Refrigerator Door Basket Lift With Concealed Rail Structure

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Refrigerators with moving baskets face issues of reduced storage space due to rail exposure, visibility problems, and damage to door components, as well as difficulties in maintaining a clean design and easy operation.

Innovation Solution

A refrigerator design featuring a moving basket supported by a system of rollers and a rail embedded within the door dike, with a rail cover bracket to conceal the rail and prevent exposure, allowing for vertical movement without compromising storage space or aesthetics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a rail is mounted at the home bar case to support the moving basket, then the moving basket can be vertically moved, but the rail is visibly exposed and reduces storage space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevertical movement of moving basketVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The rail is embedded within the door dike structure, nesting the support mechanism inside the existing door framework. This allows the rail to function while being concealed, eliminating visual exposure and preventing reduction of storage space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

A rail cover bracket is introduced as an intermediary component that covers the rail. The bracket is disposed between the rail and the storage compartment, serving as a mediator that conceals the rail while allowing the moving basket to pass through and function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Shape

If the rail is covered to prevent exposure, then aesthetics are improved, but the horizontal width of the opening is decreased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic appearanceVSAvoidhorizontal width of opening
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The rail cover bracket extends in the horizontal direction rather than vertically covering the rail. By disposing the bracket between the rail and storage compartment horizontally, the solution maintains opening width while achieving aesthetic coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the moving basket is mounted at the home bar case, then additional storage function is provided, but the entire space of the storage compartment is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadditional storage functionVSAvoidstorage compartment space
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The moving basket is integrated into the door assembly rather than occupying space within the storage compartment. This segmentation places the additional storage function in a separate location (the door), preserving the main storage compartment volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

The solution enhances storage space utilization, maintains a clean and aesthetically pleasing design, and facilitates easy operation and assembly of the moving basket, while providing improved durability and bending load resistance.

Implementation Method 1

a roller guide capable of vertically moving the rollers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitation: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

The outer parts of the rollers are formed of an elastic material, and the rollers are elastically deformed when the rollers move along the roller guide

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 3

The outer parts of the rollers are formed of an elastic material, and the rollers are elastically deformed when the rollers move along the roller guide

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3537073B1refrigerator
Publication Date: 2023.11.08 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3537073B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3537073B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3537073B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention provides a refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (10) disposed at a storage compartment (11); a door (100) disposed to open and close the storage compartment; a basket (310) for accommodating goods; a moving frame (320) coupled to the basket (310) at a lower part of the basket (310), the moving frame (320) supporting the basket (310), the moving frame (320) being capable of vertically moving at the door (100) in an integrated manner with the basket (310); a rail (400) disposed at the door (100); a supporter (330) disposed between the moving frame (320) and the rail (400) to support the moving frame (320) with respect to the rail (400), the supporter including a lever(337) as a stopper for stopping the supporter (300); and an operation unit (324) in which displacement is varied by user' s operation, and displacement of the operation unit (324) in converted into displacement of the lever (337), wherein the operation unit (324) includes a button (324a) for the user' s operation, wherein the operation unit (324) and the button (324a) are disposed at a lower part of the moving frame (320) such that the operation unit (324) and the button (324a) do not protrude from a front or rear side of the moving frame (324) and the basket (310).