Appliance Door Hinge Actuation Using a Remote Bowden Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door actuation systems for electrical domestic appliances, such as ovens and dishwashers, require high-powered motors and large sizes due to the need for high resistance and return forces, leading to design and cost issues, and are often affected by high temperatures near the hinges.
Innovation Solution
An automatic door actuation system using a kinematic mechanism with a C-shaped hinge body, lever, and rod connected by a pin, combined with a rotary electric actuator positioned remotely to avoid high temperatures, utilizing a flexible Bowden cable for motion transmission, allowing for efficient opening and closing without manual force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the actuator is positioned close to the door hinge point, then the lever effect is maximized, but the motor size and power requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible cable transmission system acts as an intermediary between the remotely positioned motor and the door hinge mechanism. The cable transmits the driving force from the motor located in the cooler upper zone to the hinge point, enabling the motor to be positioned away from the heat-affected hinge area while still providing effective actuation through the cable's tensile force
Solution Approach 2:
The motor is repositioned from the traditional location near the hinge point to the upper zone of the appliance, utilizing vertical space rather than horizontal space near the hinge. This spatial reconfiguration allows the motor to be located in a cooler environment while the flexible cable transmission system bridges the distance to provide actuation force at the hinge point
2Ease of operation
If the actuator is positioned close to the door hinge point, then the actuation is more direct, but the motor is adversely affected by high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cable serves as a thermal and spatial intermediary, separating the motor from the high-temperature zone near the hinge. The cable transmits mechanical force while being tolerant of the temperature gradient, allowing the motor to operate in a cooler upper zone while still actuating the door hinge effectively
Solution Approach 2:
The motor is extracted from the high-temperature environment near the hinge point and relocated to the cooler upper zone of the appliance. The flexible cable transmission system is introduced to bridge this separation, extracting the motor from thermal stress while maintaining actuation capability through the cable's force transmission
3Extent of automation
If high-powered motors are used to overcome the lever effect, then the door can be opened and closed automatically, but the appliance overall size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The motor is positioned in the upper zone, utilizing the vertical dimension of the appliance rather than consuming horizontal space. This reconfiguration allows full automation capability while maintaining compact overall dimensions, as the motor leverages the available vertical space and the flexible cable transmits force efficiently across the distance
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 system enables automatic door operation without increasing appliance size or capacity, reduces the risk of motor damage from heat, and simplifies construction by using flexible motion transmission, allowing for more powerful and efficient electric actuators in a cooler zone.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible member for transmitting motion comprises a cable and a sheath, the cable sliding inside the sheath in both sliding directions
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~2A
Figure 3~3A
AI summary
Described is an automatic system for actuating a door of an electrical domestic appliance (3) comprising a frame (4) and a door (2), the system comprising a first hinge body (6) which can be fixed to the frame (4), a second hinge body (7), fixable to the door (2) and connected to the first body (6) to move in a tilting fashion between a first closed position, wherein the door (2) is abutted to the frame (4), and a second open position, wherein the door (2) is spaced from the frame (4), allowing access to a compartment of the electrical domestic appliance (3), means (34) for moving the second body (7) relative to the first body (6) comprising an electric actuator (20) and means (22) for transmitting the motion from the actuator (20) to the second body (7).