French Door Guide Bar Heating to Prevent Refrigerator Dew
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Solution Overview
Problem
In French door refrigerators, the dew formation phenomenon occurs in the guide device due to temperature differences, leading to inefficiencies and potential corrosion, as the existing guide devices lack insulators and heating wires to manage temperature variations.
Innovation Solution
A heat transfer member with higher thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, is installed between the inner casing and the guide device, connected to a heat transfer pipe, to efficiently transfer heat and reduce temperature differences, preventing dew formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the guide device is installed on the inner casing without additional heating components, then the device complexity is reduced, but dew formation occurs due to temperature difference
Solution Approach 1:
A heat transfer member is introduced as an intermediary component between the heat transfer pipe and the guide device. This mediator efficiently transfers heat from the refrigerant-containing pipe to the guide device, preventing dew formation without requiring direct integration of heating components into the guide device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional approach of embedding heating wires directly in the guide device with a thermal conduction-based system. Heat is transferred through the heat transfer member from the refrigerant pipe to the guide device, substituting electrical heating with thermal conduction to achieve dew prevention.
2Loss of energy
If the heat transfer member with high thermal conductivity is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the material selection becomes more restrictive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the heat transfer member should have thermal conductivity of 10 W/m·K or higher, transforming a qualitative requirement into a quantitative parameter. This allows for systematic material selection and comparison, with aluminum (237 W/m·K) and copper (401 W/m·K) being suitable materials that meet this criterion.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer member can be formed as a composite structure combining different materials to achieve both high thermal conductivity and ease of manufacture. For example, aluminum alloys or copper alloys can be used to balance thermal performance with manufacturing considerations such as cost, weight, and fabrication complexity.
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 effectively prevents dew formation on the guide device by reducing temperature differences with the outside air, enhancing the refrigerator's performance and reducing metal corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer member whose one side is in contact with the heat transfer pipe and whose other side is in contact with the guide device, wherein the heat transfer member is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the inner casing
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator including a body having an inner casing and an outer casing, a storage compartment provided in the body to allow a front surface thereof to be open, a door including a first door and a second door pivotably coupled with both sides of the body and configured to open and close the open front surface of the storage compartment, a pivoting bar pivotably coupled with the first door, a guide device coupled with the body to induce the pivoting bar to pivot, a heat transfer pipe installed between the inner casing and the outer casing and configured to extend along a front edge of the storage compartment to allow a refrigerant to be movable therein, and a heat transfer member in contact with the heat transfer pipe and the guide device, and which is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the inner casing.