Soft Freeze Bin Assembly for Stable Freezer Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional refrigerators face challenges in maintaining food items at specific temperature ranges within the freezer compartment, as they are prone to temperature fluctuations due to door openings, which can lead to issues like freezer burn or deep freezing.
Innovation Solution
A soft freeze assembly is introduced within the freezer compartment, featuring a support structure with a heat transfer opening that allows external air to enter, maintaining a storage bin at a temperature warmer than the freezer compartment but colder than the fresh food compartment, thereby minimizing temperature fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If food items are stored in the freezer compartment at the second temperature, then they are maintained at a cold temperature for preservation, but they are subject to large temperature fluctuations due to door openings which can cause freezer burn or deep freezing
Solution Approach 1:
The freezer compartment is segmented into two distinct thermal zones: a main freezer compartment at the second temperature for general frozen storage, and a soft freeze assembly at the third temperature for temperature-sensitive items. This segmentation allows different temperature stability characteristics in different regions, protecting sensitive foods from temperature fluctuations while maintaining efficient frozen storage elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft freeze assembly acts as an intermediary thermal buffer between the fresh food compartment and the main freezer compartment. It receives warmer air from the fresh food compartment through the heat transfer opening, which stabilizes its temperature and prevents direct exposure of stored items to cold air fluctuations from the main freezer, thereby reducing temperature variations.
2Reliability
If a storage bin is provided within the freezer compartment to maintain warmer temperatures, then temperature fluctuations are minimized, but the device complexity increases with additional support structures and air flow paths
Solution Approach 1:
The soft freeze assembly structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a support structure for the storage bin, provides thermal insulation, creates controlled air flow paths through its walls, and functions as a temperature buffer zone. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting complexity increase while achieving temperature consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft freeze assembly utilizes the refrigerator's existing air circulation system to maintain its temperature. Warmer air from the fresh food compartment naturally flows through the heat transfer opening into the soft freeze assembly, providing self-heating without requiring additional heating elements or complex control systems. The structure serves itself by using ambient air flow to maintain its thermal characteristics.
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 effectively maintains food items, such as ice cream, at a stable temperature between freezing and fresh food compartment temperatures, reducing the risk of freezer burn and deep freezing, and maintains consistency despite freezer door openings.
Implementation Method 1
Air at an exterior of the freezer compartment is configured to pass through the heat transfer opening and maintain the storage bin at a third temperature that is colder than the first temperature and warmer than the second temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A soft freeze assembly is provided within a freezer compartment of a refrigerator assembly. The refrigerator assembly includes a fresh food compartment maintained at a first temperature arranged adjacent the freezer compartment maintained at a second temperature. The soft freeze assembly includes a support structure attached to a wall within the freezer compartment. The soft freeze assembly further includes a storage bin being supported by the support structure and movable with respect to the support structure. The storage bin is structured to allow air exterior from the freezer compartment to enter the storage bin and maintain the storage bin at a third temperature that is colder than the first temperature and warmer than the second temperature.