Articulating Refrigerator Hinge for Gasket Shear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional refrigerator door hinges cause shearing effects on the gasket, leading to deformation and reduced functionality over time due to repetitive contact and motion during opening and closing operations.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly with a housing containing slots and gears that allows for translational movement of the door relative to the main body in response to pivot motion, reducing shearing effects by using a compression spring to bias the primary gear toward a secondary gear with a cam profile, which engages to create additional space between the door and the main body as the door pivots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional pivotal hinge is used to connect the door to the main body, then the door can be opened and closed, but the gasket experiences shearing effects leading to deformation and reduced functionality over time
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly incorporates a dynamic mechanism where the primary gear and secondary gear interact through a cam profile to enable translational movement of the door relative to the main body during opening and closing operations. This dynamic adjustment reduces shearing effects on the gasket while maintaining operational functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a compression spring as an intermediary element that biases the primary gear toward the secondary gear, facilitating smooth engagement and translational movement. The spring acts as a mediator between the gear components to reduce impact and shearing forces on the gasket.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the door is pivotally installed using traditional hinges, then the door can rotate open and closed, but repetitive contact and motion cause shearing effects on the gasket
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly transforms the traditional rotational pivot motion into a combined translational and rotational movement through gear-cam interaction. The primary gear rotates with door movement while the secondary gear translates along a cam profile, creating a dynamic motion pattern that reduces shearing effects on the gasket.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression spring provides beforehand cushioning by pre-biasing the gears toward each other, ensuring smooth engagement and reducing impact forces during door operation. This cushioning effect prevents sudden shearing loads on the gasket during repetitive opening and closing cycles.
3Reliability
If a compression spring is used to bias the primary gear toward the secondary gear, then translational movement is achieved reducing shearing effects, but the hinge assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly integrates multiple functions into a compact mechanism: the primary gear provides rotational movement, the secondary gear provides translation, the cam profile guides the translational path, and the compression spring provides biasing force. This multi-functional integration achieves gasket protection while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the pivot hinge function with a translational adjustment mechanism in a single integrated assembly. The gear-cam-spring combination is consolidated into one housing structure that attaches to the refrigerator body, combining multiple protective and operational functions in a unified design.
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
The solution reduces or eliminates shearing effects on the gasket, enhancing its functionality and longevity by maintaining a consistent seal and reducing wear on the gasket during door operations.
Implementation Method 1
a compression spring that biases a primary gear toward a secondary gear
Implementation Method 2
The secondary gear further comprises a cam profile adjacent to the protrusion. The cam profile may be disposed on a top surface of the secondary gear. Interaction of the protrusion and the cam profile causes the primary and secondary gears to translate along the first and second slots, respectively
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge assembly provided for pivotally connecting a door to a main body of a refrigerator. The hinge assembly is configured such that the door is translationally moved with respect to the main body in response to a pivot motion of the door. The hinge assembly comprises a housing having a first slot, a second slot, and a protrusion. A primary gear is attached to the door and slidably positioned within the first slot of the housing such that a pivot motion of the door rotates the primary gear in a first rotational direction. Additionally, a secondary gear, rotationally engaging the primary gear, is slidably positioned within the second slot of the housing. The secondary gear further comprises a cam profile adjacent to the protrusion.