Detachable Dishwasher Door Hinge for Faster Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwasher designs make it difficult for technicians to easily remove the door for servicing, as the hinges are not easily accessible, requiring the appliance to be slid out of its enclosure and the tension springs to be decoupled, which is time-consuming and can damage flooring.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly with a bracket and fastener system that allows the door to be detached by sliding the hinge out of the bracket, eliminating the need to decouple the tension springs or remove the appliance from its enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is mounted to the cabinet using conventional hinges, then the door can rotate between open and closed configurations, but the hinges cannot be easily accessed by the technician to remove the door from the cabinet
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is divided into separate components: a hinge body mounted to the cabinet, a detachable bracket mounted to the door, and a coupling mechanism. This segmentation allows the bracket to be removed independently from the door, providing access to the hinge body without removing the entire door assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is extracted as a separate removable component from the traditional integrated hinge design. This extracted bracket can be detached from the door to expose the hinge body, allowing technicians to service the hinge without removing the door from the cabinet.
2Ease of operation
If the appliance is slid out of the countertop enclosure to access the hinges, then the hinges become accessible, but the appliance's electrical and plumbing connections must be severed and flooring may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is extracted as a removable component that can be detached from the door while the appliance remains installed in the countertop enclosure. This allows hinge access without extracting the entire appliance from its installed position, avoiding flooring damage and connection severing.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is designed to be detachably mounted to the door, preparing the hinge assembly for easy access. This preliminary design arrangement allows technicians to remove the bracket and access the hinge body without needing to move the appliance, preventing harmful effects to flooring and connections.
3Productivity
If the technician must decouple the hinge from the door's tension springs to remove the door, then the door can be removed, but this is another time consuming process
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge system is segmented into the hinge body, the bracket, and the tension spring assembly. The bracket serves as an intermediate component that can be removed independently, allowing access to the hinge body without requiring decoupling of the tension springs from the door.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket acts as an intermediary component between the door and the hinge body. By removing this intermediate bracket, technicians can access and service the hinge body without needing to decouple the tension springs, thereby reducing service time while maintaining the functional relationship between the door and hinge.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to consumer appliance having a door that may be selectively detached from a cabinet of the appliance. More specifically, the door can be detached by sliding a hinge out of a bracket. To attach the door, the hinge is inserted into the bracket.