Refrigerator Hinge Assembly With Detachable Plate for Dust Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator hinge assemblies allow external dust and impurities to enter through openings, making it difficult to remove them effectively.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly with a movable plate that fits within a driving groove, featuring a bottom wall with distinct regions and side walls, allowing the plate to be detached by a driving shaft, facilitating the removal of dust and impurities without disassembling the assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driving groove is provided with an opening to allow the driving shaft to move in and out, then the hinge assembly can function properly for opening and closing, but external dust and impurities can enter through the opening and accumulate inside the driving groove
Solution Approach 1:
The driving groove is divided into a first region and a second region, with the movable plate covering only the first region. This segmentation allows the opening to remain accessible for the driving shaft to move in and out while the movable plate blocks the second region to prevent dust and impurities from entering and accumulating in that area.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable plate is designed as a detachable component that can be removed from the driving groove. This allows the plate to be taken out for cleaning purposes, enabling removal of any dust or impurities that may have entered the hinge assembly, and then reinstalled to restore the protective function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the hinge assembly structure is made sealed to prevent dust entry, then cleanliness is improved, but the driving shaft cannot move in and out freely for opening and closing operation
Solution Approach 1:
The driving groove is segmented into a first region (accessible) and a second region (protected). The movable plate selectively covers only the second region, allowing the driving shaft to move freely in the first region while preventing dust entry into the second region. This resolves the contradiction by providing localized protection without compromising overall functionality.
3Ease of repair
If the movable plate is made detachable to facilitate cleaning, then maintenance ease is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components and assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is segmented into fixed components (driving groove, first region) and a detachable component (movable plate covering the second region). This segmentation enables easy removal of the movable plate for cleaning the second region, while the simple design of the plate itself minimizes the increase in overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge assembly with a movable plate and a refrigerator having the same are provided. The hinge assembly includes a first hinge part, a second hinge part, and the movable plate, wherein the first hinge part, the second hinge part, and the movable plate are fitted with one another, the first hinge part is provided with a driving groove, the second hinge part is provided with a driving shaft fitted with the driving groove, and the movable plate is detachably provided in the driving groove. Dust, impurities, or the like, may be brought out by detaching the movable plate from the driving groove.