Control Panel Assembly Lateral Alignment Using Slot-Pin Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing appliance alignment systems fail to consistently and securely center control panel assemblies over cooking cavities, leading to potential misalignment and user accessibility issues.
Innovation Solution
The alignment system employs a rearwardly extending mounting member with inwardly opening slots on the control panel assembly and upwardly extending locating pins on the housing's support bracket, allowing for precise centering and secure retention of the control panel assembly using reciprocal mounting features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional mounting systems are used for control panel assemblies, then the assembly can be mounted to the appliance, but the control panel assembly cannot be consistently and securely centered over the cooking cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The locating pins are pre-installed on the support bracket before the control panel assembly is mounted. This preliminary positioning action ensures that when the assembly is attached, the slots automatically guide the pins to achieve precise centering without requiring additional adjustment steps during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locating pins and slots act as intermediary alignment features between the support bracket and the mounting member. These intermediaries translate the mounting operation into a self-aligning process, where the geometric constraint of the slot-pin interface automatically centers the control panel assembly over the cooking cavity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the control panel assembly is securely retained, then stability is improved, but accessibility and ease of adjustment are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system transitions from a static fixed connection to a dynamic adjustable connection. The slots allow the control panel assembly to be positioned and adjusted along the length of the slot, providing flexibility during installation and operation, while the retaining features lock the position once desired alignment is achieved, providing stability during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows change in the positional parameter of the control panel assembly along the slot direction. During installation, the assembly can be moved to different positions along the slot to achieve optimal centering, and then retained in that position, providing both adjustment ease and mounting stability.
Data Source
AI summary
An appliance includes a control panel assembly having a rearwardly extending mounting member. The rearwardly extending mounting member includes a body portion having an outer edge with one or more slots disposed through the body portion and inwardly opening from the outer edge of the body portion. A housing includes a support bracket having a support surface with one or more mounting apertures disposed therethrough. One or more locating pins are received through the one or more mounting apertures. The locating pins include body portions upwardly extending from the support surface of the support bracket. The one or more locating pins are removably received in the one or more slots of the rearwardly extending mounting member of the control panel assembly.