Dish Holder Lighting Assembly to Prevent Dishwasher Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers often have lighting systems that are prone to leakage and food soil accumulation, as they are not designed to specifically illuminate dishes and instead create paths for leakage and collect food residue.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a light source into the dish holder, which is slidable and has a power source coupled via an electrical conductor or rail system, allowing for illumination of dishes regardless of the holder's position and eliminating the need for separate tub-mounted lighting assemblies that can collect food soils.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a separate tub-mounted lighting assembly is used, then the treating chamber can be illuminated, but the lighting system creates paths for leakage and accumulates food soil
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting function is merged with the dish holder structure. The light source is integrated into the dish holder assembly, combining two previously separate functions (illumination and dish support) into a single integrated unit, thereby eliminating separate lighting assemblies that create leakage paths and accumulate food soil
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting function is extracted from the tub structure and relocated to the dish holder. By removing the separate tub-mounted lighting assembly and integrating it into the movable dish holder, the harmful effects of fixed lighting structures are eliminated while maintaining illumination capability
2Ease of operation
If the dish holder is made slidable for easy loading, then ease of operation improves, but the power connection for integrated lighting becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible printed circuit board is used to provide the electrical connection between the movable dish holder and the fixed power source. The flexible nature of this circuit board allows it to accommodate the sliding motion of the dish holder while maintaining continuous electrical contact, thus enabling ease of operation without significantly increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit board acts as an intermediary element between the movable dish holder and the fixed power source. It mediates the connection by flexing and bending to accommodate the relative motion, thereby enabling the slidable dish holder to maintain power connection without requiring complex mechanical coupling mechanisms
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
This solution ensures dishes are illuminated effectively, reduces leakage risks, and optimizes tub space for dish capacity by integrating lighting within the dish holder, enhancing both functionality and cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
a light pipe integrally formed with the dish holder for illuminating dishes contained in the dish holder
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes for treatment according to the cycle of operation and having an open face providing access to the treating chamber, a dish holder slidable relative to the tub through the open face between a loading position and a treating position and a light source provided on the dish holder for illuminating dishes contained in the dish holder.