Air cooling assembly for a cooling device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling devices with multiple compartments require separate evaporators for each compartment, increasing cost, complexity, and space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a common evaporator serving both a dedicated fresh food compartment and a convertible compartment, utilizing an air distributor assembly with dams to control airflow and maintain desired temperatures in each compartment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate evaporators are used for each storage compartment, then temperature control reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single evaporator is divided into multiple cooling zones with independent airflow control. The evaporator body includes a first cooling zone and a second cooling zone, each serving different storage compartments. This segmentation allows one evaporator to perform the function of multiple evaporators while maintaining temperature control reliability for each compartment independently.
Solution Approach 2:
A single evaporator is designed to serve multiple storage compartments simultaneously through a shared airflow path system. The evaporator provides cooling to both the fresh-keeping storage compartment and the freezing storage compartment, eliminating the need for separate evaporators while maintaining reliable temperature control in each compartment through controlled airflow distribution.
2Reliability
If separate evaporators are used for each storage compartment, then cooling performance is improved, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple evaporator functions are merged into a single evaporator unit. The first cooling zone and second cooling zone of the same evaporator serve different storage compartments, consolidating what would traditionally require separate evaporator installations into one compact unit, thereby reducing the total space required for evaporator components.
Solution Approach 2:
The airflow control components (first airflow control component and second airflow control component) are nested within the shared airflow path system. The evaporator is positioned such that both cooling zones are integrated into a single structural unit, with airflow paths nested within the same evaporator housing, maximizing space efficiency.
3Device complexity
If a common evaporator is used for both compartments, then device complexity is reduced, but temperature control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is segmented into distinct cooling zones (first cooling zone and second cooling zone) with independent airflow control components. This segmentation allows precise control of cooling delivery to each storage compartment independently, maintaining temperature control precision despite using a single evaporator unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The airflow control components are designed to dynamically adjust airflow distribution between the first and second cooling zones based on the cooling demands of each storage compartment. This dynamic control capability enables precise temperature regulation in each compartment while using a common evaporator, overcoming the precision limitations of static single-zone systems.
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
The solution reduces costs and complexity by eliminating the need for separate evaporators while effectively maintaining temperature control in both compartments, optimizing space and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fan positioned within the air plenum and configured to draw an airflow over the evaporator and into the air plenum
Implementation Method 2
A first damper is disposed within the air distributor assembly and fluidly between the air plenum and the first flow path. The first damper is movable between a first position and a second position.
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device including a first storage compartment and a second storage compartment disposed adjacent to the first storage compartment. An evaporator is disposed adjacent a wall of the second storage compartment. An air distributor assembly is disposed within the second storage compartment such that the evaporator is positioned between the air distributor assembly and the wall. The air distributor assembly includes an air plenum and a first flow path defined therein. A first damper is disposed within the air distributor assembly. The first damper is movable between first and second positions. When the first damper is in the first position, a first portion of airflow received in the air plenum is permitted to flow into the first flow path. When the first damper is in the second position, the first portion of the airflow is hindered from flowing into the first flow path.