Hinge Coupling Assembly for Sealed Refrigerator Water Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern refrigerators with door modules for accessing water or ice face challenges in maintaining a sealed and continuous fluid passage during door opening and closing, which affects the reliability and efficiency of water or ice dispensing systems.
Innovation Solution
A hinge coupling assembly is integrated within the door hinge, featuring a first coupling connected to the door and a second coupling connected to the door frame, allowing simultaneous connection and disconnection to form a sealed continuous passage upon door installation and removal, and maintaining this seal during radial and axial displacement with door opening and closing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tubing is routed through the refrigerator and door to provide water to the module, then the water dispensing function is achieved, but maintaining a sealed continuous passage during door opening and closing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is divided into separate sections (first hinge section, second hinge section) with each containing a coupling component. This segmentation allows the water passage to be maintained through modular connections that can accommodate door movement while preserving seal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Couplings are introduced as intermediary components between the door and door frame hinges. These couplings include sealed passages and mechanisms that maintain the water flow path while accommodating the relative movement between the door and frame during opening and closing operations.
2Ease of operation
If the door is coupled to the door frame through hinges, then the door can open and close, but maintaining fluid passage continuity during radial and axial displacement is challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge coupling system is designed to be dynamic, allowing the couplings to move relative to each other during door operation. The first and second hinge sections are configured to accommodate radial and axial displacement while maintaining the sealed passage, enabling both door movement and fluid continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling design allows for changes in positional parameters (radial and axial displacement) while maintaining the sealed connection. The coupling passages are configured to maintain seal integrity despite changes in the relative position between the door and door frame during operation.
3Productivity
If a sealed passage is created through the hinge couplings, then water can be dispensed during door operation, but the complexity of maintaining the seal during displacement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge functionality and water passage sealing are merged into a single integrated assembly. The first and second hinge sections with their respective couplings work together as a unified system that provides both the mechanical hinge function and the sealed fluid passage, eliminating the need for separate routing mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge coupling assembly includes a first coupling incorporated within a first hinge section coupled to a door, including a first end and an opposite second end connecting a first coupling passage formed within the first coupling, and a second coupling incorporated within a second hinge section separate from the first hinge section and coupled to a door frame, the second coupling including a first end and an opposite second end connecting a second coupling passage formed within the second coupling. Connection and disconnection of the first coupling to the second coupling to create a single sealed continuous passage formed by the first coupling passage and second coupling passage is simultaneous upon installation and removal of the door to the door frame. The sealed continuous passage is maintained upon radial and axial displacement of the first coupling with respect to the second coupling upon opening and closing of the door.