Refrigerator Hinge Cap With Keyed Cable Routing Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinge systems for household appliances, such as refrigerators, often result in doors that do not open to a large enough angle and fail to adequately absorb opening forces, and during assembly, the cover for the bearing pin can be incorrectly rotated by 180°, leading to unnecessary work if the error is not recognized promptly.
Innovation Solution
A hinge system with a bearing bracket featuring a substantially rectangular cross-section bearing pin and a cover with a lateral inlet for the electrical cable, allowing secure fitting and routing of the cable outside the trunnion, along with a bearing bushing aligned essentially parallel to the direction from the first to the second free end, ensuring intuitive correct assembly and immediate detection of incorrect installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cover is fitted without orientation guidance, then assembly is simpler, but the cover may be installed rotated by 180° causing assembly errors
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing pin is designed with a rectangular cross-section instead of a circular one, creating an asymmetric geometry that prevents 180° rotation of the cover. The rectangular shape has distinct orientations (0° and 90° positions), ensuring the cover can only be fitted in the correct orientation, thereby eliminating assembly errors while maintaining simple assembly procedures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the cable routing is complex, then cable protection is better, but assembly becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with a pre-formed cable opening that allows the electrical cable to pass through laterally. This preliminary design feature eliminates the need for complex cable routing paths or additional cable protection components, as the cable can be easily guided through the pre-provided opening during assembly, thus protecting the cable while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Disclosed is a household appliance (9), in particular a refrigerator, and a cap (30) for covering a first free end (14) of a journal (12) of a mounting angle (10) used for mounting a door (9a) of the household appliance (9). Said journal (12), which has a substantially rectangular cross-section, comprises a second free end (15) which faces away from the first free end (14) and onto which a bearing bush (20) can be plugged. The bearing bush (20) has a penetration (22) for an electric cable (60), said penetration (22) running substantially parallel to the direction extending from the first to the second free end. The cap (30) comprises a lateral inlet (32) for the electric cable (60), can be plugged onto the journal (12) in a partially positive manner, and comprises a penetration section (35) for leading the cable (60) therethrough, said penetration section (35) partly projecting beyond the contour of the journal (12).