Oven Door Covering Member for Gap-Free Cleanable Edges

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cooking device doors, especially oven doors, face issues with dirt and liquid accumulation at the upper surface due to gaps between multi-layered insulation, making them difficult to clean and aesthetically unappealing.

Innovation Solution

A door design featuring a covering member with a plate-like body and extending skirts that covers the upper edges of the inner and outer panels, creating a single surface and preventing dirt and liquids from entering the gaps, with optional stainless steel construction and a locking mechanism for easy assembly and disassembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If multi-layered door construction is used for heat insulation, then thermal insulation efficiency is improved, but gaps between layers allow liquid and dirt transmission

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat insulation efficiencyVSAvoidliquid and dirt transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A covering member is introduced as an intermediary element between the multi-layered door structure and the external environment. This covering member includes a body that covers the upper surface and skirts that extend downward to cover the gaps between door layers, thereby preventing liquid and dirt from entering the gaps while maintaining the thermal insulation structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If door layers are joined together, then structural integrity is improved, but gaps at junctures create unfavorable appearance and accumulation of dirt

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidexternal appearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The covering member acts as a mediator that conceals the junctures between door layers. The body portion covers the upper surface where layers join, and the skirts extend downward to cover the vertical gaps, thereby hiding the structural joints from view and preventing dirt accumulation at these junctures while preserving structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The covering member is constructed as a thin, flexible plate-like structure with skirts that can conform to the door assembly. This thin film approach allows the covering member to effectively cover the gaps and junctures without adding significant bulk, maintaining aesthetic appearance while preventing dirt accumulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Ease of operation

If covering member is added to cover door edges, then ease of cleaning is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of cleaningVSAvoiddoor structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The covering member is segmented into distinct functional portions: a body portion that covers the upper surface and skirts that extend downward from the body. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function - the body provides upper surface coverage while the skirts specifically address the gap coverage and cleaning facilitation, thereby achieving ease of cleaning with a relatively simple segmented structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2659193B1A cooking device comprising a covering member
Publication Date: 2015.10.21 ARCELIK AS
  • EP2659193B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2659193B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2659193B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8

AI summary

The present invention relates to a cooking device (1) comprising an oven cavity (2) wherein the objects to be cooked are placed, a door (3) providing access into the oven cavity (2), an outer panel (4) forming the surface of the door (3) in contact with the outer environment, an inner panel (5) forming the surface of the door (3) in contact with the oven cavity (2) and a frame (6) located between the outer panel (4) and the inner panel (5), at one side of which the outer panel (4) is disposed and at the other side the inner panel (5) so as to be parallel to each other, having profiles with quadrangular cross-sections forming at least three edges of the door (3), one of them being the upper edge, two of them side edges, and where the door (3) thereof is provided to be easily cleaned.