Container for goods to be cooled
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerated goods containers are difficult to manufacture accurately and handle due to the complexity of attaching frames and handles, which can cause discomfort and safety issues with cold temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerated goods container design featuring an end profile with latching projections that can be easily attached to the wire mesh frame, allowing for a secure and comfortable grip without requiring high manufacturing accuracy, using deformations of the wire or reshaping the wall to form latching projections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the frame is made of flat steel to which the rising wires of the mesh are attached, then the structural strength is improved, but the user comfort deteriorates because the narrow cross-section cuts uncomfortably into the fingers and the steel painfully cools the fingers at freezer temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is constructed by combining steel wires for structural strength with plastic cladding for user comfort. The plastic profile is attached to the steel frame, creating a composite structure that provides both mechanical strength and thermal insulation properties, preventing direct contact between the user's fingers and the cold steel surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic profile acts as an intermediary layer between the user's fingers and the cold steel frame. This intermediate material has lower thermal conductivity than steel, reducing heat transfer from the user's skin to the cold frame, thereby preventing painful cooling and potential freezing of fingers.
2Ease of operation
If the plastic profiles are screwed to the frame, then the user comfort is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to high demands on manufacturing accuracy for precise positioning of screw holes
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic profile is designed with self-aligning features that allow it to be attached to the steel frame without requiring precise pre-drilled holes. The profile can be clipped or snapped onto the frame, using the frame's own geometry to guide positioning, thereby eliminating the need for high-precision manufacturing of hole positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism is divided into separate functional elements: the steel frame provides structural support while the plastic profile provides user comfort. The connection between them is achieved through modular attachment methods (such as clips or snap-fits) rather than requiring integrated precision drilling, allowing each component to be manufactured independently with standard tolerances.
3Strength
If welding the frame to the wires of the mesh is used, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to the complex welding process
Solution Approach 1:
The welding process is replaced with a mechanical attachment system using plastic clips or snap-fits that mechanically secure the plastic profile to the steel frame. This substitution eliminates the need for complex welding operations while maintaining sufficient structural strength through the mechanical interlocking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using permanent welding joints that require complex equipment and skilled labor, the design employs simple, inexpensive mechanical fasteners that can be easily attached and detached. These fasteners are designed to provide sufficient strength for the application while being much cheaper and easier to install than welded joints.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a refrigerated goods container for a refrigerator, with at least one wall (4, 5), preferably made of wire mesh, and an end profile (2), the wall (4, 5) having an end section (34) and the end profile (2) mounted on the end section (34), characterized in that a first side surface (35) of the end section (34) comprises first latching projections (16) and a second side surface (36) of the end section (34) which corresponds to the first side surface (35) opposite, comprises at least one second latching projection (17), wherein the end profile (2) is latched with the first latching projections (16) and the second latching projection (17) on the end section (34).