Fresh Food Compartment Heating Layout to Prevent Freezing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling devices, such as refrigerators, often fail to maintain a temperature above freezing in the fresh food compartment at low ambient temperatures, leading to uneven heat distribution and potential freezing of foodstuffs, even with the use of multiple heaters.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with a compressor, evaporator, temperature sensors, and two heaters positioned within the fresh food compartment, where the control unit activates and deactivates the heaters based on temperature thresholds to prevent freezing, ensuring a homogeneous heat distribution using a first heater near the evaporator and a second heater at the bottom, and optionally a fan for air circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a single heater is disposed at the rear side of the fresh food compartment, then the region around the heater is raised to desired temperature, but homogeneous heat distribution within the fresh food compartment cannot be provided and minus temperature values are encountered in some places
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is segmented into two separate heaters: a first heater disposed on the evaporator and a second heater disposed at the rear side of the fresh food compartment. This segmentation allows each heater to serve a specific zone, with the first heater addressing the evaporator area and the second heater addressing the rear area, thereby achieving homogeneous heat distribution throughout the compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the fresh food compartment are provided with different heating solutions tailored to their specific thermal characteristics. The first heater is specifically positioned on the evaporator to address the unique thermal conditions in that area, while the second heater addresses the rear region, ensuring each zone receives appropriate heating to maintain overall temperature homogeneity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If two heaters are used simultaneously inside the fresh food compartment, then homogeneous heat distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating functions are merged into a coordinated two-heater system where the first heater on the evaporator and the second heater at the rear side work together under unified control. This merging approach achieves homogeneous heat distribution more effectively than a single heater while keeping the system manageable through integrated control logic that coordinates both heaters based on temperature sensor feedback.
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
Effectively maintains temperatures above freezing in the fresh food compartment at low ambient temperatures, preventing foodstuff freezing while optimizing energy use by controlling the operation times of the heaters and compressor.
Implementation Method 1
a first heater (7) disposed on the evaporator (4), a second heater (8) disposed at the rear side of the fresh food compartment (2) so as to heat the fresh food compartment (2)
Implementation Method 2
at least one evaporator (4) that provides the cooling of the interior volume of the fresh food compartment (2) by absorbing the thermal energy
Implementation Method 3
a compressor (3) that compresses and circulates the refrigerant fluid in the refrigeration cycle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) comprising at least one fresh food compartment (2) wherein foodstuffs to be cooled are placed, a compressor (3) that compresses and circulates the refrigerant fluid in the refrigeration cycle, at least one evaporator (4) that provides the cooling of the interior volume of the fresh food compartment (2) by absorbing the thermal energy, a fresh food compartment temperature sensor (5) that measures the temperature in the fresh food compartment (2), an evaporator temperature sensor (6) that measures the temperature on the evaporator (4), a first heater (7) disposed on the evaporator (4), a second heater (8) disposed at the rear side of the fresh food compartment (2) so as to heat the fresh food compartment (2) and a control unit (9) that regulates the operation thereof, and wherein the foodstuffs placed in the fresh food compartment (2) are prevented from freezing.