Refrigerator Door Drive With Auxiliary Force to Break Seal Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face challenges in efficiently opening and closing doors due to high torque requirements to overcome adhesive forces between the door and housing, leading to larger motors and complex control systems.
Innovation Solution
A door opening and closing apparatus that includes a motor, power transmission gears, and an auxiliary force generation mechanism, allowing the door to be moved from a closed to an open position using an auxiliary force before motor power is transmitted to the hinge, reducing the torque needed to break the adhesive force and eliminating the need for electrical switching devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the motor directly transmits power to the hinge to open the door, then the door can be opened, but the torque required to overcome adhesive force is high, resulting in larger motor size
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary apparatus generates an auxiliary force before the motor power is transmitted to the hinge, preliminarily separating the door from the housing to reduce the adhesive force that the motor must overcome. This preliminary action allows the motor to be smaller while still achieving door opening.
2Ease of operation
If the motor continuously transmits power through the power transmission apparatus, then the door can be opened and closed, but the system complexity increases with electrical switching devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power transmission function from the electrical system by using a power transmission state transition apparatus that mechanically transitions between power transmitting and power non-transmitting states. This eliminates the need for electrical switching devices, simplifying the control system while maintaining ease of operation.
3Weight of stationary object
If the motor size is reduced to simplify the system, then the motor becomes more compact, but the torque available to overcome adhesive force and open the door is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
By generating auxiliary force before motor power transmission, the system preliminarily overcomes the adhesive force barrier, allowing a smaller motor with limited torque to still achieve complete door opening. The auxiliary force compensates for the insufficient motor torque.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary apparatus acts as an intermediary between the door-housing interface and the motor, providing additional force that supplements the motor's limited torque output, enabling the smaller motor to achieve the required door opening function.
4Extent of automation
If electrical switching devices are used to control power transmission, then precise control is achieved, but the system becomes more complex with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrical switching control system with a mechanical power transmission state transition apparatus. This mechanical system automatically transitions between power transmitting and power non-transmitting states based on the door position and auxiliary force generation, achieving precise control without electrical switching devices.
Data Source
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.