Pivoting Ice Bin Handles for Easier Refrigerator Ice Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator ice bins are difficult to lift and transport when filled with ice due to their design, which hinders efficient handling and transfer of large quantities of ice.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator ice bin with pivotable handles that transition between a stowed and in-use position, allowing for easy gripping and stability during transport, featuring leg and arm portions that adjust to horizontal and vertical positions to facilitate handling while minimizing the bin's dimensions and protecting the handles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the ice bin is designed as a removable container for storing large quantities of ice, then the ice storage capacity is improved, but the ease of lifting and transporting the bin deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The handles are designed to be pivotable between a stowed position and an extended position. When the bin is empty, the handles remain stowed. When the bin is filled with ice and needs to be transported, the handles are pivoted to the extended position where the arm portions are vertical and closely adjacent, providing a comfortable gripping surface for easy lifting and carrying.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle structure acts as an intermediary between the user and the heavy ice bin. The leg portions coupled to the bin and the grip portion bridging the arm portions create a mechanical interface that allows the user to apply lifting force effectively, making it easier to transport the bin when filled with large quantities of ice.
2Ease of operation
If the handles are extended vertically for easy gripping, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The handles transition from a static design to a dynamic one, pivoting between stowed and extended positions. This allows the handles to provide an extended vertical gripping surface only when needed for transport, while remaining compact during storage, thus balancing ease of operation with device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The handles utilize the third dimension by pivoting the arm portions from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation. This dimensional change allows the grip portion to extend outward and upward, providing an ergonomic gripping surface without increasing the horizontal footprint of the bin when the handles are in the stowed position.
3Volume of moving object
If the handles are positioned horizontally in the stowed position, then the device dimensions are minimized, but the handles cannot provide a secure grip for transport
Solution Approach 1:
The handles dynamically change their orientation from horizontal (stowed) to vertical (in-use) through pivotal movement. This allows the bin to maintain compact dimensions during storage while providing secure gripping capability when transport is required, resolving the contradiction between minimized dimensions and grip security.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle is divided into distinct functional segments: leg portions coupled to the bin, arm portions that pivot, and a grip portion bridging the arm portions. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the leg portions provide structural attachment, the arm portions enable positional change, and the grip portion provides the secure gripping surface needed for transport.
Data Source
AI summary
An ice bin (10) is disclosed which includes a storage bin (13) having a pair of side walls (14), and an pair of end walls (15) and a bottom wall (16). The side walls have a T-shaped recess (17) having a central base recess (18) and two arm recesses (19). Each central base recess is defined by a floor ledge (21) and a pair of side edges (22). The end walls also have grip recesses (20) which extend directly from the arm recesses. The arm recesses are defined by side top ledges (28) while the grip recesses are defined by end top ledges (29). The ice bin also includes a pair of pivotable handles (23) coupled to the storage bin. Each handle has a pair of leg portions (24), a pair of arm portions (25), and a grip portion (26) extending between the pair of arm portions.