Motorized Refrigerator Drawer with RPM-Based Obstacle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator designs with bottom freezer compartments require users to exert more force to open the freezer door due to its location, posing challenges for children, the elderly, and females, and result in reduced storage space and insulation effectiveness due to the need for a motor and gear assembly on the floor, which also lacks speed control and obstacle detection during withdrawal.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for automatically withdrawing and inserting a storage box without a handle, using a drive motor and controller that detects RPM variations and object presence to determine stopping, ensuring consistent speed and preventing collisions or incomplete insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a motor and gear assembly are fixedly installed on the floor of the freezer compartment to automatically withdraw the storage box, then the ease of operation is improved, but the storage space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motor is extracted from the fixed installation on the refrigerator main body and relocated to be integrally coupled with the storage box itself. This allows the motor to function without occupying floor space in the freezer compartment, thereby resolving the contradiction between automated operation and storage space availability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the conventional approach where the motor is stationary and the storage box moves relative to it, the invention inverts the relationship by making the motor move with the storage box. This reversal eliminates the need for the motor to be installed on the refrigerator structure, preserving storage space.
2Ease of operation
If a motor and gear assembly are fixedly installed on the floor of the freezer compartment to automatically withdraw the storage box, then the ease of operation is improved, but the insulation effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motor is extracted from the fixed installation on the refrigerator main body and relocated to be integrally coupled with the storage box itself. This eliminates the need to recess the inner case to accommodate the motor, thereby maintaining the insulating layer thickness and preserving insulation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
By inverting the conventional arrangement where the motor is stationary on the refrigerator structure, the motor now moves with the storage box. This eliminates the need for structural modifications to the refrigerator body that would compromise the insulating layer, thus maintaining energy efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the storage box is automatically withdrawn by a motor fixed on the refrigerator main body, then the ease of operation is improved, but the storage box cannot be completely extruded when the rear surface is sloped
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional arrangement by making the motor move with the storage box rather than being fixed on the refrigerator. This allows the storage box to be completely extruded even when the rear surface is sloped forward, as the motor travels with the box throughout its full range of motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor is made dynamic by coupling it to the storage box, allowing it to move together with the box during withdrawal and insertion operations. This dynamic configuration enables complete extrusion of the storage box without the mechanical constraints imposed by a fixed motor installation.
4Ease of operation
If a handle protrudes from the front surface of the storage box to allow manual pulling, then the ease of operation is improved, but the packaging dimensions increase and safety hazards are created
Solution Approach 1:
The storage box is equipped with a drive motor that enables it to withdraw and insert automatically without requiring a protruding handle. Users only need to press a button, and the system serves itself by moving the storage box, eliminating the need for external handle structures that会增加 packaging dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical handle system is replaced with an automated motor-driven system. Instead of requiring users to mechanically pull the storage box via a handle, an electric motor performs the withdrawal and insertion actions, eliminating the need for protruding handle structures.
5Device complexity
If the storage box withdrawing apparatus simply pushes the storage box a distance to separate it from the main body, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity is reduced due to slow response time
Solution Approach 1:
The controller monitors the operating state of the drive motor and determines when to stop the drawer based on this feedback. This closed-loop control system enables rapid and precise response to user commands, improving productivity while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through intelligent control rather than complex mechanical mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for driving a drawer of a refrigerator. In a system and method for driving a drawer of a refrigerator according to present em¬ bodiments, when the drawer meets an obstacle during moving, the drawer immediately stops moving to secure the safety.