Side-by-Side Refrigerator Door Locking for Beam-Free Sealing

Solution Overview

Problem

Side-by-side refrigerators have complex structures and a large number of components due to the use of turnover beams to seal gaps between door bodies, increasing part costs and reducing assembly efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A side-by-side refrigerator design featuring a simple structure with a door body locking assembly that includes rotatable claws and elastic pieces to securely lock and seal the gap between door bodies, eliminating the need for a turnover beam and reducing the number of parts and assembly complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a turnover beam is mounted to seal the gap between door bodies, then the sealing effect is improved, but the device complexity and part cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the turnover beam component from the door assembly and extracts its sealing function to the refrigerator body frame, where seal strips are directly mounted to engage with the door edges, eliminating the need for the complex turnover beam structure while maintaining sealing effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the sealing function with the refrigerator body frame structure by integrating seal strips directly into the frame, merging the previously separate turnover beam component and seal into a unified structure that reduces part count and assembly complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If a turnover beam is mounted to seal the gap between door bodies, then the sealing effect is improved, but the assembly efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectVSAvoidassembly efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the turnover beam component from the door assembly and extracts its sealing function to the refrigerator body frame, where seal strips are directly mounted to engage with the door edges, eliminating the need for the complex turnover beam structure while maintaining sealing effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The seal strips are pre-installed on the refrigerator body frame during manufacturing, so that when doors are assembled, the sealing function is already in place, eliminating the need for workers to install turnover beams and seals separately, thereby improving assembly efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a turnover beam is mounted to seal the gap between door bodies, then the sealing effect is improved, but the part cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectVSAvoidpart cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the turnover beam component from the door assembly and extracts its sealing function to the refrigerator body frame, where seal strips are directly mounted to engage with the door edges, eliminating the need for the complex turnover beam structure while maintaining sealing effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the expensive and complex turnover beam with simpler, cheaper seal strips that can be easily manufactured and installed, reducing part cost while maintaining the essential sealing function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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 solution results in a lower-cost, high-efficiency production process with improved sealing and reduced labor costs, while maintaining reliable door closure and leakproofness.

Implementation Method 1

a first elastic piece and a second elastic piece, the first elastic piece being compressed between the casing and the first claw and the second elastic piece being compressed between the casing and the second claw

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10309714B2Side-by-side refrigerator

Publication Date: 2019.06.04 HEFEI HUALING CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a side-by-side refrigerator. The side-by-side refrigerator include a refrigerator body, the interior of the refrigerator body being provided with a refrigerating compartment; a first door body and a second door body, and the first door body and the second door body are respectively arranged on the refrigerator body to jointly open and close the refrigerating compartment, the first door body is provided with a first door seal, and the second door body is provided with a second door seal, and a door body locking assembly, and the first door body and the second door body are locked by the door body locking assembly when the refrigerating compartment is closed, and the first door seal and the second door seal jointly seal a gap between the first door body and the second door body.