Dryer Heater Housing Clamp Assembly for Precise Leak-Safe Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heater assemblies for dryer appliances face challenges such as increased cost and complexity due to the use of multiple fasteners, misalignment issues leading to air or heat leaks, and inefficiencies in assembly processes, which can render parts unusable.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a heater assembly design that includes a housing with a first and second mounting flange and a slide clamp, allowing for secure alignment and assembly through a clamping joint, reducing the need for traditional fasteners and enhancing alignment precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional fasteners (screws, bolts, nuts) are used to join housing portions, then the connection strength is sufficient, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the mounting flange and clamp into a single integrated component structure. The first mounting flange and second mounting flange are formed as integral parts of the housing portions, eliminating the need for separate fasteners. The clamp is designed to engage with both flanges simultaneously, merging multiple joining functions into one unified assembly mechanism that reduces part count while maintaining connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is divided into modular portions (first housing portion and second housing portion) with integrated mounting flanges. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured independently and then joined through the clamp mechanism, simplifying the overall assembly process while maintaining structural integrity.
2Reliability
If traditional fasteners are used for assembly, then connection is achieved, but misalignment occurs leading to air or heat leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting flanges serve as intermediary elements between the housing portions and the clamp. These flanges provide precise alignment surfaces that guide the housing portions into correct positional relationship during assembly. The flanges act as mediators that transfer and maintain alignment precision from the manufacturing stage through the assembly process, preventing misalignment and ensuring proper sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting flanges are pre-formed as integral parts of the housing portions during manufacturing, with precisely positioned alignment features built-in. This preliminary action of pre-positioning alignment references eliminates the need for field adjustment and ensures consistent alignment precision across all assemblies, preventing air or heat leaks.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple fasteners are used to ensure alignment, then alignment accuracy improves, but the assembly time and effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for multiple separate fasteners by integrating the alignment and joining functions into the mounting flange and clamp assembly. The clamp alone performs both alignment and securing functions that would traditionally require multiple fasteners, dramatically reducing assembly time while maintaining alignment precision through the integrated flange design.
4Ease of manufacture
If variations in manufactured parts occur, then assembly becomes difficult, but using more fasteners to compensate increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting flanges are designed with tolerance-compensating geometric parameters that accommodate variations in manufactured housing portions. The flange geometry includes features such as tapered surfaces and adjustable clamp positioning that absorb dimensional variations, allowing assembly to proceed successfully despite manufacturing tolerances without requiring additional fasteners or complex adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A dryer appliance may include a cabinet, a drum, and a heater assembly. The heater assembly may include a housing, a first mounting flange, a second mounting flange, and a slide clamp. The housing may include a first housing portion and a second housing portion defining a chamber, as well as an inlet and an outlet. The first mounting flange may extend radially from the first housing portion to define a first reference plane having a mutually-orthogonal vertical direction, lateral direction, and transverse direction. The second mounting flange may extend radially from the second housing portion and slidably positioned on the first mounting flange. The second mounting flange may define a clamp aperture extending therethrough along the vertical direction. The slide clamp may extend through the clamp aperture and generally along the transverse direction from a base end fixed to the first mounting flange to a distal free end.