Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator shelves are difficult to access, especially when food is stored at the back, and rotary shelves require space that could be used for storage.
Innovation Solution
A shelf unit with a first shelf that can be moved forward or backward and a second shelf that can be moved left or right, guided by a system of supporting members, guide rails, and connecting rods to improve accessibility without occupying additional storage space, and an optional rotation mechanism for the first shelf to be rotated in front of a third shelf.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed shelf is used in the storage chamber, then the storage chamber structure is simple, but the shelf is difficult to access
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is transformed from a fixed structure to a movable one, allowing it to slide forward and backward along guide rails. This dynamic capability enables users to easily access items on the shelf while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through the use of straightforward mechanical components like rails and guides.
2Ease of operation
If a rotary shelf is used to enable all food items to be reachable, then accessibility is improved, but storage space is reduced due to rotation space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the shelf horizontally (which would consume valuable storage space), the invention moves the shelf along the depth dimension (forward and backward). This dimensional change allows all food items to become accessible without requiring additional rotation space, effectively solving the contradiction between accessibility and storage capacity.
3Ease of operation
If the first shelf is moved forward to improve accessibility, then food items become easier to reach, but the shelf may become unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces guide rails and guide units as intermediary components between the movable shelf and the storage chamber walls. These intermediaries constrain the shelf's movement to a precise linear path, providing stability during the sliding motion while still allowing easy accessibility. The guide units act as mediators that maintain structural integrity throughout the range of motion.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a refrigerator laving a shelf that ay be moved along at least two paths to improve accessibility to the shelf. The refrigerator includes a main body; and a storage chamber provided inside the main body to accommodate a shelf unit, wherein the shelf unit includes a first shelf arranged in a front portion of the storage chamber and moveable along a first direction relative to the storage chamber; a second shelf arranged behind the first shelf and moveable along the first direction relative to the storage chamber; and a guide unit arranged to guide the first shelf to be moved along a second direction relative to the storage chamber different from the first direction while the first shelf and the second shelf have been moved along the first direction.