Refrigerator Cladding With Recessed Handle Grip to Prevent Slipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household refrigeration devices with fixed handles have limited engagement recess dimensions, leading to potential slipping issues when opening the door.
Innovation Solution
A household refrigeration device with a separate cladding that includes a concavely curved engagement trough on its front frame, providing improved accessibility, stability, and grip, allowing for larger engagement areas and preventing slipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a fixed handle with engagement recess is integrated directly into the door structure, then the mechanical design is simplified, but the engagement area is limited and may result in slipping when the door is engaged and pulled on
Solution Approach 1:
The handle system is segmented into two independent parts: the door structure and the separate cladding with engagement recess. This allows the cladding to be optimized for gripping functionality without complicating the door's mechanical structure, while the separate piece can be designed with an optimally sized and shaped engagement recess for reliable door opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The cladding acts as an intermediary element between the user's hand and the door. It provides the engagement recess for gripping while being mounted on the door, thus decoupling the gripping function from the door's structural design and allowing optimization of both independently.
2Ease of operation
If the engagement recess is made larger to prevent slipping, then the grip security is improved, but the door structure becomes more complex and larger
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the handle system into a separate cladding piece, the engagement recess can be made as large as needed for secure gripping without increasing the complexity of the door structure. The cladding serves as an independent carrier for the engagement recess.
Solution Approach 2:
The cladding serves multiple functions: it provides the engagement recess for gripping, acts as a mounting structure for the handle, and can be designed to match the aesthetic requirements. This multi-functionality allows the engagement recess to be optimized for size without adding dedicated structural elements to the door.
3Ease of operation
If a separate cladding is added to provide a better engagement recess, then the accessibility and size of the engagement area is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cladding is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: providing the engagement recess for gripping, serving as a mounting structure, and potentially providing aesthetic coverage. This multi-functionality justifies the addition by delivering multiple benefits from a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The cladding is designed to be self-mounting or easily integrable with the door structure through standardized mounting mechanisms. The engagement recess is formed as an integral part of the cladding, requiring no additional assembly steps for the gripping function, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a household refrigerating appliance (1) with a body (2a) which has an inner container (3) with its walls delimiting a receiving space (4, 5) for food and an outer container (2b) surrounding the inner container (3), and with a door (6, 7) for closing a loading opening of the inner container (3), which is pivotably arranged on the body (2a), the body (2a) being surrounded at least in regions by a separate covering (12), and in a covering part (16) of the lining (12) on a front area (19) facing the door (6, 7) a recessed grip (20) of a handle (21) designed to open the door (6, 7) is formed.