Refrigerator Door Carbonated Water Module With Leak Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging to detect and prevent water leakage during the production and discharge of carbonated water in refrigerators equipped with carbonated water production apparatuses, as these systems are typically installed inside the door, making it difficult to monitor and address leaks effectively.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design that includes a carbonated water production module with a water leakage sensor mounted on a module support beneath the carbonated water tank, which senses water accumulation and automatically closes the relevant lines to prevent further leakage and production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the carbonated water production apparatus is installed at the inside of the door, then the space utilization is improved, but the detectability of water leakage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A water leakage sensor is introduced as an intermediary device to detect water leakage at the carbonated water production module installed inside the door. The sensor acts as a mediator between the hidden leakage source and the control system, enabling detection despite the compact installation location.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives signals from the water leakage sensor and automatically closes the water supply valve when leakage is detected. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring and automatic response to leakage conditions, resolving the detection difficulty caused by the door-mounted installation.
2Reliability
If automatic water leakage prevention is implemented, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting water leakage through the sensor and closing the water supply valve without human intervention. This self-service capability improves reliability while minimizing the need for additional complex control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The water leakage detection and prevention function is extracted as a separate, independent subsystem consisting of the sensor and control unit. This modular extraction simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining high reliability through dedicated leakage prevention functionality.
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
The solution enables timely detection and prevention of water leakage, thereby minimizing secondary damage and ensuring safe operation of the carbonated water production system.
Implementation Method 1
a water leakage sensor to sense water leakage occurring at the carbonated water production module
Implementation Method 2
a carbonated water tank to produce carbonated water through mixing of the clean water with the carbon dioxide gas
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a body, a storage chamber defined in the body while having an opened front side, a door to open or close the opened front side of the storage chamber, a water tank to store clean water, a carbonated water production module mounted to a back surface of the door, the carbonated water production module including a carbon dioxide gas cylinder stored with carbon dioxide gas, a carbonated water tank to produce carbonated water through mixing of the clean water with the carbon dioxide gas, and a module support to support a bottom of the carbonated water tank, and a water leakage sensor disposed on the module support, to sense water leakage occurring at the carbonated water production module. Through this configuration, it is possible to sense water leakage, and thus to minimize damage caused by water leakage.