Refrigerator drawer assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator drawer assemblies with independent sliding grooves for partition plates limit the number of separable cavities, resulting in poor user experience and inflexible storage options.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator drawer assembly with two sliding partition plate assemblies that utilize aligned first and second sliding grooves on the front and rear walls, allowing the partition plates to slide independently and attach to each other, enabling the separation of the drawer into two or three cavities, with mechanisms that include sliding bases, guide rods, and limiting blocks for stable and extended movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If independent sliding grooves are provided for each partition plate, then the partition plates can slide independently, but the number of separated cavities is fixed and the user experience is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sliding grooves of multiple partition plates into a shared common sliding groove. Instead of each partition plate having its own independent sliding groove, multiple partition plates share the same sliding groove, allowing them to slide simultaneously along the same track. This reduces the number of sliding grooves needed while maintaining the ability to create multiple separable cavities, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The common sliding groove serves multiple functions: it accommodates multiple partition plates simultaneously, provides a unified sliding path for all partition plates, and enables flexible reconfiguration of cavity numbers. This multi-functional design allows the drawer to adapt to different storage needs (2 cavities, 3 cavities, or more) using a single sliding groove structure, improving versatility without requiring separate grooves for each partition plate.
2Adaptability or versatility
If two or more partition plates are disposed inside the drawer to separate the space, then the drawer can be divided into multiple cavities, but the sliding range is limited and the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple partition plates are merged into a single sliding system by providing a common sliding groove that all partition plates share. This allows multiple partition plates to slide along the same track simultaneously, extending the effective sliding range compared to independent grooves where each plate is constrained to its own limited track. The unified sliding path enables broader movement freedom while maintaining cavity separation capability.
3Ease of operation
If independent sliding grooves are used for each partition plate, then each partition plate can slide, but the number of parts increases and manufacturing becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent sliding grooves into a single common sliding groove that serves multiple partition plates. Instead of manufacturing separate grooves for each partition plate, only one common groove needs to be manufactured in the drawer body, significantly reducing the number of machining operations and simplifying the manufacturing process while still allowing all partition plates to slide independently along the shared groove.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator drawer assembly, comprising: a drawer body, the drawer body comprising a front wall and a rear wall arranged opposite to each other along the pulling direction thereof, and defining an accommodating cavity used for placing articles, wherein the front wall is provided with two first sliding grooves extending along the horizontal direction and running along the thickness direction thereof, and the rear wall is provided with two second sliding grooves aligned with the two first sliding grooves; and two sliding partition assemblies, wherein two ends of each sliding partition assembly are inserted into a set of a first sliding groove and a second sliding groove that are aligned, and the two sliding partition assemblies are configured to be able to slide along the first sliding grooves and the second sliding grooves and are capable of sliding to a fitted state. The drawer assembly may achieve two-chamber separation and three-chamber separation of the drawer body, thereby effectively improving the user experience.