Frame Assembly with Connection Module for Built-In Appliance Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions fail to create a visually pleasing and structurally simple combination of free-standing household appliances with furniture, particularly in terms of alignment and connection to domestic installations, leading to complex water and power supply issues and increased potential for damage.
Innovation Solution
A frame arrangement with parallel floor rails for guiding the appliance's feet and a connection module for connecting the appliance to the domestic installation, including features like shut-off valves and leakage sensors, ensures precise alignment and simplified connection, preventing unwanted vibrations and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If free-standing household appliances are set up next to furniture, then the appliances can be easily installed and accessed, but the visual combination is not pleasing and alignment is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the floor rail guidance system with the furniture structure itself, integrating the alignment function into the furniture design. The floor rails are incorporated as part of the furniture base, creating a unified structure that provides both mechanical guidance and aesthetic integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor rails act as an intermediary element between the appliance feet and the furniture structure. They provide a mediating mechanism that guides the appliance into proper alignment while allowing easy installation, bridging the gap between operational ease and visual harmony.
2Ease of operation
If connection modules are integrated into the furniture structure, then the connection process is simplified, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection module is designed with universal functionality, integrating water supply, waste water drainage, and electrical power supply into a single standardized interface. This multi-functional design simplifies the connection process for appliances while maintaining manageable device complexity through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection module is segmented into distinct functional components (water supply, waste water, power) that are integrated into the furniture structure. This segmentation allows for standardized, modular connections that simplify the installation process while keeping the overall device complexity controlled through modular design.
3Shape
If the appliance is pushed far into the niche for proper operation, then the visual integration is improved, but the connection process becomes difficult due to limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The connection module and floor rails are pre-installed in the furniture structure before the appliance is positioned. This preliminary action allows the appliance to be pushed far into the niche for visual integration while the pre-positioned connection elements remain accessible for the connection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor rails serve as an intermediary that remains accessible even when the appliance is pushed far into the niche. They provide a connection interface that bridges the gap between the deeply positioned appliance and the external connection points, enabling easy connection despite limited space.
4Reliability
If safety devices are added to prevent water damage, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The leakage sensor and shut-off valve are merged into the connection module that is already integrated into the furniture structure. This combination provides safety functionality without adding separate, complex safety systems, as the safety devices are incorporated into the existing connection infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a frame assembly (2) for inserting a free-standing household appliance (3) into a recess (4) in a wall (6), and to a system (1) comprising the frame assembly (2) and a free-standing household appliance (3). In order to improve a visually pleasing combination of a free-standing household appliance (3) and at least one piece of furniture, proposed is, inter alia, a frame assembly (2) for inserting a free-standing household appliance into a recess (4) of a furniture set that is or can be disposed against a wall (6), comprising at least one connection module (22) for connecting the free-standing household appliance (3) to domestic installations, wherein the connection module (22) is designed both to connect at least one connection means (26) of the free-standing household appliance (3) to the connection module (22) and to connect the connection module (22) to the domestic installations.