Thawing Compartment Humidity Control to Prevent Food Overheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices with thawing compartments face challenges in determining if frozen foods are completely thawed, as temperature homogeneity is not ensured, leading to potential overheating and user dissatisfaction, and require manual intervention to end the thawing process at the right time.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device equipped with a humidity sensor and control unit that measures and calculates humidity level change rates, automatically starting and stopping the thawing process based on predetermined limit values, ensuring complete thawing without overheating and minimizing user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the thawing process is determined by temperature measurement, then the thawing status can be monitored, but the temperature distribution is not homogeneous and it becomes difficult to determine complete thawing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from temperature to humidity. Instead of measuring temperature distribution which is not homogeneous, the system measures humidity level changes in the thawing compartment. The humidity changes provide information about the overall thawing status including the central region, solving the problem of incomplete information from temperature measurements alone.
2Productivity
If the heater continuously heats the thawing compartment, then the thawing process is maintained, but the outer surface of the food may be overheated and boiled/roasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses humidity level changes as feedback to control the heater operation. When the humidity change rate indicates that thawing is complete (humidity starts increasing due to evaporation), the system automatically stops heating. This feedback mechanism prevents continuous heating that would cause surface overheating while maintaining efficient thawing during the active process.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating process is made dynamic rather than continuous. The heater operates intermittently based on real-time humidity measurements, adjusting its operation to match the actual thawing needs. This dynamic control prevents static overheating problems while maintaining thawing efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the thawing compartment cover is kept open for monitoring, then the user can check thawing progress, but heat losses occur and the thawing process continues longer
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service monitoring through automatic humidity-based control and user notifications. The control unit automatically monitors the thawing process using humidity sensors and notifies the user when thawing is complete, eliminating the need for manual monitoring through cover opening. This resolves the contradiction by providing monitoring capability without requiring physical access to the compartment.
4Reliability
If the thawing process is extended to ensure complete thawing, then all ice is melted, but the food quality deteriorates due to prolonged heat exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional temperature-based mechanical/time control with a humidity-based sensing and control system. The humidity change rate provides real-time information about the phase change process, allowing the system to detect complete thawing (when ice melts and evaporation begins) and stop immediately. This substitution enables reliable complete thawing detection without the delays and quality deterioration associated with extended time-based heating.
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
The device ensures efficient and healthy thawing by automatically controlling the thawing process based on humidity changes, preventing semi-thawed or over-thawed foods and maintaining food quality by minimizing heat loss and preventing drying.
Implementation Method 1
when foods are placed into the thawing compartment, the water vapor inside the thawing compartment condenses on the frozen food that is colder than the ambient temperature
Implementation Method 2
the thawing process is generally realized by heating the thawing compartment by means of a heater disposed at the base thereof
Implementation Method 3
the melted ice that is in liquid phase on the food starts to evaporate and the humidity level inside the thawing compartment starts to increase
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) comprising a body (2); a thawing body (3) that is disposed in the body (2), wherein the frozen foods are placed; a heater (4) that heats the thawing compartment (3) and a sensor (5) that provides the measurement of the humidity of the ambient air of the thawing compartment (3).