Refrigerated Product Carrier Rail Geometry for Easy Drawer Removal

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing refrigerated goods carriers in refrigeration appliances are cumbersome to completely remove for cleaning due to complex designs and the need to disengage fastening elements, making them user-unfriendly and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The refrigerated goods carrier is designed with rails that open further towards the front, allowing the container to be lifted over the rollers for easy removal without disengaging fastening elements, and includes a stop mechanism to prevent tipping and ensure smooth sliding, maintaining low manufacturing and assembly costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If complex telescopic pull-outs with multiple fastening elements are used to account for large tolerances, then the extension path is sufficient, but the system becomes more complex and less user-friendly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccommodation of tolerancesVSAvoidnumber of fastening elements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The running channel width is varied along its length, being wider at the front end to allow easy lifting and removal of the container. This parameter change in the geometric configuration provides tolerance accommodation without requiring complex fastening mechanisms, reducing the system to essentially two rollers and a shaped channel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using fastening elements to secure the container and requiring active disengagement, the system inverts the approach by using passive geometric constraints. The container is retained by its position in the running channel and is released by lifting it, reversing the conventional approach of active fastening and passive removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of manufacture

If the running channel width is reduced to accommodate only one roller, then manufacturing costs decrease, but the container cannot be easily removed by lifting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverunning channel dimensionsVSAvoidremoval of container
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The running channel exhibits local quality variation, with the width at the front end being specifically designed to accommodate two rollers side-by-side to enable easy removal. The rest of the running channel maintains a narrower width suitable for single-roller operation during normal use. This localized dimensional variation provides both manufacturing efficiency and ease of removal without compromising either aspect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2021709B1Refrigerated product carrier for a refrigeration device and refrigeration device with refrigerated product container
Publication Date: 2018.09.19 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2021709B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2021709B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a refrigerated product carrier (2) for a refrigeration device (1), comprising a refrigerated product container (3) that can be pulled out by means of a telescopic slide. Said slide has a guide part (14) that can be locally fixed in relation to the refrigeration device (1) and a free rail part (15) that can be arranged on the refrigerated product container (3). The guide part (14) and/or the refrigerated product container (3) have a rotatably mounted roller (16, 17), which engages in a running channel (30) formed by the guide part (14) and the free rail part (15). According to the invention, the front end region (34) of the running channel (30) is enlarged to permit the removal of the refrigerated product container (3).