Cold Air Supply Channel Insulation for Multi-Zone Refrigerators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerating appliances with circulating air cooling face challenges in maintaining independent temperatures in multiple cooling areas due to inadequate insulation of the cold air supply channel, leading to increased heat inflow and reduced usable volume.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerating appliance design featuring a rigid inner and outer skin with a layer of expanded insulating material, where a partition wall, preferably an extruded plastic profile, separates the cold air supply channel from the insulation material, ensuring effective insulation and preventing material penetration, thus maintaining the channel's integrity and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the pipe is made wider to provide sufficient free cross-sectional surface, then the cross-sectional area is improved, but the distance from the inner skin increases and insulation quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flat pipe design to a three-dimensional channel design by creating a cavity within the insulating material layer. This allows the supply channel to be embedded within the insulation rather than running parallel to it, effectively using the third dimension (depth into the wall) to resolve the contradiction between cross-sectional area and insulation distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply channel is nested within the insulating material layer, which itself is nested between the inner and outer skins of the wall. This nested structure allows the channel to be surrounded by insulation on all sides, providing effective thermal isolation while maintaining compact wall thickness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the insulation layer thickness is increased to reduce heat inflow, then heat insulation is improved, but the usable volume in the cooling area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing insulation thickness in the radial direction (which would reduce usable volume), the patent embeds the supply channel within the existing insulation layer, utilizing the depth dimension of the wall structure. This allows effective insulation without compromising the usable volume of the cooling area.
3Length of stationary object
If the pipe is positioned closer to the outer skin to maintain wall thickness, then wall thickness is preserved, but insulation effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The supply channel is nested within the insulating material layer, which is itself nested between the inner and outer skins. This nested arrangement ensures the channel is surrounded by insulation on all sides while maintaining the overall wall thickness, preventing heat inflow without increasing external dimensions.
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 design provides effective insulation for the cold air supply channel from both the surroundings and adjacent cooling areas, reducing heat inflow while maintaining a small wall thickness and minimizing material costs, thereby optimizing temperature control and appliance performance.
Implementation Method 1
a layer lying between them made of expanded insulating material
Implementation Method 2
the cold air supply channel is separated from the expanded insulating material by a partition wall
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a refrigerating appliance having an evaporator area and at least two cooling areas partitioned off from one another inside the housing of the refrigerating appliance. A wall has a solid inner skin, a solid outer skin and a layer made of expanded insulating material located between the inner and outer skin. A cold air supply channel in the wall extends from the evaporator area past the first cooling area to the second cooling area. A shaped part made of an insulating material extends between the cold air supply channel and the inner skin of the wall. The cold air supply channel is separated from the expanded insulating material by a partition.