Refrigerator Door Hinge Routing for Kink-Resistant Supply Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigeration appliance supply lines, especially hose lines, face kinking and damage due to inadequate curvature radius between the door and body, leading to mechanical stress and aesthetic issues.
Innovation Solution
A guide element with a curved channel and a hollow bearing pin, where the guide element is securely fixed to a carrier arm, allowing a large radius of curvature and accommodating multiple channels, including a hose line and electrical lines, to prevent kinking and reduce mechanical stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the supply line is routed with a small radius of curvature between the door and body, then the overhang of the hinge is minimized, but the supply line is at risk of kinking and long-term damage
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element incorporates a curved channel with a specifically designed radius of curvature that is at least 1.5 times the outer diameter of the hose line. This curved geometry allows the supply line to bend smoothly without kinking, while the guide element itself is positioned to minimize the overall overhang of the hinge assembly.
2Device complexity
If the supply line is exposed to torsional loads at the door-side end of the guide element, then the hinge structure remains compact, but the buckling resistance of the supply line deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is designed with a diameter that is at least 1.5 times the outer diameter of the hose line, creating a larger internal space that reduces bending stresses and torsional loads on the supply line. This dimensional parameter change enhances buckling resistance while maintaining a compact hinge structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple channels are accommodated in the guide element, then the device integrates multiple functions, but the diameter of the guide element must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is designed as a multi-functional component that can accommodate both a hose line for fluid supply and electrical lines for power and control signals. The curved channel structure provides universal applicability for different types of supply lines while maintaining a compact diameter through optimized curvature radius.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A refrigeration device, in particular a household refrigerator, has a carcass (1), a door (2), a hinge (6) which connects the carcass (1) to the door (2) and which comprises a support arm (7) that is secured to the carcass (2) and a hollow bearing journal (13) that extends away from the support arm (7) and engages into a socket (25) of the door (2), and a guide element (17) which engages into the bearing journal (13), has at least one curved channel (19) for a supply line that extends between the carcass (1) and door (2), and which has a plug-in section (18) that is received in the bearing journal (13) in a form-locked manner.