Refrigerator Barrier Foaming Structure for Gap-Free Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators face challenges in achieving effective heat insulation and strength for barriers dividing storage chambers, particularly when the depth of storage chambers exceeds their height, leading to gaps between chambers and increased material and investment costs due to separate foaming processes.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design where a foamed heat insulating material is simultaneously injected between the outer and inner cases and within a barrier, using communication paths and stair parts to ensure integral foaming and prevent deformation, thereby enhancing heat insulation efficiency and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the depth of storage chamber is increased, then the volume of storage chamber is increased, but the resin sheet tears during vacuum molding
Solution Approach 1:
The storage chamber is divided into multiple sections using a barrier structure. The barrier includes a first barrier body and a second barrier body that are separately formed and then assembled together, allowing each section to be molded independently with smaller resin sheets that won't tear during vacuum molding.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier bodies are pre-formed by vacuum molding separate resin sheets before assembly. This preliminary formation of barrier structures allows the main storage chamber to be molded with appropriate sheet size, preventing tearing while achieving the desired total volume through subsequent assembly of multiple barrier sections.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a barrier is separately manufactured and installed in the inner case, then the storage chambers are divided, but gaps are generated between storage chambers
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier bodies are assembled together with overlapping portions where the first barrier body and second barrier body overlap each other. The overlapping portions are integrated through the inner case structure, merging the separate barrier sections into a continuous heat insulation system that eliminates gaps between storage chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier structures are nested within the inner case, with the first and second barrier bodies positioned such that they overlap and integrate with the inner case structure. This nesting arrangement ensures that the barriers are fully contained and properly integrated, eliminating gaps and ensuring continuous heat insulation.
3Quantity of substance
If a foaming process is carried out twice (filling space between inner case and outer case, then filling space between inner case and barrier), then the barrier is filled with heat insulating material, but the foaming liquid leaks through gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier structures are pre-assembled and integrated with the inner case before the foaming process. This preliminary assembly ensures that the barriers are securely positioned and gaps are minimized or eliminated, preventing foaming liquid leakage during the subsequent single-stage foaming process that fills both the barrier interiors and the space between inner case and outer case.
Solution Approach 2:
The foaming process is merged into a single operation that simultaneously fills the barrier interiors and the space between the inner case and outer case. This is made possible by the pre-assembled barrier structures that prevent leakage, allowing one foaming step to achieve what would otherwise require two separate processes.
4Shape
If the resin sheet is heated and swells during vacuum molding, then the sheet is molded, but the sheet decreases in thickness and tears when storage chamber depth exceeds height
Solution Approach 1:
The storage chamber is segmented into multiple sections using barriers, allowing the use of smaller resin sheets with appropriate thickness-to-depth ratios. This segmentation enables each sheet to maintain adequate thickness during molding while achieving the desired overall storage chamber depth through the stacked barrier structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from achieving depth through a single large sheet to achieving it through the vertical stacking of multiple barrier bodies with overlapping portions. This dimensional approach allows each individual sheet to maintain proper thickness while the cumulative effect of stacked barriers provides the required total depth.
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 design eliminates gaps between storage chambers, improves heat insulation efficiency, reduces power consumption, and allows for storage chambers of various sizes and volumes without additional processing steps, while maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a foamed heat insulating material filling the inside of the barrier by causing a foaming liquid, injected from the outer case, to pass through the second communication parts and the first communication parts and then foaming the foaming liquid within the barrier
Implementation Method 2
a resin sheet for molding is heated so as to be easily deformed
Implementation Method 3
the inside of the vacuum case is evacuated so that a part of the heated sheet is introduced into the vacuum case
Implementation Method 4
air of a high pressure is supplied to the inside of the vacuum case so that the resin sheet is closely attached to the mold
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator an outer case, an inner case including storage spaces integrally manufactured so as to have a first set value, a barrier disposed within the storage space to vertically divide the storage space into a plurality of storage chambers so that the heights of openings of the respective storage chambers have a second set value and a third set value, and including first communication parts on the side surfaces of the barrier, second communication parts formed on the inner case, and a foamed heat insulating material filling the inside of the barrier by causing a foaming liquid, injected from the outer case, to pass through the second communication parts and the first communication parts and then foaming the foaming liquid within the barrier, wherein the first set value is 1.5 times or more at least one of the second set value and the third set value.