Refrigerator and shelf thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator wine racks are inflexible, often causing wine bottles to roll or fall due to fixed positions and inadequate size adjustment, leading to space inefficiency and potential wine leakage.
Innovation Solution
A shelf with a pivotally connected wine rack that can rotate between multiple unfolded positions, featuring a concave-convex engagement structure and reset mechanism, allowing for adjustable angles and heights to accommodate various bottle sizes, thereby preventing wine leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed wine rack structure is used in the refrigerator, then the structure is simple and space is saved when not in use, but the wine bottle cannot be properly supported and may roll or fall
Solution Approach 1:
The wine rack is designed as a movable structure that can rotate between a folded state (close to the shelf plate) and an unfolded state (extended for use). This dynamic configuration allows the wine rack to adapt its position and shape, providing proper support for wine bottles while maintaining simplicity when not in use.
2Ease of operation
If an independent wine rack is added to the refrigerator, then wine bottles can be stored, but the storage space of the refrigerator is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wine rack is integrated into the shelf plate structure, with the wine rack body nested within or adjacent to the shelf plate. When folded, the wine rack occupies minimal space within the refrigerator. When unfolded, it provides adequate support and storage for wine bottles, effectively combining two functions in one structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the front and rear wine racks are fixed at a single angle with fixed distance, then the structure is simple, but the user cannot adjust based on different bottle sizes and the bottleneck becomes oblique downwards causing wine leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The wine rack incorporates a rotation mechanism that allows the front and rear wine racks to rotate relative to each other around a pivotal shaft. This enables dynamic adjustment of the angle and distance between racks, accommodating different bottle sizes and shapes while preventing the bottleneck from becoming oblique downwards.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation mechanism allows users to change the angular position and spatial distance parameters of the wine racks. By adjusting these parameters, the system adapts to different bottle dimensions, ensuring proper support and preventing wine leakage while maintaining structural simplicity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a rollover wine rack with fixed angle is used, then space is utilized when wine bottles are not placed, but the single fixed position makes it inconvenient for storing bottles of various sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The wine rack features a rotation mechanism with multiple stop positions, allowing it to be dynamically adjusted to different angles. Users can rotate the wine rack to the appropriate position based on the bottle size and type, providing convenient storage for various bottles while utilizing space efficiently when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
A shelf comprises a shelf plate and a rack connected to the shelf plate pivotally and rotating between a folded position adjacent to the shelf plate and an unfolded position apart from the shelf plate. The shelf further comprises a rotary assembly connected with the shelf plate and the rack and enabling the rack to have at least two unfolded positions, such that the angle and a height at which the rack is fixed may be regulated as required, thereby meeting requirements of placing the bottles and beverage bottles of different sizes, and increasing universality and flexibility of application of the shelf.