Refrigerator Drawer Handle Strip Design for Ergonomic Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Domestic refrigeration appliances with pull-out trays require users to bend down to access the tray, making them cumbersome due to the low placement of the handle, which is often mounted near the edge of the shell for stability.
Innovation Solution
A handle strip is extended to the front edge of the tray, allowing it to be accessed from above, reducing the need for users to bend down, and is reinforced with a metal grip strip for increased rigidity and visibility of contents, with optional adjustments for lid height and a labyrinth seal to prevent air exchange and moisture loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the handle is mounted near the edge of the shell for stability, then the shell maintains structural stability, but the user must bend down to access the tray making it cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The handle strip is extended from the traditional low horizontal mounting near the shell edge to a vertical arrangement reaching from the bottom panel up to the front edge of the plate. This dimensional change allows the handle to be accessed from above at a higher vertical position, improving user accessibility while the attachment to both the bottom panel and front wall maintains structural stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the handle strip is made with high flexural strength material, then the shell requires smaller wall thickness for cost savings, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The handle strip is constructed as a composite structure combining a metal profile (providing high flexural strength) with a plastic cover (providing aesthetic finish and integration with the shell). This composite approach allows the use of thinner shell walls for cost savings while the robust metal handle strip maintains structural integrity and enables simple attachment methods.
3Loss of information
If the front wall is made transparent and flat, then the contents are clearly visible, but the structural rigidity of the shell decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The front wall is designed with local quality variations: the lower portion is made transparent and flat for visibility, while the upper portion and integrated handle strip provide structural reinforcement. The handle strip itself acts as a stiffening element that compensates for the reduced rigidity of the transparent front wall, allowing both visibility and structural integrity to coexist.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a refrigeration device, in particular a domestic refrigeration device, comprising a body (1) and a door (2) which surround a heat-insulated storage compartment (5), and a drawer (14) can be withdrawn from the storage compartment (5) and a shelf (6) covering the drawer (14) when said shelf is in the inserted position in the storage compartment (5). A handle strip (26) on a front side (21) of the drawer (14) is raised at least until a front edge of the plate (6).