Door vent sealing assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional door vent sealing assemblies in refrigerators often suffer from vacuum suction effects, leading to inefficient sealing and temperature control issues, as the seals remain compressed even when the door is opened, allowing air to leak and affecting the temperature maintenance in refrigeration and freezer compartments.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a door vent sealing assembly with retainers that have ribs on their rims, which maintain space within the gaskets to prevent vacuum suction effects, allowing the gaskets to return to an expanded state when the door is opened and ensuring proper sealing when closed, thereby minimizing air leakage between the icemaker and freezer compartments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gasket is compressed to seal the airflow passage when the door is closed, then the sealing effect is improved, but the gasket remains compressed even when the door is opened causing vacuum suction effect and preventing proper sealing recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is segmented into multiple sections by introducing ribs that create separate compression zones. Each segment can independently compress and recover, allowing the gasket to maintain sealing pressure when closed while recovering when the door opens, preventing vacuum suction effects.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the gasket have different properties - the ribs create localized rigid structures that maintain spacing, while the segments between ribs remain flexible for compression and recovery. This local differentiation allows simultaneous sealing and recovery functions.
2Loss of energy
If the gasket remains compressed to maintain seal, then air leakage is reduced, but the vacuum suction effect causes temperature control issues and energy inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket transitions from a static compressed state to a dynamic system where segments can independently compress and recover. When the door closes, segments compress to seal; when the door opens, segments recover, eliminating vacuum suction and restoring proper temperature control while maintaining energy efficiency.
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 design effectively seals airflow passages between the icemaker and freezer compartments, maintaining optimal temperatures and reducing energy consumption by preventing air from escaping into the refrigeration compartment, thus ensuring the compressor operates efficiently and maintaining predetermined temperature ranges.
Implementation Method 1
The ribs maintain space within the gasket to prevent a vacuum suction effect
Implementation Method 2
The at least one gasket compresses toward the at least one retainer
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration appliance includes a cabinet that defines a cabinet outlet and a cabinet inlet in fluid communication with a freezer compartment. A door is pivotally coupled to the cabinet. The door defines a door inlet in fluid communication with the cabinet outlet and a door outlet in fluid communication with the cabinet inlet when the door is in a closed position. An icemaker compartment is disposed in the door. The icemaker compartment is fluidly coupled with the freezer compartment. A retainer is at least partially disposed in each of the door inlet and the door outlet. Each retainer includes a rim that defines ribs. Each rib is spaced apart from adjacent ribs. A gasket is coupled to each retainer. Each gasket includes an abutment surface that abuts a cabinet surface when the door is in the closed position to seal airflow passages between the freezer compartment and the icemaker compartment.