Refrigerator Auxiliary Shelf Linkage for Door Storage and Air Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators lack efficient use of space and design for easy access and storage, particularly in the door compartments, leading to suboptimal organization and potential cool air leakage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a second door that rotates in the same direction as the first door, with an auxiliary shelf that unfolds and folds based on the door's operation, utilizing rollers and inclined surfaces for smooth movement and a damping member for controlled rotation, enhancing storage capacity and reducing air leakage through a unified door appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional fixed shelf design is used in the door compartment, then the structure is simple, but the storage space utilization is poor and accessibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to rotate between a stored position (parallel to the door) and a deployed position (perpendicular to the door). This dynamic configuration enables the shelf to adapt to different storage needs while maintaining a compact form when not in use, resolving the contradiction between storage versatility and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary shelf is nested within the door compartment when not in use, rotating into a compact position that fits within the available space. When needed, it unfolds to provide additional storage surface area, effectively nesting a functional storage element within the existing door structure without permanently occupying valuable space.
2Quantity of substance
If the auxiliary shelf is always extended to provide maximum storage space, then storage capacity is increased, but cool air leakage increases and door appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf transitions between extended and retracted positions dynamically, allowing users to extend it only when storage space is needed. When retracted, the shelf maintains a streamlined profile that prevents cool air leakage and preserves the door's aesthetic appearance, thus resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf is designed to be extended only when needed, rather than remaining permanently extended. This preliminary action of retracting the shelf when not in use prevents potential cool air leakage and maintains door appearance, while still providing maximum storage capacity when the shelf is extended.
3Ease of operation
If the auxiliary shelf rotates freely without guidance, then ease of operation is improved, but rotation control and stability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
A guide roller is introduced as an intermediary element between the shelf and the shelf guide structure. This roller facilitates smooth rotation of the shelf while simultaneously providing guidance and control, preventing uncontrolled movement. The guide roller mediates between the need for easy operation and the requirement for stable, controlled rotation.
4Speed
If the shelf guide has a steep inclined surface to guide shelf rotation quickly, then rotation speed is increased, but friction and resistance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf guide is divided into multiple inclined surfaces with different angles rather than a single steep slope. This segmentation allows the guide to provide gradual guidance initially, then increase the angle for faster rotation as needed, reducing overall friction resistance while maintaining rotation speed efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf guide structure is designed with variable inclination angles that adapt during the rotation process. The guide provides gentler angles during initial contact to reduce friction, then transitions to steeper angles to accelerate rotation, dynamically optimizing the balance between rotation speed and friction resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes an auxiliary shelf unfolded by being linked with an opening/closing of a second door which opens or closes a storage space defined in a first door. The second door covers the storage space and is rotated in the same direction as the first door.