Household appliance with reversible door
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator wine coolers with protruding handles are aesthetically unappealing and difficult to clean, and existing solutions for reversible doors require visible hinges and screws, which are also aesthetically undesirable and prone to loss.
Innovation Solution
A reversible front door with a profile acting as a flush handle, a detachable L-shaped hinge extending into the door cavity, and a locking pin system that allows for easy reattachment without specialized tools, hiding the hinges and gasket for improved aesthetics and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a protruding handle is used on the front door, then the door is easy to open, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The handle function is merged with the door profile itself. The profile is designed to extend over the gasket and act as the handling element, eliminating the need for a separate protruding handle component. This integration maintains aesthetic appearance while preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional protruding handle is extracted and replaced with the profile structure. The profile, which would normally just be a decorative or structural element, is given the additional function of serving as the handle, thereby removing the aesthetic compromise of a protruding handle.
2Reliability
If visible hinges and screws are used for door attachment, then the door can be securely attached, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates and small parts are prone to loss
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is nested within the door structure. The hinge body is positioned inside a cavity formed in the door, with only the necessary functional parts exposed. This nesting approach secures the door attachment while hiding the hinge mechanism from view, improving aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge system is segmented into separate components: a hinge body mounted to the cabinet and a hinge arm extending into the door cavity. This segmentation allows the hinge to be concealed within the door structure while maintaining secure attachment functionality.
3Reliability
If traditional hinge attachment methods are used, then the door can be securely attached, but the reconfiguration process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge system incorporates a detachable design that allows dynamic reconfiguration. The hinge arm can be quickly removed from and reattached to different positions on the door, enabling easy reversal or reconfiguration without complex tools or procedures, significantly reducing reconfiguration time.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge is pre-configured with attachment features that align with corresponding features on the door and cabinet. This preliminary design of the attachment mechanism allows for quick connection and disconnection without requiring complex assembly steps, reducing reconfiguration time while maintaining secure attachment.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a household appliance (20) comprising a reversible front door (22) configured to be selectably attached either on a left side or a right side of a cabinet (21) of the household appliance (20). The household appliance (20) further comprises a profile (23) configured to act as a handle being arranged on a top side of the front door (22), a detachable hinge (27) arranged to be mounted to the cabinet (21) behind the front door (22) and further being configured to extend into a cavity (21) of the front door (22) arranged below the profile (23) to connect the front door (22) to the cabinet (21), and a locking pin (29), wherein the profile (23) comprises a through hole (28) at at least one of its two ends for receiving the locking pin (29) configured to be inserted into the through hole (28) from an upper side of the profile (23), which locking pin (29) engages with a cavity (30) of the hinge (27) arranged under the profile (23) to pivotably attach the front door (22) to the hinge (27).