Refrigerator and manufacturing method therefor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face challenges in maximizing storage capacity while maintaining insulation performance and minimizing the thickness of the insulating wall, as existing insulation materials like polyurethane have high heat conductivity, leading to reduced storage space and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a refrigerator design featuring an insulating wall with varying thicknesses, incorporating a vacuum insulation member and a foam material, where the vacuum insulation member is strategically placed in certain areas and the foam material is foamed to form a thin thickness, with an auxiliary vacuum insulation member added at corners to enhance insulation performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a vacuum insulation member is used to reduce insulating wall thickness, then storage capacity increases, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating wall is divided into multiple sections with different thicknesses: a first area with greater thickness and a second area with lesser thickness. The vacuum insulation member is selectively disposed in specific regions (primarily in the thinner second area), allowing the structure to achieve adequate insulation while reducing overall material usage and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the insulating wall are assigned different insulation qualities and thicknesses based on local requirements. The first area adjacent to the opening has greater thickness for enhanced insulation, while the second area has reduced thickness to maximize storage capacity. The vacuum insulation member is strategically placed in specific locations rather than uniformly throughout.
2Volume of moving object
If foam material thickness is reduced to increase storage capacity, then storage capacity increases, but insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating wall employs a composite structure combining foam material and vacuum insulation member. The foam material provides baseline insulation throughout the wall, while the vacuum insulation member is added in specific regions to enhance insulation performance where needed, achieving overall energy efficiency with reduced total thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam material is distributed in segmented regions alongside the vacuum insulation member. The foam fills spaces in the first area and provides additional insulation layers in the second area, creating a segmented insulation system that optimizes both thickness reduction and thermal performance.
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 achieves a balance between reduced insulating wall thickness and maintained insulation performance, increasing storage capacity and energy efficiency by optimizing the placement of vacuum insulation and foam material, while preventing dew formation and ensuring reliability.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating wall formed by at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing to have a thickness... a vacuum insulation member disposed in a space provided between the inner casing and the outer casing
Implementation Method 2
a foam material formed by being foamed in the space... a thickness of the foam material formed in the first area is thicker than a thickness of the foam material formed in the second area
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator including an ultrathin wall type insulating wall having a reduced thickness while maintaining insulating performance, so as to increase the capacity of a storage chamber. A vacuum insulating material is disposed inside the insulating wall so as to ensure the insulating performance of the insulating wall, and a foam material, in the portion in which the vacuum insulating material is not disposed, is disposed to be thicker than a foam material in the portion in which the vacuum insulating wall is disposed, such that the insulating wall, which maintains insulating performance while maintaining the insulating wall having an overall ultrathin shape, can be formed. Furthermore, auxiliary vacuum insulating materials are additionally disposed in the insulating wall corner regions in which the vacuum insulating material is not disposed, such that the ultrathin wall-type insulating wall is formed while maintaining the overall insulating performance of the refrigerator, thereby reducing the total thickness of the insulating wall so as to increase the capacity of the storage chamber, and enabling a slim design of the refrigerator such that the aesthetics of the refrigerator can be improved.