Bidirectional Refrigerator Door Basket Assembly for Dual-Side Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators have a door basket that can only be opened in one direction, making it inconvenient to access or store food at the rear of the door, requiring the rear door to be opened first.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a basket assembly that is slidably coupled to the door, allowing bidirectional movement, enabling the basket to be drawn out both forward and rearward, with a first base sliding on a second base and both being fixed to the door, allowing access through either the external or internal door.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door basket is designed to be movable only forward, then the structure is simple, but the convenience of accessing food at the rear door is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The basket assembly is divided into multiple segments: a basket body, a first base that slides forward, a second base that slides rearward, and a third base fixed to the door. This segmentation allows independent movement in different directions, enabling the basket to be accessed from both front and rear without requiring the entire structure to move in one direction only.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket assembly incorporates dynamic sliding mechanisms where the first base can slide forward relative to the second base, and the second base can slide rearward relative to the third base. This dynamic design allows the basket to adapt its position based on whether the front door or rear door is opened, providing operational flexibility without fixed directional constraints.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the basket can be bidirectionally drawn out, then the accessibility from both doors is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The basket assembly uses a nested structure where the first base is disposed on the second base, and the second base is disposed on the third base. Each base can slide independently relative to the others, creating a compact nested arrangement when retracted and enabling bidirectional extension when needed. This nesting principle allows versatile functionality within a constrained space.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket assembly is designed to serve multiple functions: it can be accessed when the front door is opened by sliding the first base forward, and it can be accessed when the rear door is opened by sliding the second base rearward. The same structure accommodates both usage scenarios, providing universal access capability without requiring separate mechanisms for each door.
3Ease of operation
If the basket is fixed to the door, then the structure is stable, but the accessibility when only one door is opened is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The basket assembly is segmented into a fixed third base attached to the door and movable first and second bases. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain stability through the fixed attachment point while enabling controlled movement of the outer bases for accessibility. The fixed-third-base design provides a stable foundation that prevents unwanted movement when doors are opened.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the basket assembly have different mobility characteristics: the third base is fixed to provide stability, while the first and second bases are designed to slide for accessibility. This local differentiation of quality (fixed vs. movable) allows the system to simultaneously achieve both stability and ease of operation in different locations of the same structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a basket assembly slidably coupled to a first door in a front-to-rear direction of the first door, wherein the basket assembly comprises: a basket configured to accommodate food; a first base provided to be slidable in the front direction of the first door by passing through the opening of the first door, the basket being placed on an upper surface of the first base; a second base provided to be slidable in the rear direction of the first door, the first base being slidably coupled to an upper surface of the second base; and a third base of which a front end is fixed to a rear surface of the first door, wherein the second base is slidably coupled to an upper surface of the third base.