Dishwasher Display PCB Centering for Precise Panel Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing panel devices for household appliances, such as dishwashers, often face issues with centric alignment of the display carried by the printed circuit board relative to the control panel due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to undesirable eccentric alignments.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves direct centric alignment of the printed circuit board relative to the panel using centering elements on the rear side of the panel that interact with housing domes on the electronics housing, ensuring precise alignment without relying on combined alignments, and using non-combustible plastic for the electronics housing to prevent fire penetration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the display is carried on a printed circuit board accommodated by an electronics housing, then the display can be integrated into the control panel, but manufacturing tolerances cause cumulative misalignment between the display and control panel

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the centering function from the electronics housing and creates separate centering elements on the panel. These centering elements directly connect the printed circuit board to the panel, bypassing the electronics housing alignment chain. This extraction eliminates the cumulative tolerance problem by creating a direct alignment path while keeping the overall structure manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces centering elements as intermediary components between the printed circuit board and the panel. These centering elements serve as mediators that directly establish the positional relationship, preventing the accumulation of tolerances that would occur through the traditional electronics housing alignment path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple alignment stages are used (printed circuit board to electronics housing, electronics housing to panel), then the display can be integrated, but tolerances accumulate causing eccentric alignment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the centering function from the multi-stage alignment process and implements it through direct centering elements. This reduces the alignment process from multiple stages (PCB to housing, housing to panel) to a single direct stage (PCB to panel via centering elements), eliminating tolerance accumulation while simplifying assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The centering elements are designed to be pre-positioned on the panel before the printed circuit board is installed. This preliminary action ensures that the alignment reference is already in place, allowing the PCB to be directly positioned with respect to the panel without relying on subsequent alignment stages that would accumulate tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional materials are used for the electronics housing, then manufacturing is easier, but fire can penetrate into the appliance interior

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire resistanceVSAvoidmaterial processing
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies that the electronics housing should be made from non-combustible plastic material, representing a material substitution that prioritizes fire safety. This composite material approach allows the housing to maintain its structural and manufacturing advantages while gaining fire resistance properties that prevent fire penetration into the appliance interior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP2607541B1Screen device for a domestic appliance
Publication Date: 2013.12.04 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP2607541B1 patent drawingFigure 1~7
  • EP2607541B1 patent drawingFigure 2~5
  • EP2607541B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The invention relates to a panel device for a household appliance, in particular for a dishwasher, with a panel (3) and a control panel (5) carried by it, to which a display (6) is assigned on its rear side (24) in front view, and with a Electronics housing (8) and from the electronics housing (8) recorded printed circuit board (7) which carries the display (6). In order to further develop a screen device of the type mentioned at the outset so that the desired alignment of the display (6) carried by the printed circuit board (7) relative to the control panel (5) is always ensured, the invention proposes a screen device of the type mentioned at the outset, which is characterized in that the printed circuit board (7) is aligned centrally in the final assembled state directly opposite the panel (3).