Packaging system for delivering appliance handles within an interior of the appliance and method therefor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Appliance handles pose a challenge during shipping and delivery as they need to be removed and stored within the appliance, occupying valuable space and requiring manipulation to fit through narrow openings, which can lead to damage and inefficiency in packaging.
Innovation Solution
A handle set substrate panel with a beveled or installation cutout design allows the handle set package to be rotated and secured within the appliance's interior volume without tilting or bending, using a film member for attachment and ensuring the panel remains level during installation, thus minimizing space requirements and securing the handles during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If handles are removed and stored within the appliance interior, then handles can be secured during shipping, but valuable interior space is occupied and manipulation is required to fit through narrow openings
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate panel is divided into a main body and a flap portion that can be manipulated independently. The flap can be folded back to create clearance for passing the panel through the aperture, reducing the effective volume needed for insertion while keeping the full panel secured in the interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The flap portion is made movable relative to the main substrate panel, allowing dynamic adjustment during installation. The flap can be positioned in different configurations (extended for clearance, folded for compactness) to facilitate passing through the aperture while maintaining secure storage.
2Ease of operation
If handles are manipulated to fit through narrow openings, then handles can be installed within the appliance, but damage risk increases and installation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate panel is pre-assembled with all handles attached in their final positions before insertion. This preliminary assembly eliminates the need to manipulate individual handles during installation, reducing damage risk and simplifying the installation process to a single insertion motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate panel acts as an intermediary carrier that holds handles in a protected configuration during insertion. The panel's rigid structure protects the handles from direct contact and potential damage while facilitating smooth passage through the aperture.
3Reliability
If a substrate panel wider than the aperture is used to secure handles, then handles can be stored securely, but the panel cannot be inserted through the aperture
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate panel is segmented into a main body (wider than the aperture) and a movable flap portion. The flap can be folded back during insertion to reduce the effective width, allowing the panel to pass through the aperture while the main body remains secured in the interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The flap portion utilizes the vertical dimension by folding upward or backward, converting a width problem into a height/depth manipulation. This allows the panel to effectively reduce its width profile during insertion while maintaining full width for secure handle storage.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for packaging a handle set including providing a refrigerator having a cabinet defining an opening to access an interior; and providing doors defining an aperture for accessing the interior, the aperture width being less than the opening width. A handle set for installation onto the doors. A substrate panel having a panel width that is between the aperture width and the opening width, and to which the handle set to define a handle set package. Inserting the leading edge of the substrate panel through the aperture and the opening and rotating the handle set package through the aperture and the opening such that the trailing edge moves through the opening and into the interior, wherein an installation cutout of the substrate panel provides the handle set package with clearance to be rotated, and wherein the perimeter edge of the handle set substrate panel remains substantially level.