Refrigerator Vegetable Room Pressure Control for Mixed Produce Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigerator vegetable rooms maintain uniform pressure, which fails to optimize freshness for vegetables and fruits with different respiration rates, as they require specific pressure conditions for optimal storage.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator vegetable room with a controller and vacuum pump system that selectively adjusts pressure according to vegetable, fruit, or mixture modes, maintaining optimal pressure conditions for each type of stored item by dividing the internal space into dedicated compartments or using a partition to create separate airtight spaces for vegetables and fruits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If uniform pressure is maintained in the vegetable room, then the structure is simple and operation is easy, but freshness optimization for different storage items cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The vegetable room is divided into multiple airtight compartments (first and second compartments) that can be independently sealed and pressurized. Each compartment can maintain different pressure levels suitable for different types of storage items, allowing customized pressure control without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure control system is made dynamic by allowing selective activation of vacuum pumps for different compartments based on storage needs. The controller can adjust pressure levels in each compartment independently, transitioning from static uniform pressure to dynamic adaptive pressure control
2Reliability
If the vegetable room is divided into separate compartments for vegetables and fruits, then pressure can be optimized for each item type, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage space is segmented into distinct airtight compartments separated by partition walls with sealed openings. This physical segmentation allows independent pressure control for vegetables and fruits while maintaining structural integrity and ease of access through drawable partitions
Solution Approach 2:
Different pressure conditions are applied to different local regions (compartments) based on the specific storage requirements of items in each region. Vegetables can experience one pressure level while fruits experience another, optimizing freshness for each item type in its local environment
3Reliability
If airtight sealing is implemented for pressure control, then pressure maintenance is effective, but operation convenience decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition structure is designed with nested characteristics where the partition wall can be drawn out from the compartment and nested into a storage space when not in use. This allows easy opening and closing operations while maintaining airtight sealing when closed, combining convenience with effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
Sealed openings and gasket structures serve as intermediaries between the need for airtight sealing and ease of operation. These intermediary elements allow the partition to be opened and closed conveniently while automatically maintaining the seal to preserve pressure control 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
This solution ensures optimal freshness of stored vegetables and fruits by maintaining specific pressure conditions tailored to their respective respiration rates, enhancing storage quality and extending shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum pump configured to draw in air within the airtight storage chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to pressure control in a vegetable room of a refrigerator, and particularly, to a vegetable room of a refrigerator in which pressure is controlled according to vegetable, fruit, and mixture modes. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a vegetable room of a refrigerator in which different pressures are applied according to vegetable, fruit, and mixture modes such that each pressure corresponds to storage conditions of storage items such as vegetable and fruit stored in an airtight state therein, whereby each storage item is maintained with optimal freshness.