refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face issues with door interference when opening and closing due to complex hinges, limited door shapes, increased manufacturing costs, safety risks, and difficulty in integrating with adjacent furniture or appliances, particularly when doors are not fully opened or when electric wires are routed through hinges.
Innovation Solution
A hinge pin is positioned closer to the edge of the door, minimizing the rotation radius and allowing for a flat door surface, with electric wires passing through the hinge pin or its upper opening, and a detachable panel assembly for various appearances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a multi-joint hinge is used to allow the door to open without interference with the wall surface, then the door can be opened fully, but the hinge structure becomes complex and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex multi-joint hinge mechanism and replaces it with a simple single-axis hinge. The door is designed with a rounded front surface that curves backward, allowing the door edge to clear adjacent furniture or walls during opening without requiring complex hinge joints. This simplifies the hinge structure to a basic rotational joint while maintaining full door opening capability.
2Ease of operation
If the gap between furniture or home appliances is adjusted to avoid interference, then the door can open smoothly, but the outer appearance deteriorates due to excessive gap exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the front surface of the door by rounding it and curving it backward toward the hinge axis. This curved geometry allows the door edge to follow a smaller rotational arc during opening, enabling the door to clear adjacent furniture or walls while maintaining a minimal gap. The curved shape thus resolves the conflict between smooth door operation and aesthetic appearance by reducing the required clearance space.
3Reliability
If the door thickness is thickened for insulation, then thermal insulation performance improves, but the door edge interferes more with adjacent furniture or home appliances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent curves the door thickness distribution by rounding the front surface and bending it backward toward the hinge axis. This creates a tapered profile where the door is thicker at the hinge end and thinner at the free edge. The curved geometry allows the door to maintain adequate insulation thickness near the hinge while reducing the edge thickness that would otherwise interfere with adjacent furniture or walls, thus resolving the conflict between thermal insulation and interference prevention.
4Device complexity
If a plate-shaped hinge is used without multi-joint mechanism, then the hinge structure is simple, but the door edge interferes with adjacent furniture or home appliances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a simple plate-shaped hinge with a curved door geometry. The door is rounded at the front surface and curved backward, which changes the effective rotation path of the door edge. This curved geometry allows the door to clear adjacent furniture or walls during opening even with a simple single-axis hinge, eliminating the need for complex multi-joint mechanisms while preventing door interference.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If the front surface of the door is formed in a curved shape to prevent interference, then door clearance is improved, but the door structure becomes complicated and difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a rounded and curved shape to the door front surface that bends backward toward the hinge axis. This curved geometry is designed to be compatible with standard manufacturing processes such as foam injection molding followed by panel attachment. The curvature radius and profile are optimized to prevent door interference with adjacent furniture while remaining manufacturable using conventional refrigerator door manufacturing techniques.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates a refrigerator including a cabinet configured to form a storage space; a door configured to open and close the storage space; and an upper hinge configured to connect the door and an upper surface of the cabinet and includes a mounting part mounted on the cabinet and a hinge pin inserted into the door to become a rotation axis of the door, in which the door includes a door body having a hinge mounting part on which the upper hinge is mounted and filled with an insulating material therein; and a panel assembly mounted on the front surface of the door body to form a front outer appearance of the door, the hinge mounting part is recessed into the door body so that the upper hinge is inserted at a position spaced apart from the upper end of the door body, a pin mounting hole into which the hinge pin is inserted is formed on a lower surface of the hinge mounting part, and an upper opening through which an electric wire directed into the door passes is formed on an upper surface of the hinge mounting part.