A refrigerator comprising a self-closing drawer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with drawers often experience increased energy consumption and food spoilage due to drawers being left open or not properly closed, as existing mechanisms lack effective automatic closure solutions.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a connection member with a spring and a control unit using a reed switch sensor and motorized locking mechanism to automatically close the drawer if left open, utilizing stored energy from a coil spring to ensure complete closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drawer is made accessible from above with movement mechanisms (rails, slides, wheels), then the drawer can open and close easily, but the drawer may be left open or not properly closed causing food spoilage and increased energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer system performs self-closure automatically through the spring mechanism. When the drawer is pulled open, the connection member moves relative to the spring, compressing it. Upon release, the spring automatically pushes the drawer back to the closed position without requiring user intervention, thus ensuring reliable closure while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a sensor to detect the drawer's position and provides feedback to the control unit. When the drawer is not properly closed or left open, the sensor signals the control unit, which then activates the motor to rotate the locking means and release the pin, allowing the spring to close the drawer automatically. This feedback mechanism ensures the drawer is reliably closed.
2Reliability
If a spring mechanism is added to automatically close the drawer, then the drawer can be brought to closed position automatically, but the device complexity increases with connection members, sensors, and control units
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is pre-compressed when the drawer is opened, storing potential energy in advance. This preliminary action allows the spring to automatically close the drawer when released, reducing the need for complex active control systems. The locking means and pin mechanism are designed to simply hold or release this pre-stored energy, minimizing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection member acts as an intermediary between the drawer and the spring, transferring the drawer's movement to the spring and enabling the spring force to be applied to the drawer for automatic closure. This intermediary component simplifies the mechanical linkage and reduces the need for complex transmission mechanisms.
3Loss of energy
If a locking means with motor and sensor is implemented to detect and close forgotten open drawers, then energy consumption and food spoilage are prevented, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces purely mechanical closure mechanisms with a hybrid system that uses electronic sensors and a control unit to detect drawer status. When the sensor detects the drawer is improperly closed or left open, the control unit activates the motor to release the locking means, allowing the spring to close the drawer. This substitution enables automatic closure based on electronic detection, preventing energy loss while managing manufacturing complexity through modular components.
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
Prevents food spoilage and reduces energy consumption by ensuring the drawer is automatically closed when forgotten or not properly closed, maintaining a consistent refrigeration environment.
Implementation Method 1
a coil spring, one end of which is connected to a connection member and the other end of which is connected to the body, in which a movement of the drawer in the opening direction is transferred to the coil spring and in which the coil spring closes the drawer automatically when a user forgets to close the drawer or does not close the drawer properly
Implementation Method 2
the coil spring that has compressed and stored energy during the opening of the drawer is freed when the pin is freed and the stored energy is spent to bring the drawer to the closed position
Implementation Method 3
The sensor is a reed switch that detects magnetic fields
Implementation Method 4
The sensor is a reed switch that detects magnetic fields
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooler (1) comprising a body (2) wherein the beverages and foodstuffs are placed and that has an inlet port (4) enabling the user to access therein, two side walls (5) and a rear wall (6); one or more than one door (3) that prevents the heat transfer between the body (2) and the outer environment when closed, that enables the user to access the interior of the body (2) when opened and that is mounted to one side of the body (2); at least one drawer (7) that is disposed into the body (2) and that moves in the horizontal plane between the side walls (5),