Door Handle Spring Assembly for Simple Appliance Door Locking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing household appliance devices with cable pulls and spring mechanisms lack a simple and cost-effective design that allows for easy assembly and operation while maintaining structural stability and compactness.

Innovation Solution

A household appliance device featuring a door unit with a rotatably mounted door handle, a torque transmission mechanism, and two spring means attached to the same fastening means, where the second spring has a significantly lower spring hardness than the first, allowing for comfortable operation and energy storage when the door is opened, and a locking unit that prevents removal when partially open.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a cable pull with spring mechanisms is used to transmit torque in a household appliance device, then the door unit can be operated and locked, but the design becomes complex and assembly becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocking functionVSAvoiddesign complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the first and second spring means with the torque transmission means into an integrated assembly. The spring means are mounted directly on the torque transmission means, eliminating the need for separate mounting structures and reducing overall component count. This merging approach maintains the reliable locking function while significantly simplifying the design and assembly process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The torque transmission means serves multiple functions: it transmits torque from the door handle, provides mounting structures for both spring means, and integrates the cable pull mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall design while maintaining reliable operation and locking capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple spring means are used to ensure constant cable tension and enable operation, then the operating reliability improves, but the number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating reliabilityVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The first and second spring means are combined with the torque transmission means into a single integrated assembly. The spring means are mounted directly on the torque transmission means, sharing common mounting structures and spatial arrangement. This reduces the total component count while maintaining the operational reliability provided by multiple springs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If the door unit is designed to be rotatably mounted with torque transmission, then the door can be opened and closed, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor operationVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The torque transmission means is integrated with the rotatable mounting structure of the door unit. The cable pull and spring mechanisms are combined with the rotational joint, allowing torque transmission during door opening and closing without requiring separate structural elements. This maintains ease of operation while reducing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 achieves a simple, cost-effective, and stable design with easy assembly and operation, enabling the door to be easily stowed away and maintaining structural integrity, while ensuring the door remains locked in place when partially open.

Implementation Method 1

a first spring means (96), which is attached at least to a fastening region (100) of a fastening means (98) of the door unit (64), which is immovable relative to the axis (92) in at least one operating sequence, and has at least one second spring means (102), which is fastened to at least one fastening region (104) of a fastening means (98) of the door unit (64)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2093492B1Household device
Publication Date: 2016.04.13 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2093492B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2093492B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2093492B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention is based on a domestic appliance device with at least one door unit (64), which has at least one door handle (62) which is mounted rotatably about an axis (92), at least one torque transmission means (94, 95) which, in at least one operating state, is in a cooperation with the door handle (62) transmits at least one torque, a first spring means (96) which is fastened at least to a fastening area (100) of a fastening means (98) of the door unit (64) which in at least one operational sequence is relative to the axis ( 92) is immovable, and has at least one second spring means (102) which is attached to at least one attachment area (104) of an attachment means (98) of the door unit (64). In order to achieve a simple construction, it is proposed that the fastening area (104), to which the second spring means (102) is fastened, is immovable relative to the axis (92) in at least one operational sequence.