Refrigerator Air Duct Damper for Quick Freezing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators require an auxiliary evaporator for quick freezing or cooling compartments, which increases product cost without efficiently optimizing cold air distribution between compartments.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a cold air duct with a damper that selectively directs cold air from a shared cold air generation chamber to either the quick freezer or freezer compartments, using a single evaporator and a cooling fan to concentrate cooling in the quick freezer compartment when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an auxiliary evaporator is installed for quick freezing compartment, then quick freezing capability is improved, but device complexity and product cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the damper movable and adjustable to dynamically control cold air distribution. The damper can be positioned at different angles to redirect cold air flow between the freezer compartment and quick freezing compartment based on operational requirements, enabling a single evaporator to adaptively serve multiple functions without requiring additional fixed cooling components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing a single evaporator that serves dual purposes: cooling the main freezer compartment and providing quick freezing capability. The damper mechanism enables this one component to perform multiple functions by selectively directing cold air to different compartments, eliminating the need for separate auxiliary evaporators
2Area of stationary object
If cold air is distributed to both freezer and quick freezing compartments simultaneously, then overall cooling coverage is improved, but cooling intensity in quick freezing compartment decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is designed as a dynamic flow control element that can be adjusted in real-time. When quick freezing is required, the damper rotates to redirect a larger portion of cold air to the quick freezing compartment, temporarily reducing coverage in the main freezer but intensifying cooling where needed. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between coverage area and cooling intensity
3Device complexity
If a single evaporator is used for both compartments, then device complexity is reduced, but cold air distribution efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper serves as an intermediary device between the single evaporator and the two compartments. It mediates the cold air flow by selectively directing air to different destinations based on demand, enabling efficient distribution from a single source without requiring multiple evaporators. This intermediary mechanism maintains productivity while reducing device complexity
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 allows for simultaneous cooling of both compartments using a single evaporator, optimizing cold air distribution and reducing energy consumption by intensively cooling the quick freezer compartment when required, thus lowering operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
cold air generated by a phase-change of a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
cold air circulation fan that circulates the cold air into the cold air duct
Implementation Method 3
a damper that directs the cold air flowed from the cold air generation chamber to the freezer compartment or to the quick freezer compartment
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a cold air generation chamber provided in a body of the refrigerator, the cold air generation chamber having an evaporator installed therein. A cold air duct may form a path through which cold air generated in the cold air generation chamber is circulated to a freezer compartment, and a quick freezer compartment. The quick freezer compartment may be connected with the cold air duct, and may be positioned substantially nearer to the evaporator than the freezer compartment. A damper may be installed in the cold air duct to selectively shut off the flow of cold air to the freezer compartment. The quick freezer compartment may be quickly cooled using cold air directly supplied from the cold air generation chamber. Furthermore, cold air may be directed into the quick freezer compartment by selectively shutting off the supply of cold air into the freezer or refrigerator compartment.