Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators with double hinges for pivotably mounted doors suffer from large gaps between doors, leading to insulation issues and inefficient use of installation space, resulting in reduced storage capacity and increased insulation efforts.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a double hinge with narrow articulated levers and a support hinge, where the support hinge has a greater vertical extension than the double hinge, allowing for more compact installation and improved weight distribution, enabling better insulation and accommodating heavier doors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a double hinge with conventional articulated levers is used to pivotally mount two doors, then the doors can be securely held, but the vertical extension of the hinge creates a large gap between doors, leading to insulation losses and reduced storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge system transitions from a conventional vertical arrangement to a horizontal arrangement by mounting the articulated levers on side walls of the appliance body. This dimensional change allows the hinge mechanism to occupy horizontal space rather than vertical space, thereby reducing the gap between doors while maintaining door holding capability
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge system is divided into separate functional components: the double hinge for connecting doors to each other and the support hinge for connecting doors to the appliance body. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the support hinge providing structural stability and the double hinge enabling door movement with minimal gap
2Ease of operation
If a double hinge with conventional articulated levers is used, then the doors can be pivotally mounted, but the large volume of the hinge reduces available storage space and increases insulation effort
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism is reoriented to operate in a horizontal plane rather than extending vertically. The articulated levers are mounted on side walls, causing the hinge to occupy horizontal installation space while minimizing vertical footprint, thus preserving storage space between doors
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge system incorporates movable articulated levers that can dynamically adjust their position during door operation. This dynamic design allows the hinge to compact during door closure, minimizing the gap and installation space required while maintaining full pivoting capability
3Device complexity
If the articulated levers of the double hinge have the same vertical extension as support hinge levers, then the structure is simplified, but the double hinge cannot bear sufficient weight loads
Solution Approach 1:
The door support function is segmented between the double hinge and the support hinge. The support hinge, with its greater vertical extension, bears the primary weight load and connects the door assembly to the appliance body. The double hinge, with shorter articulated levers, handles door-to-door connection and movement, reducing its weight bearing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge system combines different structural configurations: the support hinge uses longer articulated levers optimized for load bearing, while the double hinge uses shorter articulated levers optimized for compactness. This composite approach allows each component to be designed for its specific functional requirements
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A refrigerator (1, 1') comprises an appliance body (2, 2') on which there are pivotably mounted at least two doors (6, 7) which are arranged one above the other and which open or close an interior space (3, 4) of the appliance body (2, 2') wherein, in the closed position, the doors (6, 7) are connected to the appliance body (2, 2') via at least one seal (8), wherein the two doors (6, 7) are pivotably mounted via a double hinge (20) which is fastened to the appliance body (2, 2') with a mounting plate (21) which, via a plurality of movable articulation levers (22, 23, 24, 25), is connected to an upper hinge part (30), which is connected to the upper door (6), and, via a plurality of further movable articulation levers, is connected to a lower hinge part (40), which is connected to the lower door (7), and the upper door (6) is pivotably mounted on the appliance body (2, 2') via a supporting hinge (10) which is fixed to the appliance body (2, 2') with a mounting element (11) which, via a plurality of articulation levers (13, 14, 15, 16), is connected to an upper hinge part (12), which is connected to the upper door (6), in such a way that the articulation levers (13, 14, 15, 16) of the supporting hinge (10) have a greater extent in terms of height in the vertical direction than the articulation levers (22, 23, 24, 25) of the double hinge (20).