refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator doors with increased weight due to additional features or heavy food storage require improved mechanisms to ensure smooth and quiet operation, as excessive weight leads to increased effort in opening and closing, potential noise, and items falling due to rapid closure.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator equipped with a damping device that provides a controlled damping force through oil resistance, adjustable according to the closing angle of the door, ensuring smooth closure and reduced reaction force during opening, utilizing a contact part with varying sections to manage the damping force and maintain constant stroke for stable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the door weight is increased to provide additional features or store heavy food, then the storage capacity and functionality are improved, but the effort required to open and close the door increases and the closing speed becomes excessively fast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the damping force according to the door's closing angle. The damping device provides variable resistance that changes as the door moves, allowing heavy doors to be operated with reasonable effort while controlling the closing speed to prevent excessive impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the damping force adjustable and angle-dependent rather than constant. The damping device adapts its resistance based on the door's position during closing, providing higher resistance when the door is moving fast and reducing it as the door approaches the closed position, thereby maintaining ease of operation across different door weights.
2Quantity of substance
If the door weight is increased, then the storage capacity is improved, but the closing speed increases causing noise and items to fall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes to adjust the damping force based on the closing angle, thereby controlling the door's closing speed. By varying the damping parameter dynamically, the system reduces impact and noise while accommodating heavier doors with greater storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping device provides beforehand cushioning by applying resistance during the closing process before the door reaches the closed position. This pre-cushioning effect prevents excessive impact and noise by gradually reducing the door's kinetic energy as it approaches closure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a damping device is added to control closing speed, then the noise and impact are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device acts as an intermediary between the door and the hinge mechanism, providing controlled resistance without requiring complex integration into the existing door hardware. This mediator approach reduces noise and impact while maintaining relatively simple overall system architecture.
4Speed
If the damping force is increased to slow down the door, then the closing speed is controlled, but the reaction force during opening increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the damping force angle-dependent rather than constant throughout the door's movement. The damping device is designed to provide higher resistance during the closing phase when needed to control speed, while minimizing resistance during the opening phase, thereby reducing the reaction force that users must overcome.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying damping force selectively at different stages of door movement. The damping effect is concentrated in the closing phase where speed control is needed, while the opening phase experiences minimal resistance, creating localized quality in the force application profile.
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
The damping device ensures the door closes smoothly and quietly, even with varying weights, preventing items from falling and reducing noise, while allowing for easy opening by managing the damping force effectively, ensuring stable and reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
a damping device which is provided on the door and provides a damping force through oil resistance
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator comprising: a cabinet (10) which has a storage space; a door (21) which opens and closes the storage space; a hinge (30) which rotatably connects the cabinet (10) and the door (21); and a damping device (40) which is provided on the door (21) and provides a damping force through oil resistance, wherein the hinge (30) is in contact with the damping device (40) while the door (21) is rotated in the closing direction and causes the stroke of the damping device (40) to increase to slow down the door (21).