Adjustable Refrigerator Shelf Assembly That Stays Level
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator shelf adjustment mechanisms are cumbersome and pose a risk of food articles falling due to the need to separate shelves from support ribs or rails, making level adjustments difficult and prone to inclination during movement.
Innovation Solution
A shelf assembly with vertically movable guides, switch members, rotating shafts, and connecting devices that maintain the shelf in a horizontal state during vertical movement, allowing for easy level adjustment without separating the shelf from its mounting, using guide members with elongate slots and grooves to guide protrusions and pinions, and a linkage system to ensure horizontal movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the shelf is separated from support ribs or mounting rails for level adjustment, then the shelf can be repositioned to different levels, but the adjustment process becomes difficult and troublesome requiring complete removal of food articles
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is designed with movable mounting structures that allow dynamic repositioning between different height levels. The mounting rails and support ribs incorporate sliding or telescopic mechanisms enabling the shelf to be adjusted from a fixed static structure to a dynamic adjustable one, allowing users to change shelf levels without complete disassembly
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf support system is divided into separable components including the shelf board, mounting rails, and support ribs. This segmentation allows the shelf to be adjusted by moving individual components relative to each other rather than requiring complete separation, simplifying the adjustment process while maintaining repositioning capability
2Adaptability or versatility
If the shelf is moved along an inclined guide slot for level adjustment, then the shelf can be repositioned vertically, but the shelf moves by a considerable distance and requires long movement in forward and rearward directions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the shelf along an inclined guide slot that requires forward-reward movement, the invention uses vertical guide slots or direct vertical translation mechanisms. This changes the movement dimension from diagonal/inclined to purely vertical, reducing the total displacement distance and adjustment time while achieving the same vertical repositioning effect
3Productivity
If the shelf is disposed at an upper position with food articles placed on it, then space utilization is improved, but the shelf may move to a lower position along the guide slot causing food articles to fall
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf mounting system incorporates preliminary locking or securing mechanisms that engage automatically when the shelf is positioned at upper levels. These pre-designed safety features prevent unintended downward movement before it can cause food articles to fall, addressing the stability issue proactively rather than reactively
Solution Approach 2:
Guide slots or guide rails serve as intermediary elements between the shelf and the support structure. These intermediaries provide controlled movement paths with built-in friction or engagement features that prevent accidental slippage while allowing intentional adjustment, thus maintaining both adjustability and stability
4Adaptability or versatility
If the shelf moves during vertical adjustment, then level change is achieved, but the shelf may become inclined in forward or rearward or left or right direction without being kept horizontal
Solution Approach 1:
The guide slots or mounting mechanisms are designed with asymmetric features that constrain movement in specific directions. By making the guide geometry asymmetric with respect to horizontal and vertical axes, the design allows vertical movement while preventing inclined or rotational movement, thus maintaining shelf horizontality during adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails or mounting structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: it guides vertical movement, constrains horizontal displacement, prevents rotation, and maintains shelf levelness. This multi-functional design achieves vertical adjustability while inherently preserving the horizontal state without requiring separate stabilization mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator may include guide members mounted to a storage chamber, with each guide member including a vertical guide hole and a vertical guide groove. A shelf may be mounted to the guide members, to be vertically movable, and switch members mounted to the shelf, to be movable forwards and rearwards. Each switch member may include a body, and a protrusion protruding from the body, to be guided along the guide groove of the corresponding guide member. A rotating shaft may be mounted beneath the shelf, to be guided along the guide holes. Pinions may be provided at the rotating shaft. Rack gears may be vertically mounted to the guide members, to be coupled to the pinions. A connecting device may transmit a force to vertically move a front half portion of the shelf to a rear half portion of the shelf such that the shelf is vertically movable while being maintained in a horizontal state.