Heating Assembly With Integrated Thermostat for Overheat Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating apparatuses in electric home appliances, such as washing machines and dish washers, face challenges in accurately measuring the temperature of the heating member to prevent overheating, leading to decreased assembly efficiency and increased difficulty in repairs due to separate thermistor or thermostat placement.
Innovation Solution
A unified heating apparatus with a heat transfer member and thermostat, where the heat transfer member accurately measures the heating member's temperature and transmits it to the thermostat, and a fixing unit assembly with a pressurizing mechanism for secure attachment and easy detachment, enhancing assembly and repair efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a thermistor or thermostat is mounted separately in the tub to control heating, then the water temperature can be controlled, but the heating member cannot be accurately monitored for overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the thermostat with the heating apparatus by mounting the thermostat directly to the heating member or its support structure. This integration allows the thermostat to directly sense the temperature of the heating member, enabling accurate monitoring and prevention of overheating while maintaining water temperature control capability.
2Ease of repair
If the heating apparatus and thermostat are mounted separately and fixed with fasteners, then they can be individually replaced, but assembly efficiency and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating apparatus into modular components including the heating member, support structure, and thermostat assembly. These segmented components can be independently manufactured, tested, and replaced, facilitating easy repair while the modular design enables pre-assembly and quality control that improves overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure serves multiple functions: it supports the heating member, provides mounting for the thermostat, and facilitates both secure installation and easy removal. This multi-functional design consolidates several functions into a single component, reducing the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining replaceability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the heating member is disposed in the tub and fixed separately from the thermostat, then installation is flexible, but repair becomes difficult when components fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the support structure with pre-formed mounting features and attachment mechanisms that enable both easy installation and easy removal. The structure is preliminarily configured with threaded holes, clips, or other fastening features that allow rapid assembly during installation and equally rapid disassembly during repair, eliminating the need for complex disassembly procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively prevents overheating of the heating member, improves assembly efficiency, and simplifies the repair process by integrating temperature measurement and attachment mechanisms within the heating apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer member for increasing a heat emission area of the heating member and transferring heat from the heating member to the thermostat
Data Source
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AI summary
A heating apparatus (100) and a steam generator (200) that is capable of heating water to produce hot water or steam and an electric home appliance that is capable of washing, rinsing, drying, or sterilizing an object using the same are disclosed. The heating apparatus (100) and steam generator (200) include a heating member (110), a fixing unit assembly (120) for fixing the heating member (110) to a predetermined support structure, a thermostat (130) mounted to the fixing unit assembly (120) for preventing the heating member (110) from overheating, and a heat transfer member (150) connected between the heating member (110) and the thermostat (130) for transferring heat from the heating member (110) to the thermostat (130). The electric home appliance includes the heating apparatus (100) and steam generator (200).