Laundry treating apparatus comprising a door
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treating apparatuses face challenges in enhancing the appearance of the door frame, particularly in distinguishing the boundary between the door frame and its surroundings, which affects the overall design and perceived quality.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a door with an outer and inner frame, where a transparent front panel is accompanied by a non-transparent region, and a plating layer on the outer frame, creating a reflective surface that enhances visibility and aesthetic appeal by simulating a circular drop of water effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the front glass and door window are made of transparent material to allow viewing into the laundry accommodating portion, then the visibility for users is improved, but the boundary between the door frame and its surroundings becomes blurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only specific regions of the front glass transparent (the circular opening portion at the center) while keeping other regions opaque. This allows users to view into the laundry accommodating portion through the transparent circular area, while the opaque regions maintain clear boundary definition of the door frame structure.
2Strength
If the door frame structure is visible through the front glass, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the appearance and overall design quality are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by using a plating layer on the door frame that creates reflective and aesthetic effects. The plating layer can change the visual appearance through light reflection and refraction, enhancing the design quality while maintaining structural integrity. The circular opening portion with transparent glass further enhances appearance by allowing views of the interior while the plating provides decorative quality.
3Shape
If a plating layer is added to the outer frame to enhance appearance and create reflective effects, then the aesthetic appeal and visibility are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining the door frame structure with a plating layer that has both aesthetic and functional properties. The plating layer is integrated with the door frame to create a composite structure that enhances appearance through light reflection and refraction, while the transparent circular glass panel is combined with the plated frame to achieve both structural and aesthetic goals.
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 configuration improves the visibility of the door frame by clearly defining its boundary and providing a sense of quality through the reflective plating layer, enhancing the user's experience and perception of the apparatus's design.
Implementation Method 1
a plating layer on the outer frame, creating a reflective surface that enhances visibility and aesthetic appeal
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus, including a main body (10) having a laundry input port (102) disposed at a front surface thereof; a laundry accommodating portion provided inside the main body to accommodate laundry; and a door (12) rotatably provided on a front surface of the main body (10) to open and close the laundry input port (102), wherein the door (12) includes an outer frame (14) disposed toward an outer side of the main body (10); an inner frame (19) disposed toward an inner side of the main body and coupled to a rear surface of the outer frame (14); a front glass (20) mounted to the outer frame (14); and a door window (23) mounted to the inner frame (19), and wherein a plating layer (17) is disposed on an outer surface of the outer frame (14), thereby enhancing a sense of quality of the laundry treating apparatus and the visibility of the door.