Thermal Mass Drawer Cooling to Prevent Food Freezing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional refrigerators face challenges in minimizing temperature variance and preventing freezing within drawers in the fresh food compartment while maintaining humidity levels, as they rely on separate access doors and distinct refrigeration systems for the freezer and fresh food compartments, leading to increased costs for providing different environments.

Innovation Solution

A temperature-controlled drawer within the fresh food compartment is equipped with a thermally conductive member in direct communication with a freezing air source, which conducts heat away from the drawer's interior, minimizing freezing and temperature variance without adversely affecting humidity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a drawer in the fresh food compartment is directly exposed to freezing air, then the drawer can be cooled, but the food inside the drawer will freeze and humidity will be adversely affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrawer temperatureVSAvoidfreezing of foodstuff

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A temperature dampening member is introduced as an intermediary between the freezing air source and the drawer interior. This member conducts heat away from the drawer to provide cooling while preventing direct contact between freezing air and foodstuff, thus avoiding freezing damage and humidity loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The temperature dampening member is positioned specifically at locations where heat conduction is needed, such as the drawer front or bottom surface. This localized thermal management allows selective cooling of the drawer structure without exposing the entire drawer interior to freezing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If separate access doors are provided for freezer and fresh food compartments, then each compartment can be accessed independently, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindependent compartment accessVSAvoidnumber of access doors

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The drawer is integrated into the fresh food compartment structure, combining the storage function with the compartment architecture. This merging eliminates the need for separate access doors while maintaining independent access capability through the drawer mechanism itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If a thermally conductive member is used to cool the drawer, then temperature stability is improved, but the risk of freezing increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature varianceVSAvoidfreezing of foodstuff

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature dampening member serves as a thermal intermediary that conducts heat away from the drawer to stabilize temperature, while its controlled thermal conductivity prevents excessive heat removal that would cause freezing. The member mediates between the freezing air source and the drawer interior.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The thermal conductivity of the dampening member is carefully selected and controlled to achieve optimal temperature stability. By adjusting the thermal conductivity parameter of the member material, the system achieves temperature variance minimization while preventing freezing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 prevents freezing and maintains temperature stability within the drawer, reducing the need for additional mechanisms and minimizing costs associated with creating a distinct environment, while maintaining humidity levels.

Implementation Method 1

heat is conducted away from the interior of the drawer through the temperature dampening member in communication with the freezing air source

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

freezing air source

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS11674734B2Thermal mass for preserving food in functional compartments

Publication Date: 2023.06.13 ELECTROLUX CONSUMER PROD INC

AI summary

A refrigerator includes a temperature-controlled drawer within a fresh food compartment. The drawer includes a temperature dampening member in thermal communication with a freezing air source and an interior or the drawer. The member is made of a thermally conductive material. In use, heat is conducted away from the interior of the drawer through the temperature dampening member in communication with the freezing air source. Thus, freezing of a foodstuff within the drawer is minimized or prevented, a temperature variance within the drawer is minimized, and humidity within the drawer is not adversely affected by dry freezing air source.