Refrigerator Door Gap Protection and Thin Gasket Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large capacity refrigerators, the increased separation distance between the door and the main body during rotation poses a risk of finger injury, compromises energy efficiency due to air leakage, and affects aesthetics, while the thicker gasket and exposed hot pipe in partitions further exacerbate these issues.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a protection member between the door rotation shaft and the main body to maintain a constant separation distance, a gasket without a magnet assembly to minimize thickness and prevent air leakage, and a seating member for the hot pipe that is not exposed to the outside to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rotation shaft is located at the front of the main body and spaced apart from the main body to allow door rotation, then the door can be opened and closed, but a separation distance occurs between the door and the main body causing finger injury risk, aesthetic degradation, and storage chamber exposure
Solution Approach 1:
A protection member is introduced as an intermediary element between the door and the main body. This protection member includes a first protection part that covers the separation distance between the door and the main body during rotation, preventing finger injury and storage chamber exposure while allowing the door to rotate freely about the spaced-apart rotation shaft
2Reliability
If a magnet member is located in the gasket to improve sealing, then sealing performance is enhanced, but the gasket thickness is increased causing cool air leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet member is extracted from the gasket structure and relocated to the door body itself. This allows the gasket to maintain a thin profile without the added thickness of the magnet member, preventing cool air leakage while the magnet member on the door body continues to provide the necessary sealing force through magnetic attraction to the main body
3Reliability
If the gasket thickness is increased to improve sealing, then sealing capability is enhanced, but cool air leakage increases due to the thicker gasket structure
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet member is extracted from the gasket and positioned on the door body instead. This enables the gasket to remain thin and avoid the cool air leakage problem associated with thick gaskets, while the magnet member provides sealing capability through magnetic attraction between the door and main body
4Ease of operation
If the door and main body are spaced apart to allow rotation, then door rotation is enabled, but the separation distance ruins the appearance of the refrigerator
Solution Approach 1:
The protection member serves as a visual intermediary that covers the separation distance between the door and the main body during rotation. This maintains the aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator by concealing the gap, while the door continues to rotate freely about the spaced-apart rotation shaft
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 finger injury, enhances aesthetics, reduces cool air leakage, and increases energy efficiency by maintaining a consistent separation distance, minimizing gasket thickness, and optimizing the placement of the hot pipe seating member.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet member located in a gasket disposed between the door and the main body
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a door including a rotation part protruding outward from a side surface of the door, and a protection member configured to face a side surface part of the door and having at least some parts disposed between the rotation part and the main body when the door is closed, such that a user's finger is prevented from being caught between the main body and the door during rotation of the door. No magnet is installed in the gasket, a separate magnet member is provided while spaced apart from the gasket, thereby reducing the thickness of the gasket, improving the energy efficiency of the refrigerator. A seating member for seating a hot pipe thereon is provided in a partition wall of the refrigerator, thereby minimizing cool air of a storage chamber leaking to the outside.