Refrigerator and method of controlling the same
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The inconvenience of having to move dairy products produced by a dairy product maker to a separate refrigerator for storage is addressed by integrating the maker into a refrigerator compartment, which requires effective control to ensure proper fermentation and cooling.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a dairy product maker inside the compartment, featuring a control panel for user operation, a controller for managing fermentation and cooling processes, and error detection and handling, including temperature sensing and fan operation to maintain optimal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a dairy product maker is independently provided, then the function to produce dairy products by fermenting milk is achieved, but the convenience of storing the produced dairy product is reduced as it requires moving to a separate refrigerator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the dairy product maker and refrigerator into a single integrated system. The maker unit is installed within the refrigerator compartment, allowing the produced dairy products to be automatically stored in the same unit. This merging eliminates the need to move products between separate devices and provides both production and storage functions in one appliance.
2Ease of operation
If the dairy product maker is integrated into the refrigerator compartment, then storage convenience is improved, but the control complexity increases due to multiple components requiring coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The controller automatically manages the coordination between the heater, fan, and temperature sensor without requiring user intervention. The system self-regulates by monitoring temperature feedback and adjusting component operation accordingly, simplifying the user interface while handling the complexity internally through automated control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a temperature sensor to continuously monitor the internal temperature and provides feedback to the controller. Based on this feedback, the controller automatically adjusts the heater and fan operations to maintain optimal fermentation conditions, enabling precise temperature control without complex manual regulation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fermentation modes are provided, then the versatility of dairy product production is improved, but the control complexity and operation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides multiple fermentation modes (first and second modes) with different time requirements. The controller dynamically adjusts the heater operation duration based on the selected mode, allowing users to choose between faster or more thorough fermentation processes depending on their needs, thereby offering flexibility without mandating a single fixed duration.
4Reliability
If error detection and handling mechanisms are added, then the reliability of dairy product production is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensor provides continuous feedback on the internal temperature conditions. The controller monitors this feedback to detect errors or abnormal conditions, enabling reliable operation while keeping the error detection mechanism simple and integrated into the existing control structure rather than adding separate complex monitoring systems.
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 user control and error handling, ensuring dairy product production regardless of component failures, with precise temperature management for fermentation and cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a heater configured to heat the milk stored in the container
Implementation Method 2
a fan configured to supply cool air inside the refrigerator compartment to the container
Implementation Method 3
a fan configured to supply cool air inside the refrigerator compartment to the container
Implementation Method 4
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature inside of the dairy product maker
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator including a refrigerator compartment, a dairy product maker inside the refrigerator compartment, a control panel configured to receive a control command, and a controller configured to control the dairy product maker based on the control command, the dairy product maker includes a container to store milk or a dairy product, a heater configured to heat the milk stored in the container, a fan configured to supply cool air inside the refrigerator compartment to the container, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature inside of the dairy product maker, and the controller operates the heater for a preset fermentation period in response to the control command, turns off the heater and turns on the fan to cool down inside of the container after a lapse of the preset fermentation period, and turns off the fan in response to completing of the cooling down inside of the container.