Removable Cover Plate Hook Mounting for Appliance Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliance designs require complex assembly work for attaching cover plates and lack ergonomic lifting points, as they need pre-assembled brackets and flush mounting which complicates attachment and stability.
Innovation Solution
The cover plate is designed to be hung on the back and attached via hook elements that slot into the machine housing, eliminating the need for pre-assembled components and allowing tool-free attachment, with a rear frame overhang providing stability and ergonomic comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-assembled brackets or stops are mounted on the housing to attach the cover plate, then the cover plate can be securely fixed to the housing, but the assembly process becomes complex and requires additional components that must be pre-assembled during production
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing means are integrated directly into the cover plate structure, merging the cover plate and attachment mechanisms into a single component. This eliminates the need for separate brackets or stops that must be pre-assembled on the housing, thereby reducing assembly complexity while maintaining secure fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover plate is designed with self-contained fixing means (hook elements) that enable it to attach to the housing without requiring pre-assembled components. The hook elements automatically engage with slots on the housing when the cover plate is positioned, allowing the cover plate to serve its own attachment function.
2Shape
If the cover plate is mounted flush on the housing, then a clean appearance is achieved, but there are no points available for lifting the machine
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate maintains a flush appearance over most of its surface area while featuring a localized protruding rear frame area. This local deviation from the flush design provides the necessary lifting functionality without compromising the overall clean appearance of the cover plate when installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting function is achieved by extending the cover plate structure in the vertical dimension at the rear area, creating a protruding frame that extends beyond the housing rear wall. This dimensional extension provides lifting points while maintaining flush mounting in the horizontal plane for aesthetic purposes.
3Reliability
If the cover plate is attached with multiple pre-assembled components, then secure fixation is achieved, but production time and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing function is segmented into integrated hook elements that are part of the cover plate structure itself, rather than requiring multiple separate pre-assembled components. This segmentation allows the cover plate to be attached in a single operation by engaging the hook elements with slots on the housing, improving assembly speed while maintaining fixation stability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The appliance (1) has a housing (2), and a covering plate (3) for covering an upper side of the housing, where the plate is arranged on the housing as a removable part. The plate has a frame, and a fixing unit for tool-less fixing of the plate to the housing is arranged at the frame. The fixing unit is formed from hook elements (7, 8) that are arranged at a rear-sided frame area (6), where the hook elements are engaged into slots (10, 11) from outside. The slots are formed at a rear wall (9) of the housing, where the extension of the hook elements corresponds to an area of the cover plate.