Drawer Refrigerator Cable Housing for Sliding Door Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with drawer-type doors face challenges in protecting electric wire cables connected to control panels from damage due to interference during sliding and insertion operations, leading to potential damage and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring sliding frames and fixed frames with a guide hole and electric wire cable housing to manage the electric wire cable, including a push member to guide the cable back into the receiving space, preventing exposure and damage, and an opening and closing detection unit using a reed switch and magnet to ensure proper operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drawer type door is made slidable for easy operation, then ease of operation is improved, but the electric wire cable is exposed to interference and damage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The electric wire cable is nested within the receiving space formed by the fixed frame, which is integrated into the drawer type door structure. The cable housing containing the cable is inserted into the receiving space through the guide hole, creating a nested configuration that protects the cable while allowing door movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed frame acts as an intermediary structure between the moving drawer type door and the electric wire cable. It provides a stable receiving space that moves with the door while constraining the cable position, and the guide hole serves as an intermediary passage that guides the cable housing during door operation.
2Ease of operation
If the electric wire cable is made flexible to allow door movement, then ease of operation is improved, but the cable becomes vulnerable to damage from interference
Solution Approach 1:
The cable housing containing the electric wire cable is nested within the receiving space of the fixed frame. This nested configuration allows the cable to move flexibly with the door while being protected from external interference by the surrounding frame structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable housing serves as a flexible protective shell that accommodates the electric wire cable while allowing it to move during door operation. The housing protects the cable from damage while maintaining the flexibility needed for door sliding movement.
3Device complexity
If the cable management structure is simplified, then device complexity is reduced, but cable protection and alignment reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed frame merges multiple functions into a single structure: it forms the receiving space for the cable housing, provides the guide hole for cable insertion, and integrates with the drawer type door. This consolidation reduces overall device complexity while maintaining cable protection and alignment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed frame serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it structures the receiving space, guides the cable housing through the guide hole, and moves with the drawer type door. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cable management components, simplifying the overall device while ensuring reliable cable protection.
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 solution effectively prevents damage to the electric wire cable during the opening and closing of the drawer-type door, enhancing the reliability and longevity of the refrigerator by ensuring the cable remains protected and properly aligned.
Implementation Method 1
an opening and closing detection unit to detect an open or closed state of the drawer type door, and the opening and closing detection unit may include a reed switch provided at a corresponding one of the fixed frames adjacent to the electric wire drawing part and a magnet provided at a corresponding one of the sliding frames such that the magnet cooperates with the reed switch
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a fixed frame in which an electric wire cable drawn from one sidewall of a storage chamber is disposed to form a loop, a sliding frame slidably coupled to the fixed frame, and an electric wire cable housing fixed to the sliding frame to surround a portion of the electric wire cable. The electric wire cable is prevented from being damaged upon insertion and drawing of a drawer type door.