Built-In Appliance Width Layout for Gap-Free Recess Fitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional built-in refrigeration appliances in North America are not designed to fit seamlessly into recesses with whole-number dimensions, resulting in inefficiencies and limitations when combining appliances, as they are generally half an inch smaller than nominal measurements, leading to gaps and inconsistent fitting parts.
Innovation Solution
A household built-in appliance with a non-even exterior width, specifically between 17 or 23 inches with a decimal portion less than 0.5, allowing for maximum utilization of recess space and compatibility with both modular and traditional recesses, enabling a close fit with existing appliances without requiring new fitting parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional built-in refrigeration appliances are designed with standard nominal measurements (18 inches, 24 inches, 30 inches, 36 inches), then they can be easily planned and installed in standard kitchen units, but they do not fit seamlessly into recesses with whole-number dimensions, resulting in gaps and inefficient space utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dimensional parameters of the appliance from standard whole-number inches to specific non-integer measurements (17.25 inches, 23.25 inches, 29.25 inches, 35.25 inches). This parameter change allows the appliance to fit precisely into recesses with whole-number dimensions while maintaining the necessary clearance for ventilation and fitting access, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and space utilization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If appliances are designed with whole-number inch dimensions for simplicity, then planning and replacement are straightforward, but combining multiple appliances results in gaps and requires inconsistent fitting parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal fitting system where a single fitting part design can accommodate multiple appliance widths (17.25 inches, 23.25 inches, 29.25 inches, 35.25 inches) when combined in pairs. This universality allows different appliance combinations to work together seamlessly in standard 42-inch and 48-inch recesses without requiring different fitting parts for each configuration, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If appliances are made a quarter-inch narrower than nominal measurement to fit in recesses, then clearance is achieved on both sides, but this creates inconsistency when combining multiple appliances requiring different fitting parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the appliance width into specific non-integer measurements (17.25 inches, 23.25 inches, 29.25 inches, 35.25 inches) that are designed to work in combinations. This segmentation allows each appliance type to have its own optimized width while maintaining consistency across the product line, enabling universal fitting parts to work across all combinations and resolving the contradiction between clearance and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a household built-in appliance, which is configured to be built into a recess and has an exterior housing, the exterior housing having an exterior width, which has a non-even measurement in inches, its number before the decimal point being 17 or 23 and its portion after the decimal point being smaller than or equal to 0.5. The invention also relates to an apparatus with a recess and a plurality of built-in appliances, as well as a method for fitting built-in appliances into a recess.