Laundry treating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treating apparatuses face challenges in integrating a door with a touch screen and mechanical fastening structures, leading to issues with alignment, moisture ingress, and reduced aesthetic appeal, while adhesive use can compromise joint strength and allow foreign substance infiltration.
Innovation Solution
A door structure with a hinge unit for dual rotation, a door frame incorporating a touch screen and transparent regions, and a sealant coupling to ensure moisture protection and aesthetic integration, using a touch sensor and transparent cover to provide user input and output interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a mechanical fastening structure (bracket, hook) is used to couple the door cover to the door frame, then the joint strength is improved, but it becomes difficult to use with glass material door covers and achieve high-quality aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical fastening system (brackets, hooks) with an adhesive bonding system. The adhesive is applied to the inner side of the door frame and bonds the door cover to the door frame through chemical adhesion rather than mechanical interlocking, enabling the use of glass materials that cannot accommodate mechanical fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bonding mechanism from mechanical (physical interlocking) to chemical (adhesive bonding). This parameter change in the coupling method allows glass door covers to be securely attached while maintaining aesthetic appearance, as the adhesive can be applied in controlled amounts and positions.
2Shape
If adhesive is coated at an inner side of the door frame far away from the edge portion to prevent leakage, then the appearance quality is improved, but the joint strength deteriorates and foreign substances can easily infiltrate through gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the door frame structure by adding a protrusion that creates a distinct adhesive application zone. This protrusion separates the adhesive coating area from the visible outer surface, allowing adhesive to be applied near the edge for maximum bonding strength while preventing it from leaking to the exterior where it would affect appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion acts as an intermediary structure between the adhesive and the outer surface. It provides a platform for adhesive application close to the edge while serving as a physical barrier that prevents adhesive leakage to the visible exterior, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of bond strength and appearance.
3Shape
If the door cover is formed in a circular shape to achieve aesthetic appearance, then the visual appeal is improved, but it becomes difficult to align the correct installation position for the door frame
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting guide structure on the door frame provides self-aligning features that guide the circular door cover into the correct rotational position during installation. The guide structure may include asymmetric features or reference marks that automatically indicate the proper orientation, eliminating the need for complex external alignment tools or procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating apparatus includes a body provided with a laundry inlet; and a door configured to open or close the laundry inlet, wherein the door includes a door frame having a first opening portion facing the laundry inlet and a second opening portion corresponding to a display module mounted at an inside in a state that the door is closed; and a door cover coupled to the door frame to form an appearance of the door, the door cover includes a non-light-transmitting region, and a first light transmitting region corresponding to the first opening portion and a second light transmitting region corresponding to the second opening portion within the non-light-transmitting region, and a mounting guide for an alignment between the first opening portion and the first light transmitting region and an alignment between the second opening portion and the second light transmitting region is provided on at least one of the door frame and door cover during mutual coupling.