Washer Door Glass Alignment Marks for Precise Adhesive Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Laundry treating apparatuses face challenges in aligning circular front glasses with door frames due to the characteristics of glass, which prevents precise attachment and requires additional adhesive and longer drying times for adhesives to harden.

Innovation Solution

A laundry treating apparatus with a circular front glass having flat surfaces and a mounting guide at the door frame, featuring an adhesive filling groove and an align mark to facilitate precise alignment and minimize adhesive usage, allowing for divided adhesive application to prolong drying time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a circular front glass is attached to a circular door frame without an alignment structure, then the door appearance is clean and simple, but the front glass cannot be attached to the proper position due to lack of reference points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment position precisionVSAvoidalignment structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment mark is formed with a different color (e.g., black or dark blue) than the front glass, making it visible during attachment but invisible from the outside when the door is assembled. This color contrast allows the alignment function to be performed without compromising the aesthetic appearance of the door.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The alignment mark creates a visual reference on the front glass that corresponds to the desired attachment position on the door frame. By forming this reference directly on the glass surface, the complex mechanical alignment structures are eliminated while maintaining precise attachment capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Strength

If adhesive is applied in large amounts to ensure strong attachment, then the bonding strength is sufficient, but the drying time becomes excessively long

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidadhesive drying time
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive application is divided into multiple segments around the circumference of the circular front glass. Instead of applying adhesive continuously around the entire perimeter, separate adhesive portions are applied at intervals, which reduces the total adhesive quantity while maintaining sufficient bonding strength through distributed attachment points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than applying adhesive uniformly across the entire attachment interface, the solution uses partial action by applying adhesive only at specific locations (alignment mark area and circumferential points). This partial application provides sufficient bonding strength without the excessive drying time associated with full-perimeter adhesive coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Manufacturing precision

If an alignment structure is provided on the front glass, then precise attachment position is achieved, but the align structure becomes visible from the outside and degrades aesthetic appearance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment position precisionVSAvoiddoor appearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment mark is formed with a different color (e.g., black or dark blue) than the front glass, making it visible during attachment but invisible from the outside when the door is assembled. This color contrast allows the alignment function to be performed without compromising the aesthetic appearance of the door.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The alignment mark serves as an intermediary element that facilitates the attachment process but does not remain as a permanent visible feature. It acts as a temporary guide during assembly that can be concealed by the final door configuration or covered by the door frame structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3660200B1Laundry treating apparatus
Publication Date: 2023.02.22 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3660200B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3660200B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3660200B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus, comprising: a body (10) having a laundry introduction opening (21'); and a door (20) configured to open and close the laundry introduction opening (21'), wherein the door (20) includes: a door frame (21) rotatably coupled to the body (10), and having an opening (21b') facing the laundry introduction opening (21') in a closed state of the door (20); and a front glass (23) attached to the door frame (21), wherein the front glass (23) includes: a transparent region (23a) corresponding to the opening (21'); an opaque region (23b) enclosing the transparent region (23a); and a transparent align mark (23 c) formed in the opaque region (23b), and configured to guide an attachment position of the front glass (23) to the door frame (21).