Refrigerator Door Air Duct Layout for Inner-Wall Dew Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Condensation on the inner walls of the door body chamber in refrigerators with composite doors affects user experience and hinders the development of this technology, as existing solutions fail to effectively address dew removal without impacting normal refrigeration.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a main door with a hollow rear wall and dew removal air duct, along with dew removal holes, allows air to flow from the first chamber through the air supply port and return through the air return port, enabling low-humidity air to evaporate condensed dew without heating or hot air, maintaining normal refrigeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a composite door body with door body chamber is used to improve convenience and reduce cold energy loss, then ease of operation and energy efficiency are improved, but condensation occurs on inner walls of the door body chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful condensation phenomenon by introducing a dedicated dew removal air duct that channels dry air specifically to the affected inner wall areas, separating the dew removal function from the general refrigeration system
Solution Approach 2:
The air circulation system serves multiple functions: it provides normal refrigeration through the air supply and return ports, and simultaneously removes condensation through the dew removal air duct, allowing one system to handle both cooling and dew removal tasks
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional dew removal methods using hot air or heating are applied, then condensation is removed, but cold energy loss increases and refrigeration is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the temperature parameter (using hot air or heating), the patent changes the humidity parameter by introducing drier air from the refrigeration chamber to the door body chamber, removing condensation through humidity differential rather than thermal energy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the normally wasted cold air that would escape when the refrigeration chamber door is opened into a useful resource for dew removal, utilizing this air flow to simultaneously cool the refrigeration chamber and remove condensation from the door body chamber
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
Effectively removes condensed dew on the inner walls of the door body chamber using cold air circulation, avoiding excessive cold energy loss and ensuring uninterrupted refrigeration.
Implementation Method 1
part of an air flow flows to the front surface of the rear wall through the dew removal holes, to remove condensed dew on the front surface of the rear wall
Implementation Method 2
the air in the first chamber is allowed to enter the dew removal air duct, so that part of an air flow flows to the front surface of the rear wall through the dew removal holes
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refrigerator, comprising a refrigerator body and a door body. The front side of the refrigerator body is open to define a first chamber; the door body comprises a main door and an auxiliary door; the main door is used for opening and closing the first chamber and defining a second chamber; the auxiliary door is used for opening and closing the second chamber; an air supply port and a return air vent are formed on the rear wall of the main door; the air supply port and the return air vent both are communicated with the first chamber and the second chamber; the rear wall is hollow, and a dew removal air channel communicated with the first chamber is defined in the rear wall; and a plurality of dew removal holes communicated with the second chamber and the dew removal air channel are backwards formed on the front surface of the rear wall. The refrigerator is configured to: be in a cooling cycle mode that air in the first chamber enters the second chamber by means of the air supply port and then returns to the first chamber by means of the return air vent; or be in a dew removal mode that air in the first chamber enters the dew removal air channel to enable part of an air flow to flow to the front surface of the rear wall by means of the dew removal holes so as to remove condensed dew on the surface of the rear wall. The refrigerator of the present invention can effectively remove the condensed dew on the inner walls of the chambers of the door body.