Refrigerator Drawer Partition Rails for Flexible Food Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators with extractable containers lack a flexible partition system to efficiently organize and separate different types of food within the storage space, leading to random mixing and inefficient use of space.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with an extractable container equipped with a partition unit that includes a lateral and longitudinal partition, guided by a conveying unit, allowing for adjustable division of the storage space into multiple compartments, ensuring organized storage and minimizing frictional scratches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a partition unit with movable partitions is added to the extractable container, then the storage space organization and flexibility are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition unit is divided into multiple independent partition members (first partition member, second partition member, etc.) that can move independently along guide rails. Each partition member can be adjusted separately to create different compartment configurations, enabling flexible storage organization without requiring a completely complex reconfigurable structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide rails and guide grooves serve as intermediary structures that constrain and guide the movement of partition members. These intermediary elements provide a simple mechanical framework that enables complex partition movements without requiring sophisticated control mechanisms, thus improving flexibility while managing device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the partition member is made movable to allow adjustable storage compartments, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability decreases due to potential frictional damage
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying unit that guides partition member movement is extracted from the storage space interior and positioned in the space defined inside the vertical wall. This separation removes the moving components from direct contact with stored food items, preventing frictional scratches on food while maintaining partition adjustability through the external guide rails and moving blocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails and moving blocks act as intermediary mechanical structures that enable partition movement without direct friction between partition members and food items. The conveying unit serves as a mediator that transfers the adjustment motion from the user interface to the partition members while protecting the storage space from frictional damage.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the conveying unit is positioned inside the vertical wall space, then the storage space is protected from frictional damage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying unit components (guide rails, moving blocks, rollers) are nested within the space defined inside the vertical wall, utilizing the wall thickness and internal structure. This nesting approach protects the storage space from frictional damage while accommodating the complex conveying mechanism within the existing structural envelope, minimizing additional device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator including an extractable container, and a conveying unit formed in an inner space of a vertical wall of the extractable container. The conveying unit includes a guide part to guide the movement of a partition member that divides a storage space of the extractable container, and a fixing part to restrict the movement of the partition member.