Refrigerator Door Gear-Driven Downward-Pull Mechanism for Short Users
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Solution Overview
Problem
Short users, such as children, face difficulty opening refrigerator doors due to the horizontal component of the external force being relatively low when grasping the handle and pulling it in the conventional upward direction.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design incorporating a lifting member with a handle and gears that allow the door to be easily opened by pulling the handle downward, utilizing a pushing member and gear system to generate a reaction force that assists in opening the door, enabling users to open it with less effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the handle is pulled in the conventional upward direction, then the door can be opened, but the horizontal component of the external force is relatively low making it difficult for short users to open the door
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional door opening direction by allowing the handle to be pulled downward instead of upward. This inversion changes the direction of the applied force, creating a larger horizontal component that is easier for short users to generate, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and force requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pushing member as an intermediary element that applies force to the door body at a position away from the hinge. This intermediary mechanism amplifies the horizontal force component generated by the user's downward pull on the handle, making it easier for short users to open the door by providing mechanical advantage
2Force
If a gear system is added to create higher reaction force, then the required force to open the door is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pushing member as an intermediary element that applies force to the door body at a position away from the hinge. This intermediary mechanism amplifies the horizontal force component generated by the user's downward pull on the handle, making it easier for short users to open the door by providing mechanical advantage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the door opening function into multiple components: the lifting member for vertical movement, the pushing member for horizontal force application, and the gear system for force amplification. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to reduce the overall force required to open the door
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
Enables easy door opening for users of all heights, including children, by reducing the required force through the use of a gear system that creates a higher reaction force, allowing the door to be opened with a relatively small force and providing convenience in opening the door by allowing the handle to be pulled in a horizontal or downward direction.
Implementation Method 1
a first gear extending in the vertical direction and which is disposed at the door in a manner of being movable upward and downward, a second gear, which is disposed at the door so as to engage with the first gear
Implementation Method 2
a third gear, which is disposed at the door so as to engage with the second gear
Implementation Method 3
a pushing member, which is disposed at the door so as to be movable in forward and rearward directions and which includes a fourth gear engaging with the third gear
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention includes a body having a storage compartment defined therein, a door for opening and closing the storage compartment, a lifting member, which includes a handle and a first gear extending in a vertical direction and which is disposed at the door in a manner of being movable upward and downward, a second gear, which is disposed at the door so as to engage with the first gear, a third gear, which is disposed at the door so as to engage with the second gear, and a pushing member, which is disposed at the door so as to be movable in forward and rearward directions and which includes a fourth gear engaging with the third gear, the pushing member exerting external force on the body when the lifting member is lowered, thereby offering an advantage in that a user such as a child, who is short, can easily open the door.