Pivot-Arm Storage Container Lift to Reduce Front Panel Load
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, require manual intervention to extend and lift storage containers, which can be cumbersome and subject the front panel to high torque when fully extended, necessitating a more efficient and mechanically robust solution.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance with a pivoting arm coupled to a sliding guide, allowing the storage container to be moved and lifted in a single motion, eliminating the need for manual intervention and distributing the weight load within the body, using a drive unit to support the storage container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the storage container is mounted on the extendable front panel, then the container can be moved out through the opening, but the entire weight of the storage container is transferred via the front panel onto the drawer guides, subjecting them to high torque when fully extended
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting function is extracted from the front panel assembly and implemented as a separate drive unit mounted on the cabinet body. This separates the weight-bearing function from the front panel, allowing the storage container to be lifted without transferring its weight to the drawer guides.
Solution Approach 2:
A drive unit acts as an intermediary between the storage container and the cabinet body. This drive unit directly supports the storage container's weight and provides the lifting force, preventing the weight transfer to the front panel and drawer guides that would otherwise occur.
2Ease of operation
If a scissor lift mechanism is mounted on the extendable drawer, then the storage container can be raised and lowered, but the entire weight of the storage container rests on the pull-out guides when the drawer is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting mechanism is extracted from the drawer assembly and implemented as a separate drive unit mounted on the cabinet body. This separation ensures that the lifting function does not rely on the drawer's pull-out guides for structural support, eliminating the torque problem.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting the lifting mechanism within the drawer's horizontal plane (which would require the drawer structure to bear the load), the drive unit is mounted on the cabinet body in a vertical dimension, directly supporting the storage container independent of the drawer's structural capacity.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
The invention relates to a household appliance (1), comprising a body (2), which has an opening that can be closed by means of a front panel (31); and a storage container (41) which can be moved out of the body (2) through the opening and raised. The household appliance (1) is characterized in that at least one pivot arm (44) is disposed on the body (2), and in that at least one slotted guide (34) is connected to or formed on the front panel (31), the storage container (41) being coupled to a free end of the pivot arm (44) and being guided in the slotted guide (34).