Door-mounted bin assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator door-mounted bin assemblies lack an efficient method to maintain a temperature above freezing while being integrated with the icemaker assembly, often resulting in bins being either too cold or not effectively cooled within the refrigeration compartment.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a liner with defined icemaker and bin receiving spaces, where an icemaker assembly is positioned above and a bin below, with a central portion separating them. Chilled air is provided to the icemaker assembly, and natural convection through a thermally conductive plate within the central cavity cools the bin receiving space to maintain a temperature above freezing but below the refrigeration compartment temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the bin is integrated with the icemaker assembly in the door, then storage efficiency and user convenience are improved, but the bin temperature becomes difficult to control and may freeze the stored items
Solution Approach 1:
The door liner is divided into separate receiving spaces: an icemaker receiving space for the icemaker assembly and a bin receiving space for the beverage bin. This segmentation allows independent temperature zones, enabling the bin to maintain a temperature above freezing while the icemaker operates at freezing temperatures, thus resolving the temperature control issue while maintaining integrated door-mounted storage efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
A central portion of the liner acts as an intermediary structure between the icemaker receiving space and the bin receiving space. This central portion includes a plate that can be cooled by the icemaker assembly to cool the bin receiving space, but the separation allows the bin temperature to be maintained above freezing, preventing frozen stored items while still providing effective cooling
2Temperature
If chilled air is provided directly to both the icemaker and bin, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the bin temperature drops below freezing and causes stored items to freeze
Solution Approach 1:
Different temperature qualities are applied to different regions: the icemaker receiving space receives chilled air at freezing temperatures for ice production, while the bin receiving space is cooled more gently through the central portion plate to maintain temperatures above freezing. This local differentiation of thermal properties prevents stored items from freezing while maintaining effective cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The central portion plate serves as a thermal intermediary that transfers cooling from the icemaker region to the bin region in a controlled manner. It provides sufficient cooling to keep beverages chilled but limits the cooling intensity to prevent the temperature from dropping below freezing, thus eliminating the harmful freezing effect on stored items
3Volume of stationary object
If the bin is positioned below the icemaker assembly, then space utilization is improved, but natural convection may not provide sufficient cooling while preventing freezing
Solution Approach 1:
The central portion plate acts as an active thermal intermediary that reliably transfers cooling to the bin receiving space. Unlike passive natural convection, this plate can be directly cooled by the icemaker assembly, providing reliable and consistent temperature maintenance in the bin while preventing freezing through the controlled thermal transfer mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The design replaces reliance on passive natural convection with an active thermal conduction system through the central portion plate. The plate is thermally coupled to the cooled icemaker assembly, creating a more reliable and controllable cooling mechanism that ensures consistent temperature maintenance above freezing regardless of air flow variations
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 configuration effectively cools the bin to a temperature between 3° F. and 5° F. cooler than the refrigeration compartment, ensuring beverages remain chilled but not frozen, enhancing storage efficiency and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
A duct is coupled with the icemaker assembly and is configured to provide chilled air to the icemaker assembly
Implementation Method 2
The bin receiving space is cooled by natural convection through the central portion of the liner between the icemaker assembly and the bin receiving space
Implementation Method 3
A plate is positioned within a central cavity defined by the central portion of the liner. The plate is configured to cool the bin receiving space
Data Source
AI summary
An appliance door for a refrigerator appliance includes a liner that defines an icemaker receiving space and a bin receiving space. The icemaker receiving space is at least partially defined by a central portion of the liner and the bin receiving space is at least partially defined by the central portion and opposing sidewalls of the liner. An icemaker assembly is positioned within the icemaker receiving space and above the central portion. A bin is positioned in the bin receiving space and below the central portion. The bin includes a cover portion that extends upward from a storage portion. The storage portion is rotatably coupled with the opposing sidewalls of the liner. A plate is positioned within a central cavity defined by the central portion of the liner. The plate is configured to cool the bin receiving space.