Refrigerator Door Viewing Window Design for Insulation and Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Refrigerators face challenges in allowing users to locate items without opening the door, leading to cool air loss and increased power consumption due to the inability to see inside the storage compartments when the door is closed.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a glass member with a deposition-treated layer that allows light to pass through, a transparent plate with an insulating gas layer, and a light emitting part to illuminate the storage compartment, enabling users to view items through a viewing window on the door without opening it, while maintaining insulation and displaying operational information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the door is made opaque to maintain insulation, then insulation performance is improved, but visibility of storage compartment contents deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsulation performanceVSAvoidvisibility of storage compartment contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The door is divided into multiple sections: opaque insulating portions and a transparent viewing window portion. This segmentation allows different parts of the door to serve different functions - the majority maintains insulation while a specific segment provides visibility without requiring the entire door to be transparent.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The door structure transitions from uniform opacity to having localized transparency. The viewing window portion is specifically positioned and sized to provide necessary visibility while minimizing impact on overall insulation. The light emitting part is also localized to illuminate only the storage compartment area visible through the window.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If the door is opened to see items inside, then visibility of storage compartment contents is improved, but cool air loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of storage compartment contentsVSAvoidcool air loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The viewing window with light emitting part and display unit provides visibility and information about storage compartment contents before the door is opened. Users can locate desired items, check storage status, and receive notifications without opening the door, thereby performing the information-gathering action preliminarily and avoiding unnecessary door openings that cause cool air loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The viewing window acts as an intermediary between the user and the storage compartment contents. Instead of direct access requiring door opening, the window provides indirect visual access. The display unit serves as another intermediary, conveying information about items, storage status, and notifications without physical access to the compartment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If the viewing window and display unit operate simultaneously, then information availability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation availabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The light emitting part and display unit operate periodically or on-demand rather than continuously. The controller activates these components based on detected user presence, touch input, or specific conditions, thereby reducing overall power consumption while ensuring information is available when users actually need it.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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 users to locate items without opening the door, reducing power consumption and ensuring insulation performance by allowing visual access to the storage compartment contents, improving user convenience and energy efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

gas for insulation is injected in a space formed between the glass member and the transparent plate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

a deposition treated layer formed on a rear surface of the glass member to allow light to partially pass through the glass member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight transmission and filtering: Filter (optical)

Data Source

PatentUS10568441B2Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

Provided is a refrigerator, which includes a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, and a door assembly. The freezing compartment is adjacent to the refrigerating compartment. The door assembly selectively opens the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. The door assembly includes a glass member defining a frontal exterior thereof and allowing an inside of the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment to be seen therethrough when the door assembly is closed, a deposition treated layer formed on a rear surface of the glass member to allow light to partially pass through the glass member, and a transparent plate spaced a predetermined distance from the glass member. Gas for insulation is injected in a space formed between the glass member and the transparent plate, and the space is sealed.