Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerator door baskets lack efficient storage capacity for items of non-uniform shapes and sizes, often interfering with each other when vertically arranged, which limits access and storage space.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerator door baskets are designed with an upwardly inclined bottom and downwardly inclined top, allowing for increased depth and height, respectively, along with a pivotable structure and engagement mechanism to prevent interference and enhance access, accommodating items like vinyl bags or zipper bags securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional refrigerator door baskets are designed with vertical arrangement, then storage capacity is limited, but baskets interfere with each other and access becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The basket is designed to be pivotable relative to the door, allowing it to rotate between a stored position (parallel to door) and an accessed position (perpendicular to door). This dynamic configuration enables easy access to items without interfering with vertically arranged baskets, while maintaining compact storage when not in use
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a static two-dimensional vertical arrangement to a three-dimensional pivoting structure. By adding the rotational dimension, baskets can be accessed individually without moving other baskets, resolving the interference problem while increasing effective storage capacity
2Adaptability or versatility
If baskets are made deeper to store irregularly shaped items, then storage versatility improves, but height increases causing interference with adjacent baskets
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting mechanism allows baskets to be rotated outward for access, temporarily increasing their effective height without permanently occupying vertical space. This enables deeper baskets to store irregular items while preventing interference with adjacent baskets during normal vertical arrangement
3Quantity of substance
If multiple baskets are vertically arranged to maximize door space, then storage quantity increases, but access to individual baskets becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Each basket can pivot independently on its hinge axis, allowing selective access to any basket in the vertical arrangement without disturbing others. This dynamic independence maintains high basket density while enabling easy individual access
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical arrangement is segmented into independent pivotable units, where each basket operates autonomously. This segmentation allows multiple baskets to coexist vertically while each can be accessed individually through rotation, solving the access difficulty
4Reliability
If baskets are secured to prevent accidental opening, then reliability improves, but ease of opening for legitimate access decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic biasing mechanism applies a preliminary restraining force to keep the basket closed, preventing accidental opening. However, this restraint is automatically overcome when sufficient force is applied for legitimate access, maintaining ease of operation while improving reliability
Data Source
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AI summary
A refrigerator (10) is provided. The refrigerator (10) may include a cabinet, a door (20) rotatably coupled to the cabinet, and a plurality of baskets (400) each coupled to an interior side of the door (20). Each basket (400) may include upwardly inclined bottom surface (420) such that an upper one of a pair of vertically-adjacent baskets does not interfere with the basket below it.