Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators face challenges in directly determining the state of storage spaces when the door is open and in achieving a high-quality appearance due to the placement of display units on the outside of the door, which occupies space and complicates direct visibility of storage space states.
Innovation Solution
A display unit integrated into the refrigerator that displays state information and provides lighting to the inside of the storage space when the door is opened, eliminating the need for additional lighting and optimizing space utilization while maintaining a high-quality appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a display unit is provided on the outside of the door, then state information can be displayed, but direct determination of storage space state becomes difficult and production of various outer appearances becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit is integrated into the storage space interior rather than being placed on the door exterior. This merging of the display function with the storage space allows users to directly view state information within the storage space context, eliminating the separation between display location and storage space, thereby enabling direct determination of storage space state while maintaining information display capability.
2Loss of information
If a display unit is provided on the outside of the door, then state information can be displayed, but production of various outer appearances becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the display unit into the storage space interior structure, the display function is combined with existing structural elements rather than adding separate external components. This approach maintains design flexibility for outer appearances while still providing state information display capability within the storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit is positioned within the three-dimensional space of the storage space rather than on the two-dimensional door surface. This dimensional relocation allows the display to be embedded in available interior space, preserving exterior design freedom while achieving the display function.
3Illumination intensity
If additional lighting is provided in the storage space, then uniform lighting can be achieved, but space utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting function is merged with the display unit, which is already integrated into the storage space interior. By combining display and lighting functions in a single integrated component, the patent achieves uniform lighting without requiring separate additional lighting installations, thereby minimizing space consumption while maintaining storage space utilization.
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 direct viewing of storage space states and uniform lighting within the refrigerator, maximizing space usage and producing a high-quality appearance without additional lighting requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting unit (130) arranged on a sloped side (112) of the housing (110) for emitting a light toward an inside of the storage space (40)
Implementation Method 2
a heat insulating material is stuffed in a space between an outer case and an inner case of refrigerator for heat insulation of the space for refrigerated or frozen storage of food from an outside of the refrigerator
Implementation Method 3
The cold air supplied to the refrigerator is produced by heat exchange of refrigerant in repetitive compression-condensing-expansion-evaporation cycles
Implementation Method 4
The cold air supplied to the refrigerator is produced by heat exchange of refrigerant in repetitive compression-condensing-expansion-evaporation cycles
Implementation Method 5
a thermally insulating housing containing at least one product storage compartment that can be supplied with cold air by a fan
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A refrigerator has at least one door mounted to the body for selective opening/closing of the storage space; and a display unit including a display portion and a light emitting unit, the display portion being mounted in the storage space to be exposed to a front side of the refrigerator when the door is opened for displaying state information on the storage space, and the light emitting unit positioned to illuminate the storage space.