Refrigerator Door Splash Guide for Icemaker Water and Insulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator designs face issues with foaming liquid insulation efficiency due to tube guide interference, icemaker rigidity and support, and water splashing during door rotation, leading to reduced cooling performance and icemaker malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator door design featuring a tube guide with spacing members for even foaming liquid filling, a fixing unit to secure the icemaker, and a splash-preventing guide part to reintroduce water to the icemaker, enhancing insulation, icemaker stability, and preventing water splashing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a tube guide is installed to support the water supply tube, then the water supply tube can be supported at a predetermined distance, but the foaming liquid flow is interrupted and insulation efficiency is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The tube guide is divided into an upper guide and a lower guide that are positioned at different heights. The water supply tube passes through both guides, which are spaced apart to allow foaming liquid to flow underneath. This segmentation maintains tube support functionality while eliminating the interruption to foaming liquid flow that would occur with a single solid guide structure.
2Device complexity
If the icemaker is directly assembled to the inner case, then the structure is simplified, but the inner case undergoes transformation and breakage
Solution Approach 1:
A support structure is introduced as an intermediary component between the icemaker and the inner case. This support structure bears the weight and operational forces of the icemaker, preventing these forces from being transmitted to the inner case. The inner case thus serves only its containment function without undergoing transformation or breakage.
3Ease of operation
If the refrigerator door is rotated to open or close, then door operation is enabled, but water is splashed outside the icemaker
Solution Approach 1:
The guide part, which initially appears to simply support the icemaker, is designed with a water-reintroduction function. When the door rotates and water is splashed, the guide part's configuration causes the splashed water to be redirected back toward the icemaker. This converts the harmful effect of water splashing during door operation into a beneficial effect where water is reintroduced to the icemaker.
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
The design improves insulation efficiency, prevents icemaker transformation and breakage, and ensures water is reintroduced to the icemaker, enhancing overall refrigerator performance and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a space between the inner case and the outer case is charged with a foaming liquid
Implementation Method 2
a guide part recessed with a prescribed depth into one side of the case in the vicinity of the ice making receptacle... water splashed on the guide part is reintroduced into the ice making unit
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator door is provided. The refrigerator door has an outer case forming a shape of the refrigerator door, an inner case provided within the outer case to configure a backside of the refrigerator door wherein a space between the inner case and the outer case is charged with a foaming liquid, an ice making unit provided to one side of the inner case to make ice, a fixing unit provided to the space charged with the foaming liquid between the inner case and the outer case and fixing the ice making unit to the refrigerator door, and a dispenser provided to one side of the outer case to discharge the ice supplied by the ice making unit.