Freezer Door Handle Pivot Structure to Prevent Pin Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator freezer compartment doors are prone to pivot pin breakage due to careless handling, which applies significant shear forces to the spring material, leading to material fatigue and potential failure.
Innovation Solution
The design features first and second projections oriented transversely to the pivot axis, with pins engaging in openings, where the pivot axis runs through these openings, disconnecting the pins from the spring and connecting them to the handle part or door body, allowing for more resilient materials to absorb shear forces, and a hairpin-shaped spring with legs connected at an apex to provide spring action and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the pins are connected to the spring material, then the spring provides necessary elasticity and spring action, but the shear forces applied during careless handling cause material fatigue and potential breakage of the pins
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the pin connection from the spring material by introducing distinct connection points: pins are connected to the handle part or door body through projections and openings, while the spring is attached separately to these components. This segmentation isolates the spring's elastic function from the pin's structural function, preventing shear forces from compromising the pin connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the pin connection function from the spring material by providing dedicated connection points on the handle part or door body. The pins are taken out of the spring material and reconnected to more resilient structural components, thereby removing the vulnerability of spring material to shear forces while preserving the spring's elastic action.
2Reliability
If the pins are disconnected from the spring and connected to the handle part or door body, then the risk of pin breakage is reduced, but the structural complexity increases with additional projections and openings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the pin connection function with existing structural elements of the handle part or door body. The projections and openings are integrated into the overall door assembly structure, combining multiple functions (latching, pivoting, and pin support) into unified components rather than adding separate dedicated structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle part and door body serve multiple functions: they provide the structural framework for the door, contain the latching mechanism, provide pivot points for the handle part, and now also serve as the connection points for the pins. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
3Volume of moving object
If a hairpin-shaped spring with legs connected at an apex is used, then the spring action is maintained in a compact design, but the pivot axis positioning becomes critical for optimal performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates the pivot axis positioning into the design phase by pre-determining its location relative to the spring apex. The pivot axis is positioned at a specific distance from the apex (between one-quarter and three-quarters of the leg length), which is built into the manufacturing specifications to ensure optimal spring action while maintaining compact dimensions.
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
This design reduces the risk of pivot pin breakage by distributing shear forces through more resilient materials and maintaining a compact, effective spring action, ensuring reliable latching and easy operation of the freezer compartment door.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element (16) having a hairpin-shaped cross-section... These legs are elastically pressed against each other when pivoting the handle part
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
In a refrigerator with a freezer compartment door for pivotable mounting on a freezer compartment, with a door body (1), a pivotable handle part (5), which has a first leg (4) extending on a front side of the door body (1) and a first leg (4) on a side flank (7) of the door body (1) extending second leg (6), and with a between the side flank (7) and the second leg (6) accommodated, by pivoting the handle part (5) compressible spring (16), the one by pivoting the grip part (5) towards the side flank (7) that can be moved towards the locking projection (21), the base body (1) and the grip part (5) have first and second projections (14, 9) oriented transversely to the pivot axis (20). on, wherein the first projections (14) each carry a pin (15) and the second projections (9) have an opening (12) into which one of the pins (15) engages to form the pivot axis (20).