Refrigerator Door Rack Guide With Integrated Height Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional door racks in refrigerators and freezers have complex mechanisms for locking and adjusting height, making it cumbersome to adjust the height of the door racks, especially when loading high goods or those without a rear wall, as they require removal and re-hanging, which is not user-friendly.
Innovation Solution
The integration of vertically arranged webs on the inside of the door, which serve as both guides and locking mechanisms for the door racks, allowing for simple vertical adjustment without additional parts, using knobs or projections on the webs to lock and guide the racks, and a clamping device to secure them in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional locking mechanisms are used for door racks, then the door rack can be locked in position, but the mechanism becomes complicated and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail and locking mechanism are merged into a single integrated structure. The guide rail includes guiding surfaces that simultaneously provide guidance and locking functions, eliminating the need for separate locking components. This reduces structural complexity while maintaining reliable locking capability through the unified design of the guide rail system.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rail serves multiple functions: it guides the door rack during movement, locks the door rack at desired positions, and prevents accidental displacement. By making the guide rail multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate guiding and locking components, thereby reducing overall mechanism complexity while ensuring reliable operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If door racks are completely removed for height adjustment, then the door rack can be repositioned, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The door rack is designed to be dynamically adjustable along the guide rail without complete removal. The rack can be easily detached and reattached at different positions on the guide rail, transforming the static installation into a dynamic, easily adjustable system. This allows users to reposition the rack quickly by simply sliding it to a new location on the guide rail and re-engaging the locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The height adjustment system is segmented into discrete positioning points along the guide rail, allowing the door rack to be quickly positioned at predetermined locations. This segmentation enables rapid adjustment by moving the rack to the nearest suitable position on the guide rail rather than requiring precise continuous positioning, thereby reducing adjustment time.
3Ease of operation
If additional guide rails are installed for door rack adjustment, then the door rack can be adjusted vertically, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding function and locking function are merged into the existing door structure. The guide rail is integrated with the door panel, and the locking mechanism is incorporated into the guide rail itself, eliminating the need for separate additional guide rails and locking components. This unified design provides vertical adjustment capability without increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rail is designed to perform multiple functions: providing vertical guidance for the door rack, enabling height adjustment, and providing locking at desired positions. By making the guide rail multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate additional components while ensuring ease of vertical adjustment operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The door has a door storage compartment (10) locked at different positions of a door interior side. A rod (20) is provided at the interior side and forms a guide for the compartment. The rod or a region of the door interior side comprises a component i.e. knob (22), which combine with another component e.g. movable flap, slider or rotating lever, arranged at the compartment. The compartment is locked by the two components in a desired position. The door storage compartment or the latter component contacts the rod and/or the knob.