Refrigerator having a bottle rack

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing refrigerator bottle racks do not efficiently utilize space when stacked, leading to wasted space due to instability and lack of flexibility in accommodating different numbers of bottle racks, resulting in inefficient storage.

Innovation Solution

The design includes bottle racks with a receiving shell and support legs that feature an accommodating space extending downwards from the upper surface, allowing one bottle rack to partially receive the support leg of another, enabling stable stacking and flexible usage, with options for varying numbers of grooves and shapes to optimize space utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If bottle racks are stacked without an accommodating space structure, then the structure is simple, but the stacked bottle racks cannot stably store bottles and space is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestacking stabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The accommodating space is designed to receive and nest the support leg of the upper bottle rack within the lower bottle rack, creating a nested structure that provides stable stacking while maintaining simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The accommodating space extends downwards from the upper surface of the receiving shell into the support leg region, utilizing the vertical dimension to create interlocking stability between stacked racks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple bottle racks are provided in the refrigerator, then storage capacity is improved, but space is wasted when only one or some bottle racks are needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveusage flexibilityVSAvoidspace utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The bottle racks are designed to be dynamically configurable in number and arrangement, allowing users to stack only the required number of racks (one, some, or all) based on storage needs, transforming a static fixed configuration into a dynamic adaptable system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The refrigerator storage system is segmented into multiple independent bottle racks that can be individually used or combined, allowing flexible configuration where users can deploy only the necessary number of racks rather than requiring all racks to be in use

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2796817B1Refrigerator having a bottle rack
Publication Date: 2019.06.12 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2796817B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2796817B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Disclosed is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a support plate (11) and at least one bottle rack (2, 3). Each bottle rack (2, 3) includes a receiving shell (21, 31) having a longitudinal groove (22, 32) for receiving a bottle and a support leg (23, 33) extending downwards from the receiving shell (21, 31) and supported on the support plate (11). As proposed by the present invention, at least one bottle rack (2, 3) includes an accommodating space (25, 35) extending downwards from an upper surface (26, 36) of the receiving shell (21, 31) so as to receive a support leg (33, 23) of another bottle rack (3, 2) stacked on the at least one bottle rack (2, 3). Accordingly, at least two bottle racks can be stably stacked together to keep the bottle, which helps to reduce occupation of a usage space of the refrigerator by idle bottle racks.