Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators require multiple evaporators and ducts to cool multiple storage chambers efficiently, leading to increased complexity and reduced effective volume in larger chambers.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design with a reduced number of evaporators and ducts, utilizing a single compressor, two evaporators, and a duct system with a damper to optimize cooling across three storage chambers, where one evaporator cools two smaller chambers and air from these chambers cools a larger chamber, maximizing its volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple evaporators and ducts are used to cool multiple storage chambers, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cooling functions into a single evaporator system. The first evaporator cools both the first and second storage chambers, and the second evaporator cools both the second and third storage chambers, reducing the total number of evaporators needed while maintaining effective cooling across all chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
Each evaporator is designed to serve multiple storage chambers simultaneously. The first evaporator provides cooling to the first and second chambers, while the second evaporator serves the second and third chambers, making each component multi-functional and reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple evaporators and ducts are installed, then cooling coverage is improved, but effective volume of storage chambers is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the cooling functions so that one evaporator can cool multiple chambers, the physical space required for separate evaporators and their associated ducts is reduced, thereby increasing the effective storage volume available in each chamber.
3Reliability
If a damper is added to control cold air distribution, then cooling optimization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is designed as a multi-functional component that controls cold air distribution to multiple storage chambers simultaneously. By positioning the damper to regulate airflow to both the first and second storage chambers, it reduces the total number of dampers needed while maintaining optimized cooling distribution.
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
This design minimizes the number of ducts and evaporators while maintaining efficient cooling across all chambers, particularly the larger chamber, by using air from smaller chambers to cool the larger one, thus optimizing space and reducing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a first evaporator and a first cooling fan disposed inside the first inner case, a second evaporator and a second cooling fan disposed inside the second inner case
Implementation Method 2
a first cooling fan disposed inside the first inner case, a second cooling fan disposed inside the second inner case
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a first inner case, a second inner case, a third inner case having a larger size than the first and second inner cases, a first evaporator and a first cooling fan disposed inside the first inner case, a second evaporator and a second cooling fan disposed inside the second inner case, a duct in which a first inlet portion communicating with an inside of the first inner case, a second inlet portion communicating with an inside of the second inner case, an outlet portion communicating with the third inner case, a first conduit for guiding, to the outlet portion, cold air blown from the first cooling fan from the first inlet portion, and a second conduit for guiding, to the outlet portion, cold air blown from the second cooling fan from the second inlet portion are formed, and a damper communicating with the outlet portion.