Appliance Door Hinge Assembly Without Mounting Brackets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Front loading washing machine door assembly methods require additional components and time, and existing fasteners face stress issues leading to potential door separation and plastic deformation.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly with an extension portion, arcuate portion, and foot design that secures the door to the cabinet without a mounting fixture, using a fastener to mitigate stress and deformation, and optionally employing a pair of hinges for enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mounting fixture (bracket) is used to hold the door in place during assembly, then the door can be securely mounted to the cabinet, but the overall production cost increases and assembly time is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mounting fixture (bracket) from the assembly process by integrating the door-holding function directly into the hinge assembly. The hinge assembly includes a door receiving structure that directly engages with the door, eliminating the need for separate mounting fixtures and reducing assembly complexity while maintaining mounting reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the door-holding function with the hinge assembly by incorporating a door receiving structure into the hinge. This merging of functions allows the hinge to both pivot the door and securely hold it during assembly, eliminating the need for separate mounting fixtures and reducing overall device complexity.
2Device complexity
If a single fastener is used to secure the hinge to the door, then the assembly is simple, but the fastener must bear significant stresses and the door may separate if the fastener fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fastening function by providing multiple fasteners (first and second fasteners) that distribute the stress load across different attachment points. This segmentation reduces the stress burden on each individual fastener while maintaining simple overall assembly, thereby improving door attachment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multiple fasteners as a preventive measure to cushion against the risk of single fastener failure. By having redundant fastening points, the system protects against door separation even if one fastener fails, providing beforehand cushioning against potential failure modes.
3Strength
If a fastener extends through the hinge and door to secure them, then the hinge is firmly attached, but large stresses can deform the door's plastic components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing stress-distributing features specifically at the fastener attachment points on the door. The door receiving structure includes localized reinforcement or stress-distributing geometry at the points where fasteners engage, allowing strong attachment while preventing stress concentration that would deform plastic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The door receiving structure incorporates stress-distributing features in advance of fastener installation. These pre-designed structural features cushion against stress concentration by distributing loads across larger areas of the plastic door components, preventing deformation before it occurs during fastening.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the door includes plastic components, then the door can be manufactured with complex shapes, but large stresses during use can deform these components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing localized reinforcement features in the door receiving structure where stresses are concentrated. This allows the plastic door components to maintain complex shapes for design flexibility while adding local structural support at critical stress points to prevent deformation during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining plastic door components with reinforced structural features (potentially using different materials or composite structures) in the door receiving structure. This allows the door to maintain design flexibility with plastic while incorporating stress-resistant composite features to prevent deformation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present subject matter provides a hinge for an appliance. The hinge is rotatably mounted to a cabinet of the appliance. The hinge includes a foot configured for receipt by a door of the appliance. Specifically, the foot has a tip that is configured for receipt into a cavity of the door and a substantially planar portion configured to be positioned adjacent a pocket of the door.