Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing refrigerator hinge design limits the opening angle of the door due to a ridge portion formed by the side and front walls, which can interfere with the refrigerator's cabinet when the gap between the refrigerator and the wall is small, making it difficult to open the door fully.
Innovation Solution
A hinge system with a positioning shaft and guiding shaft on the hinge body and corresponding grooves on the door, allowing the door to rotate around the positioning shaft, moving the guiding shaft to different positions to increase the opening angle and prevent interference with the cabinet's side wall, enabling the door to open further without protruding beyond the side wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-shaft hinge is used in a refrigerator, then the hinge structure is simple, but the door opening angle is limited due to the ridge portion exceeding the cabinet side wall
Solution Approach 1:
The single-shaft hinge is segmented into two independent shafts: a positioning shaft that provides the primary rotation axis, and a guiding shaft that constrains the door's movement path. This segmentation allows the door to follow a complex trajectory (translation plus rotation) rather than simple circular motion, enabling the ridge portion to clear the cabinet side wall during opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding groove acts as an intermediary element between the guiding shaft and the positioning groove. It guides the guiding shaft along a specific path, mediating the interaction between the two shafts to achieve the desired door movement trajectory that increases the opening angle while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If the door is opened fully with a single-shaft hinge, then the opening angle is maximized, but the ridge portion interferes with the cabinet side wall
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge system transitions from a static single-shaft design to a dynamic two-shaft design where the guiding shaft moves along the guiding groove during door opening. This dynamic movement allows the door to translate away from the cabinet before rotating, enabling full opening without the ridge portion interfering with the cabinet side wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The door movement is changed from two-dimensional circular motion around a single shaft to three-dimensional compound motion involving both translation (along the guiding groove direction) and rotation (around the positioning shaft). This dimensional change allows the door to clear the cabinet side wall obstruction while achieving full opening angle.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a door and a hinge body, wherein a positioning shaft and a guiding shaft are provided on the hinge body, and a positioning groove and a guiding groove are provided on the door; the door of the refrigerator according to the present invention may be moved by a distance in a direction away from a pivoting side when being opened, thereby avoiding inconvenience of opening the door due to the protrusion of the side wall of the door.