Oven cavity rack retention

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Oven cavity racks and their retaining fasteners often require replacement due to damage or wear, and the fasteners can loosen over time due to thermal expansion and contraction, leading to nuts falling into inaccessible spaces between the oven cavity wall and appliance housing during maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A retaining body system with two spaced-apart fasteners secures the oven cavity rack, preventing it from rotating and loosening, and includes retaining clips that keep the fasteners aligned, allowing for easy replacement without accessing the void between the oven cavity wall and appliance housing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a nut is used on the end of the fastener to secure the oven cavity rack, then the rack can be retained, but the nut can fall down into the space between the oven cavity wall and appliance housing when the fastener is loosened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretention of fastenerVSAvoidease of fastener replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A retaining body is introduced as an intermediary component between the fastener and the oven cavity wall. This retaining body has a receiving feature that holds the nut, preventing it from falling into the inaccessible space. The retaining body acts as a mediator that solves the problem of nut loss while maintaining secure fastener retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The retaining body extends into the space between the oven cavity wall and appliance housing, utilizing the available three-dimensional space. By positioning the retaining body in this void space and having it protrude into the oven cavity, the solution transforms the problematic void space into a functional element that captures and holds the fastener components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of repair

If the fastener is loosened to remove the oven cavity rack, then the rack can be replaced, but the nut becomes difficult to recover and reattach

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverack replacementVSAvoidtime to recover and reattach nut

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The retaining body serves as a mediator that keeps the nut accessible during the entire replacement process. When the fastener is loosened, the nut remains captured in the receiving feature of the retaining body, eliminating the need to fish for the nut in the inaccessible space and significantly reducing reattachment time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The retaining body is pre-installed and positioned before the fastener removal process begins. This preliminary placement ensures that when the fastener is loosened, the nut is immediately captured and held in the receiving feature, preventing loss and eliminating the need for recovery operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the fastener is used to secure the oven cavity rack, then the rack is retained, but the fastener can loosen over time due to thermal expansion and contraction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefastener retentionVSAvoidfastener tightness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The retaining body acts as a stable intermediary that anchors the fastener system. By providing a fixed reference point in the oven cavity wall with the receiving feature, the retaining body helps maintain fastener alignment and reduces the impact of thermal expansion and contraction on fastener loosening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 system effectively retains oven cavity racks, facilitates quick replacement of racks and fasteners, and prevents nuts from falling into inaccessible spaces, addressing issues of wear and thermal expansion while avoiding the need for welding or complex reattachment processes.

Implementation Method 1

the first fastener engages the first retaining clip and draws the first retaining clip toward the oven cavity to secure the oven cavity rack against the oven cavity side of the oven cavity wall

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Implementation Method 2

A retaining body located on the appliance housing side of the oven cavity wall and in the space... helps prevent retaining hardware from falling into a space between the oven cavity wall and the appliance housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical Containment: Physical Containment

Data Source

PatentUS10845062B2Oven cavity rack retention

Publication Date: 2020.11.24 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH

AI summary

A system for securing an oven cavity rack includes an oven cavity rack; first and second fasteners passing through the oven cavity rack; a retaining body configured to be located in a space outside of the oven cavity; first and second retaining clips attached to the retaining body at first and second ends of the retaining body, the retaining clips each having a receiving feature that receives one of the fasteners. The first and second fasteners engage the retaining clips and are configured to draw the retaining clips toward the oven cavity to secure the oven cavity rack against an oven cavity side of an oven cavity wall, and when the first fastener is secured to the first retaining clip, the retaining body is positionally fixed by the first fastener such that the receiving feature of the second retaining clip remains aligned with an attachment point.