Domestic cooking appliance with embossed locking system for a gas flue
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of gas flues in domestic cooking appliances is time-consuming and expensive due to the need for numerous screws or rivets, which increases the risk of errors and dropped fasteners during the assembly process.
Innovation Solution
The use of embossed projections and recesses on flue pieces allows for precise alignment and secure attachment with minimal fasteners, enabling quick and cost-effective assembly by snapping the pieces together and securing them with a few screws or rivets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple screws or rivets are used to assemble flue pieces, then the connection strength and reliability are improved, but the assembly time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The flue pieces are segmented with integrated embossed projections and recesses that divide the connection interface into multiple localized engagement points. This segmentation allows the structure to achieve strong connections through distributed stress across multiple embossed features while requiring only a single fastener to secure the assembly, thereby reducing assembly time without compromising connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the alignment and positioning functions into the embossed projection-recess features, which are formed as integral parts of the flue pieces during manufacturing. This merging of alignment and connection functions eliminates the need for multiple separate fasteners, as the embossed features automatically position the pieces correctly while the single fastener provides the securing action, thus reducing both assembly time and fastener count.
2Reliability
If multiple screws or rivets are used to assemble flue pieces, then the connection reliability is improved, but the risk of dropping fasteners and assembly errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The embossed projections and recesses are designed to automatically align and engage the flue pieces together without requiring the assembler to manually position multiple fasteners. The self-aligning nature of the embossed features guides the pieces into correct positioning, and the single fastener hole automatically aligns when the embossed features engage, eliminating the complexity of locating and installing multiple fasteners while maintaining connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossed projections and recesses are pre-formed as integral features of the flue pieces during manufacturing, creating built-in alignment and positioning mechanisms. This preliminary action of pre-positioning the connection interface ensures that when assembly occurs, the pieces naturally align and the single fastener hole is automatically positioned correctly, eliminating assembly errors and the risk of dropping fasteners while maintaining reliable connections.
3Strength
If numerous fasteners are used to assemble flue pieces, then the structural integrity is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The embossed projections and recesses serve multiple functions: they provide structural reinforcement to the flue pieces, create precise alignment between mating pieces, and position the single fastener hole correctly. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple dedicated fasteners, reducing fastener costs and assembly complexity while maintaining structural integrity through the combined action of the embossed features and the single fastener.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection interface is segmented into multiple embossed projection-recess pairs distributed across the flue piece surfaces. This segmentation distributes the mechanical load and reinforcement across multiple locations, providing structural integrity equivalent to multiple fasteners, while requiring only a single actual fastener to secure the connection, thereby reducing fastener costs and manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A domestic cooking appliance is provided. The appliance has an inner space for cooking a food item; a gas burner; an exhaust opening; and a gas flue for directing exhaust gases from the inner space to the exhaust opening. The gas flue has a first part having a plurality of embossed projections, and a first fastener hole; and a second part that attaches to the first part, the second part having a plurality of embossed recesses that engage the plurality of embossed projections, and a second fastener hole that aligns with the first fastener hole when the first part and the second part are in an assembled position. The first part and the second part form a first tubular flue section when they are attached to each other, and the first part has more embossed projections than it does fastener holes.