Keep-Fresh Container Lid Guide Rail for Easier Front Coupling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing household refrigeration appliances face challenges in the ease of assembly and coupling between the cover and the operating element, leading to potential misalignment and increased complexity in the mechanical coupling process.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a guide track on the cover with a specific front edge contour that forms a groove, allowing for easier access and alignment of the operating element, ensuring a secure and straightforward assembly process while maintaining unrestricted guiding functionality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a traditional closed guide track is used on the cover, then the mechanical coupling between cover and operating element is secure, but the assembly process becomes complex and difficult to align

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidmechanical coupling stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide track is segmented into two distinct parts: an open front edge contour section (33) that allows easy access for assembly, and a remaining edge contour section (34) that provides structural closure for stability. This segmentation enables the operating element to be inserted from the front while maintaining secure mechanical coupling throughout the track.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the guide track have different openness characteristics. The front edge contour section is open to facilitate assembly access, while the remaining edge contour section is closed to ensure mechanical stability. This local differentiation of quality allows the same guide track to serve both assembly ease and coupling reliability functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the guide track is completely open at the front edge, then assembly is easier, but the guiding functionality may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to guide trackVSAvoidguiding functionality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guide track is divided into an open front section (33) for accessibility and a closed remaining section (34) for precision guiding. The open section allows the operating element to be accessed and inserted from the front, while the closed section maintains the structural integrity needed for precise guiding functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide track exhibits local quality variation where the front edge contour section provides open access for ease of operation, while the remaining edge contour section provides closed structural support for manufacturing precision and guiding accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3014199B1Household cooling appliance comprising an inner chamber and a keep-fresh container having a lid with a forwards-opening guide rail
Publication Date: 2019.03.06 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP3014199B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3014199B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP3014199B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a household cooling device (1) comprising an inner chamber (4, 5) for receiving foodstuffs and delimited by walls of an inner container (3); a keep-fresh container (8) for foodstuffs which is arranged in said inner chamber (4, 5) and can be closed by a lid (9); a bearing device (12) with which said lid (9) for opening and closing the keep-fresh container (8) is mounted in the inner chamber (4, 5) so as to be able to be raised and lowered; and an operating element (13) with which the lid (9) can be actuated, said operating element (13) being able to be coupled to the lid (9) for this purpose, said lid (9) having, on an upper side (9c) facing the operating element (13), a guide rail (26) into which the operating element (13) can be coupled and which (26) has an edge contour (32) that comprises a front-side edge contour section (33) which forms a subsection of a front edge (9d) of the lid (9), and said front-side edge contour section (33) being formed at a lower height than a remaining edge contour section (34) which completes said edge contour (32).