Everyone knows cool air & energy are wasted when a refrigerator door is open. If barefoot by an open refrigerator door, you'll feel cold air pouring out. Modern, consumer-friendly Coolview reduces the time the door is open, reduces air exchange, and offers substantial energy saving. The door's other key design point is vacuum insulation - as now often used for multipane windows. A vacuum is the best insulator, and thwarts condensation arising outside cooled surfaces.
Refrigerators are the top consumers of electricity in most homes. This design has global implications.
Why isn't this refrigerator being sold yet? Thus far I've been unable to interest a manufacturer. I've sent details to manufacturers in Japan, the UK, and Sweden with no success: either they've ignored these materials, or they've answered that their innovation is supplied by in-house corporate R&D. Dyson gave me a similar reply (thanks anyway for a reply). Perhaps I'm shitty at effective marketing... Perhaps a selfish & powerful lobby of refrigerator-magnet producers have undermined my efforts?
Seriously, this Coolview Energysaving Refrigerator challenges existing refrigerator models; it promises to pioneer a new energy rating scale and a new energy efficiency paradigm.
Most energy ratings / energyguide labels, (and the models they've been testing), are obsolete; energy use is estimated only from closed-door testing (extrapolating usage, open time and air leakage). Thanks to the wholly different Coolview, old energy usage scales need reformulation to better reflect actual usage patterns and lower energy demand (e.g. when checking what's inside, the door need not be opened).
In fact, many of the ratings formats mislead consumers, giving good 'grades' that seem optimal. Scales now rating 'A' (as in Europe) or 'Grade 1' (Hong Kong Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme) are not as good as their grade would seem. The ratings require reformulation: the standard energy levels are wastefully high, and the 'grade' gives a terribly erroneous impression of being optimal. (Europe now goes up to A++ for refrigerators: far too manufacturer-friendly; Coolview may make it A++++). Gross annual kilowatt-hours (kWh) are estimated for USA labels, perhaps with an EnergyStar designation, but many other nations unreasonably grade products: the Singapore Environment Council's Energy Labelling initiative has appliances now graded 'Excellent' that should be graded more poorly when compared to this Coolview Energysaving Refrigerator. Interested further in testing procedures? Lookup ISO 7371, or choose refrigerators via http://www.clasponline.org
You'll love the Coolview in your home. But it's not in production yet - and thrifty consumers - you - should already have one. Now I'm starting to get riled, but don't give up easily. This refrigerator ultimately will be in most homes. I firmly believe this. Will this patent make money for me? Mmmm. Thus far the flow of funds has been totally one way -- outgoing; involuntarily non-profit. But I'm sure to get some reflected benefit from the innovation, from being the inventor, even without licensing income. In fact I've other excellent ideas, perhaps better ones, sitting undocumented - largely because this has brought no reward - only high costs... Encourage me. Help get this design widely adopted.
Figures all enlarge when clicked
Details in Japanese Patent 2032200
The front face of the refrigerator door appears as a mirrored surface.
In fact, the door is glazed so that it is "one-way" glass or a "half-mirror."
When the inside is lit up, you can see the refrigerator's contents.
This results in energy savings. Minimizing the time the door is open reduces costly air exchange.
Key sales points:
Saves energy: limits air exchange and loss of refrigerated air
Cost saving
Modern sleek style and appearance
Users enjoy an increased sense of kitchen space
Seeing one's reflection promotes dieting
Touching the door handle activates a touch switch that illuminates the refrigerator interior (these lights are regulated by a photosensor above the door). You can now see within the refrigerator with the door closed, or while opening it. Quick determination of the existence / placement of required goods shortens the time the door is open. The system operates automatically when grabbing the handle; the transition from the energy-gobbling refrigerators used today is natural, without any learning curve.
Refrigerators are the top consumers of electricity in an average home.
These high energy costs are largely due to the number of times and the length of time the door is open.
The Coolview refrigerator is an energy-saving modern design with a huge potential market.
An additional benefit of the design is an increased perception of space in the kitchen. Present refrigerator designs consist of a wide enameled surface area, white or colored, but the half-mirror surface of the Coolview refrigerator offers an understated (somewhat smoked) mirrored surface to reflect light and increase the feeling of space in the kitchen.
It's not really a joke to say that consumers benefit when contemplating their full size reflection prior to refilling their bellies. Obesity is a widespread problem; dieters need encouragement. This refrigerator design truly will help people fight undesirable snacking.
The design incorporates a few features that overcome potential structural limitations. To counter the lower insulating properties of a door of glass (or plexiglass, plastic, etc...), the door consists of two or more surfaces with a vacuum between them. The vacuum insulates and also thwarts condensation that might otherwise arise outside a cooled surface. Storage shelving inside the door should be transparent to not impeded the ability to see within the refrigerator (such racks can, if desired, be reduced or adjustable at certain heights); in practice, visibility can be made fully adequate.
A photosensor regulates internal luminescence and maintains a difference in lux between inside and outside. With a half-mirror, if the inside is dark the door will appear as a mirror; when the inside is sufficiently bright, the refrigerated contents can be seen. A photosensor, like that of a camera with built-in flash, regulates a range of lighting over variations such when the refrigerator is in direct sunlight or in a darkened kitchen at night.
A simple touch turns on the touch switch (and in this case the photosensor and internal lights). The circuit can be defeated by both a timer (touching the door gives ten-seconds of illumination, for example), or by opening the door (a light-button is near the hinge, operating as a typical internal refrigerator light). The touch-switch handle also can be turned off if a consumer is shy about showing refrigerator contents to kitchen guests.
There now exist refrigerators with clear glass doors. But it is usually unwelcome to have the refrigerator's contents on continuous display. The Coolview Energysaving Refrigerator is a next-stage design that consumers will find popular for its ease of use, lower energy consumption and beauty.
Click here for full details in Japanese <--
A fine energy-saving invention. Opportunity available for licensing or partnership!
News of this great Coolview Energysaving Refrigerator has been reported around the world (click to see articles):
Lycos, Excite, Yahoo, and many others.
The Coolview Energysaving Refrigerator can soon be part of your home - ask for it -- demand it --- raise hell until you get it!
Here's my cv
Contact:
Dr. Bruce Henry Lambert
Upplandsgatan 53
113 28 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel (+46-8) 612-1294
bruce@reorient.com
Saves energy: limits loss of refrigerated air