Selective Refrigerator Drawer Coupling to Reduce Cold Air Leakage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators require manual operation to draw upper drawers, which can lead to inconvenience and increased cold air leakage when only the drawers needed are not drawn together with the door.
Innovation Solution
A selective drawing device is integrated into the refrigerator door, allowing users to select and draw a specific drawer together with the door using a switch and power transmission unit, including a rack gear, pinion, and wire member, to connect the drawer to the door or separate it, ensuring only the needed drawer is drawn.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If a plurality of drawers are provided in the storage compartment, then the storage capacity and organization are improved, but the complexity of operation increases because users must manually draw each upper drawer separately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the door and selected drawer into a single movable unit through the selective drawing device. When the door is opened, the connected drawer is automatically drawn out together with the door, eliminating the need for separate manual operation of the drawer. This merging resolves the contradiction by maintaining multiple drawers for storage while simplifying the operation to a single action.
Solution Approach 2:
The door is given multiple functions: it serves as both the closure for the storage compartment and as a selection mechanism for drawers. By integrating the selector switch and power transmission unit into the door, the door becomes a multi-functional component that can select and draw different drawers based on user needs, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining storage capacity.
2Ease of operation
If all drawers are drawn together with the door, then accessibility to any drawer is improved, but cold air leakage increases unnecessarily when only specific drawers are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling selective connection between the door and specific drawers. The selector switch allows users to choose which drawer to connect, so only the locally needed drawer is drawn out with the door. This prevents unnecessary cold air leakage from other drawers that remain in place, while maintaining easy accessibility to the selected drawer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the connection between the door and drawers based on user selection. The selective drawing device allows the door to be connected to different drawers on different occasions, creating a dynamic configuration that optimizes both accessibility and energy efficiency according to specific needs.
3Loss of energy
If a selective drawing device is added to allow specific drawer selection, then energy loss is reduced by drawing only needed drawers, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary power transmission unit that mediates between the door and the drawers. This unit includes a selector switch, rack gear, pinion gear, and wire member, which together provide a mechanical interface for selective connection. While this adds some complexity, it enables the energy-saving function of drawing only needed drawers.
Solution Approach 2:
The selective drawing device is designed to be operated by the user through a simple selector switch on the door. The mechanical components (rack gear, pinion gear, wire member) automatically execute the selection without requiring additional motors or complex control systems, allowing the system to serve itself through user input while minimizing added complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a body, a storage compartment formed inside the body, a plurality of drawers provided inside the storage compartment, a door slidably provided to open and close the storage compartment and a selective drawing device configured to select a first drawer from among the plurality of drawers and to draw the first drawer together with the door. The desired drawer can be pulled out together with the door at the time of pulling out the door, so that the usability can be improved.