Refrigerator Door Bin Latch With Bolt-Locked Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigeration devices face issues where the door compartments' height adjustment mechanism is not secure when under high load, causing the latching or locking mechanisms to disengage unintentionally, leading to potential falls of the door rack.
Innovation Solution
A bolt is integrated into the adjustment path of the counter-locking means to prevent the locking lug from being pushed out of the locking niche, ensuring secure locking even under high forces, and an actuating mechanism allows for controlled adjustment with an audible click indicating proper locking and unlocking positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If resilient arms or locking mechanisms are used without additional securing means, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because the locking mechanisms can slide out under high load forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by introducing a bolt that preemptively prevents the counter-locking means from sliding out under load. The bolt is positioned to block the adjustment path before any unintended movement can occur, counteracting the potential harmful effect of sliding out before it happens. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining the simple resilient arm design while adding a minimal securing element that ensures reliability under high load conditions.
2Ease of operation
If the latching means are designed without self-locking contours, then the ease of operation is improved for intentional adjustment, but the reliability deteriorates because transverse forces can push the detent out of the detent niche
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary element (the bolt) that mediates between the detent-detoniche mechanism and the external transverse forces. Instead of relying on self-locking contours that would complicate operation, the bolt acts as a mediator that blocks the harmful transverse forces from pushing the detent out, while leaving the simple detent design intact for easy intentional adjustment. This resolves the contradiction by separating the functions of intentional adjustment and prevention of unintended movement.
3Reliability
If a bolt is added to secure the counter-locking means in the adjustment path, then the reliability is improved to prevent accidental disengagement, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the locking function into distinct components: the resilient arms/detent mechanism for normal operation and the bolt for security. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently without the complexities of a fully integrated system. The bolt is a simple, isolated element that adds minimal complexity while providing the necessary reliability to prevent accidental disengagement under high load conditions.
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 provides reliable height adjustment of door compartments without accidental disengagement, ensuring the door rack remains securely locked and preventing falls, while allowing easy manual adjustment with clear auditory feedback.
Implementation Method 1
resilient or spring-loaded arms are held, which are provided with counter-locking parts that can be locked in locking recesses or snapped onto nub-like elevations
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a refrigerator comprising a carcass (2) that delimits an interior, a door (6), on the internal side of which catching means (11) are arranged, said internal side facing the interior, a door bin (10) that has a catching means arrangement (13) for vertically adjusting the door bin (10) in steps into several snapped-in positions on the door (6), an opposite catching means (12) that has a catching nose (24) which engages into a catching notch (41) of a catching means (11) in a locked position while being disengaged from the catching notch (41) in a released position, and an unlocking means (19) provided on the opposite catching means (12) in order to release the door bin (10) from a momentary snapped-in position. In order to design a refrigerator (1) in which the door bin (10) is reliably prevented from being vertically adjusted when the unlocking means (19) is not actuated, the opposite catching means (12) has a bolt (81) which is placed in the adjustment path of the opposite catching means (12) when the unlocking means (19) is not actuated, blocking a movement of the catching nose (24) out of the catching notch (41), the adjustment path of the opposite catching means (12) lying between a locked position and a released position.