Bottom-Freezer Drawer and Sliding Bin Layout for Easier Item Access

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Refrigerator freezers with bottom freezer compartments often have storage issues due to items being buried and difficult to access, especially when multiple drawers are required to be pulled out sequentially, limiting access to all storage space.

Innovation Solution

A refrigerator storage system with a primary set of glides allowing the freezer drawer to pull out and a secondary set of glides enabling the upper bin or basket to move forward and rearward above the drawer, providing easy access to all portions of the storage system while maintaining efficient operation and ease of use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of stationary object

If a large single drawer is used in the freezer compartment, then storage capacity is improved, but accessibility to stored items deteriorates due to food items getting buried and stacked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidaccessibility to items

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The freezer compartment is divided into multiple drawers (first drawer, second drawer, third drawer) that can be accessed independently. Each drawer contains specific storage bins (ice bin, frozen vegetable bin, frozen meat bin) that can be pulled out separately, allowing users to access items without moving other stored food items.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If multiple drawers are pulled out sequentially to access items, then accessibility to all storage space is improved, but operation complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to all storage spaceVSAvoidtime to retrieve items

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The storage bins within drawers are designed to be dynamically movable. The ice bin and frozen vegetable bin can be pulled out independently on their own glides, and the frozen meat bin can be accessed by pulling out the second drawer. This dynamic design allows users to access specific items without moving entire drawer systems, reducing the time and effort required for item retrieval.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If a slidable tray is added to access items on one side, then accessibility to lateral items is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelateral access to itemsVSAvoidnumber of moving components

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adding lateral sliding mechanisms within drawers, the invention uses vertical stacking of multiple drawers and bins that can be independently accessed. The glides are arranged to allow vertical and horizontal movement of different drawer levels, providing multi-dimensional access without requiring complex lateral sliding mechanisms within each drawer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS7406833B2Refrigerator storage system

Publication Date: 2008.08.05 MAYTAG

AI summary

A refrigerator comprising a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, a lower freezer drawer and an upper freezer bin. A primary set of glides allow the freezer drawer and the upper bin to be pulled out of the freezer compartment. A secondary set of glides mounts the upper bin onto the lower drawer for movement along the drawer, and back into the freezer compartment to allow access to the contents of the lower drawer.