Panel Adjustment Apparatus for Cooling Device Door-Panel Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling devices with upper panels experience undesired openings between the door and the panel due to manufacturing and transportation-related vibrations, which affect the panel's position and the door-panel distance.
Innovation Solution
A panel adjustment apparatus comprising a bracket, adjustment pin, and supporting unit that allows for adjustable and maintainable distance between the panel and the door, using a bracket mounted between the door and panel with an adjustment pin that moves vertically through a channel and a supporting unit to secure the position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the upper panel is removably mounted on the upper part of the body, then the panel can be easily installed and removed, but undesired opening occurs between the door and the panel
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is pre-mounted on the body at a predetermined position with a vertical hole aligned with the channel on the panel's lower surface. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the panel is installed, it automatically achieves the correct height and alignment relative to the door, preventing undesired opening while maintaining ease of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket acts as an intermediary component between the body and the panel. It provides a stable mounting structure with a vertical hole that guides the adjustment pin, enabling precise height adjustment and secure positioning of the panel without requiring complex direct mounting mechanisms.
2Reliability
If vibration and transportation effects are considered, then the panel position may change, but the opening between door and panel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment pin can move vertically within the vertical hole of the bracket and the channel on the panel's lower surface. This dynamic capability allows the panel position to be adjusted during installation to compensate for variations caused by vibration and transportation effects, ensuring optimal positioning and preventing increased opening between the door and panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical position of the panel can be changed by moving the adjustment pin along the vertical axis. This parameter adjustment enables fine-tuning of the panel height to maintain the correct door-panel distance despite external vibrations and transportation effects that may otherwise cause position changes.
3Manufacturing precision
If a fixed mounting structure is used, then the panel position is stable, but adjustment capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure transitions from a purely fixed state to a dynamically adjustable state during installation. The adjustment pin can move vertically within the vertical hole and channel, allowing height adjustment. Once the desired position is achieved, the pin's position is fixed, providing both adjustability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is pre-positioned on the body with its vertical hole aligned to the panel's channel. This preliminary arrangement enables easy insertion of the adjustment pin and subsequent height adjustment, combining the benefits of fixed mounting stability with adjustment capability during the installation process.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A panel adjustment apparatus suitable for use in a cooling device (S) which comprises the first body (2); the door (3); and the panel (4) with a channel (5) on a lower surface thereof, wherein the panel adjustment apparatus comprises the bracket (8) having the first surface (6a) and the second surface (6b) which are connected at a right angle, the first hole (7a) located on the first surface (6a) and the second hole (7b) located on the second surface (6b), wherein the bracket (8) is adapted to be mounted on an area of the first body (2) between the door (3) and the panel (4) through the first hole (7a); the adjustment pin (10) having the second body (11), threads (13) and the flange (12), wherein the second body (11) is adapted to pass through the second hole (7b) and the channel (5), wherein the threads (13) allow the second body (11) to move up and down in the second hole (7b) and the channel (5) when the second body (11) is rotated, wherein the flange (12) is located at an end of the second body (11) and rests against the second surface (6b) so as to prevent second body (11) from moving further in the second hole (7b); and the supporting unit (9) in the form of a ring, which is made of a flexible material and is adapted to be attached to the second body (11) so as to be located between the second hole (7b) and the channel (5).