Refrigerator Door Roller Structure to Prevent Door Droop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator doors tend to droop due to weight or standard errors, affecting aesthetic quality and the retention of cool air, particularly in side-by-side and French door models, as existing solutions fail to effectively prevent drooping and maintain a sealed gap between doors.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of rollers positioned at the rear surface of the door, supported by the bottom surface of the storage compartment, which are accommodated in a dyke and connected via a roller cap, preventing drooping without additional support structures and minimizing storage space encroachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a roller is provided at the other side of the door to prevent droop, then door stability is improved, but the external appearance may be degraded and storage space reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is nested within a dyke structure formed on the rear surface of the door. The dyke creates a recess that accommodates the roller, allowing it to be hidden from external view while still providing its door-stabilizing function. This nesting approach resolves the contradiction by integrating the functional roller into the door's existing structure in a space-efficient manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The dyke acts as an intermediary structure between the roller and the external environment. It provides a housing that conceals the roller from view while allowing the roller to perform its door-supporting function. This intermediary structure resolves the appearance issue by mediating between the functional requirement (visible roller) and aesthetic requirement (hidden roller).
2Stability of the object's composition
If a roller is provided at the other side of the door to prevent droop, then door stability is improved, but storage space may be encroached upon
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is nested within a dyke structure formed on the rear surface of the door. The dyke creates a recess that accommodates the roller, allowing it to be hidden from external view while still providing its door-stabilizing function. This nesting approach resolves the contradiction by integrating the functional roller into the door's existing structure in a space-efficient manner.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the roller on the external surface of the door where it would occupy valuable storage space, the roller is positioned in the third dimension by nesting it within the dyke structure on the rear surface. This dimensional repositioning allows the roller to function without encroaching on the storage compartment's usable volume.
3Device complexity
If hinges are connected only at one side of the door, then device complexity is reduced, but door droop occurs due to weight and manufacturing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The door support function is extracted from the hinge system and assigned to a separate roller component. The hinges are simplified to provide only the rotational mounting function at one side, while the roller provides the opposing support force to prevent droop. This extraction resolves the contradiction by separating the rotational and support functions into different components.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller provides an anti-weight support force that counteracts the door's weight and prevents droop. By positioning the roller at the side opposite the hinges, it creates a balancing force that compensates for the gravitational pull on the door, resolving the stability issue while maintaining simple hinge connections.
4Ease of manufacture
If the roller is fully exposed on the door surface, then mounting is simplified, but aesthetic quality and storage space are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is nested within a dyke structure formed on the rear surface of the door. The dyke creates a recess that accommodates the roller, allowing it to be hidden from external view while still providing its door-stabilizing function. This nesting approach resolves the contradiction by integrating the functional roller into the door's existing structure in a space-efficient manner.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator having a door rotatably hinged to a body of the refrigerator that prevents droop of the door at the side opposite to the axis of rotation of the door. A dyke formed on the rear surface of the door is provided with a roller, which is supported by the bottom surface of the storage compartment. A roller cap having a roller accommodation space to accommodate a part of the roller is connected to the dyke, and the roller is rotatably mounted to the roller cap.