Refrigerator and control method for refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators require users to apply significant force to open doors, especially when holding objects, and existing door opening devices are cumbersome or require both hands, with issues related to long push rod lengths and potential damage or noise during operation.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a door opening device featuring a push rod driven by a motor, utilizing reduction gears and dummy gears to minimize length and prevent slipping, and equipped with Hall sensors for precise control, allowing automatic door opening and enhanced user convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a magnet is provided inside the gasket to increase adhesion with the cabinet, then the leaking of cool air is decreased, but a greater force is required to open the door
Solution Approach 1:
The door opening device is activated in advance by a sensor detecting user approach, automatically pushing the door open before the user needs to manually pull it, thereby preparing the system to overcome the magnetic adhesion force without requiring user effort
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical action of pulling the door against magnetic force is replaced by an automated electromechanical system comprising a sensor, control unit, and motor-driven pushing mechanism that automatically opens the door
2Ease of operation
If a door opening device with a long push rod is used to push the door open from a position distant from the hinge shaft, then the door can be opened with less force, but the device becomes more complex and the push rod is more prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing the door from a position far from the hinge (which requires a long rod), the device pushes from a position near the hinge shaft, inverting the conventional approach and thereby shortening the push rod while maintaining opening capability
Solution Approach 2:
The push rod is designed with dynamic characteristics including elastic deformation capability and controlled movement, allowing it to flex and return to its initial position, thereby reducing stress concentration and the risk of permanent damage
3Device complexity
If the push rod is made shorter to reduce complexity and damage risk, then the device becomes simpler, but the ability to effectively open the door is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A gear mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the motor and the push rod, transmitting and amplifying the driving force to compensate for the shorter push rod length, thereby maintaining effective door opening capability with a simplified structure
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by using a gear train to multiply torque and force, allowing a short push rod to generate sufficient opening force that would otherwise require a much longer rod
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
Enables hands-free door opening, reduces the length and risk of damage to the push rod, and improves door opening performance by maintaining contact with the cabinet, while controlling speed and preventing noise and damage during operation.
Implementation Method 1
A refrigerator with a door opening device featuring a push rod driven by a motor
Implementation Method 2
utilizing reduction gears and dummy gears to minimize length and prevent slipping
Implementation Method 3
equipped with Hall sensors for precise control
Implementation Method 4
there is provided a structure in which a magnet is provided inside the gasket, and the gasket becomes in close contact with the cabinet formed of a steel material when the door is closed
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a refrigerator and control method for refrigerator and method for opening a refrigerator door. While a user is holding an object in both hands, a door may be automatically and additionally opened using another part of a body other than hands.