Rotary Damper Assembly for Multi-Chamber Refrigerator Air Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator appliances require separate evaporators for multiple chambers, leading to increased costs, complex assembly, and operational limitations, as they can only cool one chamber at a time due to shared compressors.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration system with a rotary damper assembly that directs cooled air from a single evaporator to multiple chambers, allowing for selective distribution of cooling air to fresh food, freezer, and convertible chambers, enabling independent temperature control without the need for additional evaporators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate evaporators are used for each chamber, then each chamber can be cooled independently, but the cost, assembly complexity, and refrigerant plumbing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single evaporator is segmented into multiple evaporator sections, with each section capable of directing cooled air to a specific chamber. This allows independent temperature control for each chamber while using a single evaporator unit, thereby reducing complexity compared to having separate evaporators for each chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The single evaporator is designed to serve multiple chambers simultaneously through its multiple sections and the rotary damper system. Each evaporator section can independently supply cooled air to different chambers, making the single evaporator universal for cooling multiple chambers rather than requiring dedicated evaporators for each.
2Device complexity
If a shared compressor is used for multiple chambers, then cost is reduced, but only a single chamber can be cooled at a time due to operational limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is divided into multiple independent sections, each capable of operating independently to cool different chambers. This segmentation allows the shared compressor to drive refrigerant through multiple evaporator sections simultaneously, enabling multiple chambers to be cooled at the same time rather than requiring sequential cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous cooling of multiple chambers simultaneously by having the shared compressor continuously circulate refrigerant through multiple evaporator sections. The rotary damper assembly continuously directs cooled air from different evaporator sections to different chambers, maintaining uninterrupted cooling across multiple chambers at the same time.
3Productivity
If multiple evaporators are installed, then simultaneous cooling of multiple chambers is enabled, but assembly complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple evaporator functions are merged into a single evaporator unit with multiple sections. Instead of manufacturing and assembling separate evaporators for each chamber, the invention combines all evaporator functionality into one integrated unit that can serve multiple chambers, thereby simplifying assembly and reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining simultaneous cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A single evaporator is designed to perform multiple cooling functions for different chambers simultaneously. This multi-functional evaporator reduces the total number of components that need to be manufactured and assembled, lowering manufacturing complexity and cost compared to installing separate evaporators in each chamber.
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 solution allows for efficient cooling of multiple chambers from a single evaporator, reducing costs and complexity while enabling simultaneous cooling of multiple chambers, thereby improving operational flexibility and temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator positioned within an evaporator chamber, the evaporator configured for cooling air in the evaporator chamber
Implementation Method 2
a fan for urging a flow of cooled air from the evaporator chamber into a freezer supply duct and a secondary supply duct
Implementation Method 3
A rotary damper is mounted within the damper housing and is selectively rotated to block the flow of cooling air or to supply the flow of cooling air to one or both of the convertible chamber and the fresh food chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator appliance is provided having a fresh food chamber, a convertible chamber, and a freezer chamber. A fan urges a flow of cooled air from an evaporator chamber into a freezer supply duct and a secondary supply duct. A damper housing defines an inlet in fluid communication with the secondary supply duct, a first outlet in fluid communication with the convertible chamber, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the fresh food chamber. A rotary damper is mounted within the damper housing and is selectively rotated to block the flow of cooling air or to supply the flow of cooling air to one or both of the convertible chamber and the fresh food chamber.