Refrigerator Door-in-Door Storage for Flexible Access and Load Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators lack efficient storage solutions and user convenience, particularly in terms of accessing and organizing storage compartments, which affects storage efficiency and aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a first door with a storing device that creates a second storage compartment within the first compartment, accessible via a second door, featuring a frame with baskets that can be easily removed and arranged, and a locking mechanism to maintain stability and unity in the appearance of the doors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a storing device with baskets is coupled to the first door to create a second storage compartment, then storage efficiency and user convenience are improved, but the device complexity and structural load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storing device with frame and baskets is nested within the first door structure, creating a second storage compartment that utilizes the door's internal space. This nesting approach allows the storage system to be integrated into the existing door without requiring separate external structures, thereby improving storage efficiency while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first door serves multiple functions: it acts as the primary closure for the refrigerator compartment and simultaneously supports the storing device with baskets to create a second storage compartment. This multi-functionality improves productivity by maximizing the utility of the door structure without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a second door is connected to the first door to allow independent access to the second storage compartment, then user convenience is improved, but the structural load and potential instability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into a first door and a second door that are coupled together. The second door is rotatably connected to the first door, allowing independent access to the second storage compartment without opening the first door. This segmentation improves ease of operation by enabling selective access while the coupling mechanism maintains structural reliability through proper load distribution.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple first coupling parts are provided on the first door for the storing device, then adaptability and ease of arrangement are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple first coupling parts are provided on the first door at different positions, allowing the storing device to be coupled at various locations according to user needs. These coupling parts use a standardized design that serves multiple functions: structural attachment, adjustable positioning, and load bearing. This universal coupling design improves adaptability while controlling device complexity through design standardization.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet that defines a first storage compartment, a first door that is opened or closed to allow or prevent access to an interior of the first storage compartment, a storing device coupled to the first door to define a second storage compartment, and a second door connected to the first door that is opened or closed to allow or prevent access to an interior of the second storage compartment. The first door includes a plurality of first coupling parts to which the storing device is coupled. The storing device includes a frame and a basket installed on the frame, each including at least one second coupling part interacting with at least one of the plurality of first coupling parts. A front surface of the second door is positioned to be generally coplanar with at least a portion of a front surface of the first door.