Beverage Cooling Rack Layout for Vertical Stacking and Agitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling apparatuses face challenges in minimizing storage compartment capacity loss when cooling multiple beverages, achieving uniform agitation and cooling efficiency, and preventing cool air from being discharged without heat exchange in small refrigerators.
Innovation Solution
The cooling apparatus vertically stacks beverages to maximize storage space, uses a container holder to stabilize and uniformly agitate containers, and ensures continuous cool air collision with the beverages through perpendicular agitation and air supply directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple cooled items are received end to end in the front to rear direction, then the number of cooled items increases, but the storage compartment capacity is reduced and item withdrawal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from arranging items in a single front-to-rear line to a two-dimensional grid arrangement with multiple rows and columns. The tray structure includes first and second rows extending in the front-to-rear direction, with items arranged in multiple columns across these rows, effectively utilizing both lateral and depth dimensions of the storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling apparatus tray is divided into multiple independent rows (first row, second row) that can be separately accessed. This segmentation allows items in one row to be withdrawn without disturbing items in other rows, solving the withdrawal difficulty problem while increasing total capacity.
2Quantity of substance
If the tray is laterally expanded to receive multiple cooled items, then the number of cooled items increases, but the storage compartment use capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of expanding only laterally, the patent utilizes the depth dimension by creating multiple rows extending front-to-rear. The tray structure arranges items in a grid pattern across both lateral width and depth, maximizing the use of three-dimensional space rather than simply increasing footprint area.
3Temperature
If cool air is supplied onto the lower side of the beverage can during rotation, then cooling is performed, but agitation of the liquid is not active and cooling time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic agitation by rotating the tray during cooling operation. The rotation mechanism actively moves the beverage containers, causing the liquid inside to agitate and improve heat exchange efficiency with the supplied cool air, thereby reducing cooling time while maintaining effective temperature reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation of the tray creates mechanical motion that agitates the liquid within the beverage containers. This mechanical agitation enhances the heat transfer between the cool air and the liquid, making the cooling process more efficient and faster without compromising the temperature reduction effectiveness.
4Ease of operation
If a rotational agitation mechanism is used with the central longitudinal axis as the center, then the cooled item rotates, but liquid agitation is not active and heat exchange is not smooth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a dynamic rotation mechanism that actively agitates the liquid through continuous motion. The rotation is designed to create effective liquid circulation and agitation within the containers, ensuring smooth heat exchange between the cool air and the beverage liquid, thereby improving energy efficiency.
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 approach enhances cooling efficiency, reduces storage compartment capacity loss, and improves user convenience by allowing easy access and installation in small refrigerators while maintaining effective heat exchange.
Implementation Method 1
cool air is supplied into the cooling apparatus to quickly cool the beverage can
Implementation Method 2
agitation of a liquid containing within the cooled item may not actively occur. Thus, as the cool air supplied into the cooling apparatus and the liquid with the cooled item are not smoothly heat-exchanged
Data Source
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AI summary
A cooling apparatus is provided in which items to be cooled may be vertically stacked on each other in a state in which the items to be cooled are laid out or laid on their sides. When the items to be cooled are vertically stacked in the cooling apparatus, a problem in that an upper space of the cooling apparatus is not utilized may be solved to efficiently utilize an inside of a refrigerator or a back surface of a door. Also, a problem in that capacity within the refrigerator is reduced when the items to be cooled are horizontally received may be solved.