Appliance Light Conductor Rod Attachment Using Form-Locking Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light conductor rod attachment methods for appliance lights, particularly in cooking apparatuses, suffer from ease of assembly issues and potential light loss due to friction or form locking connections.
Innovation Solution
A light conductor rod with a circumferential annular protrusion, such as a flange, is fixed in a holder by positive form locking using a ring groove section in the fixing element, ensuring secure attachment without light loss and allowing defined orientation and easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spring elastic plugs or interlocking lugs are used to anchor the light conductor rod, then form locking fixing is achieved, but ease of assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing element is divided into a cylindrical body and a separate clamping ring, allowing independent assembly steps. The light conductor rod is inserted through the cylindrical body first, then the clamping ring is separately positioned and secured, simplifying the overall assembly process while maintaining form locking.
Solution Approach 2:
The light conductor rod is inserted through the hollow cylindrical body of the fixing element, with the rod nested within the cylinder. The clamping ring then encircles both the cylinder and the rod, creating a nested structure that secures the assembly without complex interlocking mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If a clamping ring is used to press sleeve walls against the light conductor rod, then friction locking is created, but form locking connection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical body acts as an intermediary element between the clamping ring and the light conductor rod. The clamping ring presses against the cylindrical body's outer surface, which in turn transmits the clamping force to the rod through friction, preventing direct contact and allowing both friction locking and form locking to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical body has different functional zones: the inner surface provides form locking features (recesses, grooves) that mechanically engage with the rod, while the outer surface is designed for friction engagement with the clamping ring. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of form locking and ease of assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking appliance light including an illuminant formed by a circuit board and a LED arranged on the circuit board; a light conductor rod including a light entry surface for light emitted by the LED; a holder including a circuit board receiver arranged on a bottom side of the holder, a fixing element arranged on a top side of the holder opposite to the bottom side and configured to receive the light conductor rod, and a cut out arranged in a portion of the fixing element wherein light emitted by the LED arranged on the bottom side of the holder radiates through the cut out to the light conductor rod arranged on the top side of the holder, wherein the light conductor rod includes an essentially circumferential annular protrusion arranged in a radial plane and integrally provided in one piece with or bonded to the light conductor rod.