Refrigerator Hinge Design for Wire Routing and Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator doors face operational issues due to height differences in installation surfaces, causing noise and poor operation, and existing solutions for adjusting height are cumbersome, while electric wires for door displays and lights are difficult to connect and maintain due to hermetic sealing requirements.
Innovation Solution
A hinge system with a height-adjustment mechanism and cut-out portions allows for easy adjustment of door height and safe routing of electric wires, incorporating a linear member accommodator and height-adjustment member to align cut-out portions for secure wire passage and prevention of wire exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If height-adjustment rings are inserted to compensate for floor height differences, then door operation smoothness is improved, but installation complexity increases due to need for multiple rings and door lifting
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge cap is designed with movable adjustment members (screws or sliders) that allow dynamic height adjustment of the hinge assembly. This enables the door height to be adjusted continuously without requiring multiple discrete height-adjustment rings, simplifying installation while maintaining operational smoothness
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge assembly integrates multiple functions: it provides both the structural coupling between door and body and the height adjustment mechanism in a single integrated component. The hinge cap serves both as a protective cover and as the adjustment interface, eliminating the need for separate height-adjustment rings
2Adaptability or versatility
If electric wires are drawn out from the door for display and light operations, then functionality is improved, but appearance is worsened due to exposed wires
Solution Approach 1:
The electric wires are extracted from the door interior and routed through the hollow hinge pin and hinge cap assembly. This removes the wires from visible areas and conceals them within the hinge structure, maintaining aesthetic appearance while preserving electrical connectivity for displays and lights
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge pin and hinge cap serve as intermediary structures that provide a concealed pathway for electric wires. These components mediate between the door's functional requirements (electrical connectivity) and aesthetic requirements (wire concealment) by offering hidden routing channels within their hollow structures
3Reliability
If the storage space is hermetically sealed, then sealing performance is improved, but wire routing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is segmented into separate components (hinge frame, hinge pin, hinge cap) with the hollow hinge pin and cap providing dedicated wire routing passages. This segmentation allows wires to be routed through specific hollow components without compromising the hermetic seal of the storage space, as the routing path is isolated from the sealed interior
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator with a storage space. The refrigerator includes a main body including a storage space, a door configured to open and close the storage space, and a hinge provided under the door and configured to rotatably couple the door to the main body. The hinge includes a linear member accommodator configured to accommodate therein a linear member drawn out from the door, and a cut-out portion hollowed and configured to extend along a hinge axial direction to allow the linear member accommodator to communicate with an outside at one side.