Front-Mountable Cooling Module for Temperature Controlled Cabinets

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing temperature controlled cabinets face difficulties in maintenance and changing of the cooling equipment module due to its location on top, which makes mounting and demounting laborious and complicates transportation, as they often need to be moved in a vertical position, posing safety and efficiency issues.

Innovation Solution

The cooling equipment module is connected to the frame structure via guides and rollers attached to the side walls, allowing for easy mounting and demounting from the front side, enabling the cabinet to be transported horizontally and facilitating maintenance without relocating the cabinet, with screws securing the support structures for added stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the cooling equipment module is located on top of the temperature controlled cabinet, then the equipment space is efficiently utilized, but the maintenance and mounting/demounting become laborious and dangerous due to height

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment space utilizationVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling equipment is divided into a separate removable module that can be independently handled. This module includes the cooling equipment, support structures, and connecting structures, allowing it to be detached and transported separately from the main cabinet body, thus making maintenance accessible without working at height

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Connecting structures with guides and rollers are introduced as intermediaries between the cooling equipment module and the cabinet frame. These structures enable the module to be easily mounted and demounted from the front side at ground level, eliminating the need to work at height while maintaining secure connection during operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the cooling equipment module is mounted from above, then the structure is simplified, but the mounting and demounting process becomes troublesome and causes awkward work positions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting structureVSAvoidmounting process
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of mounting the cooling equipment module from above onto the top of the cabinet, the module is designed to be mounted from the front side through the open front. The connecting structures with guides and rollers facilitate this inverted mounting approach, allowing the module to be rolled into place from the front rather than lifted from above

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting approach is changed from a vertical dimension (lifting from above) to a horizontal dimension (rolling in from the front). The guides attached to support structures and rollers attached to side walls enable movement along the horizontal axis, transforming the mounting operation into a more convenient side-loading process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the temperature controlled cabinet is transported in vertical position, then the cooling equipment module remains in place, but the transportation becomes less flexible and more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment position stabilityVSAvoidtransportation flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting structures are designed to be releasable, allowing the cooling equipment module to be dynamically adjusted between mounted and removed states. This dynamic design enables the cabinet to be transported in various positions (vertical or horizontal) depending on requirements, as the module can be easily attached or detached to suit different transportation scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2988083B1Temperature controlled cabinet
Publication Date: 2017.07.12 NORPE
  • EP2988083B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2988083B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2988083B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a temperature controlled cabinet comprising cooling equipment (33, 34, 36) and a frame structure, which comprises side walls and a back wall (15), which temperature controlled cabinet (10) is open or openable on the front side of the temperature controlled cabinet (10), in which temperature controlled cabinet (10) inside the frame structure is a product space (11) and in which temperature controlled cabinet (10) above the product space (11) an equipment space (12) for the cooling equipment is located. The cooling equipment (33, 34, 36) and its support structures (22, 23, 21) are constructed as a releasably to the temperature controlled cabinet (10) connected cooling equipment module (20) that is mountable and demountable from front of the temperature controlled cabinet (10) through the open or openable front side of the temperature controlled cabinet (10) and that the cooling equipment module (20) is connected to the temperature controlled cabinet (10) by a connecting