Mini Oven Door Frame Structure for Dual-Axis Opening Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mini ovens with downward opening doors face challenges such as door protrusion, biased center of mass leading to instability, limited passage for shelf insertion and cooking state checking, and increased risk of toppling, especially when installed in narrow or low spaces.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance design featuring a door that opens both the front and top surfaces, with a door frame supporting a heating element and components like a reflector and protective grille, allowing for stable and easy installation, and providing an expanded passage for easier food or tray insertion/withdrawal, reducing the risk of toppling by shifting the center of mass rearward.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is opened downward to open the cooking compartment, then the cooking compartment can be accessed, but the door protrudes from the front and causes the center of mass to shift forward, increasing the risk of toppling
Solution Approach 1:
The door is designed to open in two dimensions: it rotates downward to open the front surface and simultaneously rotates upward to open the upper surface. This dual-dimensional opening motion allows the door to clear the front projection problem while maintaining access to the cooking compartment, and the upward rotation component helps counterbalance the forward center of mass shift by redistributing weight during the opening sequence.
2Ease of operation
If the door opens downward, then the cooking compartment is accessible, but the passage for shelf insertion and cooking state checking is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By adding the upward rotation dimension to the door opening motion, the door creates an expanded passage that allows simultaneous access to both the front and upper portions of the cooking compartment. This enables easier shelf insertion from the front while also providing an upper passage for cooking state checking without requiring full door opening.
3Ease of operation
If the door opens downward, then the cooking compartment can be opened, but the door structure does not provide stable mounting for heating components
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly is segmented into multiple functional components: the door frame structure, the door panel, the heating element mounting brackets, the reflector panels, and the protective grille. This segmentation allows each component to be independently designed and mounted, with the door frame providing dedicated mounting surfaces for heating components without interfering with the downward opening function.
Solution Approach 2:
The door assembly serves multiple functions: it provides the opening/closing function, acts as a structural frame for mounting heating components (heating element, reflector, grille), and contributes to the overall appliance stability. The door frame is designed as a multi-functional structure that simultaneously supports these diverse functions without increasing operational complexity.
4Volume of moving object
If mini ovens are made small in size, then they are more convenient for small spaces, but they are not suitable for cooking large size food and have limited cooking capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The door opening mechanism is designed to be dynamic and adaptive: during operation, the door can open downward to provide front access for small items, and the upward rotation component can extend the passage for inserting larger trays. This dynamic opening sequence allows the compact oven to adapt to different cooking needs, from small snacks to larger trays, without requiring a larger appliance footprint.
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
Enhances convenience and stability by allowing easy access and reduced risk of the appliance toppling forward, enabling the use of thicker, heavier trays for improved cooking performance, and facilitating maintenance with a stable and easily assembled component structure.
Implementation Method 1
a first heating part disposed at the door
Implementation Method 2
heating the sealed space
Implementation Method 3
components like a reflector
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking appliance includes a door frame that supports a heating part and is coupled to a door such that the heating part is disposed at the door.