Vacuum-Insulated Refrigerator Structure With Dewing 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 difficult 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, hot pipe, or heat insulating member, to prevent surface temperature drops and dewing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thick insulating material is used to achieve effective heat insulation, then heat insulating function is improved, but refrigerator size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the insulating medium from atmospheric pressure (conventional foam) to vacuum state, fundamentally altering the heat transfer parameters. This vacuum state eliminates gas-phase heat conduction and convection, providing superior insulation with minimal thickness, thus resolving the contradiction between heat insulation effectiveness and refrigerator 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-transmitting medium (air/gas), the space becomes an efficient thermal barrier that prevents heat transfer without requiring thick material, thereby solving the size-insulation contradiction.
2Loss of energy
If vacuum space is formed to enhance heat insulation and reduce size, then heat insulating function is improved and refrigerator becomes compact, but dewing occurs at supporting portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing thermal insulation specifically at the supporting portion where dewing occurs, rather than uniformly insulating the entire vacuum space. The insulating layer is strategically placed at the critical heat transfer point (supporting portion) to prevent localized temperature drops that cause dewing, while maintaining the overall vacuum insulation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary insulating layer at the supporting portion that mediates the thermal interaction between the vacuum space and the outer case. This intermediate layer prevents direct heat conduction through the supporting structure, eliminating the temperature differential that causes dewing while preserving the vacuum's primary insulation function.
3Stability of the object's composition
If supporting portion is added to maintain vacuum state, then vacuum space stability is improved, but heat conduction from inner case to outer case increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing thermal insulation specifically at the supporting portion where dewing occurs, rather than uniformly insulating the entire vacuum space. The insulating layer is strategically placed at the critical heat transfer point (supporting portion) to prevent localized temperature drops that cause dewing, while maintaining the overall vacuum insulation effectiveness.
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 vacuum space enhances heat insulation without increasing the refrigerator's size, and the dewing preventive units effectively minimize temperature drops and prevent dewing, resulting in a more compact and efficient refrigeration system.
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.