Refrigerator Door Opening Mechanism for Low-Torque Motor Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator door opening and closing mechanisms require high torque to overcome adhesive forces between the door and housing, leading to larger motors and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
A door opening and closing apparatus that uses a motor, power transmission apparatus, and auxiliary force to move the door from the closing to the opening position before power is transmitted to the hinge, reducing the required motor torque and eliminating the need for complex state transitions and actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the motor directly transmits power to the hinge to overcome adhesive force, then the door can be opened, but the required torque is large and the motor size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary force generating apparatus is activated before the door opening operation to pre-generate an auxiliary force that acts on the door. This preliminary action reduces the adhesive force between the door and housing before the motor needs to transmit power, thereby reducing the required motor torque and allowing for a smaller motor size.
2Ease of operation
If a power transmission state transition apparatus is used to switch between power transmitting and non-transmitting states, then the system can control power flow, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and separates the auxiliary force generation function from the main power transmission system. The auxiliary force generating apparatus operates independently and simultaneously with the power transmission apparatus, eliminating the need for complex state transition mechanisms to control when power is transmitted. This simplifies the overall system by removing unnecessary switching components.
3Reliability
If the motor torque is increased to overcome adhesive force reliably, then the door can be opened under all conditions, but the motor size and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary force generating apparatus is activated in advance to pre-generate an auxiliary force that acts on the door before the motor needs to overcome the adhesive force. This preliminary action ensures that when the motor does transmit power, the required torque is significantly reduced, allowing for a smaller motor while maintaining reliable door opening under all conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary force generated by the auxiliary force generating apparatus acts as a counterforce to the adhesive force between the door and housing. By providing this opposing force in advance, the system reduces the net force that the motor must overcome, thereby reducing motor size requirements while maintaining opening reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided herein is a door opening and closing apparatus capable of reducing torque of a motor required for removing an adhesive force between a door and a housing. The door opening and closing apparatus includes a motor configured to output power for opening and closing a door, a power transmission apparatus configured to transmit the power of the motor to a hinge by rotation of a plurality of driving gears, and an auxiliary apparatus configured to generate an auxiliary force for moving the door at a closing position toward an opening position, where the auxiliary force is generated at the auxiliary apparatus by the power of the motor before the power of the motor is transmitted to the hinge through the power transmission apparatus.