refrigerator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator drawer-type doors with lifting mechanisms are exposed, leading to safety issues, contamination, noise, and aesthetic problems, as well as limited elevation height due to the protruding frame.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with an elevation device where the elevation plate is disposed within the storage box, connected to a driving gear system that includes first and second curved racks, elevation bars, and a plate support device, allowing the elevation plate to move vertically while maintaining a horizontal state, and reducing noise by housing the driving device inside the door.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lifting mechanism is disposed outside the storage box, then the elevation function is achieved, but safety problems and contamination occur
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting mechanism is nested inside the storage box, with the elevation plate disposed within the storage box and the driving device housed within the door. This nesting approach maintains the elevation function while eliminating safety hazards and contamination risks associated with external exposure.
2Ease of operation
If the lifting mechanism is disposed outside the storage box, then the elevation function is achieved, but noise is transmitted to the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The driving device is housed within the door, nested inside the refrigerator structure. This containment isolates the noise-generating components from the external environment, preventing noise transmission while maintaining the elevation functionality.
3Length of moving object
If the frame protrudes further upward than the door, then the elevation height is increased, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The elevation function is achieved through vertical movement of the elevation plate within the storage box, rather than through external frame protrusion. This dimensional approach allows sufficient elevation height while maintaining a clean, flush appearance of the refrigerator exterior.
4Length of moving object
If the frame protrudes further upward than the door, then the elevation height is increased, but the vertical portion of the frame is exposed to the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The elevation mechanism components are nested within the door and storage box structure, preventing exposure to the outside environment. This eliminates aesthetic deterioration and potential contamination while achieving the required elevation height through internal vertical movement.
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 safety and convenience by preventing accidents, minimizing noise, and maintaining the aesthetic appeal by keeping the elevation mechanism internal, while allowing for greater elevation height without compromising storage capacity.
Implementation Method 1
a driving motor and a driving gear connected with the driving motor and gear-connected with the first curved rack to rotate the first curved rack
Implementation Method 2
a pair of elevation bars respectively connected to the first curved rack and the second curved rack, and an elevation plate connected to the pair of elevation bars
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet (10) having a storage space (12) therein, and a drawer (30) slidably movable forward and backward from the storage space. The drawer includes a door (31), a storage box provided at a rear surface of the door, an elevation plate disposed within the storage box, and an elevation device connected with one side of the elevation plate to vertically elevate the elevation plate. The elevation device includes a driving motor, a first curved rack to rotate by a rotational force generated by the driving motor, the first curved rack being curved at a predetermined curvature and having an outer circumferential surface, a first elevation bar to connect the first curved rack with the elevation plate, a second curved rack being curved at a predetermined curvature and having an outer circumferential surface to engage with the outer circumferential surface of the first curved rack, and a second elevation bar to connect the second curved rack with the elevation plate.