Detergent Drawer Extension Stopper for Laundry Treating Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing laundry treating apparatuses face inconvenience in the use of detergent storage units due to the lack of efficient control over the extending distance, leading to difficulties in convenient and efficient operation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a protective casing with an opening stopper and a stopper protrusion mechanism that limits and adjusts the extending distance of the detergent storage unit, preventing complete separation from the cabinet and enhancing user convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the detergent storage unit is allowed to extend completely outside the cabinet, then the user can access the detergent storage unit more easily, but the detergent storage unit becomes difficult to reinsert into the cabinet
Solution Approach 1:
The detergent storage unit is designed with dynamic extension and retraction capabilities, allowing it to move between extended and retracted positions. The unit can be pulled out to a limited extent for easy access while automatically or manually returning to its stored position, providing operational flexibility without permanent exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The extending distance of the detergent storage unit is controlled and limited to specific parameters. By defining maximum extension limits and retraction requirements, the system optimizes accessibility while ensuring proper reinsertion, balancing user convenience with operational simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If the detergent storage unit extends fully from the cabinet, then the detergent receiving space is more accessible, but the cabinet structure is exposed to corrosion from detergent and washing water
Solution Approach 1:
The detergent storage unit serves as an intermediary container between the user and the cabinet interior. By positioning the storage unit in a retractable manner, it allows detergent access while minimizing direct exposure of the cabinet structure to corrosive substances, thus protecting the cabinet from damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The detergent storage unit is designed with a protective structure that can extend and retract, creating a flexible barrier between the corrosive detergent environment and the cabinet. This flexible design allows controlled access while maintaining protection during retracted positions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the detergent storage unit is made completely separable from the cabinet, then the user can remove it for cleaning or replacement, but the user must manually recombine it with the cabinet each time
Solution Approach 1:
The detergent storage unit is designed with self-aligning or self-latching features that facilitate automatic recombination with the cabinet. After removal for cleaning or replacement, the unit can be easily reattached without requiring complex manual assembly procedures, reducing time loss while maintaining full separability when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet; a tub; a drum; a detergent storage unit retracting or extending into or from the cabinet through a detergent opening; and a protective casing coupled to a front panel and disposed in rear of the detergent opening and surrounding at least a portion of the detergent storage unit retracting into the cabinet, wherein the protective casing has an opening stopper protruding toward the detergent storage unit, wherein the detergent storage unit has a stopper protrusion located in rear of the opening stopper while the detergent storage unit has retracted into the cabinet, wherein during a process of extending the detergent storage unit from the cabinet, the stopper protrusion comes into contact with the opening stopper, thus limiting an extending distance of the detergent storage unit.