Refrigerated Display Cabinet Sidewall Assembly With Fewer Parts

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Solution Overview

Problem

The assembly of refrigerating sales furniture is time-consuming and expensive due to the large number of components involved.

Innovation Solution

The design includes a simplified structure with fewer components, utilizing injection-molded side members that incorporate a metal frame for stability and a bar structure for rigidity, along with features like cable channels and injection gates for easy assembly and insulation, reducing the complexity and cost of production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional multi-component structure is used, then structural stability is achieved, but assembly time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly timeVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate components (side wall, metal frame, insulation layer, bar structure) into a single injection-molded side member. This merging of components directly reduces assembly time and the total number of parts while maintaining the structural stability that would otherwise require multiple separate elements to provide collectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The side member uses composite construction with a polyurethane matrix containing embedded metal frame elements and bar structures. This composite approach allows a single component to achieve the structural stability of multiple separate components while simplifying the overall assembly process and reducing the number of parts needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If traditional assembly process is used, then component stability is ensured, but production cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The metal frame and bar structures are pre-integrated into the side member during the injection molding process itself. This preliminary action of embedding structural elements before final assembly eliminates the need for separate attachment operations, reducing both assembly time and production costs while ensuring structural stability is built-in from the start.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If simplified structure with fewer components is used, then assembly process is simplified, but structural stability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of componentsVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The single side member component achieves structural stability through composite construction, embedding a metal frame and bar structures within the polyurethane matrix. This allows the simplified single-component design to maintain the structural integrity that would otherwise require multiple separate components working together.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The side member features localized reinforcement with metal frame elements and bar structures positioned at specific locations within the polyurethane matrix. This local quality approach ensures structural stability is provided exactly where needed within the simplified single-component design, maintaining strength without requiring additional overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2160122B1Refrigerating sales furniture
Publication Date: 2018.05.02 CARRIER CORP
  • EP2160122B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2160122B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2160122B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Refrigerating sales furniture (1) comprising a back having an outer rear sheet (16) and an inner rear sheet spaced apart from each other; a bottom having a lower bottom sheet and an upper bottom sheet spaced apart from each other; two side members (2), wherein at least one of which has at least one coupling portion being inserted in the space between the outer rear sheet (16) and the inner rear sheet and in the space between the lower bottom sheet and the upper bottom sheet and sealing the space between said sheets laterally; wherein the two side members (2) have a respective upright portion (29) forming a side wall for the refrigerating sales furniture (1); and wherein the space between the outer rear sheet and the inner rear sheet and the space between the lower bottom sheet and the upper bottom sheet is filled with an insulating plastics foam.