Refrigerator Drawer Layout for Full-Depth Inner Drawer Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigeration devices with sliding inner drawers face limitations in space utilization due to their reduced depth, which restricts accessibility to stored goods, especially in the rear area.
Innovation Solution
The design features a refrigeration device with a reduced rear boundary wall height allowing the inner drawer to be pushed back fully, combined with a sealed cover that remains immovable, ensuring complete insulation and accessibility without compromising the integrity of the interior space, and incorporating an evaporator within the cover for efficient cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the inner drawer depth is reduced to less than half the drawer depth, then the inner drawer can be accommodated within the drawer space, but the space utilization and accessibility to stored goods are significantly limited
Solution Approach 1:
The inner drawer is designed to be movable relative to the outer drawer, allowing it to slide forward and backward. When the outer drawer is pulled out, the inner drawer can slide forward to clear the rear boundary wall, providing full accessibility to goods stored in the rear area of the outer drawer. This dynamic configuration resolves the contradiction by enabling full space utilization while maintaining complete accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the rear boundary wall height is reduced to allow the inner drawer to be pushed back over it, then the inner drawer can be fully retracted for accessibility, but the insulation and structural integrity of the drawer interior may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A cover is introduced as an intermediary element that closes the interior space of the outer drawer when it is in the closed position. The cover includes a rear wall that seals against the reduced rear boundary wall of the outer drawer, maintaining insulation integrity. When the outer drawer is opened, the cover remains in place, allowing the inner drawer to be pushed back over the rear boundary wall without compromising the sealed interior when closed.
3Loss of energy
If the drawer is designed with full insulation and a closed interior, then thermal efficiency is improved, but accessibility to goods stored in the rear area is limited when the drawer is open
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer system is segmented into an outer drawer with full insulation and an inner drawer that can be independently positioned. The inner drawer acts as a movable partition that, when pushed forward, clears the rear boundary wall to expose goods stored in the rear area of the outer drawer. This segmentation allows the outer drawer to maintain full insulation while the inner drawer provides selective access to different storage zones without compromising thermal efficiency.
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
This configuration maximizes space utilization by allowing full-depth storage while maintaining excellent accessibility and insulation, reducing heat exchange with the environment, and enabling easy loading and unloading without additional insulation needs.
Implementation Method 1
An evaporator for cooling the interior of the drawer can be assigned to the cover
Implementation Method 2
the height of the rear boundary wall of the drawer is reduced at least to the extent that the inner drawer with its bottom wall can be displaced at least in part over the rear boundary wall
Implementation Method 3
the drawer has a cover... When the drawer is closed, a completely isolated interior is created without the user having to worry about securely closing the drawer with the lid
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention is based on a refrigerator having an insulated interior which is formed, at least in part, by a drawer (1) with a bottom boundary wall (5), a front boundary wall (4), two lateral boundary walls (2) and a rear boundary wall (3), in the upper region of which is provided an inner drawer (7), of which the height is smaller than the height of the drawer (1). According to the invention, the height of the rear boundary wall (3) of the drawer (1) is reduced at least to the extent where the inner drawer (7) can have its base wall displaced, at least in part, beyond the rear boundary wall (3) of the drawer (1).