Refrigerator Water Tank Pipe Integration for Hinge Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators face challenges in efficiently dispensing cooled water and purifying water due to complex pipe arrangements, which affect durability and storage space, and existing solutions complicate the connection of water supply paths through the hinge device, leading to reduced cooling performance and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerator design incorporates a tube guide that connects the water purifying device, main water tank, and dispenser with a single pipe through the hinge device, minimizing pipe diameter and maintaining durability, while a sub-water tank further cools water, enhancing cooling efficiency and user convenience with a display interface for operation control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pipes (cooled water pipe and purified water pipe) are arranged through the hinge device, then water supply functionality is improved, but the inner diameter of the hinge device increases and durability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple water supply functions (purified water supply and cooled water supply) into a single integrated pipe structure that passes through the hinge device. This merging approach maintains the versatility of providing both purified and cooled water while preventing the increase in hinge device inner diameter that would result from multiple separate pipes, thereby preserving durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single pipe structure is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the purified water supply passage and the cooled water supply passage. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain adaptability for different water supply needs without requiring separate dedicated pipes for each function, thus avoiding the durability issues associated with multiple pipes through the hinge.
2Adaptability or versatility
If water purifying device and water tank are added, then water purifying function is improved, but storage space of food is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The water tank is designed to serve dual purposes: it acts as both a water storage container for the water purifying system and a cooling element for the refrigerator compartment. By making the water tank multi-functional, the patent provides water purifying capabilities without requiring additional dedicated cooling equipment, thereby minimizing the impact on food storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The water tank utilizes its own stored water to provide cooling functionality to the refrigerator compartment. The water in the tank naturally cools the surrounding air through evaporation and thermal conduction, eliminating the need for separate cooling mechanisms and reducing the overall space required for both water purification and temperature control functions.
3Productivity
If cooled water is always supplied to ice maker and dispenser, then water cooling function is improved, but cooling performance degrades when large amount of water is dispensed
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different water supply modes based on operational needs. The control unit monitors water dispensing requests and automatically switches between purified water supply and cooled water supply, optimizing the balance between providing cooled water for normal operation and preserving cooling performance during high-demand dispensing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit changes the operational parameters of the water supply system by switching between different water sources (purified water vs. cooled water) based on the dispensing requirements. This parameter change allows the system to maintain optimal cooling performance while still providing water cooling functionality when needed, preventing the degradation that occurs with continuous cooled water supply during high-demand periods.
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 configuration simplifies pipe connections, maintains durability, enhances cooling efficiency, and improves user convenience by allowing selective dispensing of purified and cold water, while maintaining storage space and reducing assemblability challenges.
Implementation Method 1
a water tank provided at the storage space and configured to cool the water supplied from the water purifying device
Implementation Method 2
a sub-water tank configured to further cool the water supplied from the water tank
Data Source
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AI summary
A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet in which a storage space is formed; a door configured to open and close the storage space and having a dispenser; a water tank formed of a metallic material and installed at an inside of the storage space; a water purifying device provided at the cabinet and configured to purify supplied water; and a water supply path which connects the water purifying device, the water tank and the dispenser and guides a flow of cold water and purified water, wherein the water tank comprises: a tank body which is formed by rolling a plate-shape material in the form of a cylinder to form a space in which the water is accommodated, a water outlet pipe connected to the tank body, a pair of tank caps each of which is formed in a hemispheric shape, a water inlet pipe connected one of the pair of tank caps, wherein the pair of tank caps are processed by curling so as to shield openings of both sides of the tank body, and thus each of the tank caps and an end of an inner surface of the tank body may be bonded to each other.