Refrigerator Door Latch Mechanism to Eliminate Handle Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators have a cluttered appearance due to exposed latch connectors and are inconvenient to open because the handle interferes with these connectors, making it difficult to separate the first and second doors.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a latch slot on the first door and a latch hook on the second door, with an opening unit that includes a pressing portion, a guide protrusion, and a link portion to separate the latch hook from the slot when the door is opened, allowing the second door to rotate independently without external latch exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a connector with pressing pin is formed on the handle to unlock the latch member, then the door can be opened, but the appearance of the refrigerator becomes cluttered and the handle interferes with the connector
Solution Approach 1:
The latch hook is extracted from the handle and repositioned to the second door, while the latch slot remains on the first door. This separation removes the cluttered connector structure from the handle area, achieving a cleaner appearance while preserving the door opening function through the pressing button mechanism that moves the latch hook along the inclined surface
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism is segmented into distinct components: the latch slot on the first door, the latch hook on the second door, and the pressing button with guide protrusion on the handle. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, eliminating interference between the handle and latch structure while maintaining operational ease
2Ease of operation
If the latch structure is exposed on the handle, then the door can be unlocked, but the appearance of the refrigerator is not clean
Solution Approach 1:
The latch hook is extracted from the handle and relocated to the second door, removing the exposed latch structure from the visible handle area. The pressing button mechanism remains functional but now operates a cleaner, more integrated structure where the latch components are positioned on the door surfaces rather than exposed on the handle
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes an opening unit such that, when a second door rotates to open a second storing chamber, the second door is separated from a first door. The opening unit includes: a latch hook to be selectively inserted into a latch slot on the front surface of the first door; a pressing portion provided on a door handle of the second door, the pressing portion comprising a guide protrusion having a sloping surface; and a link portion having a contact portion on one end to contact the sloping surface and move upward/downward along the sloping surface, the other end of the link portion contacting the latch hook. When the pressing portion is pressed, the contact portion moves upward along the sloping surface, and the other end of the link portion pushes the latch hook upward with the contact portion to separate the latch hook from the latch slot.