Oven Door Control Housing Cooling With Dual Airflow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking appliances face challenges in effectively cooling control panel components, leading to potential damage or malfunction due to heat transfer from the cooking chamber, as existing cooling methods do not adequately address the heat generated within the control panel.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance design featuring a separate cooling flow path for control device components, including inlet-side and outlet-side cooling fans, and a barrier to direct air flow, which increases the length of the cooling path and improves cooling performance while reducing noise from fan rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single cooling flow path is used for both door and control device, then the structure is simple, but the control device components are not adequately cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two separate cooling flow paths: one for cooling the door and another for cooling the control device components. This segmentation allows each path to be optimized independently, ensuring adequate cooling for control components without compromising structural simplicity
2Reliability
If the cooling flow path length is increased to improve cooling performance, then cooling effectiveness improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling flow path for control devices is extended by utilizing the vertical space within the door assembly. Air enters at the lower end, flows upward through the control device housing, and exits at the upper end, effectively increasing the cooling path length in the vertical dimension without adding horizontal complexity
3Productivity
If cooling fans are positioned to maximize air flow, then cooling efficiency improves, but noise from fan rotation increases
Solution Approach 1:
A barrier is introduced as an intermediary element between the cooling fans and the door cooling flow path. This barrier prevents hot air from the door cooling path from mixing with the air intake for control device cooling, allowing fans to operate efficiently while reducing noise by creating a more controlled acoustic environment
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 enhanced cooling system effectively cools control device components, preventing heat damage and improving overall appliance performance by ensuring efficient air flow and reduced noise.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fan configured to move air through the control device housing
Implementation Method 2
a barrier preventing air from a door cooling flow path from entering a control device housing
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking appliance includes a body that defines a cooking chamber therein, a door rotatably connected to the body and configured to open and close at least a portion of the cooking chamber, a hinge mechanism that rotatably connects the door to the body, and a control device disposed in the door. The control device includes a control housing that is configured to accommodate one or more components of the control device and that includes a first sidewall that defines an air inlet, and a second sidewall that defines an air outlet, an inlet-side cooling fan disposed at a first position of the control housing closer to the air inlet than the air outlet, and an outlet-side cooling fan disposed at a second position of the control housing closer to the air outlet than the air inlet.