Cooling device with a compressor housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face a challenge in accommodating additional cooling circuit components without reducing the interior storage volume, as the increased size of the housing required for these components compromises the available space.
Innovation Solution
A compact design where a shell extends across and is attached to the housing, stabilizing the compressor and functional elements, with a shell that overlaps the housing's top surface and includes a perpendicular wall to prevent dust and vibrations, and a socket for secure mounting, allowing for easy assembly and reduced size while maintaining functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the housing size is increased to accommodate additional cooling circuit components and electrical connections, then the device complexity and component accommodation capability are improved, but the interior storage volume of the refrigerator is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the compressor inside the housing cavity formed by the rear wall, and positioning functional elements within the housing. The shell is then attached to the housing to enclose these components, creating a nested arrangement where components are housed within the housing structure, maximizing space utilization without increasing external dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the depth dimension by forming a housing cavity with a specific depth that allows the compressor and functional elements to be positioned inside. The shell is attached to the housing and extends to provide enclosure, effectively using the third dimension (depth) to accommodate components without increasing the width or height that would reduce storage volume.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the housing size is increased to accommodate additional cooling circuit components, then the device complexity is improved, but the volume of the housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the housing and shell into an integrated structure where the shell is attached directly to the housing formed by the rear wall. This combination creates a unified enclosure that houses multiple components (compressor, functional elements) without requiring separate housings for each component, thereby accommodating complex functionality without proportionally increasing total volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, encloses the compressor, positions functional elements, and integrates with the shell to form a complete enclosure. This multi-functionality allows the same housing volume to accommodate multiple components and structural requirements simultaneously.
3Reliability
If space is left between the evaporation tray and upper wall for water vapor escape, then the functionality is improved, but the housing volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing a specific gap only in the critical area where water vapor escape is needed (between the evaporation tray and upper wall), while maintaining compact dimensions in other areas. This localized spacing ensures vapor escape functionality without unnecessarily increasing the overall housing volume throughout the entire structure.
Data Source
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The device has a body (10) limiting an inner space (14), and exhibiting a rear wall (13) with an isolation layer (12) at the inner space, where the layer comprises polyurethane foam. A housing (15) is arranged at an outer surface of the rear wall and holds a compressor (40) at a base (19) at the housing. A shell (20) accommodates a functional element in the housing, where the functional element is designed as an inverter or a terminal element. The shell is fixed at the outer surface of the rear wall and partially extends over the compressor. The housing is designed as a hollow chamber.