Refrigerator Display Segmentation for Cooling and Energy Information

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional refrigerators lack integrated features to display energy-related information and manage cooling functions efficiently, limiting user awareness of power usage and food storage details.

Innovation Solution

A refrigerator with a display part for showing energy-related information and a control part for managing temperature, combined with a remote controller featuring user interfaces for remote operation and additional functions beyond cooling, such as power usage monitoring and food expiration tracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a display part is added to show energy-related information and additional functions, then user awareness of power usage and food storage details is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser awareness of power usage and food storage detailsVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display part is designed to perform multiple functions: displaying cooling function information (temperature, operation status) and energy-related information (power usage, cost, expiration dates). This multi-functionality allows a single component to provide comprehensive information without requiring separate display devices, thus improving information availability while controlling complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The display part is divided into multiple display regions: a first display region for cooling function information and a second display region for energy-related information. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each region's content and layout, making the overall system more manageable and easier to control despite the increased information load.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the refrigerator provides comprehensive information display and remote control functions, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A remote controller is introduced as an intermediary device that communicates with the refrigerator's control part. The remote controller provides additional functions (power on/off, temperature adjustment, information display) without requiring these complex features to be integrated directly into the refrigerator's main structure, thus improving ease of operation while managing device complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of energy

If energy-related information is displayed to optimize power usage, then loss of energy is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower usage costVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display part provides real-time feedback on energy consumption and power cost information to the user. This feedback mechanism enables users to adjust their usage patterns and optimize power consumption by operating the refrigerator during low-cost periods, thereby reducing energy loss while the information is presented through an integrated display system that manages complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2662651B1Refrigerator comprising a display
Publication Date: 2020.04.15 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP2662651B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2662651B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2662651B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a refrigerator, which includes a display part and a control part. The display part displays information. The control part controls the display part. The display part includes a first display part for displaying information related to an additional function except for a cooling function, and a second display part for displaying temperature information related to the cooling function.