Refrigerator Hinge Bracket Segmentation for Upright Door Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing refrigerator designs require disassembling the hinge device at the lower portion, which necessitates laying the refrigerator on its side, making the installation process cumbersome and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A hinge bracket system comprising a first bracket coupled to the main body and a second bracket coupled to the door, allowing for detachable and sliding connections, with a coupling member and fixing unit to facilitate easy separation and reconnection without requiring the refrigerator to be tilted, enabling upright separation and improved durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the hinge device is disassembled by removing the bolt from the bottom surface of the main body, then the hinge device can be separated, but the refrigerator must be laid on its side causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge device is divided into two separate brackets: a first bracket coupled to the main body and a second bracket coupled to the door. This segmentation allows the second bracket to be detachably coupled to the first bracket, enabling separation without removing bolts from the main body, thus eliminating the need to lay the refrigerator on its side.
Solution Approach 2:
The second bracket acts as an intermediary component that connects the door to the first bracket. It can be detachably coupled to the first bracket in forward and backward directions, serving as a mediator that allows easy separation and reconnection of the door and main body while the refrigerator remains upright.
2Reliability
If the hinge device is fixed with a bolt in the bottom surface, then the connection is stable, but the separation process becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The second bracket is designed to be detachably coupled to the first bracket, transitioning from a fixed bolt connection to a dynamic, reversible connection. This allows the hinge device to be easily assembled and disassembled multiple times without requiring bolt removal, improving both installation ease and connection reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the second bracket is detachably coupled to the first bracket, then easy separation is achieved, but the durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the hinge device into two brackets with a detachable connection, the design maintains strength through proper coupling mechanisms while enabling easy separation. The first bracket remains firmly coupled to the main body, ensuring structural integrity, while the second bracket's detachable coupling allows operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator that has an improved structure to facilitate assembling of a door and a main body which are separable from each other. The refrigerator includes a main body that forms an exterior appearance, a storage compartment that is provided inside the main body, a door that is rotatably coupled to the main body so as to open and close an open front surface of the storage compartment, and a hinge bracket that connects the main body and the door. Here, the hinge bracket includes a first bracket that is coupled to the main body and a second bracket that is coupled to the door and detachably coupled to the first bracket.