Refrigerator Hinge Bracket Reinforcement for Upper-Lower Door Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-size refrigerators experience significant cool air loss when doors are opened, degrading cooling efficiency due to the lack of effective sealing between the upper and lower compartments.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a pillar unit that rotates to seal the gap between the upper and lower doors, combined with a hinge bracket and reinforcing bracket to enhance sealing and structural rigidity, allowing independent opening and closing of compartment sections without a vertical thermal insulating wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vertical thermal insulating wall is installed between upper and lower compartments to prevent cool air loss, then sealing performance improves, but device complexity and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vertical thermal insulating wall that would normally separate upper and lower compartments, instead using a hinge bracket system with reinforcing brackets to maintain structural integrity and sealing performance without the complex vertical partition structure
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge bracket serves multiple functions: it acts as a structural support, a sealing element, and a connection mechanism between doors and the cabinet body, eliminating the need for separate vertical insulating walls while maintaining both structural and sealing functions
2Ease of operation
If doors are opened to access storage compartments, then ease of operation improves, but cool air loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the door system into upper and lower doors that can be opened independently, allowing users to access only the required compartment section while keeping the other section closed to maintain cool air and reduce energy loss
3Volume of stationary object
If a hinge bracket is used to support upper and lower doors without a vertical partition wall, then space utilization improves, but hinge bracket rigidity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining the hinge bracket with reinforcing brackets that have different functional characteristics - the hinge bracket provides rotational movement while the reinforcing bracket provides structural rigidity, together forming a composite support system
4Strength
If a reinforcing bracket is added to maintain hinge bracket rigidity, then structural strength improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hinge bracket and reinforcing bracket into an integrated assembly where both components work together as a unified support system, with the reinforcing bracket providing additional structural support without requiring separate complex mechanisms
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 cool air loss and enhances sealing performance by using a torsion spring and guide protrusion to maintain contact between the doors, while the reinforcing bracket maintains hinge bracket rigidity, ensuring efficient temperature maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring configured to elastically support the pillar member
Implementation Method 2
an outer case, which is disposed on an outer side of the inner case while interposing a heat insulation space, in which thermal insulating material is formed, between the outer case and the inner case
Data Source
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AI summary
A refrigerator includes a hinge bracket that is installed on a cabinet between an upper door and a lower door, which are configured to individually open and close an upper portion and a lower portion of a cabinet, respectively, and rotatably supports the upper door and the lower door, the hinge bracket coupled to a connecting member through a reinforcing bracket, which is installed at an inner side of a wall forming a heat insulation space of the cabinet , thereby enhancing the sealing performance of a filler unit configured to seal between the upper door and the lower door.