Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with auxiliary storage compartments face issues such as increased power consumption due to cold air leakage, deformation, and sagging, especially when a single door is used to open and close both the main and auxiliary storage regions, leading to reduced storage space and interference with the cabinet's inner surface.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a cabinet with a pivotally rotatable container for the auxiliary storage region, supported by a second hinge member, which allows the container to be integrated with the door's sealing gasket, minimizing cold air leakage and sagging through a compact metal frame structure with balanced weight distribution and integrated horizontal and vertical parts formed by bending hollow metal rods or plates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single door is used to open and close both main and auxiliary storage regions, then device complexity is reduced, but cold air leakage increases causing higher power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into a main door for the main storage compartment and a separate auxiliary door for the auxiliary storage compartment. This allows independent control of each compartment, enabling the auxiliary compartment to remain closed while the main compartment is accessed, thereby preventing cold air leakage and reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary storage compartment is nested within the main storage compartment, with the auxiliary door integrated into the main door structure. The auxiliary door can be opened independently while the main door remains closed, allowing access to frequently used items without exposing the entire refrigerator to ambient air, thus maintaining temperature and reducing energy loss.
2Loss of energy
If auxiliary storage compartment body is filled with insulator to prevent cold air leakage, then thermal insulation is improved, but volume of auxiliary storage region is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating function is extracted from the auxiliary storage compartment body and relocated to the main door gasket and the space between the auxiliary compartment and the main storage compartment. This allows the auxiliary compartment to have a larger internal volume while thermal insulation is maintained through the surrounding structures and gasket sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary storage compartment is nested within the main storage compartment, utilizing the space between them for thermal insulation. The gasket between the auxiliary compartment and the main door provides sealing and insulation, eliminating the need for additional insulator material within the auxiliary compartment itself, thus maximizing storage volume.
3Volume of stationary object
If auxiliary storage compartment is made compact to reduce volume, then storage space is increased, but deformation and sagging occur under load
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary storage compartment is constructed using a composite structure combining a metal frame with high strength-to-weight ratio and plastic panels. The metal frame provides structural support and resistance to deformation and sagging, while the plastic panels form the storage surfaces. This composite construction maintains structural integrity even in a compact design.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary storage compartment uses a curved or arc-shaped bottom surface instead of a flat bottom. This curved design inherently provides structural strength and resistance to sagging while maintaining a compact form factor. The arc-shaped structure distributes loads more effectively, preventing deformation under weight of stored items.
4Ease of operation
If auxiliary storage compartment is made to rotate independently of the door, then ease of operation is improved, but interference with cabinet inner surface may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary storage compartment is designed to rotate in a different dimensional plane or along a different axis compared to the main door. The rotation path is carefully designed to clear the cabinet inner surface, allowing independent access to the auxiliary compartment without interference. This may involve a different hinge location or rotation axis that provides sufficient clearance.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cabinet (10) configured to define a first storage region in which food is stored, a door (20) rotatably connected to a first rotating shaft via a first hinge member (40) to open or close the first storage region, the first rotating shaft being located at the front of the cabinet (10), a gasket provided at the door (20) and a container (100) configured to define a second storage region, the second storage region being received in the first storage region, the container (100) being rotatably connected to a second rotating shaft via a second hinge member (200), the second rotating shaft being located at the door (20).