Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vacuum forming process for manufacturing refrigerator inner cases results in non-uniform thickness, leading to appearance quality issues and increased production, storage, and transportation challenges due to the need for a separate partition member, which also complicates the structure and raises costs.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerator design incorporates disassemblable inner cases formed by injection molding, eliminating the need for a separate partition member by using a cold air guide to connect upper and lower inner cases, maintaining a gap between them with a simple structure, and reducing storage, logistics, and production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate partition member is disposed between upper and lower inner cases, then the structure provides support and forms cold air flow path, but the device complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cold air guide is merged with the partition member to form an integrated component. The cold air guide includes a guide body that forms the cold air flow path and a partition portion that provides structural support between upper and lower inner cases, eliminating the need for separate partition members while maintaining both support function and cold air flow path formation
Solution Approach 2:
The partition member is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support between inner cases, forms the cold air flow path through the integrated cold air guide, and maintains the gap between upper and lower inner cases. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed
2Ease of manufacture
If inner cases are manufactured using vacuum forming process, then production is simplified, but thickness uniformity and appearance quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The inner case is divided into multiple separate plates (first inner case plates and second inner case plates) that are manufactured individually using injection molding and then assembled together. This segmentation allows each plate to be molded with uniform thickness while maintaining production efficiency through modular assembly
3Reliability
If separate partition member is used, then cold air flow path is formed, but storage and transportation efficiency decrease due to large volume
Solution Approach 1:
The cold air guide is integrated into the partition member structure, combining the cold air flow path formation function with the structural support function. This integration eliminates the need for separate cold air guide components, reducing the overall volume required for storage and transportation while maintaining effective cold air flow between compartments
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator that does not include a separate partition member disposed between an upper inner case and a lower inner case to reduce storage costs, logistics costs, and production costs, and to increase productivity. The refrigerator includes n first and second inner cases forming a first and second storage compartments and including a plurality of first and second plates each formed by injection molding; an outer case coupled to an outer side of the first and second inner cases to form an exterior of the refrigerator; an insulation provided between the first and second inner cases and the outer case and between the first inner case and the second inner case; and a cold air guide surrounded by the insulation between the first and second inner cases, and configured to form a cold air flow path communicating the first and second storage compartments.