Refrigerator Side-Wall Layout for Multi-Width Built-In Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing built-in refrigerators and freezers require a multitude of differently dimensioned parts for sliding door and fixed door technologies, leading to increased development, manufacturing, and logistical efforts, reducing productivity due to the variety of parts needed.
Innovation Solution
The system employs identical parts for the body and cooling circuit across different widths by using two sets of side walls with varying widths, allowing other parts to be used identically for devices of different widths, including cross-connections, doors, compressor niches, condensers, and cardboard components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If differently dimensioned parts are used for sliding door and fixed door devices, then the device width can be adjusted to match different door technologies, but the variety of parts increases leading to higher development, manufacturing, and logistical effort
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls are designed with variable width capability to serve multiple device types (sliding door and fixed door devices) with different widths. The side wall can be configured in at least two different widths while maintaining the same height, allowing a single universal side wall design to accommodate both device types without requiring completely different parts for each width variant.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall is designed with differentiated local properties where only the width dimension varies between configurations while other dimensions (height, depth, structural features) remain identical. This allows the side wall to adapt to different device widths through localized dimensional adjustment rather than requiring complete part redesign.
2Manufacturing precision
If numerous differently dimensioned parts are provided for different device types, then the exact width requirements for each device type can be met, but the development, manufacturing, and logistical effort increases reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
A single universal side wall design with variable width capability replaces the need for multiple differently dimensioned side walls. This universal design maintains precise width control for different device types while significantly reducing the total number of unique parts that need to be manufactured, tracked, and managed in production and logistics.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple side wall variants (different widths) are merged into a single unified side wall design that can be configured for different widths. This consolidation reduces the part family size from multiple unique side walls to one versatile side wall design, streamlining manufacturing processes and inventory management.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system of refrigeration and/or freezing appliances of variable widths, especially a system of integrated refrigeration and/or freezing appliances. Said appliances have a body and a refrigeration circuit, parts of the body and/or the refrigeration circuit in appliances of variable width being identical. The inventive system comprises at least two different sets of lateral walls for width compensation.