Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face manufacturing and usage challenges due to front-and-rear step differences between doors, leading to aesthetic issues and product failures, as existing solutions require multiple parts and are difficult to adjust during manufacturing or user maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A step difference adjustment member is provided on the rear surface of the door, featuring a stopper and mounting portion with adjustable protrusion length, allowing for easy adjustment of the door's position relative to the cabinet to eliminate step differences, while also mitigating noise and shock through elastic deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a step difference adjustment member with multiple parts is used, then the step difference between doors can be adjusted, but the device complexity increases and ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper and mounting portion are merged into a single integrated component. The mounting portion includes an accommodation space that receives the stopper, eliminating the need for separate adjustment mechanisms while maintaining the ability to adjust door step differences through sliding movement of the integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper is designed with sliding capability within the mounting portion's accommodation space, allowing dynamic adjustment of the protruding length. This enables the door position to be adjusted after assembly without requiring disassembly or complex mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between adjustability and simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If a complex stopper mechanism is used to adjust step difference, then adjustment capability is improved, but ease of operation during manufacturing and usage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper can slide freely within the accommodation space of the mounting portion, allowing simple manual adjustment of the protruding length. This dynamic design enables easy operation during both manufacturing assembly and post-installation adjustment without requiring tools or complex procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism is designed to be self-adjusting through simple sliding motion. The stopper's position can be freely changed by sliding it to the desired location within the accommodation space, eliminating the need for specialized adjustment procedures or expert intervention.
3Manufacturing precision
If the stopper protrudes from the door, then step difference adjustment is enabled, but thermal insulation of the door is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is nested within the accommodation space of the mounting portion, with only the necessary minimal portion protruding to contact the cabinet for step difference adjustment. This nesting arrangement minimizes the exposed surface area of the stopper, thereby reducing thermal bridge effects and maintaining door insulation performance while still enabling adjustment functionality.
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
Enables easy adjustment of front-and-rear step differences between doors, improving manufacturability, preventing product failures, and ensuring thermal insulation, while absorbing shock and reducing noise during door closure.
Implementation Method 1
The step difference adjustment member is provided on a rear surface of the door to be in contact with the front surface of the cabinet when the door is closed, thereby mitigating shock and preventing noise from being generated when the door is closed
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes: a cabinet defining a storage space, a door configured to open and close the storage space, and a step difference adjustment member disposed at a rear surface of the door. The step difference adjustment member comprises (i) a stopper that contacts, based on the door being closed, a front surface of the cabinet and (ii) a mounting portion that defines an accommodation space into which the stopper is inserted, and the stopper is configured to move with respect to the mounting portion to thereby vary a protruding length of the stopper from the mounting portion.