Refrigerator Door Support Arm to Prevent Food Container Falls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Food containers in refrigerators often fall over or out of storage bins when doors are opened or closed, due to lack of stabilization, especially when their center of mass is higher than the bin walls.
Innovation Solution
A support arm mechanism is integrated into the refrigerator door, transitioning between retracted and advanced positions to engage food containers, securing them between the arm and the door's back surface, thereby maintaining their position and preventing falls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If food containers are placed in storage bins, then storage capacity is improved, but stability deteriorates causing containers to fall over
Solution Approach 1:
A support arm acts as an intermediary element between the storage bin and the food container. The support arm engages with the container at or above its center of mass, providing stabilizing force that prevents the container from falling over while allowing the container to remain freely accessible in the storage bin.
2Ease of operation
If door is opened or closed, then accessibility is improved, but container position deteriorates causing containers to fall out
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is positioned and configured to provide preliminary stabilizing action on the food container before the door movement can cause the container to fall. By engaging the container at or above its center of mass, the support arm counteracts the destabilizing forces generated during door opening and closing operations.
3Stability of the object's composition
If support arm engages food container, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is designed as a dynamic element that can move between a retracted position (when not needed) and an extended position (when engaging the container). This dynamic configuration allows the support arm to provide stability only when required, minimizing its impact on the overall door mechanism complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm is implemented as a separate, modular component independent from the main door structure. This segmentation allows the support arm to be designed, installed, and adjusted independently, reducing the complexity burden on the overall door mechanism while still providing the required stabilizing function.
Data Source
AI summary
A containment system for a refrigerator includes a storage bin and a support arm. The storage bin is secured to an internal panel of a refrigerator door. The support arm is secured to the interior panel at a position above the storage bin. The support arm is configured to transition between a retracted position that is adjacent to a back surface of the internal panel and an advanced position that is spaced apart from the back surface. The support arm in the advanced position is configured to engage a food container that is positioned in the storage bin such that the food container is disposed between the support arm and the back surface.