Airtight container for refrigerator and refrigerator including the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional airtight containers in refrigerators face challenges in opening the drawer when in a weak vacuum state, leading to difficulties in releasing pressure and maintaining freshness, as the operation handle and drawer movement directions are different, causing deformation and dew formation, which complicates easy access and storage.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a ventilation port opening/closing member that moves in the same direction as the drawer, utilizing an elastic member to seal and unseal the storage space, and a discharge port with an elastic valve to manage pressure and water collection, allowing easy opening and dew discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a ventilation port is provided in the drawer to communicate between the inside and the outside of the airtight container, then the weak vacuum state can be released, but the directions of the operation handle and drawer movement are different, requiring the drawer to be withdrawn in a straight-line direction after rotating the operation handle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ventilation port opening/closing function and drawer movement into a single linear motion. The ventilation port opening/closing member is movably supported by the drawer such that when the member moves linearly, it simultaneously opens the ventilation port and moves the drawer, merging two functions into one operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of rotating the operation handle to open the ventilation port and then separately pulling the drawer (conventional approach), the patent inverts the mechanism so that linear movement of the opening/closing member directly translates to both ventilation port opening and drawer movement, eliminating the need for rotational motion.
2Reliability
If the drawer hermetically seals the interior of the vegetable container to maintain low vacuum state, then freshness is improved, but the opening of the case may be deformed toward the interior due to pressure difference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible sealing structure that can deform to accommodate pressure differences without compromising the hermetical seal. The sealing member is designed to flexibly adapt to case opening deformation while maintaining contact and sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a sealing member that anticipates and compensates for case opening deformation. The sealing structure is designed to maintain effective sealing even when the case opening deforms toward the interior under vacuum pressure, cushioning against the harmful effect of deformation.
3Shape
If the case is deformed due to pressure difference, then hermetical sealing may be released and external air may be introduced, but this would release the low vacuum state
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sealing member can deform with the case opening while maintaining continuous contact and hermetical seal. This flexibility allows the sealing system to accommodate shape changes without releasing the vacuum state or allowing external air introduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member is designed to compensate for case deformation in advance, maintaining sealing effectiveness even when the case opening deforms. This pre-compensation ensures that hermetical sealing is preserved despite pressure-induced shape changes.
4Temperature
If temperature in the case is lowered to maintain freshness, then dew may be formed in the case, but the dew may soften foods and cannot be discharged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful dew from the case interior by providing a discharge port that allows dew to be removed. The discharge port with elastic valve enables selective opening to discharge dew while maintaining vacuum sealing during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic valve acts as an intermediary mechanism that controls dew discharge. It opens to allow dew removal when needed and closes to maintain hermetical sealing, mediating between the need for temperature control (which causes dew) and the need to prevent dew damage to foods.
5Ease of operation
If the drawer is pulled to open it, then the pressure difference between inside and outside makes it difficult to open even for an adult, but forcing open may damage the sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by opening the ventilation port before moving the drawer. When the user pulls the ventilation port opening/closing member, the ventilation port opens first to equalize pressure, and then the drawer moves smoothly without resistance, preventing sealing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the opening operation into two sequential phases: first opening the ventilation port to equalize pressure, then moving the drawer. This segmentation eliminates the need to force the drawer open against pressure differential, making operation easy while protecting sealing integrity.
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 easy opening of the drawer even in a weak vacuum state, prevents dew observation, and effectively discharges dew, maintaining airtightness and freshness while simplifying user interaction.
Implementation Method 1
a ventilation port opening/closing member that moves in the same direction as the drawer, utilizing an elastic member to seal and unseal the storage space
Implementation Method 2
a discharge port with an elastic valve to manage pressure and water collection
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides an airtight container for a refrigerator and a refrigerator having such a container . The container includes a case (110), a drawer (120), and a ventilation port opening/closing member (140). The case (110) has a storage space formed therein and maintained at a negative pressure state. The drawer (120) stores food and opens and closes the storage space while being supported by the case (110) so as to move in a straight line. The ventilation port opening/closing member (140) ventilates the storage space. Here, the drawer (120) includes a ventilation port H for ventilating the storage space, and the ventilation port opening/closing member (140) straightly moves in the same direction as the drawer (120) to open and close the ventilation port H.