Refrigerator and beverage supply device thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beverage supply devices in refrigerators suffer from high noise and energy consumption due to the use of driving pumps for dispensing beverages, which does not align with the requirements of low noise and low energy consumption in high-quality refrigerators.
Innovation Solution
A beverage supply device with a rotatable blocking member that inverts the beverage container, allowing beverages to flow out under gravity, eliminating the need for a driving pump and incorporating a liquid outlet mechanism with a liquid injection nozzle and air inlet tube for controlled delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a driving pump is used to drive the beverage to flow out of the container, then the beverage can be supplied reliably, but the noise and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the driving pump from the beverage supply system entirely. Instead of using mechanical pumping, the system relies on gravity to drive the beverage from the storage container through the blocking member to the dispensing point, thereby eliminating the source of noise and excessive energy consumption while maintaining reliable beverage supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The beverage supply system becomes self-driven by utilizing the gravitational force acting on the beverage itself. The liquid's own weight provides the driving force for flow, eliminating the need for external mechanical assistance and reducing energy requirements to minimal levels for control mechanisms only.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the blocking member is rotated to the fully-assembled position to invert the beverage container, then spill-free dispensing is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the beverage container by rotating the blocking member 180 degrees from the initially-assembled position to the fully-assembled position. This inversion places the container opening at the lowest point, allowing gravity to naturally guide the beverage downward through the blocking member's liquid outlet mechanism, preventing spillage during insertion and dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking member is designed with rotational capability, transitioning from a static component to a dynamic one that can rotate between two fixed positions (initially-assembled and fully-assembled). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt the container orientation to the optimal dispensing configuration while maintaining structural simplicity through defined positional states.
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
The solution significantly reduces noise and energy consumption by eliminating the need for a driving pump while ensuring reliable and spill-free beverage dispensing, providing an optimal user experience.
Implementation Method 1
allowing beverages to flow out under gravity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a refrigerator and a beverage supply device thereof. The beverage supply device comprises: a supporting seat, an adapting seat, a liquid outlet mechanism, and a blocking member for fitting with a mouth of a beverage container, the blocking member having a channel fitted with the liquid outlet mechanism, the blocking member being disposed on the adapting seat and rotating synchronously with the adapting seat when the blocking member is located at an initially-assembled position, the beverage container is fitted to the blocking member in a state where the mouth of the beverage container is higher than a liquid level of the beverage; when the blocking member is located at a fully-assembled position, the beverage container is vertically inverted on the blocking member.