Refrigerator structure entirely made of plastic material as a single integrated part which is manufactured in one step

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator structure entirely made of plastic material, which prevents and limits foam leakage problems, reduces refrigerator production costs, simplifies manufacturing steps, and reduces assembly steps. Thereby contributing to sustainability, environmental preservation, and lowering the final product cost. The structure consists of the cabinet and door, characterized by being manufacturable in one step through rotational molding, which produces two separate parts for both the refrigerator cabinet and door. The cabinet allows attachment of refrigerator accessories (shelves at the front), cabinet components, cooling pipes, and electrical connections through a dedicated installation opening. The cabinet and door are connected to each other through a vertical coupling system that enables refrigerator opening and closing.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention belongs to the technical field of refrigerator cabinet manufacturing, specifically plastic refrigerators produced using rotational molding technology.

[0004] Summary of Invention

[0005] This invention relates to the complete refrigerator structure including both the cabinet and door(s). For the cabinet, the invention concerns manufacturing it entirely as at least one single plastic part that incorporates all surfaces of the entire cabinet, both internal and external surfaces.

[0006] For the refrigerator door, the invention concerns manufacturing it entirely as a single plastic part that incorporates all internal and external door surfaces, whether the refrigerator has one door or multiple doors.

[0007] The prior art document KR20040029853A, published on 08 / 04 / 2004, disclosed a refrigeration device with a grooved molded body to prevent foam liquid leakage. This was achieved by preparing a food storage compartment in the refrigeration device, equipped with a door installed to open and close at the front of its designated cabinet. The cabinet is cooled by a grooved molded body made of coagulant material, containing a foam liquid injection space, where the foam liquid injection port is formed on one side through a predetermined shaped grooved molded body, which injects polyurethane material.

[0008] Background of the invention

[0009] The prior art document CN1762684A, published on 26 / 04 / 2006, disclosed a method for manufacturing a refrigerator cavity, comprising the following steps: a) placing material in the mold cavity for rotational forming; b) placing the mold in a rotary heating oven; c) melting plastic pellets in the rotational forming mold; d) cooling the rotational forming mold and extracting the hollow plastic cavity after demolding; e) separating the hollow plastic cavity into a door bag and cabinet bag; f) assembling the door bag and cabinet bag into the door cavity and cabinet cavity; g) injecting foam into the door cavity and cabinet cavity to form the refrigerator cabinet and door. The prior art document CN209214207U, published on 06 / 08 / 2019, disclosed a partition panel and refrigerator, consisting of an integrated main structure of the partition panel. This structure is equipped with a panel-shaped frame containing a containment cavity and an opening connected to the internal part of the cavity, formed by blow molding or rotational molding. The prior art document CN211944550U, published on 17 / 11 / 2020, disclosed refrigeration boxes, specifically a rotationally molded refrigeration box consisting of a cabinet structure containing a cavity. The structure comprises an outer layer and a hollow layer. The outer layer is made of polyethylene plastic material through rotational molding technology, while the hollow layer is made of thermally insulating polyurethane foam material, with a ventilation channel on the inner side of the cabinet structure. A separating part in the cabinet structure divides the containment cavity into at least two cavities, with a refrigerator in one containment cavity, and the ventilation channel connecting to at least two cavities respectively. Since the cabinet structure is a rotationally molded box made with rotational molding technology, the cabinet structure can be integrally formed during production

[0010] The technical problem with prior Art number KR20040029853A which is increased energy consumption for cabinet manufacturing and assembly. Such as, Increased production time, Multiple manufacturing steps requiring separate production of each refrigerator panel and internal liner ("inner cabinet"). Extensive assembly steps requiring individual joining of each panel and connection to the internal liner. Increased foam leakage issues during cabinet insulation. Numerous panel joints create multiple potential leakage points for insulating foam. Higher end-user costs. Lower production rates and higher energy consumption result in more expensive final products. The technical problem with prior Art number CN1762684A which is Limited to combining two molds for only two refrigerator components. Marginal production time improvement. Minimal impact as most refrigerator components still require separate manufacturing. No assembly step reduction since separated components require reassembly. Persistent foam leakage issues, Unresolved insulation foam leakage problems during injection. The technical problem with prior Art number Prior Art: CN209214207U which addresses only a single non-essential refrigerator component (internal partition), Sole similarity: Uses rotational molding like the current application, No impact on overall refrigerator manufacturing / assembly processes. The technical problem with prior Art number Prior Art: CN211944550U which applies rotational molding only to external plastic casing, Provides no parts consolidation benefits, Unlike current application which integrates external casing, internal components, multiple functional elements, into a single unified structure.

[0011] Advantageous effect

[0012] Reducing Manufacturing and Assembly Time for the Refrigerator Cabinet: The refrigerator cabinet now consists of at least one plastic part, traditional cabinet components, whether metal or plastic, are integrated into a single plastic part. These integrated parts include the outer shell, inner lining, refrigerator back, compressor base, and the bottom plate beneath the refrigerator. Additionally, hinge mechanisms are part of this integrated design.

[0013] Streamlined Manufacturing and Assembly for Each Refrigerator Door: Each refrigerator door is now made from a single piece of plastic. Traditional door components, whether metal or plastic, are combined into a single plastic part. These components include the upper door cover, lower cover, metal plate, and any other parts used in door assembly. This approach is applied to each individual refrigerator door.

[0014] Ease of Manufacturing and Assembly for the Refrigerator Cabinet: The entire refrigerator cabinet is easy to manufacture. All cabinet components are merged into a single plastic part. This eliminates the need for additional assembly steps.

[0015] Simplified Manufacturing and Assembly for the Refrigerator Door: The refrigerator door is straightforward to manufacture. All door components are integrated into a single plastic part. No additional assembly steps are required.

[0016] Avoiding Injection Issues: Manufacturing the entire cabinet from a single plastic part prevents foam insulation leakage during the injection process. Similarly, manufacturing the complete door from a single plastic part prevents foam leakage during insulation injection.

[0017] Reduced Overall Product Cost: By reducing manufacturing and assembly time and avoiding metal usage, the total cost of the refrigerator is minimized.

[0018] Detailed Description

[0019] The invention contains several components that achieve the aforementioned objective of a refrigerator made entirely of plastic, which saves significant energy consumed in the manufacturing and assembly processes of traditional refrigerators that contain many metal and plastic parts, while ensuring the refrigerator's strength, stability, and balance are maintained. These components are (ordered by assembly sequence):

[0020] First: The refrigerator structure (1), a refrigerator structure made entirely of plastic material consisting of a cabinet (A) and at least one door (C) for the refrigerator. The cabinet (A) is characterized as being a single connected part rather than separate parts and is manufactured in one step, and the refrigerator door is characterized as being a connected part rather than separate parts and is manufactured in one step. Initially, both the cabinet (A) and door (C) are manufactured through the plastic rotational molding process under specific operating conditions, then the internal parts of the cabinet (A) are assembled inside the cabinet through the installation opening (A5) and closed with the installation opening cover (B). Then the compressor is fixed on the compressor base (A6), then the cabinet is connected to the door with a new connection system via vertical hinges that have hinge pockets in both the cabinet and door (A12), allowing the door to open and close at a suitable angle. Second: The cabinet (A), which is a part made entirely of plastic, has an external surface (Al) facing the user and an internal surface (A2) facing the insulation foam that is injected inside the cabinet for thermal insulation. The external surface of the cabinet contains at the bottom the cabinet legs (A3) that serve as base supports for the cabinet and maintain its balance.

[0021] At the rear it contains: foam injection ports (A4), cooling and drainage pipe installation openings, the installation opening (A5), the compressor base (A6) which serves to carry the refrigerator compressor and the compressor (G) is fixed to it with mounting screws.

[0022] At the front it contains: the pipe channel (A7) where the dew proof pipe (F) is placed, and magnetic pockets (A8) containing magnetic pieces (D) that attract the refrigerator door to the cabinet to ensure tight door closure. The advantage of these magnetic pockets is that they are concentrated in specific areas rather than being distributed around the entire door perimeter as is generally known in refrigerators. Opposite them on the door are iron pieces (C5) fixed to the door, each rubber-coated to reduce the noise of the iron pieces hitting the magnetic pieces. It also contains the pipe cover channel (A9) which has special tracks to hold the plastic cover (E), and contains shelf and drawer mounts (AID), and contains assembly formations (All) which are mounts and protrusions whose function is to hold air circuit parts during refrigerator assembly, and contains vertical hinge pockets (A12) where the hinge pin (11) is inserted. These pockets act as base supports for the doors at the bottom that the refrigerator doors rest on.

[0023] For installing cooling and drainage pipes and electrical connections, there is the installation opening (A5) at the back of the refrigerator, where the technician installs all internal refrigerator parts that need to be assembled before foam injection, then fixes the installation opening cover (B) on the installation opening (A5). The cover (B) has a cover flange (Bl) whose surface matches the surface of the installation opening flange (A13).

[0024] Third: The refrigerator door (C), the refrigerator door is completely made of a single plastic part. The single door has a foam injection port (Cl) for injecting insulating foam during its manufacturing process, then this opening is covered with a plastic cover. On the side of the door there is an integrated hinge (C2) through which the hinge pin (11) passes. The door has a gasket channel (C3) that serves as a housing for the gasket. The refrigerator may have one door, two doors, or more.

[0025] The refrigerator door (C) contains a door handle (C4) integrated into the door itself, designed as a groove on the side of the refrigerator to facilitate pulling the door to open it, and it is formed during the molding process of the door itself in the rotational molding mold.

[0026] Fourth: Hanging the door (C) on the cabinet (A) is done via the hanging system (I), which is a vertical hinge system. This system connects the refrigerator door (C) to the cabinet (A) by inserting the hinge pin (11) into the integrated door hinge (C2) and the vertical hinge pockets in the cabinet (A12) . This system allows rotational movement of the door to open it up to 135 degrees. This new system is a better alternative to the conventional system, where in the new connection system the hinge pin support points are integrated into the cabinet or door instead of installing external hinge bases on the cabinet to carry the hinge pin.

[0027] Fifth: The manufacturing process of the cabinet (A) and refrigerator door (C). The material of the cabinet and door is plastic, preferably polyethylene. The manufacturing process for the cabinet and door is done via rotational molding, where plastic powder is placed inside the preprepared door mold (C) or cabinet mold (A), then the mold is closed, heated, and rotated until the connected door part (C) or connected cabinet part (A) forms inside by the powder turning into liquid plastic adhering to the mold walls. Then the mold is left to cool, opened, and the door is extracted as one connected piece. The manufacturing conditions are as follows: the forming time of the cabinet inside the mold ranges from 6 to 15 minutes, and for the door from 6 to 12 minutes. The mold temperature for both cabinet and door ranges from 200 to 280 degrees Celsius. The mold cooling time for extracting the cabinet piece ranges from 10 to 20 minutes, and for extracting the door piece from 8 to 15 minutes.

[0028] Sixth: The refrigerator door gasket (D), which is a strip made of rubber material with a housing in the door which is the gasket channel (C3). The gasket extends around the door perimeter, and when the door is closed, the gasket comes into contact with the plastic cover (E) to perform its function of preventing cold air leakage from inside the cabinet to the outside.

[0029] Seventh: The plastic cover (E), a plastic cover whose function is to cover the dew proof pipe (F). It fits into a special channel in the cabinet where it is fixed, which is the pipe cover channel (A8).

[0030] Eighth: The dew proof pipe (F), a metal pipe that is part of the freon condensation pipes in the refrigerator.

[0031] The compressor (G), responsible for circulating freon and the core of the refrigerator's cooling process

[0032] Description of the drawings

[0033] (1) Refrigerator structure

[0034] (A) :The Cabinet

[0035] (Al) External surface (A2) internal surface

[0036] (A3) :Cabinet legs

[0037] (A4) :Foam Injection ports

[0038] (A5) installation opening

[0039] (A6) :Compressor base

[0040] (A7) :Dew proof pipe channel

[0041] (A8) :Magnets' pockets

[0042] (A9) :Pi pe cover channel

[0043] (AID) :Shelves and drawers mounts

[0044] (All) :Assembly formations

[0045] (A12) :Vertical hinges' pockets

[0046] (A13) installation opening flange

[0047] (B) : Installation opening cover

[0048] (Bl) :Cover flange

[0049] (C) :Refrigerator door

[0050] (Cl) :Door injection port

[0051] (C2) integrated door hinge

[0052] (C3) :Gasket channel

[0053] (C4) :Door handle

[0054] (C5) : Rubber-coated iron pieces

[0055] (D) :Door gasket

[0056] (E) :Dew proof plastic cover

[0057] (F) :Dew proof pipe

[0058] (G) :Compressor

[0059] (H) :Magnetic pieces

[0060] (I) :Hanging system

[0061] (11) :Hinge pin

[0062] Upon received as blank

Claims

Claims1. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet (A) and at least one refrigerator door (C). The cabinet (A) is characterized by its ability to be manufactured as a single integrated part and not separate which is characterized to be manufactured in one step, at least one refrigerator door (C) is characterized by its ability to be manufactured as a single integrated part which is characterized to be manufactured in one step.

2. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (1). The refrigerator cabinet (A) includes; External surface (A1), Internal surface (A2), Cabinet legs (A3), Foam injection ports (A4), Pipe installation opening (A5), Compressor base (A6), Dew proof pipe channel (A7), Magnets' pockets (A8), Pipe cover channel (A9), Shelves and drawers' mounts (A10), Assembly formations (A11), Vertical hinges' pockets (A12), Installation opening flange (A13), Installation cover (B), Cover flange (B1), Compressor (G), Magnetic pieces (H).

3. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (2). The magnets' pockets (A8) contain magnetic pieces (H) that attract the refrigerator door (C) to the cabinet (A) to ensure a tight seal. These magnets' pockets (A8) are concentrated in specific areas rather than distributed along the entire door perimeter. Opposite them on the door (C), there are rubber-coated iron pieces (C5) fixed to the door to reduce noise from magnetic attraction between the iron pieces (C5) and the magnetic pieces (H).

4. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (2). The shelves and drawers' mounts (A10) are used to install shelves and drawers, providing necessary storage spaces.

5. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door, according to claim No. (2). The cabinet legs (A3), which are part of the cabinet (A), consist of four protrusions at the bottom of thecabinet. Additional adjustable legs may be attached for balance, or they may remain as-is without any additions.

6. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (5). The cabinet legs (A3) are characterized as an integrated, inseparable part of the cabinet body (A).

7. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (2). The pipe installation opening (A5), part of the cabinet (A), consists of two openings on the back of the cabinet, each with an installation flange (A13). These openings are used to finalize the assembly of cooling pipes and electrical connections inside the cabinet before foam injection.

8. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (2). The compressor base (A6), part of the cabinet (A), is a horizontal surface at the bottom rear of the cabinet with screw holes for mounting the compressor (G).

9. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (2). Dew proof pipe channel (A7), part of the cabinet (A), is a groove on the front surface of the cabinet that accommodates a dew proof pipe (F). The pipe is covered with a plastic cover (E), which fits into the pipe cover channel (A9).

10. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet (A) and at least one door (C), according to claim No. (1). The refrigerator door (C) is a single hollow plastic part, which includes, Injection port (C1 ), Integrated door hinge (C2), Gasket channel (C3), Iron piece (C5) to attract magnetic pieces (H), Door handle (C4)11. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door, according to claim No. (1) and (10). The door gasket channel (C3) is an integrated formation in the single-piece door, located along the door perimeter, allowing the door gasket (D) to be assembled inside it.

12. Refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic, comprising a cabinet and at least one door (T according to claims No. (2) and (10). The refrigerator doorhandle (C4)is integrated into the door itself, designed as a recessed groove on the side of the door, and is formed during the rotational molding process of the door.

13. Manufacturing process of the refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic with at least one door (C), using rotational molding. Plastic powder is placed inside a pre-prepared cabinet's (A) mold. The mold is then closed, heated, and rotated until the integrated cabinet part (A) forms inside by the powder melting into liquid plastic adhering to the mold walls. The mold is then cooled, opened, and the cabinet (A) is extracted as a single integrated piece.

14. Manufacturing process of the refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic with at least one door (C), using rotational molding, according to claim No. (13). The forming time for the cabinet (A) inside the mold ranges from 6 to 15 minutes, with mold temperatures between 200°C and 280°C. Cooling time for mold extraction ranges from 10 to 20 minutes.

15. Manufacturing process of the refrigerator structure (1), entirely made of plastic with at least one door (C), using rotational molding, according to claim No. (13). Plastic powder is placed inside a pre-prepared door mold (C). The mold is closed, heated, and rotated until the integrated door part (C) forms inside by the powder melting into liquid plastic adhering to the mold walls. The mold is then cooled, opened, and the door (C) is extracted as a single integrated piece.

16. Manufacturing process of the refrigerator structure, entirely made of plastic with at least one door, using rotational molding according to claim No. (13). The forming time for the door inside the mold ranges from 6 to 12 minutes, with mold temperatures between 200°C and 280°C. Cooling time for mold extraction ranges from 8 to 15 minutes.

17. Hanging system (I) between the refrigerator door (C) and the cabinet (A), consisting of a vertical hinge system. This system connects the refrigerator door (C) to the cabinet (A) by inserting a hinge pin (11) into the integrated door hinge (C2) and the vertical hinge pockets in the cabinet (A12), allowing rotational movement of the door.

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