Refrigerator Thermal Map Interface for Optimal Food Storage Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator appliances often have temperature variations within their refrigeration enclosures, leading to inconsistent food preservation conditions, as the existing instructions for optimal food storage do not account for changes in refrigerator characteristics over time or usage conditions.
Innovation Solution
An interface device that measures temperatures within the refrigeration enclosure, generates a thermal map, and recommends optimal storage locations for different types of food based on real-time temperature data, using interpolation to estimate temperatures between measured points and displaying this information to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature measuring means are distributed in the refrigeration enclosure to measure temperatures at multiple locations, then the accuracy of temperature information is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration enclosure is divided into multiple measurement zones with temperature sensors distributed at different locations. Each sensor independently measures temperature at its specific location, and the interface device processes these segmented measurements to construct a comprehensive thermal map of the entire enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from single-point temperature measurement to multi-dimensional spatial temperature mapping. By distributing sensors throughout the enclosure and processing their readings, the system creates a two-dimensional or three-dimensional thermal map that represents temperature distribution across the entire refrigeration space.
2Loss of information
If a thermal map is generated to represent temperature at all locations in the refrigeration enclosure, then the information completeness is improved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of physically measuring every point in the refrigeration enclosure, the system creates a digital copy or representation of the temperature field through interpolation algorithms. The thermal map is a computational model that replicates the temperature distribution based on limited sensor measurements, providing complete spatial information without requiring complete physical measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms discrete temperature measurements from specific sensor locations into a continuous temperature field representation. By changing the parameter representation from point-specific values to spatially-distributed interpolated values, the system achieves complete temperature information across the entire enclosure.
3Reliability
If the interface device provides real-time temperature information and recommended storage locations, then the food preservation effectiveness is improved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface device automatically performs temperature monitoring, thermal map generation, and optimal storage location recommendation without requiring manual user input for each function. The system serves itself by continuously gathering data, processing it, and providing actionable recommendations, reducing the operational burden on users while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where temperature measurements continuously inform thermal map updates, which in turn generate real-time storage recommendations. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the information provided to users is always current and optimized for food preservation, while the automated nature of the feedback process maintains ease of operation.
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An interface device associated with a refrigerator appliance comprising a refrigeration enclosure, said interface device comprising: - means for receiving a set of temperatures, all of the temperatures having been measured by temperature measuring means distributed in the refrigeration enclosure; - means for determining a thermal map (7) using all of the temperatures received, the thermal map (7) representing the temperature in locations of the refrigeration enclosure; and - display means (11) of the heat map (7) determined. Use in refrigerator or freezer.