Refrigerator Door Hinge Adjustment for Post-Assembly Leveling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators face issues with door height discrepancies due to assembly tolerance, requiring inefficient repositioning of hinge frames to achieve level doors, especially in side-by-side models with freezing and refrigerating chambers.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable door mechanism using a screw-coupled adjustment bolt and hinge bush system, allowing for upward or downward movement of the door by rotating the adjustment bolt, ensuring accurate door positioning without complete disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hinge frame is fixed to the body with bolts or welding in the initial assembly process, then the door height is determined, but the door height cannot be adjusted later due to assembly tolerance or displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge frame is designed with a movable portion that can be positioned at different locations along the guide groove, transforming the fixed hinge frame into a dynamically adjustable structure. This allows the door height to be modified after assembly by simply repositioning the movable portion within the guide groove and securing it with the locking member.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge frame is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion that can independently move along the guide groove. This segmentation allows the movable portion to be adjusted to different positions while the fixed portion remains anchored to the body, enabling height adjustment without affecting the overall structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the hinge frame is made fixed and rigid, then the door position is stable, but the door height cannot be adjusted after assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge frame incorporates a movable portion that can be easily repositioned along the guide groove and locked in place, transforming a static structure into a dynamically adjustable one. This maintains stability during normal use while enabling straightforward height adjustment when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove acts as an intermediary element that guides the movement of the movable portion, while the locking member serves as a mediator to secure the movable portion at the desired position. These intermediary components enable easy adjustment while maintaining stable door positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hinge frame is completely disassembled for height adjustment, then the door height can be changed, but the adjustment process becomes inefficient and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the hinge frame into fixed and movable portions, the invention allows height adjustment through simple repositioning of the movable portion along the guide groove, eliminating the need for complete disassembly and significantly reducing adjustment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove is pre-formed in the fixed portion of the hinge frame, providing a predetermined path for the movable portion. This preliminary structural preparation enables quick and easy height adjustment without requiring complex disassembly or reconfiguration procedures.
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 adjustment of door height to maintain level alignment between refrigerating and freezing chamber doors, improving convenience and reliability in side-by-side refrigerators by allowing height adjustments post-assembly.
Implementation Method 1
an adjustment bolt, which has a thread formed on its outer peripheral edge, is screw-coupled to a screw hole, which is formed on a plate-shaped member, so that the height of a door can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment bolt for its upward/downward movement
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator having a height-adjustable door. The body of the refrigerator has at least one storage space having a front opening. The door is coupled to the body so as to cover/uncover the storage space, and a hinge hole is formed on the bottom surface of the door. A hinge frame is fixed to a front surface of a lower portion of the body and has a hinge shaft inserted into the hinge hole so as to rotatably support the door. The hinge shaft is covered with a hinge bush, a part of which is inserted into the hinge hole. The hinge bush has a flange portion on its lower end for supporting the bottom surface of the door. A height adjustment screw is screw-coupled to a screw hole of the hinge frame so as to travel vertically. The upper end of the height adjustment screw abuts the bottom surface of the hinge bush so that, when rotated, the height adjustment screw lifts/lowers the hinge bush, in order to adjust the height of the door.