Laundry Front Panel Assembly for Rattle-Free Pre-Tension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry appliances often experience rattling noises during operation due to gaps between the front panel and the housing, which existing fixing methods fail to adequately address by using screws that serve both as fixing and pulling elements with identical directions, leading to insufficient pre-tension.
Innovation Solution
A separate pulling device is introduced, mechanically coupled with the fixing device, allowing for a distinct pulling force to be generated in a different direction than the fixing force, ensuring the front panel is securely pressed against the housing to eliminate rattling noises.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If screws are used as both fixing elements and pulling elements with identical fixing and pulling directions, then the structure is simple, but the pre-tension on the front panel is insufficient leading to rattling noises
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the screw into two separate functional elements: a fixing element (screw) and a pulling element (separate component with pulling arm). This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function optimally - the fixing element provides structural attachment while the pulling element generates the necessary pre-tension force, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and pre-tension consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulling element acts as an intermediary between the fixing element and the front panel. It translates the fixing force into a pulling force that applies pre-tension to the front panel, ensuring consistent contact and eliminating rattling noises while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If a separate pulling device is introduced with mechanical coupling to the fixing device, then pre-tension is improved to eliminate rattling noises, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the fixing and pulling functions into a single integrated assembly where the pulling element is mechanically coupled to the fixing element. This combination allows both functions to be performed simultaneously or sequentially without requiring completely separate mechanisms, thus improving pre-tension consistency while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulling element is designed to automatically generate pulling force through its mechanical coupling with the fixing element during the fixing process. The system serves itself by converting the fixing action into the necessary pre-tension without requiring external intervention or complex control mechanisms, balancing reliability improvement with structural simplicity.
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 reduces rattling noises by ensuring a consistent pre-tension between the front panel and the housing, even in the presence of initial gaps, through a mechanical coupling that transforms the fixing force into a pulling force, maintaining residual pressure via elastic restoring forces.
Implementation Method 1
the fixing device is coupled to the pulling device in such a way that the fixing force generates the pulling force or is partly transformed into the pulling force
Implementation Method 2
maintaining residual pressure via elastic restoring forces
Data Source
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AI summary
Laundry appliance (1), for example laundry washing machine, laundry dryer or laundry washer dryer, comprising a) a cabinet (2) with a housing (10) having at least one front face (112A, 112B) and at least one front panel (12), b) at least one fixing device (38, 22, 131) for fixing said front panel (12) to the housing (10) by applying a fixing force in a fixing direction (FD), c) at least one pulling device (20, 30, 12A, 12B) for exerting a pulling force (F) in a pulling direction (PD) onto the front panel (12) pulling the front panel (12) against at least one front face (112A, 112B) of the housing (10, 10A, 10B), d) wherein the fixing direction (FD) of the fixing force is different to the pulling direction (PD) of the pulling force (F), and e) wherein the fixing device (38A, 131) is coupled to the pulling device (30) in such a way that the fixing force generates the pulling force (F) or is partly transformed into the pulling force (F).