Oven Door Glass Retainer Brackets for Lighter Interchangeable Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oven door glass retention systems are heavy, expensive, and complex due to full-width brackets and counterweights, with non-interchangeable brackets that can scratch the glass and complicate manufacturing, and existing solutions do not efficiently support shorter glass panels.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with interchangeable, shorter glass support brackets that include a main body with opposing shelves and tabs, a connector plate with an anti-rotation tab, and a design that prevents contact with the glass to avoid scratching, allowing for easier installation and reduced weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full-width brackets are used to retain glass, then glass retention reliability is improved, but door weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is divided into discrete sections with gaps between them, allowing the glass panel to be retained at specific intervals rather than requiring continuous full-width support. This segmentation maintains retention reliability at critical points while significantly reducing the total material required and overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The unnecessary portions of the bracket are removed, keeping only the essential support points needed for glass retention. By extracting the non-essential full-width coverage and maintaining only the critical retention zones, the design achieves reliable glass support with minimized weight.
2Manufacturing precision
If non-interchangeable brackets are used for each side of the door, then glass retention precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket design incorporates symmetry and standardized features that allow a single bracket type to be used interchangeably on both sides of the door. The anti-rotation tabs and mounting configurations are designed to function correctly regardless of which side the bracket is installed on, eliminating the need for separate left and right brackets while maintaining precise glass retention.
3Strength
If metal brackets with hard edges are used to support glass, then structural strength is improved, but glass integrity deteriorates due to scratching
Solution Approach 1:
A soft protective material such as rubber or foam is introduced as an intermediary between the metal bracket and the glass panel. This protective layer or coating is applied to the contact surfaces of the bracket, maintaining the structural strength of the metal while preventing direct metal-to-glass contact that would cause scratching and compromise glass integrity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If full-width brackets are used for glass retention, then glass support stability is improved, but appliance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous full-width bracket is segmented into discrete support sections, maintaining stability at critical glass retention points while reducing material consumption and manufacturing complexity. The segmented design allows for simpler production processes and lower costs while preserving where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for retaining glass used to cover the window of a door of an oven appliance and an oven appliance with such brackets. The bracket supports the glass in position at the window. Embodiments of the bracket may provide features including use on either side of the oven door, use of a shorter length of glass, and other features that can facilitate manufacture.