Refrigerator Door Hinge Structure for Wide Opening and Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinges for large refrigerator doors are inadequate as they cannot support heavy doors with opening angles greater than 90°, lack the ability to house fluid or cable tubes, and fail to maintain closure without magnetic gaskets, while also compromising insulation and having limited durability in wear tests.
Innovation Solution
A hinge with an articulated quadrilateral structure and elastically deformable helical springs that support heavy doors, allow for angles up to 100°, accommodate tubes for fluid or cables, and maintain closure without magnetic gaskets by using a helical spring to exert a significant force, while preserving refrigerator insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If known hinges are used for large dimension refrigerator doors, then door support capability is improved, but insulation is compromised due to recessed seats requiring removal of insulating material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element (the hinge with integrated tube housing) that mediates between the door support function and insulation preservation. The hinge body acts as a mediator structure that can be mounted without removing insulating material, while still providing the necessary mechanical support for heavy doors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies nesting by housing tubes for fluid or cable passage within the hinge structure itself. The hinge body contains internal cavities that accommodate these tubes, creating a nested configuration where multiple functions (door support, tube protection, insulation preservation) are integrated into a single compact structure.
2Ease of operation
If elastic means are designed for normal use conditions, then operability is improved, but durability deteriorates in wear tests involving more than 900,000 cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the elastic means to have different physical parameters optimized for high-cycle durability. The elastic element is designed with specific material properties, dimensions, and mounting characteristics that enable it to withstand more than 900,000 opening/closing cycles while maintaining sufficient force for normal operation.
3Force
If elastic means exert sufficient force without magnetic gaskets, then closure maintenance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the closure force generation function from the magnetic gasket system and places it entirely within the hinge mechanism. The elastic means are integrated into the hinge structure itself, eliminating the need for separate magnetic gaskets while maintaining the ability to exert sufficient closure force on large refrigerator doors.
4Ease of operation
If hinge allows opening angles greater than 90°, then accessibility is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by designing the hinge structure with movable and adjustable components that can adapt to different opening angles. The articulated quadrilateral configuration with its specific geometric parameters allows the hinge to maintain structural stability across a wide range of motion, including angles greater than 90°, while providing improved accessibility.
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 effectively supports large refrigerator doors with high opening angles, maintains closure without additional seals, and increases durability through efficient spring usage, allowing for easy access and reduced wear, while preserving insulation and enabling tube passage.
Implementation Method 1
elastically deformable means interacting with at least one of said two connecting elements, to exert a force that pushes said closing element against said opening of the body of the household appliance
Implementation Method 2
elastically deformable means... elastically deformable helical springs that support heavy doors
Data Source
AI summary
Hinge, to connect flat closing element to household appliance body in correspondence to a body opening, including: first supporting structure to bind to structure or front bearing wall of the body, second supporting structure to bind to flat closing element, first and second connecting elements to connect the first and second supporting structure, and elastically deformable member interacting with at least one of the two connecting elements, to push the closing element against the body opening. The first and second connecting elements and at least first and second portions respectively of the first and second supporting structure form sides of an articulated quadrilateral lying in one or more planes, perpendicular to the flat closing element. The quadrilateral for opening and closing the closing element between operative positions has hinge elements of external portions of the first and second connecting elements to the first and second portions of the supporting structures.