Refrigerator Air Guide Structure for Cold Air and Defrost Water Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face inefficiencies in guiding cold air and managing defrost water, leading to suboptimal temperature maintenance and water drainage within the cold air generating compartment and storage compartment.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a guide member with a curved shape corresponding to the peripheral edge of the cold air fan, a guide duct connected to the cold air outlet, and a drain pan positioned beneath the evaporator to collect and direct defrost water away from the storage compartment, ensuring efficient cold air circulation and defrost water management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a cold air fan is installed in the cold air generating compartment to promote air movement, then cold air circulation is improved, but defrost water generation and management problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the defrost water discharge function from the cold air outlet by providing a separate discharge hole in the guide member. This allows defrost water to be removed independently from the cold air circulation path, resolving the conflict between improving air circulation and managing defrost water.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary structure that serves dual functions: guiding cold air through the cold air outlet and discharging defrost water through a separate discharge hole. This mediator structure resolves the contradiction by handling both functions separately.
2Device complexity
If defrost water is discharged through the cold air outlet, then water drainage is simplified, but cold air circulation is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the discharge functions by providing separate outlets: a cold air outlet for air circulation and a discharge hole in the guide member for defrost water. This segmentation allows both functions to operate independently without interfering with each other.
Solution Approach 2:
The defrost water discharge function is extracted from the cold air outlet system and placed in a separate discharge hole within the guide member, allowing independent optimization of both air circulation and water drainage paths.
3Temperature
If the guide member is positioned to guide cold air effectively, then temperature maintenance is improved, but defrost water overflow increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed with a separate discharge hole that extracts the defrost water discharge function from the cold air guidance function, allowing the guide member to effectively guide cold air while simultaneously preventing defrost water overflow through the dedicated discharge opening.
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 the movement of cold air over the evaporator, reduces defrost water overflow, and effectively directs defrost water away from the storage compartment, improving temperature maintenance and water management within the refrigerator.
Implementation Method 1
a cold air fan positioned in the cold air generating compartment and configured to promote movement of air within the cold air generating compartment in a flow direction that passes over the evaporator
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator positioned in the cold air generating compartment and a cold air fan positioned in the cold air generating compartment and configured to promote movement of air within the cold air generating compartment in a flow direction that passes over the evaporator
Implementation Method 3
a guide member positioned in the cold air generating compartment, configured to guide defrost water generated at the cold air fan through a discharge hole
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes an air guide that is provided with a defrost water hole and that is inclined toward the defrost water hole. The air guide guides cold air discharged from the cold air fan to a guide duct and also guides, to the defrost water hole, defrost water generated at the cold air fan.