Refrigerator Sub-Door Tray Guide for Stable Ice Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators lack an efficient mechanism for users to easily access and withdraw ice stored in a tray within the main door, compromising user convenience.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a sub door that rotates independently of the main door, with a guide system using compressible springs or a torsion spring to vary the tray's moving speed, allowing the tray to be withdrawn by a predetermined distance without tilting, and a sub hinge to limit the sub door's rotation angle, ensuring easy access to the storage chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the sub door rotates independently to access the tray, then tray accessibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge system is segmented into a main hinge connecting the main door to the main body, and a sub-hinge connecting the sub-door to the main door. This segmentation allows each hinge to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-hinge provides dynamic, limited rotation for the sub-door within the main door opening. The rotation angle is dynamically constrained by the sub-hinge structure itself, eliminating the need for additional locking mechanisms or complex control systems.
2Ease of operation
If the tray moves freely when the sub door opens, then accessibility is improved, but tray stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide unit performs preliminary action by constraining the tray's movement path before the sub-door completes its rotation. The guide grooves and guide protrusions are pre-configured to ensure the tray moves smoothly along the intended trajectory, preventing tilting or deviation during the extraction process.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide unit acts as an intermediary between the sub-door rotation and the tray movement. It mediates the conversion of rotational motion into controlled linear movement, ensuring the tray is extracted smoothly without tilting or instability.
3Ease of operation
If the tray is withdrawn completely for easy access, then accessibility is improved, but insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-door rotation angle is partially limited by the sub-hinge to provide sufficient tray accessibility while avoiding excessive opening that would compromise main door sealing. The tray is extracted to the needed extent without requiring the main door to open fully, minimizing thermal loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The door system is segmented so that the sub-door handles the tray access function while the main door maintains the primary sealing and insulation function. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances user convenience by allowing easy retrieval of ice from the tray while maintaining insulation and aesthetic appeal, with the guide system ensuring controlled and efficient movement of the tray.
Implementation Method 1
a guide unit to guide movement of the tray, the guide unit being compressible to store elastic potential energy and release the elastic potential energy to vary a moving speed of the tray when the tray is introduced or withdrawn
Implementation Method 2
a sub hinge to rotatably connect the sub door to the main door, the sub hinge including a limiter to limit a rotation angle of the sub door
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator is provided that may include a main body having a storage compartment in which food or other items may be stored, a main door configured to open or close the storage compartment, the main door having a storage chamber separate from the storage compartment, a sub door configured to open or close an opening of the storage chamber, a tray configured to be introduced into or withdrawn from the storage chamber, a guide configured to guide movement of the tray by being compressed when the tray is introduced into the storage chamber and released from compression when the tray is withdrawn from the storage chamber, and a basket placed on the tray, the basket having a storage space therein. The guide may cause variation in a moving speed of the tray when the tray is introduced into or withdrawn from the storage chamber.