Shelf assembly with specific front shelf as well as household cooling appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelf assemblies in household cooling appliances face mechanical instability and operational issues due to exposed holding brackets and leveraged forces on the front plate, leading to jamming and reduced movability of the shelves.
Innovation Solution
A shelf assembly design featuring a U-shaped carrier frame with integrated, circumferentially protected holding brackets and a guiding system that eliminates the need for lateral protruding pins, allowing smoother and jamming-free movement of the shelves by using a strip-shaped guiding lay-on and ramps for secure positioning and shifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the front plate is allowed to freely cantilever at the front beyond the side bars, then the shelf assembly allows easy access and visibility of stored items, but large leverage forces act on the mechanical connection causing severe loading and reduced mechanical stability
Solution Approach 1:
A supporting bridge element is introduced as an intermediary component between the front plate and the side bars. This bridge element spans across the front opening and provides additional support points, distributing the leverage forces that would otherwise concentrate on the mechanical connection between the front plate and side bars, thereby reducing severe loading while maintaining the cantilevered configuration for access and visibility
2Ease of manufacture
If holding brackets are arranged completely exposed on the carrier frame, then the shelf assembly allows easy attachment and mounting, but functional impairments result and the mechanical stability of the carrier frame is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The holding brackets are nested within recesses or cavities formed in the side bars of the carrier frame. This nesting arrangement protects the holding brackets from external impacts and functional impairments while maintaining their attachment functionality. The side bars are designed with integrated recesses that house the holding brackets, providing both protection and stable mechanical connection
Data Source
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AI summary
An aspect relates to a shelf assembly for installation in a household cooling appliance, comprising: a first shelf, wherein the first shelf comprises a base plate, which comprises a rear edge, and the first shelf comprises a rear edge profile, which is arranged at the rear edge, a second shelf, which is separate from the first shelf, a carrier frame, at which the first shelf and the second shelf are arranged, wherein the carrier frame comprises a guiding, and at least the first shelf can be shifted relative to the carrier frame and to the other shelf in guided manner by the guiding, wherein the carrier frame comprises a first side bar and a second side bar, and the guiding is arranged at the first side bar and the second side bar, wherein the rear edge profile comprises at least one laterally protruding guiding pin, which is coupled to the guiding, and the guiding comprises strip-shaped guiding lay-ons, and the shelf assembly has a depth direction and a vertical direction, wherein the strip-shaped guiding lay-ons are arranged in front of the second shelf in this depth direction at the side bars, wherein the first shelf rests on the strip-shaped guiding lay-ons upon shifting the first shelf and the first shelf is arranged completely exposed to the top viewed in vertical direction of the shelf assembly in the surface area of the guiding lay-ons, wherein the first shelf has a front length half and the first length half is guided only by resting on the guiding lay-ons, wherein the guiding lay-ons extend over at least 90% of the length of the first shelf and this length is measured in depth direction of the shelf assembly.