Slide-Under Refrigerator Shelf Without Extended Support Arms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional refrigeration appliance shelves require either permanently extended support arms or complex foldable structures to provide extendable shelving, which restricts movement and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An armless slide under shelf design featuring support arms with internal tracks and sliding members, and front slides with external tracks and wheels, allowing the second shelf area to extend without extending the support arms, using materials like glass, plastic, and polymers for the sliding components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If permanently extended support arms are used to provide extendable shelving, then the shelving area is extended, but movement is restricted in areas in front of the shelving
Solution Approach 1:
The support arms are designed to be dynamically extendable and retractable rather than permanently extended. The front slides can be pulled outward to extend the shelving area when needed, and pushed back to retract when not in use, allowing the structure to adapt its configuration based on user needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelving system is divided into separate functional components: the main shelf structure with support arms, and the detachable front slides with sliding members. This segmentation allows the front slides to be independently extended or retracted without affecting the main support structure, enabling flexible adjustment of the shelving area.
2Ease of operation
If foldable arms are used to provide extendable shelving, then movement space is improved, but structural integrity and cost are affected due to complicated structural elements
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex foldable mechanisms, the invention employs simple sliding members that move along tracks within the support arms. This dynamic sliding mechanism provides the necessary extendability while maintaining structural integrity and avoiding complicated foldable elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The extending function is extracted from the main support arms and implemented through separate front slides with sliding members. This separation allows the front slides to extend and retract independently without requiring the main support structure to be foldable or mechanically complex.
3Area of stationary object
If permanently extended support arms are used, then shelving area is extended, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure transitions from a static permanently extended configuration to a dynamic configuration where front slides can be extended or retracted as needed. This eliminates the need for permanently extended arms while maintaining the ability to provide extended shelving area when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The front slides serve multiple functions: they provide additional shelving area when extended, and can be retracted to restore the original configuration. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for permanently extended support arms, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A slide under shelf for a refrigeration appliance may be in a fully retracted position (i.e., with a second shelf area stored underneath a first shelf area) without having permanently extended support arms. That is, the retracted shelf may be extended by pulling out the second shelf area without requiring permanently extend support arms with a track or rail to support the second shelf area. Rather, the second shelf area has front slides that extend beyond the rear of a top surface of the second shelf area and ride along a track of support arms that do not extend beyond a top surface of the first shelf area. The support arms may also have posts that ride along a track on the front slides.