Six-Link Hinge Assembly for Flush-Mount Refrigerator Wide-Open Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hinges with a single pivot point limit accessibility to appliance compartments, restricting full access and creating challenges in designing flush-mount refrigerators with multi-pivot-point hinges that allow for wide-open positions and efficient compartment access.
Innovation Solution
A six-link hinge assembly is introduced, featuring a mechanism that translates and rotates doors forwardly and outwardly, allowing for a wide range of motion and maintaining a consistent distance from the side wall, enabling doors to open beyond 90 degrees and facilitating access to compartments without interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single pivot point hinge is used, then the hinge assembly is simple in structure, but the accessibility to the compartment is limited and the door cannot open wide enough
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is divided into multiple links (first link, second link, third link, fourth link, fifth link, sixth link) connected by multiple pivot points. Each link can rotate independently, allowing the door to move through a complex trajectory that enables wide opening while maintaining flush mounting. This segmentation transforms a single rigid hinge into a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The six-link mechanism introduces additional rotational dimensions by connecting links through multiple pivot points rather than a single pivot. This allows the door to move not only in the primary opening direction but also in secondary directions, achieving wide accessibility while maintaining a compact profile when closed.
2Ease of operation
If a multi-pivot-point hinge is used to allow wide-open position, then the accessibility is improved, but the risk of objects being trapped between door and cabinet increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sixth link acts as an intermediary component that maintains a consistent gap between the door and the cabinet side wall throughout the door's opening trajectory. By positioning the sixth link to extend through a void in the fifth link and connect to the first link, it mechanically ensures that the door never contacts the cabinet, preventing objects from being trapped.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism dynamically maintains a constant distance parameter between the door and cabinet side wall during door opening. The sixth link's geometry and pivot point arrangements are designed to ensure that the door follows a trajectory that preserves this safety gap, transforming the variable distance in conventional hinges into a controlled constant distance.
3Shape
If the door is positioned close to the cabinet for flush mounting, then the aesthetic design is improved, but the door movement range is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly transitions from a static single-pivot connection to a dynamic multi-link mechanism that can adapt its configuration during door opening. The multiple pivot points and links allow the mechanism to maintain a compact profile when closed (achieving flush mounting) while expanding into a larger operational envelope when opened (enabling wide movement range).
Solution Approach 2:
The six-link mechanism is arranged so that when the door is closed, the links fold into a compact nested configuration that maintains the flush-mount appearance. When the door opens, the links unfold and extend, providing the necessary movement range. The sixth link extends through a void in the fifth link, allowing nested arrangement while maintaining functional independence.
Data Source
AI summary
A flush-mount refrigerator is provided that includes a cabinet defining a compartment and including a pair of side walls that extends forwardly of the compartment. A pair of doors is coupled to the cabinet and positioned on either side of a centerline of the cabinet. The pair of doors are spaced apart by a predetermined spacing. A storage feature is positioned within the compartment of the cabinet and movable between an extended position and a recessed position when one or both of the pair of doors is in an open position. A hinge assembly is coupled to the cabinet and to one of the pair of doors. The hinge assembly includes a six-link mechanism that keeps the door within a predefined distance of at least one side wall when the door is moved from a closed position to the open position.