Refrigerator Pull-Out Storage Unit for Deep Shelf Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators lack an efficient mechanism to maximize storage capacity and visibility of stored products, particularly in deeper compartments, making it difficult to access and organize items effectively.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerator incorporates a third storage unit that can be rotated and slid to protrude outside the storage room at an obtuse inclination angle, allowing for increased access and visibility of stored products, with a frame and rotary members that enable storage and easy extraction of items, while maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the depth of the storage room increases to keep a larger quantity of storage products, then the storage capacity is improved, but the accessibility and visibility of stored products deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The third storage unit is designed to be movable between an inserted position inside the storage room and an extracted position outside the storage room. This dynamic configuration allows the storage unit to be pulled out for easy access to stored products and pushed in to maximize storage capacity, resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The third storage unit utilizes the door opening direction as an additional dimension for accessibility. When the door opens, the third storage unit can be extracted outward, providing access to stored products without requiring deep reaches into the storage room. This dimensional approach allows both high storage capacity and easy accessibility to coexist.
2Ease of operation
If the third storage unit is extracted outside the storage room for better visibility, then the accessibility is improved, but the space utilization within the storage room deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The third storage unit transitions between inserted and extracted positions based on usage needs. When not in use, it remains inserted to maximize space utilization. When visibility and access are needed, it can be extracted without permanently occupying external space, thus resolving the contradiction between visibility and space utilization.
3Ease of operation
If a rotary mechanism is added to enable the third storage unit to move, then the accessibility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotary mechanism for the third storage unit is integrated with the door structure. The rotation axis is positioned at the door, and the mechanism combines with the door's natural movement to enable the third storage unit to rotate and extract. This merging approach provides enhanced accessibility while minimizing additional mechanical complexity, as the door structure itself serves as part of the rotation mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a main body and a storage room defined in the main body. The refrigerator also includes a cooling device configured to cool the storage room, a first storage area disposed inside the storage room, and a door mounted to the main body. The refrigerator further includes a second storage unit disposed at the door and a third storage unit configured to move between an inserted position inside the storage room and an extracted position in which at least a portion of the third storage unit is extracted outside of the storage room.