Refrigerator Door Compartment With Selectable Freezing and Warm Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigerator designs require users to bend, which can be painful for those with back issues, and lack storage areas for items above the fresh food chamber temperature, such as wine and certain vegetables.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a compartment in the door that is selectively operable at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing for storage of frozen and higher-temperature items, and is in fluid communication with the freezer chamber to maintain desired temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the freezer chamber is positioned below the fresh food chamber, then the refrigerator appliance structure is simplified and freezer storage is provided, but users must bend over to reach frozen food items which is detrimental to users with back issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the frozen item storage function from the vertical dimension (lower freezer chamber) to the horizontal dimension (door-mounted compartment). This allows users to access frozen items at a convenient height on the door without bending, while maintaining the traditional lower freezer chamber structure for bulk storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the frozen item storage function into two separate locations: a small door-mounted compartment for frequently accessed frozen items and the main lower freezer chamber for bulk storage. This segmentation allows different access patterns for different storage needs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fresh food chamber maintains a single temperature, then the refrigerator structure is simplified, but storage areas for items above the fresh food chamber temperature (wine, certain vegetables) are not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The door-mounted compartment is designed with multi-functionality, capable of operating in three distinct temperature modes: frozen storage mode (below 32°F), refrigerated mode (above 40°F), and a intermediate mode for items like wine and vegetables. This single compartment serves multiple storage purposes that would traditionally require separate chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
The compartment's temperature characteristics are made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. The system can adapt its temperature range based on user needs, allowing the same physical space to serve different storage functions at different times.
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
Enables convenient and ergonomic storage of frozen and higher-temperature items within the fresh food chamber, reducing user strain and providing versatile temperature control for various food types.
Implementation Method 1
The compartment is in fluid communication with the freezer chamber and selectively operable at a first temperature below approximately 32 degrees Fahrenheit and a second temperature above approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit
Data Source
AI summary
Refrigerator appliances are provided. A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber, and a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet for accessing the fresh food chamber, the door including an inner surface and an outer surface. The refrigerator appliance further includes a compartment defined in the inner surface of the door, the compartment defining an interior chamber and including a compartment door providing access to the interior chamber. The compartment is selectively operable at a first temperature below approximately 32 degrees Fahrenheit and a second temperature above approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit.