Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators face challenges in optimizing the circulation of cold air and space utilization, particularly in enhancing the interior capacity and efficiency of cold air circulation within the storage compartments.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerator design includes a freezing chamber cold air fan, a cold air inlet, and a cold air outlet, with a guide duct to distribute cold air effectively, and positions the machine room on the uppermost part of the main body to maximize storage space and reduce the refrigerator's overall dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the machine room is positioned on the uppermost part of the main body, then storage capacity is increased and overall dimensions are reduced, but the complexity of cold air circulation system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cold air circulation system is segmented into multiple independent pathways: a first cold air circulation pathway for the freezing chamber and a second cold air circulation pathway for the refrigerating chamber. Each pathway has its own evaporator, fan, and ducting system, allowing independent operation and simplifying the overall system architecture despite the compact layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine room is positioned on the uppermost part of the main body, utilizing vertical space efficiently. The cold air circulation pathways are arranged in different spatial dimensions and orientations, with ducts extending horizontally and vertically to reach different storage chambers, optimizing space utilization while maintaining system functionality.
2Productivity
If separate cold air circulation pathways are provided for freezing and refrigerating chambers, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation system is divided into two independent pathways: the first pathway includes a freezing chamber evaporator, freezing chamber cold air fan, and first guide duct serving the freezing chamber; the second pathway includes a refrigerating chamber evaporator, refrigerating chamber cold air fan, and second guide duct serving the refrigerating chamber. This segmentation allows each chamber to be cooled independently with optimized parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine room serves multiple functions: it houses both the freezing chamber evaporator and refrigerating chamber evaporator, contains both cold air fans, and acts as a common space for the compression and condensation processes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated spaces for each cooling function.
3Volume of moving object
If the refrigerator is designed to enlarge interior capacity, then storage space is increased, but the overall dimensions may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The machine room is positioned on the uppermost part of the main body, utilizing vertical space rather than horizontal space. This vertical arrangement allows the storage chambers to extend horizontally with maximum capacity while keeping the overall footprint compact. The guide ducts are configured to navigate through three-dimensional space efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide ducts are positioned to extend through the interior space of the storage chambers, with outlets arranged to distribute cold air throughout the chamber volume. The evaporators are positioned within the machine room but their cooling effect is distributed to the storage chambers, creating a nested arrangement where cooling components serve remote storage spaces.
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 enhances the circulation of cold air, increases storage capacity, and improves the efficiency of indoor space utilization by optimizing the placement of components, allowing for better cooling performance and reduced physical dimensions of the appliance.
Implementation Method 1
a freezing chamber evaporator that generates cold air
Implementation Method 2
a freezing chamber cold air fan that moves the cold air generated from the freezing chamber evaporator toward the freezing chamber
Implementation Method 3
a guide duct that guides the cold air discharged from the cold air outlet to the freezing chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refrigerator, in which a main body (1) includes a refrigerating chamber (20) and a freezing chamber (10). A cold air generation chamber (100) for the freezing chamber (10) is provided on an uppermost part of the main body (1), communicates with the freezing chamber (10), and houses a freezing chamber evaporator (110). A cold air generation chamber (200) for the refrigerating chamber (20) is provided separate from the cold air generation chamber (100) for the freezing chamber (10) and houses a refrigerating chamber evaporator (210).