Appliance Drain Pan with Removable Side and Tongue-Groove Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain pans for appliances lack a removeably attachable side with a means of removable attachment that is impervious to liquids, making it difficult to install heavy appliances without lifting them over the pan's sides and ensuring a liquid-tight seal post-installation.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a bottom member, side members, and a removeably attachable side member with tongue and groove mechanisms that allow for easy detachment and reattachment, providing a liquid-tight seal without the need for lifting the appliance during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drain pan has fixed tall sides to provide large holding capacity, then the liquid containment capability is improved, but the ease of appliance installation deteriorates because the appliance must be lifted over the sides
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pan is segmented into a base pan and removable side walls. The side walls can be detached to create an open-top installation path, allowing appliances to be slid into place without lifting. After installation, the side walls are reattached to restore full liquid containment capability.
2Ease of operation
If the drain pan has removeably attachable sides for easier installation, then the ease of appliance installation is improved, but the liquid-tight seal capability deteriorates unless a special sealing mechanism is provided
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged with the mechanical attachment mechanism. The tongue and groove connection incorporates sealing elements (such as gaskets or sealant application surfaces) that ensure a liquid-tight bond between the side wall and base pan, so that a single component performs both attachment and sealing functions.
3Reliability
If the drain pan uses a permanent attachment method for side walls, then the liquid-tight seal is ensured, but the ease of maintenance and cleaning deteriorates due to difficulty in removing side walls
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism transitions from a static permanent connection to a dynamic removable connection. The tongue and groove design with sealing elements allows the side walls to be securely attached during operation (maintaining liquid-tight seal) but easily detached during maintenance or cleaning, providing adaptability between operational and maintenance states.
Data Source
AI summary
Appliance drain pan with removeably attachable side comprises: a bottom member, a first side member, a second side member, a third side member, and a removeably attachable side member. Removeably attachable side member is impervious to liquids or fluids or is liquid-tight when attached to appliance drain pan with removeably attachable side. Removeably attachable side member comprises: a bottom tongue member, a right tongue member, or a left tongue member, along with, a bottom groove member, a left groove member, or a right groove member.