Composite Drum Washer Door Assembly for Lighter, Flexible Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drum washing machine doors made of glass are difficult to design and manufacture, heavy, and lack space for additional components, leading to high manufacturing costs and handling challenges.
Innovation Solution
A door assembly for a drum washing machine comprising an inner door internal shell made of plastic and an outer shell made of metal, combined using a curling process, with a metal external shell providing strength and a plastic internal shell offering design flexibility and processability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the door is made of glass material, then transparency is achieved allowing users to see laundry, but machinability deteriorates making various designs difficult and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining plastic (inner door shell) with glass (transparent panel) to create a door assembly that leverages the advantages of both materials. The plastic provides ease of manufacturing and design flexibility, while the glass maintains transparency for viewing laundry.
Solution Approach 2:
The door is segmented into multiple components: an inner door shell made of plastic, a transparent panel (glass or alternative) for viewing, and connecting structures. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the plastic shell for manufacturability and the transparent panel for visibility.
2Illumination intensity
If the door is made of glass material, then transparency is achieved, but weight increases making the washing machine difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
By using composite materials with plastic as the primary structure and glass or alternative transparent materials only where viewing is needed, the overall weight is reduced compared to a fully glass door, while maintaining necessary transparency functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent material is applied locally only in specific areas where viewing is required, rather than making the entire door transparent. This reduces the total amount of heavy glass material used while maintaining the transparency function where needed.
3Illumination intensity
If the door is made of transparent glass, then viewing capability is achieved, but adaptability deteriorates making it difficult to dispose additional parts inside the door
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into functional segments: a non-transparent plastic inner shell that provides structural support and space for components, and a transparent panel for viewing. This segmentation allows the plastic portion to accommodate additional parts while the transparent portion maintains viewing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Additional components are disposed in the three-dimensional space within the door assembly, particularly in the plastic inner shell structure, rather than trying to add components to the transparent glass surface. This utilizes the internal volume of the door structure.
4Illumination intensity
If the door is made of glass material, then transparency is achieved, but device complexity increases due to poor machinability and high manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure combines easily manufactured plastic components with a simpler transparent panel insertion system, reducing overall manufacturing complexity compared to working with fully glass construction. The plastic parts can be molded in various shapes without complex machining.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs cost-effective plastic materials for the door shell and standard transparent panels that can be readily replaced, reducing manufacturing costs and device complexity while maintaining the essential transparency function.
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
The solution reduces manufacturing costs, enhances design freedom, and allows for easier handling and integration of additional components within the door assembly, while maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The rim portion of the inner door external shell may include a curling portion, and the curling portion of the inner door external shell may be fixed to the rim portion of the inner door internal shell by a curling process.
Data Source
AI summary
An inner door assembly for a drum washing machine includes an inner door internal shell formed of plastic and including a rim portion and a projecting portion projecting from the rim portion; and an inner door external shell formed of metal and including a rim portion and a projecting portion corresponding to the rim portion and the projecting portion of the inner door internal shell, wherein the inner door external shell is combined not to be separated from the inner door internal shell.