Refrigerator Inner Case Undercut Prevention Injection Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing process for refrigerator inner cases results in non-uniform thickness, leading to reduced appearance quality and increased complexity due to the generation of undercuts during injection molding, which hampers productivity and storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The inner case is designed with a disassemblable structure formed by injection molding of multiple plates, featuring a rear plate with a drain hole, inclined surfaces, and an undercut prevention surface to minimize undercuts and facilitate high-speed, thin-film injection molding, allowing for efficient storage and transportation of multiple inner cases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If vacuum forming process is used to manufacture inner case, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but thickness uniformity deteriorates leading to appearance quality reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The inner case is divided into multiple separate plates (front plate, rear plate, left plate, right plate, upper plate, lower plate) that are manufactured independently through injection molding and then assembled together. This segmentation allows each plate to be molded with uniform thickness without the limitations of vacuum forming, while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through standardized production processes.
2Manufacturing precision
If injection molding is used to manufacture inner case components, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple plates and assembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The inner case is segmented into multiple injection-molded plates that are assembled using simple coupling structures. The coupling structures include coupling protrusions and coupling recesses that enable straightforward assembly without complex fastening mechanisms, thus reducing the overall structural complexity despite using multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional features are merged into single components where possible. For example, the rear plate integrates the drain hole, inclined surface for water drainage, and undercut prevention surface in one injection-molded piece, reducing the need for additional separate parts and simplifying the overall assembly.
3Volume of stationary object
If inner case volume is reduced for better storage efficiency, then storage capacity is improved, but structural integrity may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The inner case is divided into multiple plates that can be optimized for thin-film construction while maintaining strength through the distributed structure. The coupling structures between plates provide reinforcement at critical joints, allowing the overall volume to be minimized without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the inner case plates have locally optimized properties. The plates are designed with varying thickness distributions and reinforcement features at specific locations (such as coupling areas and corner regions) to maintain structural integrity where needed while minimizing material usage in less critical areas, achieving compact volume without sacrificing strength.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator capable of minimizing generation of undercuts when manufacturing components of an inner case by injection molding. The refrigerator includes an inner case forming a storage compartment, and comprising a plurality of plates formed by injection molding; an outer case coupled to an outside of the inner case to form an external appearance; and an insulation disposed between the inner case and the outer case. A rear plate corresponding to one of the plates comprises: a drain hole formed through the rear plate to discharge water inside the inner case to the outside of the inner case; an inclined surface inclined downward toward the drain hole to allow water inside the inner case to flow to the drain hole; and an undercut prevention surface disposed below and spaced apart from the inclined surface, and forming a portion of an outer surface of the rear plate.