Refrigerator Folding Shelf Design to Prevent Door Basket Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
In refrigerators, shelves often interfere with baskets when trying to discharge them forward, limiting the storage of tall items and reducing spatial utility in the storage compartment.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a sliding shelf that can extend forward without interfering with a door basket, along with foldable shelves that can rotate and support tall items, allowing for increased storage capacity and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shelf is discharged forward to a desired distance, then the accessibility to stored items is improved, but the shelf interferes with the basket on the door
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is divided into two independent parts: a sliding shelf that can move forward for accessibility and a folding shelf that can be rotated upward. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function without interfering with the door basket, as the folding shelf can be positioned vertically when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf incorporates dynamic elements including a sliding mechanism that allows the shelf to move forward and backward, and a folding mechanism with a hinge unit that enables the shelf to rotate between horizontal and vertical positions. This dynamic design allows the shelf to adapt its position to avoid interfering with the door basket while maintaining accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the shelf is discharged forward, then the accessibility is improved, but the storage of tall articles is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The folding shelf can be rotated upward to a vertical position using the hinge unit, creating additional vertical storage space for tall articles. This dynamic transformation allows the same shelf structure to serve both as a horizontal surface for general storage and as a vertical support for tall items, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and tall article storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding shelf transitions from a horizontal plane to a vertical orientation, utilizing the vertical dimension for tall article storage. This dimensional change allows tall items to be stored upright without being blocked by the horizontal shelf structure, while the sliding mechanism maintains horizontal accessibility for other items.
3Ease of manufacture
If a fixed shelf structure is used, then the manufacturing is simple, but the spatial utility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is segmented into a sliding portion and a folding portion, each with specialized functions. The sliding shelf provides easy accessibility, while the folding shelf with hinge unit provides vertical storage capability. This segmentation allows the structure to perform multiple functions that would require a much more complex fixed design, thereby improving spatial utility while maintaining reasonable manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf structure is designed to perform multiple functions: it can slide forward for accessibility, fold upward for tall article storage, and provide both horizontal and vertical storage surfaces. This multi-functionality maximizes the spatial utility of the refrigerator interior without requiring entirely separate structures for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage compartment, a sliding shelf configured to discharge forward from the compartment, a folding shelf configured to, based on rotation of the folding shelf, switch positions between a first position in which the folding shelf is disposed along a plane of the sliding shelf and a second position in which the folding shelf is disposed transverse to the plane, a hinge unit configured to couple the folding shelf to a side surface of the compartment, a rotation stopper located on the side surface and configured to resist rotation of the folding shelf, and a supporter that is configured to support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position and that includes a protrusion at a bottom surface of the folding shelf, and a press portion at the hinge unit and configured to press the protrusion.