Refrigerator Door Damper Layout for Quiet Closing in Tight Space
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigeration appliances face challenges in effectively damping the door closure movement due to limited installation space, leading to inefficient damping and potential noise issues, as previous solutions require unfavorable alignments of the damping unit that compromise its effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A damper is placed in a recess on the body's front side, designed as a sleeve body, allowing for a longer and more effective damping stroke without space constraints, with the compression and extension direction parallel to the door's movement, and reinforced by a backing part for robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the damper is mounted between the body and a hidden furniture door with limited space, then the installation space requirement is met, but the damper stroke is limited and strong deceleration is required causing impact noise
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is repositioned from a constrained side-mounted configuration to a front-side receptacle configuration, changing the spatial dimension of installation. This allows the damper to achieve its full stroke length without being constrained by the limited space between the body and furniture door, thereby reducing the required deceleration force and eliminating impact noise.
Solution Approach 2:
A receptacle structure is introduced as an intermediary component on the body's front side. This receptacle houses the damper and provides the necessary space for its full stroke, acting as a mediator between the body and the damper to enable effective damping without direct mounting on the furniture door.
2Volume of moving object
If the damping unit is pivoted to minimize space requirement when door is closed, then the space requirement is reduced, but the damping unit becomes ineffective as its compression direction runs parallel to the door movement
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pivoting the damper to minimize space, the solution places the damper in a front-side receptacle that provides sufficient space for the damper to maintain its optimal orientation (with compression direction perpendicular to door movement) throughout the door closing motion, ensuring continuous damping effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If the damper is integrated into the insulating foam or hinge as a complete unit, then the device complexity is reduced, but the installation space available for the damping unit is limited compromising damping performance
Solution Approach 1:
The damping system is segmented into separate functional components: the receptacle structure mounted on the body's front side and the damper unit housed within it. This segmentation allows the damper to have sufficient space for effective operation while maintaining a relatively simple integrated appearance from the front.
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
This solution ensures effective damping of the door closure without noise issues, as the damper's length and stroke are not limited by space, and its orientation can be optimized independently of furniture placement, providing consistent performance regardless of installation conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a damper which can be stretched and compressed to dampen a closing movement of the door
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
In a refrigerating appliance with a body (1, 2), a door (4) hinged to the body (1, 2) and a damper (21) arranged between the door-side and body-side contact points (27; 33), which is used to dampen a closing movement of the door (4) can be stretched and compressed, at least when the door (4) is close to its closed position, the direction of compression and expansion of the damper (21) is essentially parallel to the direction of movement of the point of application (27) on the door. The damper (21) engages in a recess (7) on a front side (2) of the body (1, 2).