Built-In Refrigerator Door Lock With Front-Side Adjustable Bolt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door lock mechanisms for built-in refrigeration appliances are not suitable for built-in devices as they require access to the top of the body for operation, which is not feasible in standard kitchen installations, and existing solutions damage or strain the surrounding furniture cabinet walls.
Innovation Solution
A door lock system with a bolt and latch mechanism where the latch is connected to the body and the bolt has a rotatable actuator for storage at the front, allowing the door to be locked from the front side without requiring bolts on the furniture cabinet walls, featuring an adjustable locking element to accommodate varying installation positions and heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a door lock mechanism with a bolt mounted on the body is used, then the door can be locked securely, but the furniture cabinet walls surrounding the built-in refrigeration device must be provided with a bolt at the side, which can damage high-quality furniture cabinet walls or require sufficient structural strength
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of mounting the bolt on the body (internal structure) and requiring the furniture cabinet walls to have a corresponding bolt receptacle, the invention inverts the arrangement by mounting the bolt on the front (external structure) and the latch on the body. This allows the locking mechanism to function securely without requiring modifications to the furniture cabinet walls, thus preventing damage to high-quality furniture while maintaining reliable locking.
2Ease of operation
If a door lock with a button on the top of the body for unlocking is used, then the hook bolt can be actuated, but the top of the body must be accessible to a user, which is not feasible in built-in refrigeration devices
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the control mechanism location from the top of the body (inaccessible in built-in installations) to the front (accessible in built-in installations). The actuator is now mounted on the front and can be operated from the front side, making the door lock adaptable to built-in refrigeration devices while maintaining ease of operation through the same locking and unlocking functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a linkage mechanism as an intermediary that transmits the unlocking action from the actuator on the front to the bolt. This allows the user to operate the lock from an accessible location (front) while the actual locking component (bolt) remains positioned to engage with the latch on the body, bridging the gap between accessibility and functional requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the front and body have large tolerances in their mutual position, then the installation can accommodate different furniture cabinets, but the bolt must still engage reliably with the latch despite positional deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the mounting position of the bolt dynamic rather than fixed by providing adjustment means that allow the bolt's position on the front to be varied. This enables the installation to accommodate large tolerances in the mutual position between the front and body by adjusting the bolt's location, while still ensuring reliable engagement with the latch on the body.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of the bolt's mounting position from fixed to adjustable. The adjustment means allow the position parameters (such as horizontal and vertical location) of the bolt to be modified to compensate for tolerances in the installation, ensuring that the bolt can always engage reliably with the latch despite variations in the mutual position between the front and body caused by different furniture cabinets.
Data Source
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AI summary
The refrigerator (1) has a coupling device (29) connected with a front part (8a), which faces a door leaf (5a), so that the door leaf is moved by actuating the front part. A door lock (28) with a locking bolt (15) and a catch bolt (10) releases the door leaf in a releasing position and locks the door leaf in a locking position. The catch bolt is connected with a body (2) of the refrigerator, and the locking bolt comprises a fitting (27) towards a bearing at the front part. The fitting comprises an adjusting unit (25), which adjusts the locking bolt in a position with respect to the catch bolt.