Appliance Door Handle-Coupled Locking for Easy Door Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing domestic appliances lack a simple and efficient mechanism for locking and unlocking the door, making it difficult to remove and store the appliance door without unnecessary complexity or components.
Innovation Solution
A domestic appliance device with a door bearing unit, a locking unit, and a coupling unit that allows the door to be easily locked and unlocked by a handle, enabling straightforward removal and storage through a pivoting and sliding mechanism, utilizing a pane as a locking element and a compact design with guide surfaces and undercuts to facilitate movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a manual locking unit is used to lock the door in open position, then the door can be stored during use, but the locking mechanism becomes complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The locking unit is integrated into the door bearing unit, combining the support function and locking function into a single structural assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate locking mechanisms while enabling door storage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The door handle is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a handle for opening/closing the door and as an actuator for the locking unit. By moving the handle, users can engage or disengage the locking mechanism, eliminating the need for separate locking controls.
2Ease of operation
If a separate locking mechanism is added to enable door removal, then the door can be detached for storage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking unit is merged with the door bearing unit structure, using existing structural elements (first and second bearing units) to form the locking mechanism. This approach avoids adding separate locking components while enabling easy door removal through handle actuation.
3Device complexity
If the locking unit is integrated into the door bearing unit, then the design becomes compact, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The door bearing unit is divided into functional sub-units (first bearing unit, second bearing unit, locking unit) that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured with standard tolerances while achieving precise relative positioning through the assembly process.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a household appliance device comprising at least one appliance door (14), a door bearing unit (20) which serves at least to pivot the appliance door (14) at least partially and which has at least one first bearing unit (38), at least one door handle (62), and at least one locking unit (108) which is designed to prevent the appliance door (14) from being removed from the first bearing unit (38) in at least one at least partially open position. To achieve easy locking, it is proposed that the household appliance device have at least one coupling unit (139) which is designed to actuate the locking unit (108) upon movement of the door handle (62).