Vacuum Refrigerator Bypass Valve to Prevent Air Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators with low-pressure storage systems face issues such as air-return phenomena due to slow mechanical valve closure and reliance on mechanical valves for pressure maintenance, leading to potential failures and loss of vacuum.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator system with an electromagnetic valve that opens the bypass to external air after the vacuum pump stops, ensuring quick closure of the low-pressure storage space and maintaining pressure through a normally closed bypass, even if the mechanical valve fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a mechanical valve is used to close the bypass after vacuum pump stops, then the system structure is simple, but the valve closure is slow causing air-return phenomenon
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical valve with an electromagnetic valve to control the bypass. The electromagnetic valve uses electromagnetic force instead of mechanical force to drive the closure component, achieving instant opening and closing actions. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining simple system structure while dramatically improving valve closure speed to prevent air-return phenomenon.
2Device complexity
If a normally open valve is powered off to close the bypass, then the valve structure is simple, but the closure process is slow and may cause insufficient external air flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the normal valve operation logic by using a normally closed electromagnetic valve instead of a normally open mechanical valve. The electromagnetic valve opens the bypass instantly when powered on, allowing external air to quickly enter the air evacuation path and close the mechanical valve. This inversion resolves the contradiction by enabling fast air flow while keeping the valve structure relatively simple.
3Device complexity
If pressure maintenance relies entirely on a mechanical valve, then the system is simple, but the system is unreliable if the valve fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electromagnetic valve as an intermediary component to control the bypass, which serves as a backup mechanism for pressure maintenance. The electromagnetic valve can quickly open to allow external air to close the mechanical valve, providing a secondary control mechanism. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by adding a layer of redundancy that improves reliability without significantly increasing system complexity.
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
Prevents air-return phenomena and ensures reliable pressure maintenance by using an electromagnetic valve to instantly open and close the bypass, maintaining the low-pressure state effectively.
Implementation Method 1
after the vacuum pump finishes work, a closure component of the electromagnetic valve can be opened under the action of an electromagnetic force to instantly and completely open the bypass
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
AI summary
A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a storage space (2), capable of maintaining a low-pressure state; a vacuum pump (3); an air evacuation path (4), connected between the storage space (2) and the vacuum pump (3); a bypass (5), connected to the air evacuation path (4), where when the vacuum pump (3) is in work, the bypass (5) is closed, while when the vacuum pump (3) finishes work, the bypass (5) is opened to transport external air to the air evacuation path (4); and an electromagnetic valve (7), for opening or closing the bypass (5). According to the suggestion, after the vacuum pump (3) finishes work, the electromagnetic valve (7) is powered on and opens the bypass (5); and after a preset time, the electromagnetic valve (7) is powered off, so that the bypass (5) is closed and remains closed until next time the vacuum pump (3) finishes work.