Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators have inconvenient door designs that restrict access to the entire storage compartment, requiring users to open the entire compartment door to retrieve items from non-designated spaces, leading to inefficiencies and potential cold air loss.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring an outer door that rotates on the same hinge shaft as the inner door, with an auto-closing mechanism using a cam unit and connector system, allowing the outer door to be opened independently and ensuring it closes automatically, thereby utilizing the full space of the compartment without losing cold air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an opening of predetermined size is provided in the refrigerator compartment door, then the door structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but only a predetermined space of the refrigerator compartment can be accessed without opening the whole door
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is divided into two functional parts: the inner door with a predetermined opening for frequent access to specific compartments, and an outer door that can be opened independently to access the entire refrigerator compartment. This segmentation allows each door to serve specific purposes while maintaining overall functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer door is disposed to overlap the inner door, creating a nested configuration where the outer door can be opened independently while the inner door remains in place. This nested structure enables flexible access options without compromising the simplicity of the inner door's predetermined opening design.
2Ease of operation
If the outer door is made rotatable on the hinge shaft, then full access to the compartment is enabled, but the door structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism is designed to accommodate both the inner door and outer door on the same hinge shaft, allowing both doors to rotate together as a unified assembly. This merging of rotation functionality into a single hinge structure avoids the need for separate hinge mechanisms for each door, thereby reducing overall structural complexity while enabling full compartment access.
3Ease of operation
If the outer door is made rotatable on the hinge shaft, then full access to the compartment is enabled, but additional hinges and coupling parts are required
Solution Approach 1:
The first upper hinge and first lower hinge are designed as multi-functional components that simultaneously support both the inner door and outer door. These hinges include coupling parts that can engage with either the inner door or outer door, allowing a single hinge structure to perform multiple functions and reduce the total number of hinge components required.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge structure is pre-configured with coupling parts and extension parts that can selectively engage with either the inner door or outer door. This preliminary design allows the same hinge mechanism to adapt to different door configurations without requiring additional specialized components for each door type.
4Ease of operation
If the outer door is opened independently, then full compartment access is possible, but cold air loss may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into an inner door with a predetermined opening and an outer door, allowing users to open only the outer door when full compartment access is needed, rather than opening the entire door assembly. This segmentation enables selective opening that minimizes the exposed opening and reduces cold air loss while maintaining flexible access capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances user convenience by allowing full access to the compartment space while minimizing cold air loss through efficient door operation, where the outer door can be opened independently and automatically closes when partially opened, maintaining temperature consistency.
Implementation Method 1
a first connector that is coupled to the second upper hinge to be movable in a vertical direction, if the outer door is opened, rotates together with the outer door and moves in an upward direction along the first cam surface, moves in a downward direction due to gravity, and transmits a rotational force to the outer door in a direction in which the outer door is closed
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator in which an opening having a size corresponding to the size of a refrigerator compartment is provided in a refrigerator compartment door and an outer door to open/close the opening is rotatably coupled to the refrigerator compartment door so that a plurality of door guards provided in a space corresponding to the size of the refrigerator compartment may be used by only opening/closing the outer door, and the refrigerator compartment door and the outer door may be rotated on one hinge shaft and the outer door has an auto closing structure so that the outer door may be automatically closed when a predetermined portion of the outer door is opened.