Foldable Refrigerator Shelf Layout for Flexible Inner Volume Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shelf systems in white appliances, such as refrigerators, are inefficient in utilizing the inner volume due to integral shelves that require additional space for adjustment, limiting user flexibility and effective use.
Innovation Solution
A multi-piece shelf system with a main and movable shelf section that can be easily folded and positioned without requiring additional space, utilizing a guide member and guiding element for vertical movement and adjustment, allowing optimal use of the appliance's inner volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If integral shelves are positioned one above another in conventional shelf systems, then the structure is simple and stable, but the inner volume of the white appliance cannot be used effectively due to the fixed distance between shelves
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is divided into multiple independent sections (front shelf section, rear shelf section, intermediate shelf sections) that can be adjusted relative to each other. This segmentation allows the shelf to adapt to different storage needs while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf system incorporates movable and adjustable components that allow dynamic reconfiguration of shelf positions and configurations. The intermediate shelf sections can be moved between positions, and the front shelf section can be folded, enabling the system to adapt to varying storage requirements without requiring a completely different structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the front shelf section is placed under the rear shelf section to eliminate height dependency, then object placement flexibility is improved, but additional space is required under the rear shelf section which prevents effective use of inner volume
Solution Approach 1:
The front shelf section is designed to nest within the space between the rear shelf section and the appliance wall, rather than requiring space underneath the rear shelf. This nesting arrangement allows flexible object placement while maximizing the use of available vertical and horizontal space within the appliance.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of positioning the front shelf section vertically underneath the rear shelf section (consuming vertical space), the invention utilizes the horizontal dimension by placing the front shelf section in the gap between the rear shelf and the appliance wall. This dimensional shift resolves the space conflict while maintaining placement flexibility.
3Ease of operation
If the rear rack is moved upward via the front rack in the prior art, then shelf reconfiguration is enabled, but additional space behind the rear rack is required which prevents effective use of inner volume
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the guiding and movement mechanism from the rear of the shelf system and relocates it to the front, where the front shelf section interacts with guide members on the appliance wall. This extraction eliminates the need for additional space behind the rear rack while maintaining ease of reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide members and guiding elements act as intermediaries between the shelf sections and the appliance wall, enabling smooth movement and reconfiguration of the shelf sections without requiring additional space behind the rear rack. The guide members constrain the movement paths while allowing easy adjustment.
Data Source
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AI summary
The shelf system (S) according to the present invention which is suitable to be positioned in an inner volume of a white appliance comprises a shelf (R) comprising a main shelf section (1) and a movable shelf section (2), and having a flat position wherein the movable shelf section (2) is situated next to the main shelf section (1), and a folded position wherein the movable shelf section (2) is situated under the main shelf section (1); a guide member (3) having a body (3a), a recess (3c) positioned on the body (3a) wherein a side of the main shelf section (1) is situated, and which permits vertical movement of the main shelf section (1) during the use of the shelf system (S), and a channel (3b) wherein a side of the movable shelf section (2) is positioned in the flat position of the shelf (R) and said side of the movable shelf section (2) can be moved therein; and a guiding element (4) that orients the movable shelf section (2) during its transition between the flat position of the shelf (R) and the folded position thereof, and having a curved surface (4a) that contacts the upper surface of the movable shelf section (2), wherein one portion of its side that is in contact with the movable shelf section (2) is curved, and a flat surface (4b) forming a bridge between the main shelf section (1) and the movable shelf section (2).