Refrigeration device with a vegetable drawer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigeration devices with a container for storing groceries struggle to effectively control humidity levels, leading to condensation issues and reduced storage stability, especially for high-transpiration products, due to inadequate air exchange and ventilation.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable cover mechanism between the container's closed and open positions, guided on an oblique path with ramps, allows for improved air exchange and reduced regions cut off from ventilation, enabling efficient humidity control and air flow through the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a moveable seal is used to control humidity release, then humidity control is possible, but air exchange effectiveness is insufficient leading to condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the static moveable seal with a dynamic gap mechanism. The cover can be positioned at different heights relative to the drawer, creating variable air gaps that dynamically adjust the ventilation effectiveness. This allows intensive air exchange when needed while maintaining humidity control, eliminating the condensation problem that occurred with the fixed seal design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the moveable seal component entirely and replaces it with a gap-based ventilation system. By extracting the seal mechanism and using the air gap between cover and drawer as the primary ventilation control, the system achieves much more effective air exchange without the limitations of seal-based control.
2Reliability
If the container is kept closed to maintain humid microclimate, then humidity is maintained, but air exchange is insufficient causing condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static closed state to a dynamic system where the cover height can be adjusted. This creates a variable gap that enables intensive air exchange when required, while still allowing the container to maintain its humid microclimate when closed, thus resolving the contradiction between humidity maintenance and air exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the air gap between the cover and drawer by allowing height adjustment of the cover. This parameter change enables the system to switch between maintaining high humidity (small or no gap) and intensive air exchange (larger gap), resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If refrigerated products are placed in the container, then storage function is achieved, but they block air exchange pathways
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the air exchange pathway from a horizontal path (through the front of the container) to a vertical path (through the gap between cover and drawer). This dimensional change allows air to flow over and around the stored products, preventing blockage while maintaining full storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the cover height adjustable, the system dynamically adapts the air exchange pathway to accommodate different storage configurations. When products are loaded, the cover can be raised to create sufficient gap space for air flow, ensuring that storage function and air exchange efficiency work together without conflict.
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 significantly reduces the likelihood of condensation and enhances the storage stability of refrigerated products by ensuring effective air exchange and dehumidification, maintaining optimal humidity levels within the container.
Implementation Method 1
raising the cover enables the formation of a transverse air flow through the open container, which effects a very fast and effective air exchange with the surrounding storage compartment
Implementation Method 2
different groceries require different levels of humidity in order to maintain their freshness to an optimum degree, it may be necessary as a function of the type of groceries accommodated in the container to conduct humidity out of the container to a greater or lesser degree
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration device includes a housing which surrounds a storage compartment; and a container mounted in the storage compartment and including a drawer and a cover, with the cover being height-adjustable between a closed position of the drawer and an open position. The cover is guided on an obliquely sloping path between the closed position and the open position by ramps adjacent to corners of the cover.