Refrigerator Utility Routing Grommet and Hinge for Pinch-Free Wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face challenges in routing electrical wires due to limited space and the need to avoid damage from sharp edges, particularly when wires need to be routed 180 degrees through narrow openings and between the refrigerator cabinet and door, where movement causes constraints and potential pinching or severing.
Innovation Solution
A grommet with a body integrally molded to the wire, allowing 180-degree reversal, and a wire routing hinge with a cylindrical extension for utilities to pass through, ensuring smooth operation and avoiding damage during door opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If wires are routed through narrow openings in the liner, then space utilization is improved, but the wires are damaged by sharp edges
Solution Approach 1:
A grommet is introduced as an intermediary component between the narrow opening in the liner and the electrical wires. The grommet provides a smooth, rounded passage that protects the wires from sharp edges while allowing them to pass through the constrained opening, thus resolving the contradiction between space utilization and wire protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The grommet is installed in advance in the narrow opening of the liner to provide protective cushioning for the wires before they are routed through. This pre-installed protection prevents wire damage from sharp edges while maintaining the space-efficient routing path.
2Ease of operation
If wires are bundled together as individual strands, then routing flexibility is improved, but the bundle size increases requiring more space
Solution Approach 1:
The wire harness is segmented into multiple individual strands rather than being bundled as a single large unit. This segmentation allows each wire to be routed independently through narrow openings and tight spaces, improving routing flexibility while reducing the effective bundle size required in constrained areas.
3Volume of moving object
If the icemaker is relocated to positions requiring complex wire routing, then interior space is improved, but wire routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire routing system is made dynamic and adaptable through the use of grommets that can accommodate wires routed in various directions including 180-degree reversals. This dynamic routing capability allows the icemaker to be relocated to optimize interior space while the flexible wire path management handles the increased routing complexity.
4Power
If high voltage wires are sized to compensate for power requirements, then power delivery is improved, but heating of components occurs causing fire hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The grommet acts as a thermal intermediary between the high voltage wires and the surrounding insulation/liner. By providing a protective barrier and proper routing path, the grommet helps dissipate heat and prevents direct contact between heated wires and flammable materials, thus allowing adequate power delivery while mitigating fire hazards.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed in this application is a u-shaped grommet for use in a refrigerator. The grommet is fixed so as to allow wires to be routed towards an opening in the liner of the refrigerator, pass through the opening in the liner, and exit the grommet in the opposite direction as the wires entered. The grommet is preferably molded to the wires so that the combined product is inseparable from the wiring which it protects. The grommet is also described as a single piece grommet, although multiple piece grommets are anticipated.Further disclosed in this application is an improved pass-through hinge for routing utilities, including water and electricity, from the door to the body of the refrigerator. The improved hinge features a hollow hinge pin through which utilities may be routed, thereby overcoming the deficiencies of the current state of the art.