Illuminated Door Handle for Dishwasher Status Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning apparatuses, particularly dishwashing machines, have operator control panels that are difficult to discern, especially when the operator is not directly in front of the machine, leading to challenges in identifying operating states and potential malfunctions such as interruptions or lack of media.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning apparatus with a partially transparent handle that is illuminated by an illuminating device, allowing operators to easily see the handle from the side or at a distance, and equipped with a control system to indicate operating states and errors through light signals, including pulsed and colored lights, ensuring clear visibility and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the operator control panel is arranged on the front of the cleaning apparatus, then the operating states can be indicated, but the indications are difficult to discern when the operator is not directly in front of the machine
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the indication system from a two-dimensional front panel to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement using the door handle as a vertical indicator element. Different heights on the handle correspond to different operating states, allowing operators to discern status from various angles and distances, thus resolving the visibility issue without compromising operational clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs color-coded light signals (red, yellow, green) at different positions on the door handle to indicate various operating states. This color differentiation enables operators to quickly identify machine status from a distance or at angles, eliminating the need to be directly in front of the control panel while maintaining clear information transmission.
2Loss of information
If light sources are arranged above the door to illuminate the handle, then operating states can be indicated, but the construction becomes technically complex and sensitive to mechanical loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the light sources directly into the door handle structure itself, merging the indication function with the existing mechanical component. This eliminates separate illumination assemblies above the door, reducing construction complexity while maintaining the ability to indicate operating states through the handle's transparent or translucent material.
Solution Approach 2:
The door handle serves dual functions: as a mechanical operating component and as an integrated indication element. The handle's own material properties (transparent/translucent) and structure are utilized to display operating states, eliminating the need for additional complex illumination systems and reducing sensitivity to mechanical loads.
3Loss of information
If the handle is made transparent to allow light transmission, then operating states can be indicated through the handle, but the handle material selection is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies transparency or translucency only to the portion of the door handle that needs to display operating states, while other portions can remain opaque. This localized quality approach allows the handle to fulfill both aesthetic and functional requirements, expanding material selection flexibility by enabling composite or multi-material handle designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material constructions for the door handle, combining transparent/translucent materials with opaque materials or integrating lighting elements within the handle structure. This composite approach overcomes material selection limitations by allowing the handle to simultaneously provide structural integrity, aesthetic appearance, and effective light transmission for status indication.
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
The solution enables operators to clearly discern operating states and errors, facilitating the operation of the cleaning apparatus and allowing for quick identification of malfunctions, improving usability and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
A further possibility for indicating operating states and/or operating parameters to an operator is disclosed in DE 10 2010 003 103 A1. A domestic appliance, for example a dishwashing machine, has a light source in a handle of a door of the domestic appliance that projects light onto an outer side of the door of the domestic appliance and in this way presents information.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning apparatus for cleaning articles is proposed. The cleaning apparatus comprises a cleaning chamber for receiving the articles. The cleaning apparatus has at least one application device for applying at least one cleaning fluid to the articles in the cleaning chamber. The cleaning apparatus has at least one door for opening the cleaning chamber and for loading and unloading the cleaning chamber with articles. The door has at least one at least partially transparent handle. The cleaning apparatus has at least one illuminating device. The illuminating device is designed to illuminate the handle at least partially and illuminate the cleaning chamber and/or an inner side of the door in an opened state of the door.