Refrigerator Rail Retainer Positioning for Smooth Full Withdrawal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rail devices in refrigerators fail to maintain the correct relative position of retainers with respect to rail members, leading to incomplete withdrawal of storage bodies and the need for excessive force, as the position of the retainer changes due to repeated insertion and withdrawal, causing issues with full insertion and withdrawal of storage bodies.
Innovation Solution
A rail device with a position correction guide that includes a first retainer and second retainer, where the first retainer has a guide protrusion and second retainer has a guider, allowing the first retainer to be positioned correctly when inserted, and the second retainer to guide the second guide protrusion, ensuring the first retainer is at its insertion position, thus preventing the need for excessive force and ensuring full insertion and withdrawal of storage bodies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional rail device is used for repeated insertion and withdrawal of storage bodies, then the storage body can be moved slidingly, but the relative position of the retainer with respect to the rail members changes, causing the storage body not to be fully withdrawn
Solution Approach 1:
The rail device performs preliminary position correction of the retainer before the storage body withdrawal operation. The position correction guide proactively adjusts the retainer to its correct position relative to the rail members, preventing the problem of incomplete withdrawal before it occurs. This preliminary action ensures that each withdrawal operation starts with the retainer in the correct position, maintaining both ease of operation and reliability.
2Productivity
If the relative position of the retainer changes during repeated operations, then the storage body can still be moved, but excessive force is required to withdraw the storage body completely
Solution Approach 1:
The rail device employs a self-correcting mechanism where the position correction guide automatically adjusts the retainer position without external intervention. The guide structure utilizes the existing movement forces to self-correct the retainer position, eliminating the need for additional force from the user. This self-service approach maintains high productivity while minimizing the force required for withdrawal operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If no position correction mechanism is provided, then the rail device structure remains simple, but the storage body cannot be fully inserted or withdrawn after repeated operations
Solution Approach 1:
The position correction guide acts as an intermediary element between the retainer and the rail members. This intermediary component facilitates precise positioning by providing a guiding surface that passively corrects the retainer position during normal operation. The intermediary structure adds minimal complexity while significantly improving insertion precision, as it utilizes the existing movement paths to achieve position correction without requiring complex active control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a body having a storage compartment therein, a storage body provided to be inserted into or withdrawn from the storage compartment, and a rail device configured to connect the body and the storage body slidingly and to guide insertion and withdrawal of the storage body, wherein the rail device includes a first rail member having a first guider therein, a second rail member slidingly coupled to the first rail member, and a first retainer disposed at an insertion position between the first rail member and the second rail member when the first rail member is inserted into the first retainer and having a first guide protrusion inserted into the first guider movably, formed in the first retainer, and the first guider limits a range of movement in an insertion direction of the first retainer when the first retainer is inserted into the first guider so that the first retainer is located at the insertion position.