Cooling Shelf Linkage for Height Adjustment Under Load
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices require users to remove items from shelves to adjust shelf height, which is inconvenient and increases material and labor costs due to the need for additional components like motors and auxiliary elements in electrical drive systems.
Innovation Solution
A shelf adjustment mechanism using rotatable arms with a locking system that allows vertical position changes without removing items, featuring a connecting element with a first arm seated in a recess and a second arm mounted to the shelf, enabling rotational movement around horizontal axes, and locking means to secure the shelf at different positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electrical drive or transmission systems are used to adjust shelf height, then the shelf can be adjusted automatically, but the device complexity and material costs increase due to motors and auxiliary elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the electrical drive system and auxiliary elements from the shelf adjustment mechanism, extracting only the essential mechanical components (connecting elements with rotatable arms) needed for height adjustment. This eliminates motors, control systems, and power supply requirements while maintaining the core functionality of adjustable shelf height.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting elements with rotatable arms enable the shelf to be adjusted manually through simple user interaction. The mechanism serves itself by using the user's direct action on the connecting elements to achieve height adjustment without requiring external power sources or complex control systems.
2Device complexity
If traditional channels or rails are used for shelf adjustment, then the structure is simple, but the user must remove items from the shelf to adjust height
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf support system is segmented into multiple connecting elements distributed along the shelf, each with rotatable arms that can independently engage with supporting means at different heights. This segmentation allows the shelf to be adjusted at any position along its length without requiring removal of items, as the adjustment mechanism is distributed rather than centralized.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable arms of the connecting elements provide dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the shelf to transition smoothly between different height positions while maintaining stability. The rotatable joints enable the connecting elements to adapt to different angular positions during adjustment, making it possible to change shelf height without removing items.
3Ease of operation
If the shelf is pulled out and pushed back for height adjustment, then the shelf can be repositioned, but the operation becomes time-consuming and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable arms of the connecting elements are pre-configured to engage with supporting means at various predetermined heights. This preliminary arrangement of engagement points allows users to directly adjust the shelf to the desired height by rotating the arms, eliminating the need for the time-consuming sequence of pulling out, adjusting, and pushing back the shelf.
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
Enables easy height adjustment of shelves within cooling devices without removing items, reducing operational complexity and costs by eliminating the need for additional components, while ensuring items remain secure and preventing accidental falls.
Implementation Method 1
providing the vertical position of the shelf inside the body to be changed by means of the rotational movement made by its arms around their horizontal axes
Implementation Method 2
one locking means that provides the shelf to be locked by interacting with the extension when the shelf is in the higher position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) comprising a body (2) having two opposite side walls (3), one or more than one shelf (4), whereon objects are placed, that can be at a lower position (P1) and a higher position (P2) at different levels from each other inside the body (2), one or more than one supporting means (6), attached to the side wall (3), having a recess (8) disposed thereon and a connecting element (5) having a first arm (11) seated rotatably in the recess (8), a second arm (12) mounted rotatably to the shelf (4), having an extension (13) that extends almost vertically to the arms (11, 12) so as to form a difference of height between the rotational axes of the first arm (11) and the second arm (12) and providing the vertical position of the shelf (4) inside the body (2) to be changed by means of the rotational movement made by its arms (11, 12) around their own horizontal axes.