Refrigerator Door Tilting Hinge With Selective Tilt Lockout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerator door tilting mechanisms often result in unnecessary tilting of the door, causing inconvenience when handling large items and can lead to damage due to external forces applied during tilting.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a tilting mechanism with rollers and stoppers that allow the door to tilt to a desired angle, using a pair of receptacles with rollers and a tilting hinge that moves along a predetermined trajectory, and a tilting prevention member that restricts or allows tilting based on user needs, incorporating a buffer member to absorb impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is equipped with a tilting mechanism to enable selective tilting, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential damage from external forces during tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a buffer member positioned between the door and the cabinet body that absorbs impact forces when the door tilts. This cushioning element prevents damage to the door and surrounding structures by dissipating external forces applied during the tilting operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between enabling easy tilting and maintaining structural reliability
2Ease of operation
If the door tilts automatically when the storage chamber is opened, then the ease of operation is improved, but the object-affected harmful factors increase due to unnecessary tilting when handling large items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic tilting mechanism where the door can tilt to a predetermined angle through a tilting hinge, but also includes a stopper mechanism that allows the door to be held in both tilted and non-tilted positions. This dynamic capability enables the door to adapt to different operational needs - tilting for normal access and remaining stationary when handling large items, thus eliminating harmful automatic tilting while preserving operational ease
3Reliability
If the tilting mechanism is made more robust to prevent damage, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a buffer member as an intermediary element between the door and the cabinet body. This simple cushioning component effectively absorbs impact forces and protects the door and surrounding structures without requiring complex reinforcement or additional mechanical systems, thereby achieving improved reliability while maintaining device simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus for tilting a door for a refrigerator. The apparatus includes: the door selectively opening and closing a storage chamber; a basket frame provided on a rear surface of the door and having a basket detachably installed on the basket frame; a tilting hinge connecting the door to the basket frame so that the door is tilted by a desired angle; and a tilting prevention pin having one end extending through a side of the tilting hinge and the other end supported by a side of the basket frame, for restricting and allowing the tilting of the door.