Keyed Aperture Lighting Assembly for Refrigerator Gap Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator appliances face issues with unsightly gaps and space inefficiency due to protruding lighting components, which detract from the finished appearance and utility of the cabinet.
Innovation Solution
A lighting assembly system where a housing with a rim and lateral locator is coupled with a liner via keyed apertures and slots, ensuring secure alignment and minimizing gaps between the lighting assembly and the liner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting components protrude into the cabinet to provide illumination, then visibility within the cabinet is improved, but gaps are created between the light and the liner resulting in an unfinished appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly housing is nested within a recess formed in the liner, with the rim of the housing received within a keyed aperture in the liner. This nesting arrangement allows the lighting component to protrude sufficiently for illumination while the rim and lateral locator engage with the liner to minimize gaps and create a finished appearance.
2Illumination intensity
If lighting components protrude into the cabinet to provide illumination, then visibility within the cabinet is improved, but valuable space within the cabinet is taken up
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly is segmented into a housing portion and a light portion. The housing is received within a keyed aperture in the liner, while the light portion protrudes into the cabinet to provide illumination. This segmentation allows the lighting function to be achieved with minimal space occupation, as only the necessary light portion protrudes rather than the entire assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If lighting components are mounted using conventional methods, then assembly can be performed, but gaps between the light and liner create an unfinished appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The keyed aperture in the liner and the corresponding rim and lateral locator on the housing create an asymmetric engagement mechanism. This asymmetric design provides specific orientation and positioning features that ensure proper alignment during assembly, achieving both ease of manufacture through defined assembly paths and a finished appearance by minimizing gaps through precise positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet and a liner disposed within the cabinet. The liner defines a keyed aperture and a lateral slot. The refrigerator includes a lighting assembly disposed within the cabinet. The lighting assembly includes a housing that includes a body extending laterally between a first end and a second end. The housing includes a rim coupled with the body. The rim extends laterally between the first end and the second end. The rim is configured to be received by the keyed aperture. The rim received by the keyed aperture restricts transverse movement of the housing. The housing includes a lateral locator extending from the body toward the liner. The lateral locator is configured to be received by the keyed aperture to restrict lateral movement of the housing. The refrigerator includes a light coupled with the housing. The light is directed into the cabinet.