Refrigerator Door Rack Height Adjustment With Wedge-Step Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household refrigeration appliance doors with adjustable door compartments often lack stability and ease of adjustment, as they either have fixed positions or continuous, stepless height adjustments, which can lead to instability and difficulty in handling, especially when loaded with objects.
Innovation Solution
A door compartment height adjustment device featuring wedge elements formed on the inner wall of the door pillars, allowing for discrete height adjustments with a mechanically stable and easy-to-use mechanism, where the wedge elements create a sawtooth profile for secure positioning and easy movement of the door racks between height levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If continuous height adjustment is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The height adjustment mechanism is segmented into discrete steps using wedge elements that create notches at specific height levels. The door rack can only be positioned at these predetermined discrete levels, transforming continuous adjustment into discrete positioning. This segmentation provides both ease of operation (simple up/down movement to next level) and stability (secure positioning at each discrete level).
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge elements act as intermediary components between the door rack and the door pillar. These wedges create mechanical interlocking through their notch geometry, serving as a mediator that enables discrete height positioning while maintaining stability. The wedge shape provides mechanical advantage for easy insertion and removal at discrete levels.
2Stability of the object's composition
If discrete height steps are used, then stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge elements are designed with asymmetric geometry (wider at the base, narrower at the tip) to enable dynamic adjustment behavior. When moving upward, the door rack easily engages the next higher notch. When moving downward, the rack can be easily removed and repositioned to a lower notch. This dynamic design makes discrete adjustment as easy as continuous adjustment while maintaining stable positioning at each level.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge elements change the geometric parameters of the adjustment mechanism by creating notches at specific height intervals. The notch depth and width are optimized to provide easy engagement during adjustment while ensuring stable positioning when loaded. The parameter optimization of the wedge geometry resolves the contradiction between discrete positioning and ease of operation.
3Quantity of substance
If door rack is heavily loaded, then utility is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge elements utilize curved or inclined surfaces rather than flat contact surfaces. The inclined planes of the wedges provide mechanical advantage, reducing the force required to engage or disengage the door rack even when heavily loaded. The curved geometry allows smooth insertion and removal of the door rack at discrete height levels while supporting heavy loads during operation.
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
The wedge element design provides a stable and intuitive method for adjusting the door rack height, preventing jamming and ensuring secure positioning, even when heavily loaded, allowing for easy transition between height levels with reduced effort and risk of misalignment.
Implementation Method 1
The guide recess is delimited on the rear side facing the door body by wedge elements, in particular by bearing edges and front edges of the wedge elements
Data Source
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AI summary
Door (6, 7) for a household refrigerating appliance (1), with a panel-like door body (12) which has a door storage device (17) which has two vertically oriented door struts (19) arranged on an inner side (11) of the door body (12), 20) and at least one door rack (13, 14, 15, 18) extending between the door posts (19, 20), with at least one door post (19, 20) on one of the door racks (13, 14, 15, 18) facing The inner wall (21, 22) has a height adjustment device (16) for adjusting the height of the door rack (13, 14, 15, 18) in discrete height steps, the height adjustment device (16) having a plurality of height-adjustable height adjustment devices that extend in the direction of the opposite door pillar ( 19, 20) has wedge elements (23) which extend raised from the inner wall (21, 22) and by means of which the vertical steps are formed. Household refrigerating appliance (1) with such a door (6, 7) and method for adjusting a height of a door rack (13, 14, 15, 18).