refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators with pillars between doors often experience interference with vegetable boxes and door baskets when doors are opened, leading to usability and storage capacity issues due to the pillar's interference and collision with the doors.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a rotatable pillar with a guide recess and elastic member that allows the pillar to fold when a door is opened, preventing interference with vegetable boxes and door baskets, and ensuring smooth operation by using a guide recess with convex and concave slopes to manage the pillar's movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pillar is provided at the left door to seal the gap between doors, then the sealing performance is improved, but the pillar interferes with vegetable boxes and door baskets when doors are opened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the pillar rotatable rather than fixed. The pillar can rotate between a first position (when the left door is closed) to seal the gap between doors, and a second position (when the left door is opened) to avoid interfering with vegetable boxes and door baskets. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining sealing performance and ensuring ease of operation.
2Reliability
If the pillar is unfolded to seal the gap between doors, then the sealing performance is improved, but the pillar collides with the right door when the left door is opened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the dynamics principle to enable the pillar to rotate to a second position when the left door is opened, moving it away from the path of the right door to prevent collision. The pillar dynamically adjusts its position based on door operation state, eliminating the harmful collision effect while maintaining sealing when closed.
3Reliability
If the pillar is fixed in position to maintain sealing, then the sealing performance is improved, but the storage capacity and usability are reduced due to pillar interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the pillar rotatable between two positions. When the left door is closed, the pillar is in the first position to seal the gap. When the left door is opened, the pillar rotates to the second position, clearing the space for vegetable boxes and door baskets. This resolves the contradiction between sealing performance and storage capacity.
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 design enhances usability and storage capacity by preventing pillar interference with vegetable boxes and door baskets, allowing for easier access and increased storage space without compromising the sealing of cold air between doors.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member configured to provide elastic force required to rotate the rotator in a second direction when the second door is opened
Implementation Method 2
a guide recess configured to guide the pillar boss, and wherein the rotator is provided to be rotatable in a first direction by a closing force of the second door, and the guide recess is configured to guide the pillar boss as the second door is closed
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Disclosed is a refrigerator including a cabinet (1) defining an external appearance, a storage compartment (2) provided inside the cabinet (1), a first door (31) and a second door (32) pivotably provided at left and right sides of the cabinet (1), the doors being configured to open or close the storage compartment (2), a pillar (4) having one side pivotably provided at the first door (31) and configured to prevent leakage of cold air between the first door (31) and the second door (32), a pillar boss (41) protruding from a top of the pillar (4), a guide recess (510) configured to guide the pillar boss (41), and a rotator (41) having the guide recess (510), and the rotator (41) is rotatable about a rotation axis.