Refrigerated Case Door Coupling for Self-Closing and External Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional doors for temperature-controlled cases are difficult to install, replace, and repair, and often remain open, leading to energy inefficiencies due to the placement of electrical devices within the door, which are hard to access and generate heat.
Innovation Solution
A modular door system with a door closing control and electrical connectivity system that includes a hinge with a spring bias, a torque transfer coupling, and an electrical connector system, allowing for quick and efficient mechanical and electrical coupling of the door to the frame, externalizing electrical devices for easier maintenance and reducing heat generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electrical devices are housed within the door, then the door structure is compact, but the electrical devices are difficult to access for repair and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly is segmented into modular components: the door itself, a separate electrical device housing, and a coupling mechanism. This allows the electrical devices to be accessed independently by removing the housing while keeping the door attached to the frame, resolving the accessibility issue without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical devices are extracted from the door body and placed in a separate accessible location. The door is modified to include mounting structures and coupling mechanisms that allow it to function independently from the electrical device housing, enabling easy access to electrical components without disassembling the door.
2Temperature
If electrical devices are placed within the door, then the door structure is self-contained, but the electrical devices generate heat that is undesirable in chilled or cooled cases
Solution Approach 1:
Heat-generating electrical devices are extracted from the temperature-controlled door assembly and relocated to an external housing or frame-mounted location. This physical separation removes the heat source from the chilled or cooled space while maintaining electrical functionality through external connections.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary coupling mechanism is introduced between the door and the electrical device housing. This coupling allows mechanical and electrical connections to be made while maintaining thermal separation, acting as a mediator that enables functionality without transferring heat to the temperature-controlled space.
3Productivity
If conventional doors are used, then the structure is simple, but the doors are difficult and time-consuming to install, replace, and repair
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is divided into independently replaceable modules: the door panel, the electrical device housing, and the coupling mechanism. This segmentation allows any single component to be replaced without affecting the others, significantly reducing installation and repair time compared to conventional integrated doors.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism is designed with pre-configured mounting structures, alignment features, and quick-connect interfaces. These preliminary design elements enable rapid assembly and disassembly operations, allowing doors to be installed or replaced quickly without complex alignment or fastening procedures.
4Adaptability or versatility
If electrical devices are integrated into the door, then the door functions are consolidated, but the electrical devices act as a source of heat
Solution Approach 1:
Electrical devices are extracted from the door assembly and relocated to an external position where they no longer generate heat within the temperature-controlled space. The door retains its essential functions through mechanical coupling and separate electrical connections, maintaining versatility without the harmful heat generation effect.
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
Facilitates efficient installation and maintenance of temperature-controlled cases by ensuring doors remain closed, reducing energy loss, and allowing for external placement of electrical devices to prevent heat generation and improve accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
a spring biasing the non-rotatable portion toward the rotatable portion so that the first and second cam surfaces engage one another
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature-controlled case is provided including a frame and a door coupled to the frame and pivotable about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position. The door includes a passage that interchangeably receives a door closure control assembly at one of the top or the bottom of the door, and an electrical connectivity system at the other of the top or the bottom of the door. The electrical connectivity system includes a first electrical connector coupled to the door, and a second electrical connector coupled to the frame so that the first and second electrical connectors are engaged when the door is coupled to the frame. The door closure control assembly includes a torsion spring that is fixed at one end to the door and fixed at another end to the frame, so that when the door is opened the torsion spring provides an increasing force to urge the door toward the closed position.