Drawer-Door Cable Housing for Refrigerator Sliding Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator designs fail to adequately protect electric wire cables connected to control panels on drawer-type doors from damage during sliding movements, leading to potential interference and damage.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring sliding frames and fixed frames with a guide hole and electric wire cable housing that supports and guides the electric wire cable, preventing it from being exposed and damaged during door operation, along with a push member to ensure the cable is safely housed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electric wire cable is arranged freely during door sliding, then the ease of operation is improved, but the cable may be exposed and damaged due to interference with surroundings
Solution Approach 1:
The electric wire cable is nested within the receiving space formed by the fixed frame, which is integrated into the drawer structure. The cable housing is detachably coupled to the sliding frame, creating a nested configuration where the cable is protected inside the frame structure during sliding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed frame acts as an intermediary structure between the cable and the surrounding environment. The frame includes a receiving space that accommodates the cable and a guide hole that directs the cable's path, preventing direct interference with surrounding components while maintaining operational smoothness.
2Reliability
If the electric wire cable is fixed rigidly to prevent damage, then the reliability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases due to complex structure
Solution Approach 1:
The cable management system incorporates dynamic elements that allow the cable to move with the sliding frame while maintaining protection. The detachable coupling of the cable housing to the sliding frame enables the system to adapt to different positions during operation, ensuring continuous protection without rigid fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable protection structure is segmented into multiple components: the fixed frame with receiving space, the sliding frame with detachable cable housing, and the guide hole. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity and detectability of the cable's condition.
3Reliability
If the cable housing is permanently fixed to the sliding frame, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of repair deteriorates due to inability to detach
Solution Approach 1:
The cable housing is designed with detachable coupling to the sliding frame from the beginning, anticipating future maintenance needs. This preliminary design decision allows the cable to be easily removed and replaced without damaging the sliding frame or requiring complex disassembly procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A refrigerator (1) includes a fixed frame (70) in which an electric wire cable (50) drawn from one sidewall (33) of a storage chamber (30) is disposed to form a loop, a sliding frame (60) slidably coupled to the fixed frame (70), and an electric wire cable housing (90) fixed to the sliding frame (60) to surround a portion of the electric wire cable (50). The electric wire cable (50) is prevented from being damaged upon insertion and drawing of a drawer type door (41).