Door shelf for a refrigeration device, refrigeration device having a door shelf and method for providing a door shelf
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door shelves in refrigeration devices often suffer from manufacturing tolerances that cause decorative metal bands to not lie tightly against the base element, impairing the visual appearance.
Innovation Solution
A door shelf design featuring a dish-shaped base element, a support frame with a front and side portions, and a decorative strip with rear fastening portions that are bent to securely attach to the support frame, ensuring a tight and reliable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a metal band is mounted directly onto a base element, then the door shelf structure is simple, but manufacturing tolerances cause the metal band to not lie tightly against the base element, impairing visual appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame is divided into multiple portions (front portion, two side portions, and two rear fastening portions) that can be separately formed and then assembled. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured with precise dimensions while providing flexibility in assembly to accommodate tolerances, ensuring the decorative strip lies tightly against the support frame without requiring the entire structure to be manufactured as a single precision component.
2Reliability
If the decorative strip is bent to fasten to the support frame, then the decorative strip lies tightly and securely, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rear fastening portions of the decorative strip are pre-formed with bending portions that are designed to bend over the rear ends of the support frame portions. This preliminary formation of the bending portions allows for controlled deformation during assembly, ensuring reliable fastening while simplifying the manufacturing process compared to attempting to bend the entire decorative strip after assembly.
3Reliability
If the rear side portion is offset inwardly relative to the front side portion, then the decorative strip can be securely fastened, but the support frame geometry becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame portions have different geometries suited to their specific functions: the front and side portions have configurations optimized for supporting the decorative strip visually, while the rear fastening portions are offset inwardly and designed specifically for secure mechanical fastening. This local differentiation of geometry allows each portion to optimize its specific function without requiring the entire support frame to have complex geometry throughout.
Data Source
AI summary
A door shelf for a refrigeration device includes a base. A support frame on the base defines a front and two side portions, each side portion includes front, central and rear side portions, the rear side portion is offset inwardly to the front side portion and the central side portion includes a first end at the front side portion. A preferably metal decorative strip which includes front, two side and two rear fastening portions is mounted securely on the frame with the front portion of the strip on the front portion of the frame, each side portion of the strip on the front side portion and a first region of the rear fastening portion on the central side portion. A second end of the central side portion defines a bending edge along which a second region of the rear fastening portion is bent to fasten the strip to the frame.