Refrigerated Cabinet Drain Layout With Low-Height Odor Trap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain lines for refrigerators have a high installation height due to the siphon and pipe arrangement, making it difficult to reduce without affecting functionality, and they struggle to efficiently direct condensation water while preventing odor penetration.
Innovation Solution
The drain line features an inclined inflow area directing condensation water into a collecting reservoir, forming a water-permeable but gas-tight siphon barrier, allowing for a lower installation height and optimized cross-sectional dimensions, with thermal insulation and a maintenance-friendly design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional siphon and pipe arrangement is used, then odor prevention is achieved, but the installation height becomes undesirably high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the siphon function from the traditional pipe arrangement and integrates it into a collection reservoir with a baffle. This separation allows the odor prevention function to be achieved independently of the pipe configuration, enabling reduced installation height while maintaining odor barrier functionality through the water seal in the collection reservoir.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial arrangement by sloping the floor of the inlet area toward the collection reservoir, creating a gravitational flow path that reduces the vertical height requirement. The baffle in the collection reservoir creates the odor barrier in a different spatial dimension, allowing the drain line to achieve both odor prevention and low installation height simultaneously.
2Productivity
If the floor of the inflow area is sloped toward the collection reservoir, then condensate flow is improved, but the installation height is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sloped floor creates a gravitational potential gradient that drives condensate flow toward the collection reservoir. By establishing this equipotential flow path, the system achieves efficient condensate drainage without requiring high installation height, as the slope itself provides the driving force for fluid movement.
3Ease of manufacture
If standardized pipe sizes are used, then connection to sewer system is simplified, but the free internal cross-section is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different cross-sectional dimensions to different parts of the drain line. The inlet area has optimized dimensions for condensate collection and flow, while the outlet connection uses standardized pipe sizes for sewer compatibility. This local differentiation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function without compromising overall system performance.
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 achieves a low installation height while ensuring efficient drainage and odor prevention, allowing for a shorter drain pipe and reduced thermal insulation needs, facilitating maintenance and connection to standard sewer systems.
Implementation Method 1
a baffle (6) arranged in such a way that, from a certain filling level in the collecting reservoir (5), it protrudes into the water collecting there and thereby, together with the collecting reservoir (5), forms a gas-impermeable and water-permeable barrier, i.e. a siphon
Implementation Method 2
The floor (4) of the inlet area (2), onto which the condensate entering via the inlet (1) flows, is inclined toward a collecting reservoir (5) so that the condensate is directed into the collecting reservoir (5)
Implementation Method 3
the inlet area (2) is thermally insulated with at least two reversibly connectable insulating bodies (7a, 7b)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A drain line for a refrigerated display case is described, comprising an inlet area (2) arranged between an inlet (1) and a siphon, and a drain (3) downstream of the siphon. To design a drain line of the type described above in such a way that the wastewater generated during the defrosting of a refrigerated display case can be discharged passively, i.e., without the application of additional pumping forces, with the lowest possible installation height, and that odors entering via the drain are blocked, it is proposed that the bottom (4) of the inlet area (2) be inclined towards a collection reservoir (5), into which a baffle wall (6) forming an odor trap projects, and downstream of which the drain (3) is located.