refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators face challenges in user convenience when accessing drawers, particularly in the lower regions, due to interference with rear-mounted door components, requiring additional force and potentially damaging mechanisms, and occupying valuable storage space.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with an electric driving unit that automatically moves a drawer from an initial position to a ready position closer to the user, allowing manual withdrawal without additional force, and returns it to the initial position using an elastic restoring force, minimizing interference and maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the rear of the door is inserted further into the storage compartment to provide additional functional space, then the door can accommodate home bar, ice maker, and shelf functions, but the fronts of the drawers are positioned deeper in the storage compartment, making it difficult for users to withdraw them
Solution Approach 1:
The door is pre-configured with a linkage mechanism connected to the drawer. When the door is opened, the linkage automatically pulls the drawer forward to a ready position before the user needs to access it, eliminating the need for the user to reach deep into the storage compartment.
2Ease of operation
If a linkage mechanism is used to automatically withdraw the drawer when the door is opened, then user convenience is improved, but the linkage becomes exposed outward and blocks the movement path of the user
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage mechanism is nested within the door structure itself. The linkage is housed inside the door body, with only necessary portions extending into the storage compartment when needed. This eliminates the problem of exposed linkages blocking the user's movement path while maintaining the automatic drawer withdrawal function.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the drawer is positioned deeper in the storage compartment to reduce interference with the door, then door-drawer interference is minimized, but the user must insert their hand more deeply and withdraw the drawer in a crouching style, which is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer position is made dynamic rather than fixed. The drawer can automatically transition between a retracted position (when the door is closed to minimize interference) and a forward ready position (when the door is opened to improve accessibility). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between minimizing interference and maximizing user convenience.
4Stability of the object's composition
If additional force is required to open the door when the drawer is heavily loaded, then the drawer remains stationary and stable, but it becomes difficult to open the door and may damage the linkage mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage mechanism acts as an intermediary that transfers the force applied to open the door into automatic drawer withdrawal. Instead of requiring the user to directly pull the heavy drawer, the linkage mediates by converting door opening motion into drawer movement, reducing the effort needed while maintaining drawer stability through the rail guidance system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances user convenience by reducing the effort required to access drawers, minimizing collisions, and maintaining storage capacity while ensuring reliable and durable operation.
Implementation Method 1
returns it to the initial position using an elastic restoring force
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. Specifically, a refrigerator that is capable of enabling a user to easily introduce or remove goods into or from the refrigerator is disclosed. More specifically, a refrigerator that is capable of enabling a drawer for receiving goods to be more conveniently used is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage compartment with a food introduction port formed in the front thereof, a door hingedly connected to the cabinet for opening and closing the storage compartment, a plurality of drawers disposed in the storage compartment, the drawers being arranged vertically, a moving frame extending vertically so as to correspond to the height at which the drawers are disposed, the moving frame being configured to selectively push the drawers such that the drawers are moved toward the food introduction port, an electric driving unit coupled to the moving frame for moving the moving frame toward the food introduction port, and a controller for controlling the electric driving unit to move the moving frame when it is sensed that the door is open.