Refrigerator Door Hinge Sleeve Structure for Thin End Closures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerator or freezer doors require thick end elements for bearing bushes to withstand high loads, leading to material-intensive and expensive production, while also risking warping during demoulding.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sleeve on the inner side of the closing element with a hollow space behind the hinge pin opening, which reduces the wall thickness while maintaining load capacity through stabilization, and using the door bushing as an injection port or vent valve for insulating material, along with a stiffening element that snaps into place for additional support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wall thickness of the closing element is increased to provide sufficient load capacity for the bearing bushes, then the load-bearing strength is improved, but the material usage increases and production cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The closing element combines plastic material with a reinforcing cage structure made of profiled bars. This composite construction allows the plastic to provide corrosion resistance and basic structural form, while the metal cage provides the necessary mechanical strength and stiffness for bearing bushes, eliminating the need for thick plastic walls and reducing overall material usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing element is divided into functional components: the plastic outer shell, the internal profiled bar cage structure, and the bearing bushes. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function - the plastic for protection and form, the cage for structural strength, and the bushes for rotational support - rather than requiring the entire structure to be over-engineered for maximum load capacity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the wall thickness of the closing element is increased to prevent warping during demoulding, then the structural stability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The combination of plastic and a rigid profiled bar cage provides immediate structural stability during the demoulding process. The metal cage acts as an internal skeleton that prevents the plastic from warping or deforming under its own weight or demoulding forces, allowing for thinner wall sections that are easier and less expensive to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The profiled bar cage acts as an intermediary structural element between the plastic material and the external environment. It provides the necessary rigidity and shape retention during manufacturing and assembly, mediating between the need for thin walls and the need for dimensional stability without requiring complex mold designs or post-processing.
3Ease of operation
If the closing element is made to protrude beyond the outer wall to provide functional features, then the ease of operation is improved, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates due to visible steps and dirt accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing bushes and other functional features are nested within recesses in the closing element, which itself is recessed relative to the outer wall surface. This nested arrangement allows the functional components to be accessible and operable while remaining visually integrated with the door surface, eliminating protruding steps that would catch dirt and detract from appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing element features localized recesses and contours that provide functional accessibility where needed while maintaining a flush appearance with the outer wall at visible surfaces. The profiled bar cage provides structural functionality internally without affecting the external aesthetic quality, allowing different parts of the structure to have different qualities optimized for their specific purposes.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic appliance, especially a domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising a heat-insulated door having an outer wall (1) and an inner wall (34) that are interconnected along longitudinal edges and delimit an interspace serving to thermally insulate the door, and at least one closing element (2, 3; 2') which is connected to respective transverse edges of the outer wall (1) and the inner wall (34) and has an opening (20) for receiving a hinge pin. The invention is characterized in that a sleeve (31) is fastened to an inner side of the closing element (2, 3; 2'), an internal hollow space of said sleeve being located behind the opening (20) in the direction of the interspace.