Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with drawer lifting devices require significant force to operate and inefficiently retain cold air, complicating the storage and retrieval of lower drawers, which reduces convenience and storage space.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a lifting drawer system with rail assemblies and lifting assemblies that allow the drawer to be rotated upward and downward, utilizing elastic members for stability and ease of use, minimizing interference with upper drawers and optimizing storage space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drawer lifting device is provided with a door sealing the inside of the refrigerator, then the drawer can be drawn in and out, but the entire size becomes large and large force is required to operate the device
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting drawer is moved from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane by rotating upward around a transverse axis. This dimensional change allows the drawer to be accessed from above rather than from the front, reducing the force required to operate it and eliminating the need for a door to seal the refrigerator interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting drawer is extracted from the conventional door-sealed configuration and positioned at the lower end of the storage space where it can rotate upward independently. This extraction eliminates the need for the entire door to open and close, allowing the lifting drawer to operate separately with reduced force requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the entire space sealed by the door is opened and closed, then the drawer can be accessed, but it is inefficient in terms of keeping cold air inside
Solution Approach 1:
The storage space is segmented into an upper sealed portion and a lower lifting drawer portion. The lifting drawer can be rotated upward for access without requiring the main door to open, thus segmenting the access function from the sealing function and minimizing cold air loss when only the lifting drawer needs to be accessed.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting drawer accesses storage space by rotating upward in the vertical dimension rather than by opening a door in the horizontal plane. This allows selective access to the lower storage compartment without exposing the entire refrigerator interior, thereby reducing energy loss and improving cold air retention.
3Ease of operation
If a separate configuration is provided for drawing in and out and moving up and down a drawer, then the drawer can be operated, but the structure becomes complicated and storage space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drawing in/out function and the moving up/down function are merged into a single lifting assembly mechanism. The lifting assembly includes a lifting link that rotates to simultaneously achieve both horizontal extraction and vertical lifting, eliminating the need for separate configurations and reducing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting assembly is designed as a multi-functional mechanism that performs both the drawing out and lifting operations through a single structure. The lifting link and supporting members work together to provide both horizontal and vertical movement, making the device universal and eliminating the need for separate mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If the lifting drawer is rotated upward, then it can be accessed easily, but it may interfere with shelves or drawers disposed over it
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting drawer is designed with specific local characteristics including a lifting link of predetermined length and supporting members positioned at specific locations. These local qualities ensure that when the lifting drawer rotates upward, it reaches a controlled position that provides easy access without interfering with the spatial arrangement of shelves or drawers above it.
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 system enhances user convenience by simplifying the operation of lower drawers, maintaining stability, and maximizing storage volume while reducing manufacturing costs and improving safety through a compact, efficient design.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member having both ends connected to the supporting member and the second link and providing elasticity by being stretched by rotation of the second link
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a refrigerator comprising: a cabinet having a storage space formed therein; a door installed in the cabinet to open or close the storage space; a plurality of drawers disposed inside the storage space and arranged vertically; an elevating drawer disposed in a lower position than the other drawers among the plurality of drawers; a rail assembly disposed on the both sides of the elevating drawer to allow the elevating drawer to slide in or slide out from the storage space; and an elevating assembly which is rotatably connected to each of the rail assembly and the elevating drawer, and allows the elevating drawer to be moved up and down by the rotation of the elevating assembly in a state in which the rail assembly has been extracted.