Refrigerator Handle Lighting and Slanted Sensor for Dark Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in locating the refrigerator handle in the dark and sensor errors occur due to blind spots and misidentification of users or pets, leading to inconvenient operation and reduced user safety.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a lighting part positioned at the rear of the handle on the upper door, which radiates light uniformly and is spaced to avoid interference with the user's hand, and a slanted sensor part on the upper door to reduce blind spots and improve detection accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a lighting part is disposed close to the handle part to illuminate the handle area, then the user can easily locate the handle in the dark, but the lighting part generates heat that creates a sense of difference when the user touches the handle
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting part is repositioned from a horizontal arrangement (next to the handle) to a vertical arrangement (below the handle on the lower surface of the upper door). This dimensional change allows the lighting function to be separated from the handle surface, eliminating heat transfer to the user's hand while maintaining effective illumination of the handle area.
2Illumination intensity
If the lighting part is disposed on the front surface of the upper door to illuminate the handle, then the user can easily find the handle, but the lighting part is interfered with by the user's hand when the user grasps the handle
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting part is relocated to the lower surface of the upper door, positioned below the handle in the vertical dimension. This spatial reconfiguration allows the lighting part to remain stationary and functional while the user's hand moves through the handle's grasping path without obstruction.
3Device complexity
If the sensor part is disposed at a standard position on the door to detect user approach, then the structure is simple, but the sensor creates blind spots and misidentifies users or pets
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor part is positioned asymmetrically on the lower surface of the upper door rather than at a conventional symmetric location. This asymmetric placement, combined with the slanted orientation, expands the sensing coverage area to eliminate blind spots and improve differentiation between users and pets based on approach patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is oriented at a slant rather than perpendicular to the door surface, creating a multi-dimensional sensing field that covers a wider area and reduces blind spots. This angular positioning allows the sensor to detect users approaching from various directions more effectively.
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
Enhances user convenience by allowing easy handle location in the dark and reduces sensor errors by illuminating the handle area and optimizing sensor placement to detect user approaches accurately.
Implementation Method 1
a lighting part being disposed at a rear of the upper handle part are disposed on the lower surface of the upper door
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a pair of upper doors, a handle, and a lighting disposed at the rear of the handle, where the handle and lighting are disposed respectively on the lower surface of the pair of upper doors, and a sensor part that senses an approach of a user. The user easily finds the position of the handle without an additional external light source even in the night, improving aesthetic qualities in design as well as enhancing user convenience.