Refrigeration drawer organization insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigeration units in kitchens face challenges in providing flexible and organized storage for various food service trays and containers, limiting accessibility and efficient use of space, especially in under counter or under table configurations.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration apparatus with a drawer frame and a removable refrigeration storage insert that includes depending walls and support flanges, allowing for adjustable storage of food service trays and containers, with features like sliding rails and dividers to optimize space utilization and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a refrigeration unit uses fixed drawer configurations, then structural simplicity is maintained, but flexibility and adaptability for different tray sizes are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer is divided into multiple sections by removable dividers that can be positioned at different locations. The divider includes positioning features that engage with the drawer structure to create standardized compartments for different tray sizes (full pan, half pan, third pan, sixth pan configurations), allowing the same drawer to accommodate various food service tray dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer system incorporates movable rails and adjustable dividers that can be repositioned along the drawer length. This dynamic configuration allows workers to adjust compartment widths and depths to match different tray sizes and shapes, transforming a static drawer into an adaptable storage system.
2Area of stationary object
If under counter refrigeration units are used to save kitchen space, then space efficiency is improved, but worker access to stored food products is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The under counter refrigeration unit is divided into multiple pull-out drawers, each accessible independently. This segmentation allows workers to access specific drawers without opening the entire refrigeration unit, improving accessibility while maintaining compact footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer design incorporates vertical space utilization with adjustable shelving and dividers that maximize storage capacity within the limited under-counter height, allowing efficient use of three-dimensional space while maintaining easy front-access operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standard food service trays are used, then compatibility with existing equipment is maintained, but optimization of storage space for various tray sizes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the drawer are configured with specific dimensions and features optimized for particular tray types. Full pan trays fit in larger compartments, while half pan and sixth pan trays fit in smaller compartments, with each section having appropriate divider positioning and support structures tailored to its intended tray size.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer system serves multiple functions by accommodating various standard food service tray sizes (full pan, half pan, third pan, sixth pan) within a single drawer unit, eliminating the need for multiple specialized drawers and maximizing volume utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration apparatus includes a drawer frame with a front wall, a rear wall, and opposed side walls. A door is secured to the front wall of the drawer frame. A divider extends across the drawer frame between the front wall and the rear wall. A refrigeration storage insert includes opposed depending walls connected by a bottom surface and support flanges extend away from the opposed depending walls. The refrigeration storage insert removably engages the opposed side walls of the drawer frame respectively with the support flanges and the depending walls extend interior of the drawer frame such that the bottom surface is supported at a position below the divider.