Oven Door Hinge Assembly for Auto-Sliding Tray Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mini ovens with downward opening doors face challenges such as difficulty in opening and closing in narrow spaces, risk of falling due to biased center of mass, limited passage for shelf insertion and withdrawal, and inconvenience in checking cooking state, especially when installed in low places, leading to safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance design featuring a door that rotates about a horizontal axis, allowing simultaneous opening of the upper and front surfaces, coupled with a hinge assembly that translates door rotation into linear motion for tray insertion and withdrawal, and a see-through window for checking cooking state without opening the door.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is opened downward in a mini oven, then the cooking compartment can be sealed and opened, but the door protrudes to the front making it difficult to open and insert shelves in narrow spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The door is configured to open in an upward direction rather than downward, changing the spatial dimension of door movement. This allows the door to swing open without protruding forward, enabling the mini oven to be installed in narrow spaces while maintaining ease of operation
2Ease of operation
If the door is opened downward, then the cooking compartment can be accessed, but the center of mass is biased toward the front increasing the risk of the appliance falling
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the door opening direction from downward to upward, the door's center of mass shifts to the rear of the appliance when opened. This redistributes the weight distribution and reduces the forward bias, thereby improving appliance stability and reducing fall risk
3Ease of operation
If the door opens downward, then the cooking compartment is accessible, but the passage for shelf insertion and withdrawal is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The upward opening door configuration creates a larger vertical passage space when the door is open, allowing easier insertion and withdrawal of shelves. This dimensional change in door movement provides adequate space for users to handle shelves without obstruction
4Loss of information
If the door is opened to check cooking state, then the cooking progress can be monitored, but users are exposed to burn hazards
Solution Approach 1:
A transparent window is provided in the door, allowing users to visually copy or observe the cooking state through the window without physically opening the door. This eliminates direct exposure to high-temperature environments and burn hazards while maintaining the ability to monitor cooking progress
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a cooking appliance including a hinge assembly which withdraws a tray forward from inside a cooking compartment by interlocking with rotation of a door when the door is opened and inserts the tray rearward toward the inside of the cooking compartment by interlocking with rotation of the door when the door is closed.