Reinforced Cooling Element for Stable Evaporator Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for remote areas in developing countries face challenges in maintaining a consistent temperature between +2° C. and +8° C. for medical products, requiring additional components like heating and fans, which increase complexity and cost, and often rely on batteries with disposal issues.
Innovation Solution
A cooling element with a planar rear face and reinforcing elements on the front face, integrated with a plate-like evaporator, and a foamed plastic insulation element, allowing for efficient cold storage and distribution without additional heating, using water as a cooling liquid and arranged directly within the cooling space to optimize temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling elements are deep-frozen in a separate compartment and cold is introduced via fan into cooling space, then cooling capacity is maintained, but device complexity increases due to additional fan and heating components
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element is integrated directly into the cooling space, merging the storage compartment and cooling delivery system into a single unit. This eliminates the need for separate compartments, fans, and heating devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan and heating components are extracted from the system entirely. The invention achieves cooling without requiring active air movement or supplemental heating, simplifying the device by removing these auxiliary components.
2Temperature
If thermal mass is increased to store sufficient cold, then cooling capacity is improved, but storage capacity for medical products is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element features a planar rear face with reinforcing elements that create localized structural strength only where needed for thermal contact, rather than uniformly thick design. This allows optimized thermal mass distribution that provides sufficient cold storage without unnecessarily reducing product space.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling element combines different materials with complementary properties: a planar rear face for optimal thermal contact with the evaporator, reinforcing elements for structural integrity during freezing, and appropriate thermal mass material for cold storage. This composite structure achieves both cooling capacity and storage capacity efficiently.
3Temperature
If cooling element deforms during cooling and freezing, then shape stability is lost, but thermal contact with evaporator is maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing elements are integrated directly into the cooling element structure, combining structural support and thermal function in a single component. This ensures the rear face maintains its shape during freezing while still providing optimal thermal contact with the evaporator.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling element uses composite construction with reinforcing elements embedded in the cooling material, creating a structure that resists deformation during phase change while maintaining thermal conductivity and contact pressure with the evaporator surface.
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 configuration ensures consistent temperature control, reduces the need for additional components, and provides a cost-effective, reliable cooling solution that meets WHO criteria for medical product storage, while minimizing the risk of temperature extremes and product damage.
Implementation Method 1
the rear face of the cooling element intended for transmission keeps its shape and thus extensively and permanently fits to a plate-like evaporator
Implementation Method 2
The thus stored cold then is introduced via a fan into the actual cooling space wherein the medical products are stored
Implementation Method 3
a sufficient thermal mass for storing the cold must be provided
Implementation Method 4
A cooling element with a planar rear face and reinforcing elements on the front face, integrated with a plate-like evaporator, and a foamed plastic insulation element
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling element (1) for use in a cooling device (11), comprising a front face and a rear face and four side faces. The cooling element (1) is characterized in that the rear face of the cooling element (1) is substantially planar and the front face has reinforcing elements, wherein the reinforcing elements prevent deformation of the cooling element (1) during cooling and freezing. The invention also relates to a cooling device (11), in particular a freezer, comprising at least one cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit has a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser. The cooling device (11) also has a closable cooling space (15) that comprises a plurality of cooling space side walls, a cooling space base, a space for cooling goods (17), and at least one cooling element (1) according to the invention. The cooling device (11) is characterized in that the evaporator and the cooling element (1) are arranged within the cooling space (15), such that the rear face of the cooling element (1) rests against the evaporator and the front face is facing the space for cooling goods (17).