Dishwasher Door Seal Assembly for Pivot-Area Leak Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers face challenges in maintaining uniform sealing performance, especially around the pivot axis area, due to relative movement between the door and washing container, and require easy assembly with difficult dismantling, while also needing to meet aesthetic and material durability standards.
Innovation Solution
A door seal comprising a fixing area, sealing element, and sealing strip made of elastic plastic, with a hook-shaped or U-shaped section and frame-shaped hollow profile, allowing for reliable sealing without additional formations, easy mounting, and increased resistance for secure dismounting, using thermoplastic materials like polypropylene and polyethylene for efficient production and cost-effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sealing beading is used for vertical and upper sides, then sealing is achieved, but the underside near the pivot axis cannot maintain uniform sealing performance due to relative movement between door and container
Solution Approach 1:
The door seal is designed as a dynamic sealing solution with a pivot joint that allows the seal to move relative to the container lip, accommodating the relative movement between door and container during door opening/closing while maintaining continuous sealing contact
Solution Approach 2:
The seal geometry and material properties are optimized to maintain sealing effectiveness under varying operational conditions, including changes in contact pressure and relative position between door and container
2Ease of manufacture
If the seal is made easy to assemble, then assembly is simplified, but dismantling becomes too easy and secure fixing is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The door seal assembly is divided into separable components (seal element, retaining clip, mounting bracket) that can be easily assembled together, while the combined assembly provides secure fixing to the container through the retaining clip's engagement features
Solution Approach 2:
The seal elements are nested within retaining structures that provide both easy assembly through simple insertion and secure fixing through interlocking geometries, where inner components are held by outer retaining features
3Reliability
If additional formations are added to the seal structure, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sealing functions are merged into a single integrated door seal component that combines the sealing element, retaining features, and mounting structure into one piece, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The door seal structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: sealing, retaining, and mounting, thereby avoiding the need for additional separate formations and reducing overall 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 solution provides a high-sealing performance throughout the dishwasher's lifespan, meets aesthetic demands, and withstands dynamic strains, ensuring effective water sealing and protection against wash water leakage without requiring lubricants or tools for assembly.
Implementation Method 1
the resilient retaining elements are compressed and apply a correspondingly high pressure to the contact area between the retaining element and container lip
Implementation Method 2
the fixing area is formed from a hook-shaped or U-shaped section on the inside of which protruding resilient retaining elements are arranged
Data Source
AI summary
A seal is provided between the door apron and the lip of the container in a dishwasher, enabling a high sealing performance to be obtained during the entire service life of the dishwasher and providing an esthetic design. The seal can be mounted in a reliable manner without any considerable expenditure of force, recycling of a used seal is possible via appropriate selection of materials and the seal can withstand the dynamic strain put upon the door seal of a dishwasher. The dishwasher is provided with a door seal which is made of an elastic synthetic material, consisting of a fixing area for connection to the edge of a rinsing container, a sealing element for arrangement on the underside of a dishwasher and which is arranged between the fixing area, and a sealing element, wherein the fixing area, sealing element and sealing strip form a single part.