened, and large-volume ice at the water drainage outlet can be melted in time, thereby improving the water drainage efficiency; moreover, the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to popularize.