Roll-Up Refrigerator Cabinet Cover for Horizontal Thermal Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator cabinets face high energy costs due to uncontrolled thermal exchange through their horizontal openings, and existing solutions for sealing these openings either limit accessibility or are not adaptable for horizontal use.
Innovation Solution
A screening device featuring a flexible screen that unwinds and rewinds from a winding roller using transmission belts and a draw bar, allowing for horizontal movement and automatic operation via an electric motor and proximity sensor, ensuring complete opening and closing while maintaining thermal insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If rigid closing panels are used to reduce thermal exchange, then energy consumption is reduced, but complete opening of the refrigerator cabinet is prevented, limiting accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible heat-insulating screen made of a soft, pliable material that can be rolled out to cover the entire opening when closed for thermal insulation, and completely removed when opened for full accessibility. This flexible membrane approach allows the screen to conform to the opening and be easily deployed/retracted without the structural constraints of rigid panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The screening device transitions from a static rigid panel system to a dynamic flexible screen system that can be actively deployed and retracted. The screen moves between a closed position covering the opening for insulation and an open position allowing complete access, enabling the system to adapt its state based on operational requirements.
2Ease of operation
If a rollable heat-insulating screen is used in vertically-opening cabinets, then the screen can be easily deployed, but the solution cannot be applied to horizontally-lying openings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adapts the vertical screen deployment concept to horizontal openings by changing the orientation of the screen and its support mechanism. Instead of a vertical screen hanging from above, the screen is positioned horizontally and supported by a carriage system that travels along horizontal rails, allowing the same rolling mechanism to function in a different dimensional orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal screening mechanism that can be applied to both vertical and horizontal openings. The core components (rollable screen, carriage, rails, and drive mechanism) form a adaptable system that functions regardless of the opening's orientation, making the solution versatile for different cabinet configurations.
3Device complexity
If the draw bar is engaged to slide by gravitational effect, then the mechanism is simple, but the screen cannot slide on a horizontal plane
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an active drive mechanism as an intermediary between the control system and the screen. This drive mechanism, consisting of a drive wheel engaging a rack on the carriage, mediates the force transmission to move the carriage horizontally along the rails. This intermediary active driving system replaces passive gravitational sliding, enabling horizontal movement while maintaining reasonable mechanical simplicity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An embodiment of the invention discloses a screening device (100) for refrigerator cabinets comprising a winding roller (105) able to rotate on itself about a central axis (X) thereof, a flexible screen (240) having a free and an opposite end fixed to the winding roller (105), two transmission belts (120, 125), each of which is wound about at least a first pulley (130, 155) and a second pulley (135, 160) in such a way as to develop in a closed pathway which comprises a straight operating portion (140, 165) which is parallel to an operating portion of the other transmission belt, a draw bar (200) fixed to the free end of the flexible screen (240) and having ends thereof fixed to the two transmission belts (120, 125) at respective operating portions (140, 165), and activating means (245) for simultaneously rotating the pulleys of both the transmission belts (120, 125).