Door hinge and storage unit including such a door hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated refrigerators face mechanical limitations in door hinge design, restricting the angular range and causing the door to pitch inward, which reduces storage capacity and requires accommodations that compromise shelving or drawer space.
Innovation Solution
A hinge system with a linking mechanism and adjustable biasing mechanism that allows the door to translate and rotate freely, increasing the angular range and maintaining clearance from adjacent cabinetry, while an adjustable biasing mechanism adjusts the load to bias the door toward the housing, enhancing operational flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional hinge is used for an integrated refrigerator door, then the door can be attached to the housing, but the angular range of opening is mechanically limited and the door pitches inward into the refrigerator cabinet
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is divided into separate components: a first bracket attached to the housing, a second bracket attached to the door, and a linking mechanism connecting them. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's function, enabling the linking mechanism to provide extended rotational travel while the brackets maintain secure attachment, thus increasing angular range without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism incorporates both rotational movement and translational adjustment capabilities. The linking mechanism allows the second bracket to not only rotate relative to the first bracket but also translate along a predetermined path. This addition of translational freedom in another dimension enables the door to swing through a wider angular range while preventing inward pitching that would reduce storage volume.
2Ease of operation
If the hinge allows greater angular rotation, then the door clears adjacent cabinetry better, but the door may pitch inward requiring storage accommodations
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge incorporates an adjustable biasing mechanism that dynamically controls the door's position during opening. The biasing mechanism applies a controllable force to prevent the door from pitching inward excessively, maintaining optimal clearance from adjacent cabinetry throughout the opening range. This dynamic control eliminates the need for static storage accommodations while preserving the enhanced angular rotation capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the hinge mechanism is simplified, then manufacturing is easier, but the angular range and operational flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the hinge into standardized brackets and a linking mechanism, each component can be manufactured independently using conventional processes. The modular design allows for simplified production of individual parts while the assembled mechanism delivers enhanced angular range and operational flexibility through the coordinated action of its components.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge design incorporates universal features that serve multiple functions: the linking mechanism simultaneously provides rotational movement, translational adjustment, and positioning control; the biasing mechanism both prevents inward pitching and maintains clearance. This multi-functionality achieves enhanced adaptability and angular range without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity, as single components perform multiple roles.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge for a door of a storage unit and a method of repairing a storage unit that includes a pivotable door. The hinge including a first bracket and a second bracket. The hinge further including a linking mechanism for coupling the second bracket to the first bracket so that the second bracket is able to translate and rotate relative to the first bracket, wherein a maximum amount of rotation of the second bracket relative to the first bracket is not determined solely by operation of the linking mechanism.