Cooking Appliance Door Link Cover for Compact Opening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooking appliances with hinge-coupled doors face challenges in space utilization due to large pivoting radii and exposure of internal components when the door is moved upward and downward to open or close the cooking compartment.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance design featuring a door moving unit with link members that allow the door to pivot upward and downward, coupled with a cover unit that shields internal components using elastic members to prevent exposure and reduce the door's moving radius.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the door is hinge-coupled with the body to pivot, then the door can open and close the cooking compartment, but the pivoting radius becomes large making it difficult to use in small spaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor opening and closingVSAvoidpivoting radius

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The door moving unit is divided into multiple link members (first link member, second link member, third link member) connected in series. This segmentation allows the door to move through a compact path rather than a large circular arc, significantly reducing the pivoting radius while maintaining the opening and closing function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The door movement is transformed from a two-dimensional rotational pivot to a three-dimensional path following the link mechanism. The link members guide the door through a constrained trajectory that combines vertical and horizontal movements, reducing the space required for door operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If the door is moved upward and downward to open and close the cooking compartment, then the moving radius is reduced, but the internal components become exposed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor moving radiusVSAvoidexposure of internal components

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cover unit acts as an intermediary element that moves together with the door through the link mechanism. It shields the link members and internal components during door movement, preventing exposure while allowing the compact upward-downward motion to occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover unit is integrated with the door assembly and moves in conjunction with the link members. The cover unit effectively nests over the link members during operation, concealing them from view while maintaining the compact door movement path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Ease of operation

If the link member moves into or out of the body, then the door can pivot upward and downward, but the link moving portion becomes exposed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor pivoting motionVSAvoidexposure of link moving portion

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cover plate serves as a moving shield that follows the link member's motion. As the link member moves in and out of the body, the cover plate moves correspondingly to maintain coverage, preventing exposure of the link moving portion while allowing the full range of door pivoting motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover plate is positioned and moved in advance to cover the link moving portion before it becomes exposed. The elastic member ensures the cover plate is already in the shielding position and maintains coverage throughout the link member's movement cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 design efficiently reduces the door's moving radius, prevents internal exposure, and allows for easy opening and closing of the cooking compartment while maintaining a compact form factor.

Implementation Method 1

a first elastic member which transfers an elastic force to allow the cover plate to move toward the link moving portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10278240B2Cooking appliance

Publication Date: 2019.04.30 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A cooking appliance including a body includes a cooking compartment and an electrical component compartment formed therein, a door link-coupled with the body to open and/or close the cooking compartment, a door moving unit including a link member which connects the door with the body to allow the door to pivot upward and downward in front of the cooking compartment, and a cover unit which prevents the electrical component compartment in the body from being exposed by a movement of the link member. Here, the body includes a link moving portion formed on a front side to allow the link member to move into or out of the body, and the cover unit is configured to shield the link moving portion when the door is opened.