refrigerator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing refrigerator designs with drawer-type doors often have exposed components for elevation, leading to safety concerns, poor appearance, and difficulties in service and cleaning due to the exposed nature of the elevation mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A refrigerator design where a portion of the drawer-type door is elevatable, with the elevation mechanism components being housed within the door and drawer parts to prevent exposure, allowing for easy separation and installation of the elevation structure, and ensuring stable vertical movement of the support member without tilting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the drawer-type door is disposed in the lower region of the refrigerator to enable elevation, then user convenience is improved, but exposed components for elevation create safety concerns and poor appearance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsafety concerns from exposed components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The elevation mechanism components are nested within the door structure itself. The support member is disposed inside the door, and the elevation mechanism is integrated into the door's internal structure, preventing exposure of hazardous components while maintaining the elevation function for user convenience

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the elevation mechanism components are exposed to enable elevation function, then the elevation function is achieved, but appearance deteriorates and safety concerns arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelevation functionVSAvoidappearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

All elevation mechanism components including the support member, driving device, and connection portions are nested within the door structure. The support member is disposed inside the door rather than externally, and connection portions are positioned to prevent exposure, achieving a clean appearance while maintaining full elevation functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the elevation mechanism components are exposed to enable elevation, then the elevation function is achieved, but service and cleaning management become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelevation functionVSAvoidservice and cleaning management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The door structure is segmented into accessible sections that allow service personnel to access the elevation mechanism components for maintenance and cleaning. The support member and other components are positioned within the door structure in a way that facilitates disassembly and access without requiring complete door removal

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The support member can be extracted or removed from the door structure for cleaning and maintenance purposes. The elevation mechanism components are designed to be separable from the main door structure, allowing easy access for service and cleaning operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the support member is exposed from the rear surface and bottom surface of the door to enable elevation, then the elevation function is achieved, but safety concerns and poor appearance result

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelevation functionVSAvoidsafety concerns from exposed support member
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The support member is nested within the door structure rather than being externally exposed. It is disposed inside the door in a position that allows it to function for elevation while preventing direct exposure of the component that could pose safety hazards to users

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP4269918B1refrigerator
Publication Date: 2025.05.07 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP4269918B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4269918B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4269918B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cabinet in which an upper storage space and a lower storage space are defined, a door part opening and closing the lower storage space, a drawer part provided behind the door part and inserted and withdrawn together with the door part, a drawer-side device provided in the drawer part to elevate a food or a container within the drawer part, a door-side device provided in the door part to provide power for an operation of the drawer-side device, and a connection device provided in the door part to connect the door-side device to the drawer-side device so that the power of the door-side device is transmitted to the drawer-side device. At least a portion of the connection device is exposed to a rear surface of the door part so that a user manipulates the connection device, and when the user manipulates the connection device, the connection device operates to separate the drawer-side device from the door-side device.