Door Handle Coupling Design for Simplified Assembly Without Grubscrews
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door handles for electrical household appliances face challenges in simplicity and cost-effectiveness during production and assembly, with issues such as the use of small grubscrews for aesthetic reasons and the need for precise coupling between components, which complicates assembly and production.
Innovation Solution
A door handle design featuring a grip element with axial cavities and support elements with a coupling portion and retention inserts, where the support elements have a metal core overmoulded with plastic for aesthetic and structural benefits, and retention inserts secure the coupling portion to the grip element, ensuring precise and stable fixation without additional fixing elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If grubscrews are used to fix the grip element to the support element, then the handle can be assembled, but the assembly process becomes complicated and the grubscrews must be very small for aesthetic reasons
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fixing function from the grubscrew and integrates it into the support element itself. The support element is designed with a coupling portion that directly engages with the grip element through axial lateral slots, eliminating the need for separate grubscrews and simplifying the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the support element and the fixing mechanism into a single integrated component. The support element includes both the mounting function and the coupling function with the grip element, reducing the number of parts and simplifying assembly.
2Ease of operation
If the grip element is fixed with grubscrews, then assembly is possible, but the grip element may slide out following repeated use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the grubscrew fixing mechanism and replaces it with an integrated coupling system where the support element's coupling portion directly engages with the grip element through axial lateral slots, providing more reliable fixation that prevents sliding out during repeated use.
3Reliability
If the support element coupling is precisely shaped to fit the grip element cavity, then stable coupling is achieved, but production of the components becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the coupling interface into simple geometric features: axial lateral slots in the grip element and a corresponding coupling portion on the support element. This segmentation allows for stable coupling through straightforward engagement while keeping the manufacturing of each component relatively simple.
4Reliability
If additional fixing elements are used to secure the grip element, then fixation stability is improved, but the number of parts and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the support element and the fixing mechanism into a single integrated component. The support element includes both the mounting function and the coupling function with the grip element, eliminating the need for additional separate fixing elements and reducing the total number of parts.
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 simplifies the assembly and production of door handles by providing a stable and precise coupling mechanism, reducing the risk of components sliding out and allowing for minimal thickness designs, while offering aesthetic flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
The support elements are provided with a metal core 8, overmoulded on which is a plastic material 9, to form a single body
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A door handle for the door of a furniture unit (1), comprises two support elements (6) that can be fixed to the door (3), and a grip element (5). Each support element (6) has, in a distal end region, a respective coupling portion (7) having a shaped lateral profile (7a). The grip element (5) has, at each longitudinal end region, an axial cavity (5a) and an axial lateral slot (5b) for receiving the coupling portion (7) of a respective support element (6) in such a way that the coupling portion (7) extends transversely in the axial cavity (5a).The handle (4) further comprises a pair of retention inserts (10), each of which is inserted at least partially in a respective axial cavity (5a) of the grip element (5), through the corresponding open longitudinal end.