Humidity-Controlled Crisper Venting to Prevent Condensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Refrigerators with crisper compartments face issues of humidity imbalance leading to condensation and water dripping, which affects the storage life of fruits and vegetables due to temperature differences between the crisper and the fresh food compartment.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates an upper vent hole, a plate with lower vent holes, a separator, and guiding members to control air flow between the covers, ensuring that air is directed towards the side walls of the crisper, maintaining optimal humidity and preventing condensation, with adjustable vent ratios and a valve for customizable humidity settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If air flow between the crisper and fresh food compartment is limited to prevent dehydration, then food storage life is improved, but temperature difference causes condensation and water dripping that spoils foods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood storage lifeVSAvoidcondensation and water dripping

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The air outlet is divided into multiple separate outlets positioned at different locations (front, rear, left, right sides) of the crisper. This segmentation allows air to be discharged at multiple points, preventing localized temperature differences and condensation formation while maintaining overall humidity control for extended food storage life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Air outlets are strategically positioned at specific locations (front, rear, left, right sides) rather than uniformly distributed. This local quality approach ensures that air flow addresses specific condensation-prone areas, optimizing humidity control where needed most while preventing water dripping on stored foods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If multiple air outlets are provided at different locations to prevent condensation, then condensation is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecondensation formationVSAvoidnumber of air outlets

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The multiple air outlets serve multiple functions simultaneously: they discharge humid air, equalize temperature distribution, prevent condensation at various locations, and maintain overall humidity balance. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while effectively reducing condensation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Quantity of substance

If air is blown into the crisper to control humidity balance, then humidity control is improved, but temperature difference causes sweating on separator surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehumidity balanceVSAvoidsweating and water dripping

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Air is introduced into the crisper compartment before it can condense on the separator surfaces. The air blowing unit pre-cools and humidifies the air in advance, and the strategically positioned outlets discharge this conditioned air to prevent temperature differences that would cause sweating on the separator and water dripping on stored foods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution effectively prevents condensation on the crisper surfaces and drawers, enhancing the storage life of foods by maintaining optimal humidity and temperature balance within the crisper compartment.

Implementation Method 1

an air blowing unit that introduces cold air into the crisper

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCold air flow: Convection

Implementation Method 2

an upper vent hole that enables the air flowing from the air blowing opening (A) to be blown between the lower cover and the upper cover

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir flow control: Convection

Implementation Method 3

at least one guiding member that extends over the separator and that enables the air blown from the lower vent holes to be directed towards the side wall of the crisper

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir flow direction: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS10030907B2Refrigerator comprising a humidity-controlled crisper

Publication Date: 2018.07.24 ARCELIK AS

AI summary

Refrigerator (1) comprising a body (2) wherein foods and beverages are placed, a crisper (3) disposed inside the body (2), at least one drawer (4) that is disposed into the crisper (3) and wherein fruits and vegetables are placed, a lower cover (5) that covers the upper side of the container (3), an upper cover (6) disposed over the lower cover (5) such that a gap remains therebetween, an air blowing opening (A) that is arranged on the body (2) and that enables cold air to be blown into the crisper (3), a separator (10) that prevents the air blown from the upper vent hole (8) and the lower vent hole (9) from being mixed together and a guiding member (11) that enables the air blown from the lower vent holes (9) to be directed towards the side walls of the crisper (3).