Refrigerator Ice-Making Compartment Sealing for Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with ice-making compartments face challenges in maintaining an effective insulating effect and creating a cool air inflow space to ensure low temperature storage, leading to inefficiencies in temperature control and storage capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a sealing member between the ice-making compartment and a recessed space in the door, allowing cool air from the ice-making compartment to flow into a cool air inflow space, maintaining a lower temperature than the refrigerating compartment, and enhancing the insulating effect by preventing cool air escape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate sealing structure is used for the ice-making compartment, then the sealing effect is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealing function with the door structure by integrating a sealing groove directly into the door body. The sealing member is embedded within this groove, merging the sealing mechanism with the existing door assembly rather than using a separate, independent sealing structure. This reduces overall device complexity while maintaining effective sealing between the ice-making compartment and the door space.
2Temperature
If the ice-making compartment is well-sealed, then temperature maintenance is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible sealing member that can be elastically deformed to fit within the sealing groove and maintain contact with both the door and ice-making compartment surfaces. This flexible sealing element creates an effective barrier against heat transfer and air leakage, ensuring proper temperature maintenance in the ice-making compartment without requiring complex rigid sealing structures or additional insulation layers.
3Reliability
If multiple sealing components are used, then the airtightness is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sealing function into a dedicated sealing groove within the door structure and a separate but simple sealing member. This segmentation allows the sealing groove to be molded or machined as an integral part of the door during primary manufacturing, while the sealing member can be produced separately using standard sealing component fabrication methods. The segmented design achieves effective airtightness through the coordinated interaction of these two simple components without requiring complex multi-part assemblies or specialized manufacturing processes.
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 configuration improves the insulating effect, maintains a low temperature for storage, and simplifies the structure by eliminating the need for separate seals and locking devices, enhancing the airtightness and durability of the ice-making compartment.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating effect of an ice-making compartment can be improved
Implementation Method 2
a sealing member disposed at the door to apply a sealing force to the ice-making compartment when the door is closed
Implementation Method 3
Cool air flowing out through the cool air outlet may flow into the space
Implementation Method 4
Cool air of the ice-making compartment may be moved to the space through the cool air outlet so that a temperature of the space is lower than the temperature of the refrigerating compartment
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body including a storage compartment. The refrigerator also includes a door configured to open and close the storage compartment. The refrigerator further includes an ice-making compartment disposed in the storage compartment. The refrigerator also includes and a sealing member disposed at the door to apply a sealing force to the ice-making compartment when the door is closed.