Drain hose assembly and refrigerator including the same
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain hose assemblies for refrigerators have complex structures leading to high component and assembly costs, and they fail to efficiently manage varying machine room heights, resulting in inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for multiple hose lengths.
Innovation Solution
A drain hose assembly with a simple structure and adjustable length, featuring a drain cap that limits external air introduction and a hose that connects to a defrost water tray, allowing for adjustable length by joining components, thereby reducing complexity and cost while accommodating different machine room heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complicated drain hose structure is used to prevent external air introduction, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The drain hose assembly is divided into separate modular components: a drain cap with air introduction limiting hole, a drain hose, and a defrost water tray. These segments can be independently manufactured and assembled, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining the function of preventing external air introduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain cap serves multiple functions: it connects to the discharge plug, limits external air introduction through the air introduction limiting hole, and provides a mounting structure for the drain hose. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall assembly.
2Adaptability or versatility
If various lengths of drain hoses are prepared to cope with machine room height differences, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and component management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drain hose is designed as a flexible, adjustable-length component that can be customized during assembly rather than requiring multiple pre-manufactured length variants. This dynamic adjustability allows the same base component to adapt to different machine room heights, reducing inventory complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The length parameter of the drain hose can be varied during assembly to match different machine room heights. By making the length a variable parameter rather than a fixed manufacturing specification, the system achieves adaptability without requiring multiple standardized hose length variants.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple drain hose structure is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the ability to limit external air introduction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The air limitation function is segregated into a specific feature (air introduction limiting hole) of the drain cap, while the drain hose itself remains a simple connecting component. This segmentation allows the complex function to be localized without complicating the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The air introduction limiting hole acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the simple drain hose and the requirement to limit external air. This intermediate feature provides the necessary air limitation function with minimal structural complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple standardized drain hose lengths are manufactured, then adaptability to different machine room heights is improved, but inventory management and assembly efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using fixed-length standardized hoses that require selection during assembly, the drain hose allows dynamic length adjustment. This eliminates the time-consuming process of selecting and cutting pre-manufactured hoses, improving assembly efficiency while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
A single drain hose design serves as a universal component that can be adapted to different machine room heights through joining operations. This universality eliminates the need to maintain multiple length variants in inventory, streamlining both manufacturing and assembly processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes: an evaporator housing provided behind a storage and including an evaporator for cooling the storage; a machine room disposed below the storage and provided with a discharge plug connected to the evaporator housing; a defrost tray installed in a lower portion of the machine room to collect defrost water discharged through the discharge plug; and a drain hose assembly connecting the discharge plug and the defrost water tray to allow the defrost water to flow toward the defrost water tray. The drain hose assembly includes a drain cap connected to the discharge plug and limiting introduction of external air into the evaporator housing and a drain hose having one end connected to the drain cap and another end connected to the defrost water tray, and a length of the drain hose assembly is adjustable by joining between the drain cap and the drain hose.