Refrigerator Air Pressure Sensor for Automatic Door Opening Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household refrigeration appliances lack an efficient mechanism for automatically opening closed door leaves or drawers based on user intent, relying on manual operation and lacking sensitivity to subtle changes in air pressure.
Innovation Solution
A household refrigeration device equipped with an air pressure sensor and an auxiliary device that includes a pressure chamber, an electrical component, and an evaluation device to detect changes in air pressure, automatically opening the door leaf or drawer by moving an adjusting body, such as a plunger, based on evaluated electrical variables like inductance or capacitance changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation of door leaf or drawer is used, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to lack of automatic opening assistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical pressure sensing mechanisms with electrical components (capacitive or inductive sensors) that can detect pressure changes through non-contact methods. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining the automatic opening assistance function, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary auxiliary device that includes a pressure sensor, evaluation device, and adjusting body (plunger) to mediate between the user's pulling action and the door leaf opening. This intermediary system provides automatic opening assistance while keeping the overall system manageable in complexity through modular design.
2Ease of operation
If air pressure sensor is added to detect pressure changes, then ease of operation is improved through automatic opening, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs capacitive or inductive electrical components instead of traditional mechanical pressure sensors. These electrical components detect pressure changes through changes in capacitance or inductance values caused by membrane displacement, eliminating complex mechanical linkages and reducing overall system complexity while enabling automatic opening assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible membrane as part of the pressure sensing mechanism. The membrane responds to pressure changes by displacing, which in turn changes the electrical characteristics (capacitance or inductance) of the associated electrical component. This flexible film approach simplifies the pressure sensing system compared to rigid mechanical sensors.
3Reliability
If elastic magnetic seal is used, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but air pressure changes are reduced making detection more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes direct mechanical pressure measurement with electrical field-based sensing (capacitive or inductive). These electrical components can detect the subtle membrane displacements caused by pressure changes with high sensitivity, overcoming the limitation of reduced pressure changes while maintaining reliable sealing through the elastic magnetic seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct pressure measurement to electrical parameter measurement (capacitance or inductance). By measuring changes in electrical properties that result from membrane displacement, the system can detect subtle pressure changes with high precision, resolving the detection difficulty while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
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
Enables automatic and sensitive detection of user intent to open the door or drawer, improving user convenience and reducing manual effort by utilizing air pressure changes caused by elastic magnetic seals, with a pressure measuring range of ±0.2 mbar and bursting pressure of ±50 mbar.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical component which has a planar component and an electrically conductive film which is arranged at a distance from the planar component, wherein a pressure change causes at least a partial change in the distance between the planar component and the electrically conductive film, thereby causing a change in at least one electrical variable of the electrical component
Implementation Method 2
the electrical component being an inductive component, the flat component is designed as a flat electrical coil, and the at least one electrical quantity is an inductance, a resistance and/or a reactance of the inductive component
Implementation Method 3
An elastic magnetic seal is preferably attached to the side of the door leaf or drawer facing the direction of the coolable interior, which seals against the body when the door leaf or drawer is closed. The magnetic seal is elastic, so that when you press the closed door leaf or the closed drawer, it moves slightly towards the coolable interior, which changes the air pressure within the coolable interior.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a household refrigeration appliance (1) and a method for operating the household refrigeration appliance (1). The household refrigerating appliance (1) comprises a heat-insulated body (2) which has an inner container (3) with a coolable interior (4) intended for storing food, a cooling device provided for cooling the coolable interior (4) and an auxiliary device (20) , as well as a door leaf (5) which is pivotably mounted relative to the body (2) and is intended for opening and closing the interior (4) or a drawer which, when closed, is pushed into the coolable interior (4) in order to close it, and is at least partially pulled out of the coolable interior (4) in the open state. The auxiliary device (20) has an air pressure sensor (31, 31a) which is set up to detect a change in the air pressure inside the interior (4) resulting from a pushing and/or pulling on the closed door leaf (5) or on the closed drawer. to investigate. The auxiliary device (20) is set up to automatically at least partially open the closed door leaf (5) or the closed drawer, depending on the determined change in the air pressure.