Refrigerator Door Hinge Sensor for Accurate Opening Angle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator designs face challenges in accurately detecting the opening angle of the door due to the distance between magnetic sensors and elements, affecting the reliability of sensing and complicating the structure and wiring of the appliance.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a sensor system where a magnetic element is integrated into the hinge assembly and a magnetic sensing element is on the door, ensuring a closer distance for accurate sensing and simplifying the installation and structure by co-injection-molding the magnetic element with the hinge cover, and using a controller to generate control instructions based on the opening angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the sensor is positioned away from the hinge assembly for easier installation, then the installation process is simplified, but the sensing accuracy deteriorates due to increased distance between magnetic elements
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic element is co-injection-molded with the hinge cover to form an integrated structure, eliminating separate mounting steps and ensuring precise positioning. This merging of components achieves both easy installation (as a single unit) and high sensing accuracy (through fixed close proximity)
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic element is embedded within the hinge cover structure during co-injection molding, creating a nested configuration where the sensor component is housed within the hinge assembly. This nesting ensures close spacing for accurate sensing while maintaining a compact, pre-assembled unit for straightforward installation
2Measurement precision
If the magnetic element and magnetic sensing element are positioned close together, then the sensing accuracy is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic element and hinge cover are merged into a single co-injection-molded component, reducing the number of separate parts. This integration maintains close spacing for accurate sensing while simplifying the overall structure by eliminating the need for separate mounting brackets, fasteners, and alignment mechanisms
3Device complexity
If the sensor components are integrated into the hinge assembly, then the wiring difficulty is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The co-injection molding process inherently provides self-positioning and self-fixturing of the magnetic element within the hinge cover. The molding process itself creates the precise positioning features, eliminating the need for separate precision machining or assembly steps, thereby managing manufacturing precision requirements through process integration rather than additional complexity
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
This configuration enhances the accuracy and reliability of door angle detection, simplifies the installation process, and reduces assembly costs by ensuring a consistent and reliable magnetic field sensing, enabling effective triggering of devices like illumination and camera systems.
Implementation Method 1
one of the first and second components is a magnetic element and the other of the first and second components is a magnetic sensing element
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door and a hinge assembly connecting the door and the cabinet. A sensor detects an opening angle of the door. The sensor includes: a first component and a second component, where one of the first component and the second component is a magnetic element, and the other one is a magnetic sensing element. The first component is provided at the hinge assembly, and the second component is provided at the door. This enables the magnetic sensing element to accurately sense a magnetic field of the magnetic element, and simplify a structure of the cabinet.