Easy-Access Refrigerator Pantry Drawer for Lower Energy Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bottom mount refrigerators face challenges in ice dispensing due to the lower location of the freezer compartment, requiring users to lift ice to a comfortable height, and access to pantry or crisper drawers is complicated, often requiring opening the fresh food compartment doors, which exposes the compartment to warmer conditions.
Innovation Solution
A bottom mount refrigerator design with a freezer compartment below the fresh food compartment, featuring an ice dispenser through the fresh food door and a pantry drawer accessible without opening the fresh food compartment door, maintained at a temperature suitable for fruits and vegetables, with a transparent shelf and adjustable temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the pantry drawer is made accessible without opening the fresh food compartment door, then the energy loss is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the refrigerator interior into separate functional zones: the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment, and the intermediate temperature compartment with the pantry drawer. The pantry drawer is positioned within the intermediate temperature compartment and can be accessed independently through its own opening in the door, allowing users to retrieve items without opening the main fresh food compartment door, thus minimizing energy loss while maintaining a relatively simple drawer mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the intermediate temperature compartment is added for pantry storage, then the storage versatility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a distinct intermediate temperature compartment with specific thermal characteristics suitable for pantry storage of fruits and vegetables. This compartment is positioned between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, and is equipped with its own independent access opening in the door. The compartment can be maintained at a temperature higher than the freezer but lower than ambient, providing optimal storage conditions for various items without requiring complex temperature control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A bottom mount refrigerator is provided with a pantry compartment that is accessible from outside the refrigerator by pulling open an easy access pantry drawer without the need to first open the fresh food compartment or the freezer compartment. A divider between the pantry compartment and the fresh food compartment is formed by a secondary mullion and a transparent shelf. The secondary mullion is provided with a light source for illuminating the contents of the pantry drawer. A light source at the rear of the pantry compartment shines generally forwardly and upwardly to illuminate the fresh food compartment.