Humidity-Controlled Crisper Air Flow Design to Prevent Sweating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with crisper compartments face issues of humidity imbalance leading to sweating and water droplet formation on surfaces, which can spoil stored foods due to temperature differences between the crisper and the fresh food compartment.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an upper vent hole, a plate with lower vent holes, a separator, and guiding members to control air flow between the covers and direct air to the crisper's side walls, ensuring optimal humidity balance and preventing condensation, with adjustable valve and channel configurations for customizable humidity settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air flow between the crisper and fresh food compartment is limited to prevent dehydration, then food dehydration is reduced, but temperature difference occurs between compartments causing sweating and water droplet formation
Solution Approach 1:
The air outlet is divided into multiple separate outlets positioned at different locations (front, rear, left, right sides) of the crisper compartment. This segmentation allows independent control of air flow to different regions, preventing localized temperature differences that cause sweating while maintaining overall humidity balance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the crisper compartment are provided with air outlets of different sizes and positions according to their specific thermal characteristics. For example, larger outlets are positioned where more air flow is needed to compensate for heat accumulation, creating locally optimized air flow that prevents sweating in specific areas.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple air outlets are provided on the crisper compartment to prevent sweating, then humidity balance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air outlet structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both a ventilation opening and a temperature equalization device, while also serving as part of the structural framework of the crisper compartment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The air outlets are integrated into the existing structural components of the crisper compartment (such as the side walls and covers) rather than being added as separate elements. This merging of functions into existing structures minimizes the increase in device complexity while achieving sweating prevention.
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
This solution effectively prevents sweating on the crisper surfaces, maintains optimal humidity, and extends the storage life of fruits and vegetables by ensuring uniform air distribution and temperature balance within the crisper.
Implementation Method 1
an air blowing opening (A) that is arranged on the body (2) and that enables cold air to be blown into the crisper (3)
Implementation Method 2
sweating occurs on the surfaces that separate the fresh food compartment interior volume and the crisper. The sweating occurring on the surfaces of the crisper results in dripping of water
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Refrigerator (1) comprising a body (2) wherein foods and beverages are placed, a crisper (3) disposed inside the body (2), at least one drawer (4) that is disposed into the crisper (3) and wherein fruits and vegetables are placed, a lower cover (5) that covers the upper side of the container (3), an upper cover (6) disposed over the lower cover (5) such that a gap remains therebetween, an air blowing opening (A) that is arranged on the body (2) and that enables cold air to be blown into the crisper (3), a separator (10) that prevents the air blown from the upper vent hole (8) and the lower vent hole (9) from being mixed together and a guiding member (11) that enables the air blown from the lower vent holes (9) to be directed towards the side walls of the crisper (3).