Embossed Mounting Panel for Cooktop Coil Assembly Alignment

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooktop assemblies face challenges in efficiently aligning and mounting coil assemblies during assembly, leading to increased manufacturing time and costs, and potentially affecting user experience due to misalignment of heating zones.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of a mounting panel with embossed features that extend vertically upward, aligning with apertures on coil plates, ensures precise positioning and alignment of coil assemblies, facilitating a poka-yoke configuration that minimizes assembly errors and improves manufacturing efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional mounting methods are used for coil assemblies, then assembly process is simpler, but alignment precision and manufacturing efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment precision of coil assembliesVSAvoidcomplexity of mounting panel structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting panel incorporates embossed features that protrude upward from its surface before assembly. These pre-formed raised features serve as alignment guides that engage with corresponding features on the coil assemblies, ensuring precise positioning is established in advance during the mounting process rather than requiring complex adjustment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The embossed features on the mounting panel act as intermediary elements between the mounting panel and the coil assemblies. These raised features mediate the alignment process by providing physical engagement points that guide the coil assemblies into correct positions, simplifying the overall mounting operation while maintaining high precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If traditional mounting methods are used for coil assemblies, then manufacturing process is faster, but alignment accuracy and heating zone positioning deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment of heating zonesVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting panel incorporates embossed features that protrude upward from its surface before assembly. These pre-formed raised features serve as alignment guides that engage with corresponding features on the coil assemblies, ensuring precise positioning is established in advance during the mounting process rather than requiring complex adjustment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The embossed features on the mounting panel act as intermediary elements between the mounting panel and the coil assemblies. These raised features mediate the alignment process by providing physical engagement points that guide the coil assemblies into correct positions, simplifying the overall mounting operation while maintaining high precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If complex alignment methods are used for coil assemblies, then alignment precision improves, but assembly complexity and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracy of coil assembliesVSAvoidcomplexity of alignment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting panel incorporates embossed features that protrude upward from its surface before assembly. These pre-formed raised features serve as alignment guides that engage with corresponding features on the coil assemblies, ensuring precise positioning is established in advance during the mounting process rather than requiring complex adjustment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The embossed features on the mounting panel act as intermediary elements between the mounting panel and the coil assemblies. These raised features mediate the alignment process by providing physical engagement points that guide the coil assemblies into correct positions, simplifying the overall mounting operation while maintaining high precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11519608B2Embossed feature for cooktop assembly

Publication Date: 2022.12.06 WHIRLPOOL CORP

AI summary

A cooktop assembly includes a burner box and a controller disposed on the burner box. A mounting panel is coupled to the burner box over the controller. The mounting panel defines a plurality of embossed features. Each of the plurality of embossed features extends vertically upward from discrete portions of the mounting panel. A plurality of coil assemblies includes individual coil assemblies. Each of the individual coil assemblies includes a coil disposed on a coil plate that defines more than one aperture. Each of the individual embossed features extends through an aperture of the more than one aperture defined by one of the coil plates when the individual coil assemblies are disposed on the mounting panel. A cooktop is disposed over the plurality of coil assemblies and coupled to the burner box.