Guide assembly for use in door of refrigerator, and refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side-by-side refrigerators with traditional rotating doors occupy excessive space and have unstable sliding mechanisms, affecting user experience and the service life of pulleys due to high impact forces.
Innovation Solution
A guide assembly for the refrigerator door featuring a sliding rail with left-right extending slides, a movable member with front-back sliding grooves, and a connection member with rollers, allowing the door to slide leftwards and rightwards, reducing space requirements and improving stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a traditional rotating door mechanism is used, then the door can be opened easily, but it occupies excessive space in front of the refrigerator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional door opening mechanism from rotation to linear sliding movement. Instead of the door rotating around a fixed axis, the connection member with rollers slides along the guide rail in a linear fashion, fundamentally changing the motion pattern to reduce space occupation while maintaining operational ease
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a connection member with rollers as an intermediary between the door and the guide rail. This intermediary component enables the door to move along the guide rail through rolling contact, facilitating smooth linear motion and reducing friction compared to direct sliding, thus maintaining ease of operation while achieving compact space usage
2Volume of moving object
If a push-pull type door with direct pulley sliding in guide rail is used, then space occupation is reduced, but the sliding process becomes unstable and impact force increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the door assembly into distinct components: the door body, the connection member with rollers, and the guide rail with support brackets. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, with the rollers handling motion and the support brackets providing stability, thereby reducing impact forces and improving sliding stability while maintaining compact space
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the motion parameters by transitioning from direct pulley sliding to roller-based linear sliding along a guided rail. This parameter change in the motion mechanism reduces friction and impact forces during operation, improving reliability and stability while maintaining the space-saving push-pull functionality
3Volume of moving object
If a push-pull type door with direct pulley sliding in guide rail is used, then space occupation is reduced, but the service life of the pulley decreases due to high impact force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the direct sliding mechanical system with a roller-based system that moves along a guided rail. This substitution reduces friction and impact forces through rolling contact and proper force distribution, significantly extending the service life of moving components while maintaining the compact space-saving design
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
The guide assembly enables stable door movement, reducing space occupation and enhancing user experience by allowing left-right sliding, thus improving the operational stability and longevity of the refrigerator door mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
The connection member comprises a first roller arranged in the sliding groove and capable of moving frontwards and backwards along the sliding groove
Implementation Method 2
the movable member comprises two groups of front and rear second rollers which are respectively pressed against the two slides
Data Source
AI summary
A guide assembly for use in a door of a refrigerator comprises: a sliding rail; a movable member located above the sliding rail; and a connection member connected and fixed to the door. The sliding rail comprises a slide and a track both extending in the left and right direction. The movable member can move along the slide in a reciprocating motion in the left and right direction. The movable member also has a sliding groove extending in the frontward and rearward direction. The connection member comprises a first roller disposed at the sliding groove and capable of moving along the sliding groove in the frontward and rearward direction. The guide assembly further comprises a guide structure disposed under the connection member. The guide structure is movably disposed in the track to guide the movement of the door.