refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators require opening the door to confirm the storage of food, leading to unnecessary cool air leakage and increased operational time due to the lack of visibility into the storage space without opening the door.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a transparent door assembly that allows users to see inside without opening it, featuring a light guide plate supported by spacers to maintain stability and prevent thermal deformation, while minimizing heat transfer and ensuring thermal insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the door is made opaque for thermal insulation, then heat transfer is reduced, but the user cannot see inside without opening the door
Solution Approach 1:
The door panel utilizes electrochromic or PDLC film technology that can change its optical properties between transparent and opaque states. When voltage is applied, the film transitions from opaque to transparent, allowing users to see inside the refrigerator without opening the door. This resolves the contradiction by providing visibility on demand while maintaining thermal insulation when the door remains opaque.
2Loss of information
If a transparent display assembly is added to the door, then visibility is improved, but the structural stability and thermal insulation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly is segmented into multiple functional layers: front panel, transparent display assembly, insulation layer, and rear panel. Each layer performs a specific function, with the transparent display assembly being a distinct module that can be independently optimized. This segmentation allows the door to maintain structural integrity while incorporating transparency features.
Solution Approach 2:
The door utilizes composite construction combining transparent materials (for the display assembly) with insulating materials (foam or air gaps) and structural materials (metal or rigid plastic frames). This composite approach allows the transparent portions to provide visibility while the insulating and structural layers maintain thermal performance and structural stability.
3Loss of energy
If the transparent display assembly is made thinner to reduce heat transfer, then insulation is improved, but the support structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Spacers serve as intermediary elements between the transparent display assembly and the door panels. These spacers maintain the optimal distance of the light guide plate from the panels, providing mechanical support while allowing the display assembly to remain thin. The spacers act as mediators that simplify the overall structure by consolidating multiple support functions into a single component.
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 users to verify stored food without opening the door, reducing cool air leakage and power consumption, while maintaining the refrigerator's insulation and structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide plate disposed to be spaced apart from the display inside the sealed space; a display light emitting light to an end of the light guide plate
Implementation Method 2
a first spacer mounted on the rear surface of the front panel to support the light guide plate so as to allow the light guide plate to be maintained at a predetermined distance from the front panel
Implementation Method 3
prevents scratches from occurring in a surface of a light guide plate even though the light guide plate is expanded and contracted to prevent light guide performance from being deteriorated
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is a refrigerator (1). The refrigerator includes a cabinet (10) defining a storage space, a door (30) opening and closing the cabinet, and a transparent display assembly (60) which covers an opening of the door and through which an inner space of the refrigerator is seen. The transparent display assembly includes a front panel (61) defining at least a portion of a front surface of the door, a rear panel (65) defining at least a portion of a rear surface of the door, an outer spacer (67) defining a circumferential surface of the transparent display assembly and having both ends coming into contact with the front panel and the rear panel to provide a sealed space between the front panel and the rear panel, a display (62) disposed inside the sealed space, a light guide plate (64) disposed to be spaced apart from the display inside the sealed space, a display light emitting light (68) to an end of the light guide plate, and a first spacer (63, 69) mounted on the rear surface of the front panel to support the light guide plate so as to allow the light guide plate to be maintained at a predetermined distance from the front panel.