Refrigerator Door Sensing Lever for Intent-Based Auto Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often face difficulty in opening refrigerator doors due to pressure differences caused by cooling, requiring excessive force, especially with heavy doors and large storage rooms, and existing solutions do not accurately distinguish between user intent and external impacts.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator system featuring a sensing lever, sensor, and controller that differentiate between user push pressure and external impacts by detecting movement direction and voltage changes, allowing the door to open automatically when user intent is detected and remaining closed under external impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the door is made heavy with high-capacity storage room, then the storage capacity is improved, but the force required to open the door increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door opening apparatus enables the door to open itself automatically by detecting user push pressure through the sensing lever and sensor, eliminating the need for users to manually overcome the pressure difference and heavy door weight
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical effort required to open the heavy door is replaced by an automated sensing and actuation system comprising a sensing lever, sensor (hall device), and operator (driving motor with push lever), which detects user intent and automatically opens the door
2Reliability
If the gasket is made elastic to absorb impact, then the sealing performance is improved, but the accuracy of detecting user push pressure decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing lever serves as an intermediary mechanism that translates the small movements of the elastic gasket under push pressure into detectable sensor signals, while the controller distinguishes between genuine push pressure and impact based on movement direction and magnitude
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor provides feedback signals to the controller about the sensing lever's position and movement direction, enabling the controller to analyze the nature of the applied force (push pressure versus impact) and make intelligent decisions about door opening
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 and convenient door opening with reduced user effort by automatically opening the door when user intent is recognized, while maintaining closure during external impacts, enhancing user convenience and operational accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor may include a magnet disposed at one end of the sensing lever, the magnet configured to be movable; and a hall device configured to sense a magnetic field changing based on a movement direction of the magnet
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator may include a main body having a storage room, a door configured to open or close the storage room, a sensing lever configured to contact the door while the door is closed, where the sensing lever is movable in one of a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, a sensor configured to sense a movement of the sensing lever in one of the first direction and the second direction, and a controller configured to open the door when the sensor senses the movement of the sensing lever in the first direction, and to maintain the door closed when the sensor senses the movement of the sensing lever in the second direction.