Refrigeration and/or freezer device with a specialised interior lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current interior lighting systems in refrigerators and freezers lack individual control, allowing only overall activation or deactivation, preventing selective illumination of specific storage areas.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of segment lighting with a primary light guide plate and secondary light guide plates or discrete light sources, allowing for selective light emission over specific areas or sub-segments, and the use of a diffuser plate for homogeneous light distribution, along with support ribs for shelves, enables individual control and color customization of lighting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If overall lighting is activated, then the entire interior is illuminated, but individual storage areas cannot be selectively illuminated
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting module is divided into multiple independently controllable sub-segments along the light-emitting surface. Each sub-segment can be individually activated or deactivated, allowing selective illumination of specific storage areas. This segmentation is achieved through separate light guide plates or discrete light sources for each sub-segment, enabling precise control without requiring complete system activation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If segment lighting is implemented, then individual storage areas can be illuminated, but the lighting system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple light guide plates or light sources for different sub-segments are integrated into a single unified lighting module assembly. The cover plate serves as a common structure that houses and protects all sub-segments, while support ribs provide unified structural support. This merging approach allows individual control of sub-segments while maintaining a compact, integrated design that minimizes overall complexity.
3Area of stationary object
If the light-emitting surface extends over a large area, then coverage is improved, but control precision for specific areas decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The large light-emitting surface is divided into multiple smaller sub-segments that can be independently controlled. Each sub-segment corresponds to a specific storage area, enabling precise control of illumination zones. The segmentation is achieved through separate light guide plates or discrete light sources positioned at different locations along the surface, allowing selective activation based on storage area requirements.
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
Enables individual illumination of storage areas with customizable color, enhancing visibility and usability within the appliance.
Implementation Method 1
a primary light guide plate with primary light sources, which preferably extends over the entire light emission surface
Implementation Method 2
The primary light guide plate is transparent or at least translucent, so that the light from the segment lighting is visible from the front
Implementation Method 3
The cover plate is preferably a diffuser plate, which scatters the light emitted from the light-emitting surface into the interior and thus makes it more homogeneous
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a
AI summary
The invention relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer with a lighting module (100) having a light emission surface (120, 130, 140) extending over at least a part of a wall of the interior, wherein the lighting module (100) has a segmented lighting system configured to emit light into the interior either over a full surface or at a point on one or more sub-segments of the light emission surface (120, 130, 140).