Drawer for laundry appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry appliance storage drawers with frontal snap-fit coupling arrangements are inefficient, as they can become too loose with few tooth elements, leading to accidental detachment or breakage, and require many tooth elements for stability, making detachment and attachment laborious.
Innovation Solution
A storage drawer with a coupling arrangement featuring drawer body and handle sliding means extending perpendicular to the extraction direction, allowing lateral movement and a detent mechanism with a resilient member for secure attachment and easy detachment, enabling stable and efficient handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a small number of tooth elements are used in the frontal snap-fit coupling, then the coupling arrangement is simpler, but the connection becomes too loose leading to accidental detachment or breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a frontal snap-fit coupling (engaging along the extraction/insertion direction) to a lateral snap-fit coupling (engaging perpendicular to the extraction/insertion direction). This dimensional change allows the handle to be securely attached with fewer tooth elements while preventing accidental detachment, as the lateral engagement direction provides inherent stability during drawer operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of engaging the handle to the drawer body from the front (frontal coupling), the patent inverts the approach by engaging from the lateral side (perpendicular direction). This inversion fundamentally changes the coupling mechanics, providing more reliable connection with simpler structure by utilizing the lateral snap-fit mechanism where the resilient member engages with the tooth element from the side rather than from the front.
2Reliability
If many tooth elements are used to provide stable connection, then the connection reliability is improved, but the detachment and attachment operations become laborious
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the engagement direction from frontal to lateral (perpendicular to extraction/insertion direction), the patent achieves stable connection with fewer tooth elements. The lateral engagement geometry naturally provides mechanical advantage, allowing secure attachment while maintaining ease of operation through simple lateral movement rather than requiring multiple frontal engagement points.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling arrangement uses a single resilient member with a limited number of tooth elements (2-4) arranged along the lateral engagement path. This segmented approach concentrates the connection function into a few strategically positioned engagement points, providing sufficient stability while keeping the attachment/detachment operation simple and quick compared to distributing many tooth elements across a frontal coupling interface.
3Ease of operation
If the handle is detachable for cleaning purposes, then the ease of cleaning is improved, but the risk of accidental detachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral snap-fit coupling engages perpendicular to the drawer extraction/insertion direction, creating a secure connection that resists accidental detachment during normal drawer operation. The resilient member's lateral engagement with the tooth element provides inherent mechanical stability, allowing the handle to be detachable for cleaning while preventing unintended separation during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling arrangement incorporates a blocking device with a resilient member that actively prevents accidental detachment by maintaining continuous lateral engagement pressure on the tooth element. This preliminary anti-action counteracts any forces that might cause unintended separation, securing the handle during drawer operation while still allowing intentional detachment when needed for cleaning.
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 provides a stable, robust, and easy-to-use connection between the drawer handle and body, preventing accidental detachment and breakage while allowing effortless detachment and reattachment for cleaning purposes.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member configured to exert a resilient force pushing the detent hook member against the support wall
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A laundry appliance (100) is provided. The laundry appliance comprises a cabinet (105) accommodating a laundry treatment chamber and a storage drawer (125) adapted to slide into the cabinet along a first direction (x). The storage drawer comprises a drawer body (135) and a drawer handle (140). The drawer handle is connectable with the drawer body in a releasable way through a coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement comprises: - drawer body sliding means (210a, 210b) arranged on the drawer body, and - drawer handle sliding means (215a, 215b) arranged on the drawer handle and adapted to slidingly engage with the drawer body sliding means for allowing the drawer handle to move with respect to the drawer body. Said drawer body sliding means and said drawer handle sliding means extend along a second direction (z) perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to a top surface of the cabinet so as to allow the drawer handle to be detached from the drawer body by a lateral movement along said second direction.