refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator doors with added features or heavy materials become difficult to open and close due to increased weight, leading to excessive force requirements and potential noise or item displacement during closure.
Innovation Solution
A damping device is integrated into the hinge system, comprising an oil damper and a contact surface with specific geometries to provide a damping force only during closure, ensuring the door closes at a constant speed and preventing sudden impacts, while allowing easy opening by avoiding resistance when the door is opened.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a damping device is provided to reduce impact when the door is closed, then shock and noise are alleviated, but resistance force acts on the door when opening, requiring more effort
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device is designed with a movable contact surface that dynamically changes its position relative to the damping member based on door rotation angle. During closing, the contact surface engages with the damping member to provide shock absorption. During opening, the contact surface moves away to eliminate resistance, making the device adaptive to different operational phases
Solution Approach 2:
The contact surface is positioned and oriented such that it engages with the damping member in advance during the closing motion, allowing the damping force to act before impact occurs. The geometric design ensures that engagement happens at a predetermined angle, preparing the damping mechanism to mitigate shock before the door fully closes
2Shape
If the door weight is increased by adding devices or heavy materials, then outer appearance and functionality are enhanced, but more force is required to open and close the door
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device provides dynamic support during closing operation, compensating for the weight of heavy doors through controlled damping forces. The contact surface geometry ensures that damping assistance is available during closing while not interfering with opening, effectively reducing the net force requirement for door operation despite increased door weight
3Speed
If a damping device provides constant resistance during closure, then the door closes at constant speed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface is designed with specific local geometric features (inclined portions, curved portions) at particular locations to achieve constant speed closure. Rather than making the entire device complex, only the contact surface geometry is optimized with specific shapes that interact with the damping member to regulate door speed, keeping the overall device simple
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 reduces the effort needed to close the door, prevents noise and item displacement, and ensures consistent closure speed regardless of door weight or user speed, while allowing effortless opening by eliminating damping resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a damping device which is provided on one side where the hinge is mounted and provides a damping force to the door when the door rotates in a closing direction, in which the damping device may consist of an oil damper
Data Source
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AI summary
The present relates a refrigerator, and includes a cabinet which has a storage space; a door which opens and closes the storage space; a hinge which connects the door and the cabinet and supports the door so that the door is capable of rotating; and a damping device which is provided on one side where the hinge is mounted and provides a damping force to the door when the door rotates in a closing direction, in which the damping device consists of an oil damper, and a contact surface is formed on one side corresponding to the damping device, with which the door starts to be in contact and thus to which a damping force is transmitted, at a set angle α2 or less, and which is separated from the damping device when the door is opened.