Split Air Pathway Layout for Remote Refrigerator Ice Compartments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator designs face challenges in routing air to and from a remote ice making compartment without interfering with shelving in the fresh food compartment, and in efficiently managing air flow between the freezer and fresh food compartments.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a split air pathway with an ice compartment supply duct and return duct that are positioned behind a fresh food compartment duct riser, allowing for separate air routing to and from the ice making compartment without interfering with shelving, and using a fresh food compartment duct riser that covers the supply duct to maximize usable space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air is routed to and from a remote ice making compartment through the fresh food compartment, then the ice making compartment can be supplied with cold air, but the shelving in the fresh food compartment is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The air pathway is routed through a vertical dimension by extending a duct riser upwardly along the back wall of the fresh food compartment. This vertical routing allows the ice making compartment to receive air supply without occupying horizontal shelving space, effectively moving the air pathway from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice compartment supply duct is embedded within foam insulation that is positioned behind the fresh food compartment duct riser. This nested configuration allows the ice making air pathway to be contained within the wall structure, keeping it separate from and non-obstructive to the fresh food compartment shelving while still providing the necessary air supply.
2Device complexity
If a single air pathway is used for both fresh food and ice making compartments, then the ductwork is simpler, but air flow to each compartment is not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The air pathway is segmented into separate pathways: a fresh food compartment air pathway and an ice compartment air pathway. The ice compartment supply duct is specifically routed through the wall structure behind the fresh food compartment duct riser, creating distinct air flow channels that prevent mixing and optimize air delivery to each compartment independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam insulation serving the fresh food compartment acts as an intermediary medium that also provides the air pathway for the ice making compartment. The ice compartment supply duct is embedded in this foam, allowing it to serve dual purposes: thermal insulation for the fresh food compartment and air conduit for the ice making compartment.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, an ice making compartment remote from the freezer compartment, and a fresh food compartment duct riser extending upwardly along a back of the fresh food compartment. The refrigerator further includes a shroud associated with a freezer compartment evaporator, an ice compartment supply duct leading from the shroud to the ice making compartment, and an ice compartment return duct leading from the ice making compartment towards the freezer compartment evaporator. The ice compartment supply duct has a split pathway and is positioned behind the fresh food compartment duct riser.