Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators with an ice making compartment on the refrigerating compartment door face challenges such as complex fan duct installation, temperature inaccuracies due to temperature differences within the freezing compartment, and insufficient cool air supply to the ice making compartment, leading to inefficient ice freezing and inaccurate temperature control.
Innovation Solution
The design integrates a shroud with defined cool air flow paths for both the freezing and ice making compartments, using the same type and size of fans, with optimized inlet holes and flow paths to simplify assembly, ensure uniform temperature distribution, and prevent cool air backflow, allowing for efficient cool air supply to both compartments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate ice making fan module with additional fan duct is provided, then cool air can be supplied to the ice making compartment, but it becomes difficult to exactly match the fan duct to the cool air duct during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The fan duct is integrated into the grill fan assembly rather than being a separate component. The grill fan assembly includes both the freezing compartment fan and the ice making compartment fan duct as unified structures, eliminating the need for separate ice making fan module installation and avoiding alignment issues between separate components.
2Reliability
If cool air is recovered from the ice making compartment and guided to the freezing compartment, then the ice making compartment can be cooled, but temperature difference occurs in the freezing compartment
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the grill fan assembly are designed with different functions: one region supplies cool air to the freezing compartment while another region supplies cool air to the ice making compartment. The grill fan assembly includes a freezing compartment fan for the freezing compartment and an ice making compartment fan duct for the ice making compartment, allowing localized temperature control without causing temperature differences in the freezing compartment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the flow path to the ice making compartment is made longer to reach the door-mounted compartment, then the ice making compartment can be accessed, but sufficient cool air cannot be supplied to the ice making compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The grill fan assembly includes an ice making compartment fan that can operate independently or together with the freezing compartment fan. When ice making is required, the ice making compartment fan activates to provide dynamic cool air supply to the ice making compartment, ensuring sufficient cooling despite the longer flow path to the door-mounted compartment.
4Reliability
If different types of fans are used for the freezing compartment and ice making compartment, then each compartment can be optimized, but commonization and standardization of the fan cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The grill fan assembly is designed as a universal component that can serve both the freezing compartment and the ice making compartment. The assembly includes a freezing compartment fan and an ice making compartment fan duct that can be configured to supply cool air to either or both compartments as needed, achieving standardization while maintaining optimization capabilities.
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 simplifies the grill fan assembly, achieves accurate temperature control in the freezing compartment, ensures sufficient cool air supply to both compartments, and standardizes fan usage, enhancing overall refrigeration efficiency and ice making performance.
Implementation Method 1
a fan to supply the cool air to a cool air duct for the ice making compartment or to a freezing compartment
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cool air flow path for an ice making compartment and a cool air flow path for a freezing compartment. The cool air flow paths are integrally formed on opposed surfaces between a shroud and a grill fan. A freezing fan and an ice making fan are collectively installed at the shroud. The cool air flow path for the ice making compartment and the cool air flow path for the freezing compartment are defined between the grill fan and the shroud by the operation of intimately coupling the shroud to the grill fan.