Refrigerator Hinge With Slope-Driven Auto-Closure for Seal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerator hinges fail to ensure automatic door closure, leading to poor sealing and cooling efficiency due to complex structures and assembly challenges, and the hinge shaft's placement inside the refrigerator body limits control over door seal spacing.
Innovation Solution
A hinge design featuring a vertically arranged hinge shaft with a first and second hinge base, where the first sleeve rotates around the hinge shaft, utilizing slopes and limiting platforms to facilitate automatic door closure by gravity, reducing the number of parts and assembly processes, and positioning the hinge shaft outside the refrigerator body to improve sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hinge is formed by assembling spring, hinge shaft, shaft sleeve, hinge cover and other parts together, then the hinge structure is complete and functional, but the structure becomes complex and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple hinge components (hinge shaft, shaft sleeve, hinge cover, and spring) into a single integrated hinge structure. The hinge shaft and shaft sleeve are formed as one piece, and the hinge cover is integrated with the spring mechanism, eliminating the need for separate assembly of multiple parts while maintaining all necessary functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated hinge structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: the hinge shaft provides rotational movement, the shaft sleeve provides bearing support, the hinge cover protects internal components, and the spring provides return force for automatic door closure. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require separate components.
2Volume of moving object
If the hinge shaft is provided inside the refrigerator body, then the hinge structure is compact, but it becomes difficult to control the minimum spacing between the refrigerator body and the door seal strips
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge shaft is extracted from the interior of the refrigerator body and repositioned to extend outward. This allows the hinge rotation axis to be located outside the refrigerator body, providing clear access to control the spacing between the refrigerator body and door seal strips during assembly and adjustment.
3Ease of operation
If conventional hinge structures are used, then the door can be opened and closed, but the door cannot close automatically when insufficient force is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge incorporates a spring mechanism that automatically pushes the door closed after opening, without requiring user intervention. The spring is pre-loaded and releases energy to provide the closing force, making the door self-closing and eliminating the need for users to apply additional force to ensure proper closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge creates a periodic motion cycle: the door opens when pulled, then automatically closes due to spring force, and can be opened again. This periodic opening-closing action is driven by the spring's stored and released energy, enabling automatic cyclic operation.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple assembling processes are needed for the hinge, then the hinge can be manufactured with precise components, but the production efficiency of the hinge and refrigerator decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple hinge components are merged into integrated structures that can be manufactured as single pieces or pre-assembled units. This reduces the number of separate assembly operations required during hinge production, thereby increasing manufacturing efficiency while maintaining component precision through integrated design.
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
The hinge enables automatic door closure, enhancing the refrigeration equipment's sealing and cooling efficiency by simplifying the assembly process and maintaining proper door seal spacing, thus improving the overall performance and production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an upper end of the second sleeve is provided with a second slope sloping upwards, and the second slope abuts against and cooperated with the first slope, to enable the first sleeve to move from a first position to a second position and along a direction away from the second sleeve
Implementation Method 2
When users use the refrigerator, the door may not be closed tightly due to a relatively small force applied to the door to close the door
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a hinge and a refrigeration equipment. The hinge includes a vertical hinge shaft, a first hinge base and a second hinge base. The first hinge base includes a first installation plate and a first sleeve rotatably connected to the hinge shaft to make the first sleeve rotate around the hinge shaft. A lower end of the first sleeve is provided with a first slope sloping downwards. The second hinge base below the first hinge base includes a second installation plate and a second sleeve fixed on the hinge shaft. An upper end of the second sleeve is provided with a second slope sloping upwards. The second slope abuts against and cooperates with the first slope for the first sleeve to move from a first position to a second position along a direction away from the second sleeve or or from the second position to the first position along a direction close to the second sleeve while being rotated around the hinge shaft.