Refrigerator Door Housing Fan Assembly for Uniform Cold Air Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators with a double door structure face inefficiencies in supplying cold air into the housing compartment, leading to inadequate temperature maintenance and circulation, resulting in temperatures being 2 to 3°C higher than the storage compartment.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a housing with a fan assembly at its rear surface, including a blowing fan and shroud to uniformly distribute cold air directly into the housing, and a duct system to ensure efficient air circulation and temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a double door structure with housing is used to minimize cold air leakage, then cold air retention in the storage compartment is improved, but cold air supply into the housing becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly is segmented into multiple functional zones: the storage compartment with evaporator, the housing mounted on the door, and the fan assembly positioned at the top of the housing. This segmentation allows independent optimization of cold air supply to each zone, enabling the housing to receive dedicated cold air circulation while the storage compartment maintains its sealing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan assembly acts as an intermediary device between the storage compartment and the housing. It actively mediates the cold air transfer by drawing cold air from the storage compartment and forcing it into the housing through the shroud, overcoming the natural convection limitations and ensuring sufficient cold air supply to the housing.
2Volume of stationary object
If the housing is located far from the back wall to provide storage space, then food storage capacity is improved, but cold air circulation into the housing becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The fan assembly is positioned at the top surface of the housing, upstream of the housing interior, to preliminarily generate a strong blowing force that actively pushes cold air into the housing. This preliminary action overcomes the distance barrier between the back wall and housing, ensuring cold air reaches the housing effectively despite the spatial separation required for storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying on horizontal cold air flow from the back wall, the invention introduces vertical cold air supply through the top-mounted fan assembly. The shroud directs cold air downward into the housing, utilizing the vertical dimension to bypass the limitations of horizontal distance and achieve effective cold air circulation.
3Quantity of substance
If food is stored in the housing to maximize storage utilization, then storage capacity is improved, but cold air flow through the housing is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is designed with a specific geometric configuration that creates localized high-velocity cold air jets. These concentrated streams of cold air can penetrate through and around the food items in the housing, maintaining effective cold air circulation even when the housing is fully stocked. The local quality of the cold air flow (high velocity, directed) compensates for the blockage effect of stored food.
4Temperature
If a fan assembly is added to supply cold air into the housing, then cold air distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fan assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it draws cold air from the storage compartment, forces cold air into the housing, and distributes cold air uniformly throughout the housing via the shroud. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby minimizing the overall device complexity despite adding active cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud is integrated with the fan assembly as a unified component rather than a separate attachment. The shroud serves both as a structural housing for the fan and as the air distribution mechanism. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall assembly process.
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 effectively maintains the internal temperature of the housing at a set temperature or less, ensuring uniform cold air distribution and preventing leakage, thus improving refrigeration efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a blowing fan generating a blowing force
Implementation Method 2
a shroud guiding the flow of cold air passing through the blowing fan
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator including a housing mounted at a rear surface of a door to define a storage space of food, a basket disposed inside the housing, a duct extending to the housing from one side of an evaporator to supply cold air generated by the evaporator into the storage space of the housing, and a fan assembly coupled to the duct to allow the cold air to be forcibly supplied.