refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators face challenges in easy maintenance of the cold air supply system, loss of cold air during maintenance, increased noise and vibration transmission, and complexity leading to higher costs and reduced productivity.
Innovation Solution
A detachable cold air supply module with a modular design that includes a condenser positioned in a collecting portion, guide rails for sliding mounting, a defrost heater, and an integrated electrical module, along with a defrost water collection tub and a drain cap to prevent condensation, allowing for efficient cold air circulation and simplified installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cold air supply system components are installed inside the cabinet, then the cooling performance can be tested and maintained, but the maintenance requires cabinet disassembly and causes cold air loss
Solution Approach 1:
The cold air supply system is divided into a detachable cooling module that can be removed from the cabinet as a complete unit. This segmentation allows the module to be tested and maintained externally without requiring cabinet disassembly, while maintaining the integrated functionality of evaporator, condenser, and refrigerant pipes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling module is extracted from the cabinet interior and positioned in a detachable location. This extraction enables direct access to the cold air supply system components for maintenance and testing without disturbing the cabinet structure or causing cold air loss during the process.
2Device complexity
If the cold air supply system is integrated into the cabinet, then the structure is compact, but the number of parts increases complexity and maintenance difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a modular cooling unit that maintains internal integration of components (evaporator, condenser, refrigerant pipes) while providing an external interface for easy removal and maintenance. This resolves the contradiction by keeping the structure compact during operation but simple during maintenance.
3Ease of manufacture
If the evaporator is installed in a vertical state, then the installation is straightforward, but the defrost time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of installing the evaporator in the conventional vertical state, it is installed in a lying (horizontal) state. This inversion of the installation orientation improves defrost efficiency by reducing defrost time and energy consumption, while the modular design maintains installation simplicity through standardized mounting interfaces.
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
The solution reduces cold air loss, simplifies maintenance, minimizes noise and vibration, and lowers manufacturing costs, thereby improving productivity and efficiency in refrigerator maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a condenser (150), and a refrigerant pipe (160) extending from the evaporator (120) to the condenser (150)
Implementation Method 2
a defrost heater disposed below the evaporator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refrigerator including a cabinet including an insulator provided between an inner case and an outer case, a cold air duct embedded in the insulator to circulate cold air through the storage compartment, a cooling module mounting unit provided at a lower portion of the cabinet, and a cooling module including a module body in which an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and a cooling fan are installed and having an accommodating portion to accommodate the evaporator in a lying state, the cooling module being provided with a connection opening communicating with the cold air duct when mounted on the cooling module mounting unit.