Dishwasher guide rail assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwasher guide rail assemblies often experience binding and bumpy transitions due to opposing forces, requiring multiple parts and increasing the likelihood of assembly issues and part replacement.
Innovation Solution
A guide rail assembly with integral axles and wheels featuring a deflector and ball bearings, where the wheel can snap onto the axle with minimal force, allowing smooth sliding motion and reducing the number of assembly parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional guide rail assemblies use multiple separate parts for axles and wheels, then assembly flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases and binding issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the axle and wheel into a single integrated component where the axle is formed as an integral part of the wheel assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate axle and wheel parts, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining functional flexibility. The integrated design features a raceway directly formed in the wheel that receives ball bearings, eliminating the need for separate axle components.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional guide rail assemblies use simple wheel and axle designs, then manufacturing is easier, but binding and bumpy transitions occur during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces ball bearings as an intermediary element between the raceway and the guide rail interface. These ball bearings reduce friction and prevent binding by providing a rolling contact mechanism. The raceway is specifically designed to receive and accommodate these ball bearings, which mediate the interaction between the moving wheel assembly and the stationary guide rail, ensuring smooth operation without compromising manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved and spherical elements in the wheel design, including a circular raceway and spherical ball bearings. The wheel itself features a curved outer surface that interfaces with the guide rail. These curved geometries enable smooth rolling motion and distribute contact forces evenly, preventing binding and bumpy transitions while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard curved component design.
3Device complexity
If conventional guide rail assemblies use integral axle designs, then part quantity is reduced, but assembly force requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the integrated wheel-axle assembly into functional zones with varying interference fits. The raceway portion is designed with a specific interference fit to the wheel body that is sufficient to secure ball bearings but not excessive to require high assembly forces. This segmentation allows the integrated design to be assembled with minimal force while maintaining structural integrity and reducing part quantity.
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 ensures smooth operation of dishracks by reducing binding and assembly complexity, decreasing part requirements and maintenance needs, while enhancing the sliding motion of dishracks in and out of the dishwasher.
Implementation Method 1
The guide rail assembly includes a set of ball bearings located in the second raceway... allowing smooth sliding motion
Data Source
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AI summary
In one aspect, a dishwasher (10) includes a tub (14) at least partially defining a treating chamber (24) and defining an access opening (26), a dishrack (15), and a guide rail assembly (40) slidably mounting the dishrack (15) to the tub (14). The guide rail assembly (40) has a guide rail mounted (42, 44) to the dishrack (15) or to the tub (14) and has at least one wheel (50) which is rotatably mounted onto an integral axle (60) of the guide rail assembly (40) to the other of the dishrack (15) or the tub (14).