Domestic appliance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional household appliances, such as dishwashers, face damage during storage and transport due to external clamping forces, which are not introduced efficiently without additional complex components for force absorption.

Innovation Solution

A packaging element with a force transmission area directly contacts the supporting structural part, eliminating the need for additional force-absorbing components and allowing for simple and cost-effective introduction of clamping forces, featuring a positioning aid for precise placement and increased material rigidity in the force transmission area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional force-absorbing elements are arranged between the packaging element and the load-bearing structural component, then the appliance is protected from damage during transport, but the device complexity and number of components increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection from damage during transportVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The packaging element is merged with the force transmission function by integrating a force transmission area directly into the packaging element itself. This eliminates the need for separate force-absorbing elements, as the packaging element directly transmits clamping forces to the load-bearing structural component (such as the support frame or hinge support) during transport and storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The force transmission function is extracted from the packaging element and directly applied to the load-bearing structural component. By removing intermediate housing side walls or cladding elements between the packaging element and the structural component, the force transmission path is simplified and made more direct, reducing the number of components involved.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Stability of the object's composition

If housing side walls are used to enclose the appliance, then the appliance structure is complete, but the force transmission path becomes complex and additional components are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural completenessVSAvoidforce transmission path complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing side walls or cladding elements are removed or excluded from the force transmission path. The packaging element is positioned to contact the load-bearing structural component directly, bypassing the need for force transmission through housing side walls. This extraction simplifies the force transmission path while maintaining structural completeness for the appliance's operational state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The appliance structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: the load-bearing structural component (support frame, hinge support) that handles force transmission, and the housing elements that provide operational enclosure but are excluded from the force transmission path during packaging. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each zone's function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If force-absorbing elements are mounted in an additional assembly step, then the appliance receives adequate protection, but the assembly time and manufacturing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection during storage and transportVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The force transmission area is merged into the packaging element design, allowing the packaging element to be manufactured as a single integrated component with its force transmission function built-in. This eliminates the need for separate assembly steps to mount force-absorbing elements, as the packaging element is applied to the appliance in its final form, ready to transmit forces immediately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The force transmission capability is prepared in advance during the packaging element manufacturing process, not during appliance assembly. The packaging element is pre-configured with the appropriate geometry and material properties to transmit clamping forces directly to the load-bearing structural component, eliminating the need for additional assembly operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2449944B1Domestic appliance
Publication Date: 2019.09.04 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2449944B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2449944B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The household appliance has packaging elements (15-18) that are provided at the side surfaces of main portion, so as to cover the preset regions of main portion. The structural elements (1,5,7,9) are provided at the uncovered regions of the main portion. Each packaging element is comprised of force transmission area with force application region (21) which acts as bearing surface for structural element.