Refrigerator Door Guard Lighting for Improved Food Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
In refrigerators with double doors, users face difficulty in identifying food stored in door guards due to insufficient lighting, especially when the doors are opened, leading to reduced visibility and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring lamps installed at the sidewalls of the opening in the first door that emit light when the door is opened, utilizing an opening/closing detection sensor to activate the lamp when the door is opened, and a sensor detection unit to ensure the lamp is powered only when necessary, enhancing visibility of food stored in the door guard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a lamp is installed in the storage compartment, then the user can identify food stored in the storage compartment, but the user cannot easily identify food inside a door guard disposed at a rear side of the door
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by installing lamps specifically at the sidewalls of the opening in the first door, providing targeted illumination exactly where the door guard is located. This localized lighting approach ensures that food stored in the door guard is clearly visible when the second door is opened, while avoiding unnecessary illumination of the entire storage compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single centralized lamp installation to a distributed arrangement by placing lamps at the sidewalls of the opening. This spatial redistribution in another dimension (from central to peripheral positioning) enables effective illumination of the door guard area that was previously inaccessible to light.
2Illumination intensity
If the lamp is always on, then the visibility of food in the door guard is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by using sensors to detect when the second door is opened and activating the lamp only during this period. The opening/closing detection sensor in the hinge unit and the sensor detection unit in the second door work together to trigger the lamp intermittently, ensuring illumination is provided only when the door is open and food visibility is needed, thereby reducing continuous energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback by using sensors to detect the door's open/closed state and automatically controlling the lamp based on this information. The opening/closing detection sensor provides feedback about the door position, and this feedback is used to activate or deactivate the lamp, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes energy usage based on actual visibility needs.
3Device complexity
If no lighting system is added, then the device complexity remains low, but the visibility of food in the door guard is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the lighting system into separate components: lamp installation holes in the sidewalls, lamp fixing members, and sensor units. This modular segmentation allows the lighting function to be added to the existing door structure without requiring a complete system redesign, maintaining relative simplicity while improving visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses sensor units as intermediaries between the door's mechanical state and the lighting system. The opening/closing detection sensor and sensor detection unit act as mediators that automatically control the lamp based on door position, eliminating the need for complex manual control mechanisms while achieving the desired visibility improvement.
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
Improves visibility of food stored in the door guard by providing adequate lighting when the doors are opened, enhancing user convenience and reducing energy consumption by powering the lamp only when needed.
Implementation Method 1
at least one lamp fixed to the at least one lamp fixing member through the at least one lamp installation hole from an outside of the sidewalls of the opening
Implementation Method 2
an opening/closing detection sensor that is disposed in the hinge unit, detects whether the first door is opened/closed, and causes the at least one lamp to emit light when the first door is opened
Implementation Method 3
a sensor detection unit that is disposed in an upper portion of the second door in a position corresponding to the opening/closing detection sensor, transfers the result of detection regarding whether the second door is opened/closed, to the opening/closing detection sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator having a structure in which, when a first door or a second door is opened, a lamp installed at sidewalls of an opening in the first door emits light so that food stored in a door guard disposed in the opening can be illuminated. The refrigerator includes a main body having a storage compartment; a first door that is rotatably disposed in front of the main body and opens/closes the storage compartment, and has an opening formed therein, where at least one door guard is disposed in the opening; a second door that is rotatably disposed in front of the first door, opens/closes the opening, and is rotated in the same direction as the first door; and a lamp installed at the sidewalls of the opening.