Refrigerator Multi-Link Hinge with Nested Wire and Pipe Guides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with built-in hinges often expose electric wires and water pipes, leading to interference issues and safety concerns when doors rotate, as these components can get caught in the hinge mechanism and are not aesthetically pleasing, compromising the appliance's appearance and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A multi-link hinge structure with a guide device that recesses the electric wire and water pipe guides within the door, ensuring they are not exposed externally and remain safe from interference, even when the door is fully opened, by using a guide device that includes rotatable and slideable components to accommodate the pipes and wires without obstructing the hinge's operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multi-link hinge structure is used to prevent door interference with adjacent components, then the door can rotate without interference, but electric wires and water pipes become exposed to the outside and are at risk of damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the electric wire and water pipe inside hollow link structures of the hinge mechanism. Specifically, the electric wire is disposed inside a hollow first link, and the water pipe is disposed inside a hollow second link, protecting them from external damage while maintaining the multi-link hinge's rotational functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the hollow link structures as intermediary elements that serve dual purposes: they form part of the hinge mechanism enabling door rotation, and simultaneously provide protective channels for the electric wire and water pipe. This intermediary structure resolves the conflict between mechanical function and component protection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electric wire and water pipe are disposed along multiple links of hinge device, then they can follow door rotation, but they may be caught in the hinge device and damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The electric wire is nested within the hollow first link, and the water pipe is nested within the hollow second link. This nesting arrangement allows the wires and pipes to move with the hinge links during door rotation while being protected from pinching or damage by the hinge mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If hinge structure is used for built-in refrigerator, then door can avoid interference with furniture, but electric wire and water pipe are exposed and appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the electric wire and water pipe inside the hollow links of the hinge, the external appearance of the refrigerator is improved. The wires and pipes are no longer visible or protruding, creating a cleaner aesthetic while the multi-link hinge continues to enable smooth door operation in built-in configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a mounting bracket disposed at a top surface of the cabinet, a door configured to rotate relative to the cabinet, a hinge cover that is disposed at the top surface of the cabinet and covers the mounting bracket, a hinge including a door bracket disposed at the door, a hinge bracket disposed at the mounting bracket, and a plurality of links that connect the door bracket to the hinge bracket, a guide device having a first side disposed at the door and a second side that passes through a cover opening at a front surface of the hinge cover and is disposed inside the hinge cover, and an electric wire or a water pipe disposed along an inside of the guide device.