Cooktop Spring Mounting to Prevent Enamel Cracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking devices with enamel-coated cook tops face enamel cracking issues during mounting due to tensions and impacts, which conventional connection springs fail to prevent effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of connection springs with a fixing extension and a resilient extension shaped as an inverted V, which attenuate impacts by stretching and compressing the cook top during assembly, along with additional features like supporting protrusions, channels, and stoppers to restrict motion and enhance resilience, ensures secure and impact-resistant mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional connection springs are used to mount the cook top, then the mounting process is simplified, but enamel cracking cannot be avoided due to tensions and impacts during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating resilient extensions with pressing and stretching features into the connection springs before mounting. These extensions are pre-configured to absorb impacts and attenuate tensions during the mounting process, preventing enamel cracking before it occurs. The resilient extensions compress upon initial contact and gradually stretch to accommodate the cook top's weight, cushioning the fragile enamel surface throughout the entire mounting sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the connection spring by adding resilient extensions that can dynamically adjust their stiffness and force characteristics. The pressing extension provides high initial force for secure mounting, while the stretching extension transitions to a softer, more compliant state as the cook top is installed, adapting the spring's behavior to different stages of the mounting process to protect the enamel.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cook top is securely fastened to the frame, then mounting stability is improved, but the risk of enamel damage from mounting impacts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient extensions are pre-configured with pressing and stretching capabilities to cushion impacts before they reach the cook top. The pressing extension absorbs initial mounting impacts through compression, while the stretching extension gradually accommodates the cook top's weight, preventing shock transmission to the enamel surface while maintaining secure fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient extensions act as intermediary elements between the rigid connection spring and the fragile cook top. This intermediary layer decouples the rigid mounting structure from the fragile enamel surface, allowing the spring to provide secure fastening forces while the resilient extension absorbs and dissipates impact energies that would otherwise transmit directly to the cook top.
3Device complexity
If the connection spring uses only a fixing extension, then the structure is simple, but it cannot attenuate impacts effectively to prevent enamel cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The connection spring is segmented into distinct functional extensions: a fixing extension for rigid attachment to the frame, a pressing extension for initial impact absorption through compression, and a stretching extension for gradual accommodation of the cook top's weight. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in a specific protective function, providing comprehensive enamel protection while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection spring's mechanical parameters are changed by incorporating resilient extensions with varying stiffness characteristics. The pressing extension uses high-stiffness material for immediate impact resistance, while the stretching extension uses lower-stiffness material for gradual compliance. This parameter differentiation enables effective impact attenuation across different mounting stages without excessive structural complexity.
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 described solution allows for easy and secure mounting of the cook top, effectively preventing enamel cracking and ensuring the cook top is securely fastened to the frame, reducing the risk of damage during assembly and use.
Implementation Method 1
the resilient extension is shaped as an inverted V, one arm of the V shape connected to one end of the fixing extension and the other arm leaning on the side of the cook top, that stretches backwards by the side of the cook top pushing while the cook top is mounted by pressing down
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooking device (1) comprising a body wherein the cooking process is performed on the upper surface and/or the interior volume, a front panel (2) including the elements such as knobs and displays thereon, a cook top (3) mounted on the body, containing the gas burners and/or electrical heating plates for heating and/or cooking and a frame (4) to which the walls forming the body, the front panel (2) and the cook top (3) are fastened and a connection spring (5) for resiliently attaching the cook top (3) on the frame (4) and for attenuating the forces acting on the cook top (3) and thus preventing the cracking of the enamel coating of the cook top (3).