Vacuum-Insulated Refrigerator Structure With Dew Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators require thick insulating materials to achieve effective heat insulation, which increases their size and volume, making it challenging to create a compact design while maintaining efficient heat insulation and preventing dewing issues.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a vacuum space between the inner and outer cases, with a supporting portion to maintain the vacuum state and a dewing preventive unit, such as a heat spreading plate, metal coated layer, heater, or hot pipe, to prevent surface temperature drops and dewing on the outer case.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thick insulating material is used to achieve effective heat insulation, then heat insulation performance is improved, but refrigerator size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the insulating medium from atmospheric pressure (conventional insulation materials) to vacuum state (zero pressure), eliminating gas molecules that conduct heat. This parameter change allows achieving superior heat insulation performance with minimal thickness, resolving the contradiction between insulation effectiveness and compact size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the gas molecules from the insulating space between inner and outer cases, creating a vacuum environment. By removing the heat-conducting medium (air molecules), the system achieves excellent thermal insulation without requiring thick insulation layers, thus maintaining compact refrigerator dimensions while improving energy efficiency
2Loss of energy
If vacuum space is formed to improve heat insulation and reduce size, then heat insulation performance is improved and refrigerator size is reduced, but dewing occurs on the outer case
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing thermal insulation specifically at the supporting portions where the inner case contacts the outer case. These localized insulation measures address the specific problem of cold transmission through contact points without compromising the overall vacuum insulation performance, preventing dewing while maintaining compact design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces thermal insulation material as an intermediary substance at the supporting portions between the inner case and outer case. This intermediary prevents direct thermal conduction through the contact points, blocking the pathway for cold to reach the outer case surface and cause dewing, while preserving the vacuum space for overall heat insulation
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 design enhances heat insulation efficiency, reduces the refrigerator's outside size while maintaining storage space, and effectively prevents dewing by minimizing heat transfer and temperature drops on the outer case.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case sealed to maintain a vacuum state for heat insulating between the inner case and the outer case
Implementation Method 2
The dewing preventive unit includes a heat spreading plate for spreading cold from the contact point of the supporting portion to the outer case to a place adjacent thereto
Implementation Method 3
The dewing preventive unit includes a heater provided to an outside of the outer case adjacent to the contact point of the supporting portion to the outer case
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a body having a storage space. The body includes an inner case having the storage space, an outer case having an inside surface spaced a predetermined gap from an outside surface of the inner case to house the inner case, a vacuum space provided between the inner case and the outer case sealed to maintain a vacuum state for heat insulating between the inner case and the outer case, a supporting portion provided to contact with the outside surface of the inner case and the inside surface of the outer case to maintain a spaced state of the vacuum space, and a dewing preventive unit adjacent to the supporting portion for preventing dewing from taking place at the outer case by suppressing surface temperature drop of the outer case caused by cold conducted from the inner case to the outer case through the supporting portion.