Modular Refrigerator Control with Separate Ice Maker Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household refrigeration appliances lack a modular and cost-effective solution for controlling and regulating ice makers and water dispensers, often requiring multiple components and complex communication systems.
Innovation Solution
A household refrigeration appliance with two separate electronic modules, one for temperature control of the refrigeration device and another for ice maker/water dispenser control, utilizing a common display/input module and bus system to simplify operation and reduce component count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single electronic module controls both refrigeration device and ice maker/water dispenser, then device complexity is reduced, but control precision and reliability for each function deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into two separate electronic modules: a first electronic module dedicated to controlling the refrigeration device (compressor, evaporator, condenser), and a second electronic module dedicated to controlling the ice maker and water dispenser. This segmentation allows each module to specialize in its specific function, improving control precision and reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
2Measurement precision
If separate electronic modules are used for refrigeration control and ice maker control, then control precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single display/input module serves dual purposes: it interfaces with both the first electronic module (for refrigeration temperature control) and the second electronic module (for ice maker and water dispenser control). This universal interface reduces the need for separate control panels, mitigating the complexity increase that would otherwise result from having separate electronic modules for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The display module and input module are combined into a single integrated unit that can communicate with multiple electronic modules through a bus system. This merging of functions allows users to control both refrigeration parameters and ice maker operations through one unified interface, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precise control capabilities.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate control systems are implemented, then functional independence improves, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display module and input module are merged into a single integrated component that can interface with multiple electronic modules. This consolidation reduces the total number of discrete parts that need to be manufactured and assembled, lowering manufacturing costs while preserving the functional independence of the refrigeration control and ice maker control systems through separate electronic modules.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic refrigeration appliance (1) comprising a carcass (2) and a door (3, 4) hinged to said carcass (2) which delimit a heat-insulated refrigeration chamber. The domestic refrigeration appliance (1) further comprises a refrigeration device (7) for refrigerating the refrigeration chamber, an icemaker and/or water dispenser (8, 9), a first electronic module (20) for controlling/regulating the refrigeration device (7), a second electronic module (25), which is separate from the first electronic module (20), for controlling/regulating the icemaker and/or water dispenser (8, 9), a display/input module (12) which is used to adjust and/or display operating parameters associated with the first electronic module (20) and to actuate functions associated with the icemaker and/or water dispenser (8, 9), and a bus system (21) connecting the display/input module to the first electronic module (20) and to the second electronic module (25).