Drawer Cooking Door Backlash Control for Low Opening Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drawer-type cooking devices require high operation force for manual opening and closing of the door, especially when transitioning from fully closed to fully open positions, due to the drive mechanism's load during these movements, which decreases operability, especially for older users and children.
Innovation Solution
The method involves reversing the drive mechanism to the end of its backlash at the stroke end of the drawer body's fully closed or fully open position and stopping it, allowing manual movement without additional load, and starting the drive mechanism before the drawer body moves through the backlash distance to assist subsequent movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drive mechanism is continuously engaged during manual door operation, then the door can be moved, but the operation force becomes excessively high especially at stroke ends
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary action by detecting when the door approaches the stroke end position and pre-reversing the drive mechanism before the user completes the opening/closing action. This anticipatory reversal eliminates the need for users to overcome the drive mechanism's resistance during the final portion of manual operation, significantly reducing operation force while maintaining reliable drive engagement during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of maintaining continuous forward engagement of the drive mechanism during manual operation, the system inverts the approach by reversely driving the mechanism at stroke ends. This inversion creates a dead zone where the drive mechanism does not resist manual movement, allowing easy operation while preserving the drive's effectiveness during automated cooking cycles
2Ease of operation
If the drive mechanism is reversed to the end of backlash at stroke ends, then operation force is reduced, but the door may move unintentionally during the reversal period
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit executes preliminary reversal of the drive mechanism before the user completes the manual opening or closing action. By detecting the approach to stroke end positions and pre-reversing the drive, the system ensures that when the user finishes the manual movement, the drive mechanism is already in a non-resisting state, eliminating both excessive force requirements and unintended door movements
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback through door position detection to control the drive mechanism's reversal timing. The control unit monitors door position and uses this feedback to determine when to reverse the drive mechanism, ensuring precise timing that maintains door position stability while reducing operation force. This closed-loop control prevents unintended movement by coordinating the reversal with actual door position
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
This approach reduces the necessary operation force and improves the usability of the drawer body by minimizing the load during manual operation, enhancing the operability of the door opening and closing process.
Implementation Method 1
reversely driving the drive mechanism as far as to the end of backlash existing in the transmission mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for opening and closing a door of a drawer-type cooking device, enabling reduction in operation force by causing a drive mechanism not to put a load during an initial period when the door is opened or closed are provided. When a drawer body is driven by a drive mechanism including an electric motor to reach a stroke end such as a fully closed (opened) position, the drive mechanism is reversely driven only for a distance corresponding to a backlash existing in a transmission mechanism (between a pinion and a rack) and is stopped. When the drawer body is manually operated in the direction away from the stroke end, the drawer body moves without driving the drive mechanism against the inertia or load only for the distance corresponding to the backlash. As a result, the drawer body can start to be manually moved with a light burden.