Refrigerator with a rail assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
In bottom freezer refrigerators, the swinging motion of heavy doors and baskets during extension and retraction leads to misalignment and gaps, causing cooling air dissipation through gaps between the door and the frame, reducing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A rail assembly with a restricting unit and elastic member is used to align the pinion with the rack, ensuring proper engagement and preventing misalignment, and the elastic member absorbs impacts to maintain alignment and engagement during door operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If racks and pinions are included in the rail assemblies to prevent swinging motions, then the door stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
An alignment structure is introduced as an intermediary component between the rack and pinion system. This alignment structure passively guides the pinion into proper engagement with the rack teeth during door extension, eliminating the need for complex active alignment mechanisms while maintaining door stability through the rack-pinion anti-swing mechanism.
2Loss of energy
If the door is completely retracted to prevent gaps, then cooling efficiency is improved, but misalignment and improper handling can cause excessive force application
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment structure provides beforehand cushioning by guiding the pinion into proper alignment with the rack before complete door retraction occurs. This gradual alignment process prevents sudden excessive force application that would occur if misaligned components were forced into engagement, while still achieving complete door closure to eliminate cooling air dissipation gaps.
3Manufacturing precision
If the pinion and rack are properly aligned during initial assembly, then door contact with frame is improved, but misalignment can still occur during retraction after maximal extension
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment structure enables self-service alignment by automatically guiding the pinion into proper engagement with the rack during door extension and retraction operations. This passive alignment mechanism ensures consistent door-to-frame contact without requiring manual realignment or complex control systems, maintaining both manufacturing precision and operational reliability.
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 solution prevents swinging motions, ensures proper alignment and engagement of the pinion with the rack, reducing air dissipation gaps and maintaining efficient cooling by stabilizing the door's horizontal position, enhancing user convenience and operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member (422) is provided at the guide rail (42)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
Provided is a rail assembly of a refrigerator. The rail assembly includes a pair of extendable rails, a rack, pinions, and restricting units. The rails are disposed at left and right sides of an inner wall of a storage space. The rack is disposed under the rails. The rack includes teeth continuously formed in a length direction of the rails and a flat alignment part disposed at a front side of the rack. The pinions are respectively disposed at the rails and movable in mesh with the teeth of the rack. The restricting units are disposed at sides of the rails for restricting a movement of the rails when the rails are extended, so as to prevent the pinions from departing from the rack. When the rails are maximally extended, the pinions are placed at the alignment part.