Household Appliance Control Panel Thickness Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household appliance control units face design and operational issues due to varying dimensions of control elements across different series, leading to restricted accessibility and increased component and cost intensity, as each series requires custom configurations.
Innovation Solution
A control unit design where the same components are used across different series by varying the thickness of adhesive tapes to maintain a consistent total thickness, ensuring control elements extend equally above the panel front, regardless of panel type, using combinations like glass panels with 0.8 mm adhesive tape and stainless steel panels with 4 mm adhesive tape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different panel types (glass, stainless steel) with varying thicknesses are used in different series, then design requirements and material preferences are satisfied, but the control elements extend to different heights above the panel front, restricting operational accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of adhesive tape thickness to compensate for differences in panel thickness. By selecting adhesive tapes with different thicknesses (e.g., thicker tape for thinner stainless steel panels, thinner tape for thicker glass panels), the total thickness of the panel-adhesive tape combination is standardized, ensuring that control elements extend to the same height above the panel front across all series.
2Ease of operation
If custom control element configurations are designed for each series to maintain consistent dimensions, then operational comfort is guaranteed, but component variety and manufacturing complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the adhesive tape thickness selection a universal parameter that works across all series with different panel types. By establishing a systematic approach to matching panel thickness with adhesive tape thickness, the same control element designs can be universally applied to multiple series, eliminating the need for custom configurations for each series while maintaining consistent operational comfort.
3Reliability
If series-specific control element designs are manufactured, then each series receives optimized components, but development effort and manufacturing costs increase due to multiple component variants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent identifies adhesive tape thickness as a controllable parameter that can be adjusted to achieve series-specific optimization without creating custom control elements. By varying this single parameter (adhesive tape thickness) based on panel type, each series receives a customized total thickness that ensures proper control element extension, while the control elements themselves remain standardized across all series, significantly reducing development effort and manufacturing costs.
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
This approach ensures consistent, user-friendly operation and design compliance across all series, reducing development effort and component variability, while allowing for the same control elements to be used with identical dimensions.
Implementation Method 1
a panel support (14; 14') to which a panel (13; 18) is glued using an adhesive tape (16; 19)
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The control unit (2) has a window (13) and another window stuck on a window carrier (14) by a double-sided adhesive tape (16) and another double-sided adhesive tape. A control element e.g. control knob, extends over a level of front sides of the windows in a projected manner. Thickness (d2) of the adhesive tapes is formed depending on thickness (d1) of the windows so that overall thicknesses of the windows with respective tapes are equal. The former window is made of glass, and the latter window is made of stainless steel. An independent claim is also included for a method for manufacturing a control unit.