Furniture Front Panel Mounting for Built-In Appliance Controls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Integrated household appliances with a furniture front divided into a door part and a panel part require complex and costly adaptations to accommodate electronic displays and operating units, leading to increased assembly efforts and risks of damage to the front material, especially with high-gloss finishes.

Innovation Solution

The electronic display and/or operating unit is attached to the panel support or panel part at a distance from the receiving area, allowing for separate installation without the need for recess creation, maintaining appliance depth and accessibility, and using wireless power and signal transmission to eliminate the need for penetrating fasteners.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the electronic display and operating unit are integrated into the furniture front panel part, then the appliance achieves a built-in appearance, but the assembly process becomes complex and costly requiring recess creation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly processVSAvoidfurniture front adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The furniture front is divided into a door part and a panel part, with the display and operating unit attached to the panel part separately from the receiving area. This segmentation allows the display to be installed without creating recesses in the main panel, simplifying the assembly process while maintaining the built-in appearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The display and operating unit are extracted from the receiving area and attached at a distance from it. This extraction eliminates the need for complex recess creation and adaptation work in the furniture front panel, significantly reducing assembly effort and costs while preserving the integrated aesthetic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Strength

If fasteners penetrate the panel part to secure the display, then the display is firmly attached, but the furniture front material is damaged especially with high-gloss finishes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment firmnessVSAvoidpanel damage
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A mounting structure or bracket is introduced as an intermediary between the display and the panel part. This intermediary allows the display to be securely attached without fasteners penetrating the panel part, thus avoiding damage to the furniture front material while maintaining firm attachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Illumination intensity

If the appliance door is designed to be high to accommodate display elements, then the display is visible when closed, but accessibility to the treatment room is limited when open

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay visibilityVSAvoidaccessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display and operating unit are separated from the appliance door and attached to the panel part instead. This segmentation allows the appliance door to maintain a standard height for good accessibility, while the display remains visible and accessible on the panel part above or beside the door.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Object-affected harmful factors

If wireless power and signal transmission are used, then penetration of the panel part is avoided, but additional wireless transmission components are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepanel penetrationVSAvoidwireless transmission system
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A mounting structure serves as an intermediary that provides a path for power and signal cables without requiring penetration of the panel part. The cables can be routed through the mounting structure or along its edges, eliminating the need for wireless transmission components while avoiding panel damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3838102B1Domestic appliance
Publication Date: 2023.08.02 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP3838102B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3838102B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3838102B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a household appliance (10) with a pivotable appliance door (12) via which an appliance opening connected to a treatment chamber (14) of the household appliance (10) can be closed, wherein the appliance door (12) is configured to receive a door part (104) of a furniture front (102) on a front side, a panel carrier (18) designed separately from the appliance door (12) which is configured to receive a panel part (106) of the furniture front (102) in a receiving area, and an electronic display and/or control unit (20), wherein the display and/or control unit (20) is configured to be attached to the panel carrier (18) and/or the panel part (106) of the furniture front (102) by means of one or more fastening elements (22, 22a, 22b) of the household appliance (10) at a distance from the receiving area.