Integrated Soft-and-Rigid Dishwasher Shock Absorber for Door Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shock absorbers in dishwashers fail to prevent scratches on the inner door surface due to separation issues during transportation and deformation of the tub, and they do not provide adequate rigidity to maintain the door's closure when dealing with racks of variable sizes.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber with a body featuring receiving grooves for the rack and a pressing portion that exerts a downward force on the tub, combined with a flexible and rigid material configuration to minimize scratches and ensure secure coupling, preventing upward movement of the rack and maintaining door closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a foamed shock absorber is disposed between the rack and the inner surface of the door, then the rack movement due to vibration and falling is reduced, but the shock absorber comes into contact with the inner surface of the door causing scratches
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber is designed with different material properties at different locations: the portion contacting the rack is made of rigid material for structural support, while the portion contacting the door is made of soft material to prevent scratches. This local differentiation of material quality resolves the contradiction between providing shock absorption and preventing surface damage.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If an additional member made of different PE material is attached to the foamed shock absorber to prevent scratches, then the door surface is protected, but the additional member becomes separated from the foamed shock absorber during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching a separate additional member to the shock absorber, the soft material and rigid material are combined into a single integrated shock absorber structure. This merging eliminates the interface between separate components, thereby preventing separation during transportation while maintaining both scratch prevention and structural support functions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional foamed shock absorber with large or fixed thickness is disposed between the rack and the inner surface of the door, then the rack is protected from movement, but the door of the dishwasher cannot be closed
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber is designed with a variable thickness configuration where the thickness changes along its length, being thinner at the door-contacting end and thicker at the rack-contacting end. This dynamic variation in geometry allows the door to close properly while still providing adequate shock absorption and rack stabilization.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the lower rack is supported by rails with protrusions to prevent upward movement, then the rack position is stabilized, but strong external force causes deformation of the tub and separation of the rack from the rails
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber is installed beforehand to provide cushioning and absorb external forces before they can cause tub deformation or rack-rail separation. This preemptive shock absorption protects the rigid rail-rack connection system from excessive forces that would otherwise cause failure.
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber and a dishwasher including the same are disclosed. The dishwasher includes a tub having a dish introduction port formed in a front surface thereof, a door for opening and closing the dish introduction port and a rack having moving casters so as to be drawn out of and introduced into the tub, dishes being placed on the rack, and the shock absorber is disposed between the tub of the dishwasher and the rack and includes a body, a receiving groove formed in one side surface of the body so as to receive a portion of the rack, and a pressing portion provided on a remaining surface of the body so as to press and support a portion of the tub to thus press the body downwards.