Refrigerator for preventing air supply duct from falling down
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators have a reduced storage space depth due to the evaporator's rear positioning, making it inconvenient to store large items and prone to the air supply duct falling during transportation, which affects refrigeration efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design with a top cover and air supply duct structure that includes a supporting portion to prevent the duct from falling, along with inclined sections for water drainage and a return air hood with vertical inlets to improve airflow and prevent frosting, enhancing user experience and refrigeration efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the evaporator is positioned at the rear portion of the lowermost storage space, then the refrigeration function is achieved, but the storage space depth is reduced and it becomes inconvenient to accommodate large items
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is relocated from the rear portion of the lowermost storage space to the cooling space formed below the freezer by the top cover. This spatial reconfiguration in a different dimension (below the storage space rather than occupying storage space) allows the storage space depth to be maximized while maintaining the refrigeration function through the air supply duct system.
2Reliability
If the air supply duct is arranged without support structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the duct becomes prone to falling during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The top cover serves multiple functions: it forms the cooling space below the freezer, acts as a structural support element, and provides mounting support for the air supply duct through its rear end configuration. This multi-functionality provides duct stability without adding separate support structures, maintaining simplicity while ensuring reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the top cover is designed without supporting portion, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the air supply duct becomes unstable and may fall during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The top cover is segmented into functional zones: the main body forming the cooling space, and the rear end portion that protrudes to provide support for the air supply duct. This segmentation allows the supporting function to be integrated into the existing top cover structure without requiring a completely separate support component, balancing manufacturing simplicity with duct stability.
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 design increases storage space depth, stabilizes the air supply duct, improves airflow, prevents frosting, and facilitates easy cleaning, resulting in enhanced user experience and refrigeration performance.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator, arranged in the cooling space, and configured to cool airflow entering the cooling space to form cooled airflow
Implementation Method 2
An upper end surface of the supporting portion includes a first inclined section extending obliquely downward from back to front, so as to facilitate formed condensed water flowing forward and downward to the top cover body along the first inclined section
Implementation Method 3
an air blower, located behind the evaporator, an air outlet end of the blower being connected with an air inlet end of the air supply duct, and the blower being configured to promote the cooled airflow to enter the air supply duct
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator (100) preventing an air supply duct (141) from falling down, which includes a top cover (103) that divides a lowermost storage liner (130) into a storage space (132) located above and a cooling space located below, an evaporator (101) arranged in the cooling space, and the air supply duct (141) arranged at an inner side of a rear wall of the storage liner (130), communicating with the cooling space, and configured to deliver at least part of cooled airflow into the storage space (132). The cooling space raises a height of the storage space (132) located above the cooling space, thus reducing a bend-down degree of a user during an operation of taking and placing articles in the storage space (132), and improving use experience of the user. The top cover (103) includes a top cover body (103a) and a supporting portion (103b) protruding upward from a rear end of the top cover body (103a); a bearing portion (141b) protruding forward is formed on a front wall surface of the air supply duct (141); and the top cover (103) and the air supply duct (141) are arranged such that the supporting portion (103b) supports the bearing portion (141b) to prevent the air supply duct (141) from falling down.