Refrigerator Receptacle With Guided Dual Trays for Quiet Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional refrigerator receptacles require complex and inconvenient processes to access food stored in baskets, with potential collisions between baskets and trays, leading to food interference and noise during movement.

Innovation Solution

A refrigerator receptacle design featuring a first tray with an upward opening reception space, a second tray with interlocking protrusions and a buffering member, and guide ribs that guide and absorb external forces, allowing for easy and noise-minimized movement of both trays within the storage space.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the basket is moved into/out of the storage space, then food can be accessed, but the basket may collide with food in the tray causing interference and noise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood accessibilityVSAvoidcollision and noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The storage space is divided into two independent movable units: a tray that moves with the door and a basket that moves independently on support rods. This segmentation allows each component to be operated separately, enabling food access from the basket without requiring the tray to be moved, thereby preventing collisions and noise between the two components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having the basket move with the door as a fixed attachment, the invention inverts the relationship by making the basket independently movable on support rods while the tray is attached to the door. This inversion allows the basket to be drawn out independently without dragging the tray, eliminating the collision problem.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the basket and tray are both movable, then food access is improved, but the structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood accessibilityVSAvoidreceptacle structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support rods serve multiple functions: they guide the basket movement, provide structural support for the basket, and act as rails for the basket to slide on. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional complex mechanisms, allowing independent basket movement without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7740331B2Refrigerator receptacle

Publication Date: 2010.06.22 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

Disclosed is a refrigerator receptacle including a first tray adapted to move into/out of a storage space like a drawer, a reception space being defined in the first tray, the reception space having an upward opening; a second tray adapted to move in an inward/outward movement direction of the first tray, a reception space being defined in the second tray, the reception space having an upward opening; a guide member for guiding movement of the second tray, an insertion groove being formed on the guide member, an upper end of both lateral surfaces of the first tray being inserted into the insertion groove; and a fastener extending through one of the first tray and the guide member so as to be fastened to other of the first tray and the guide member.