Appliance Control Panel Latching for Screwless Front Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for attaching control panels to household appliances, such as washing machines, are complex and require special adapters and screws, making the connection process cumbersome and difficult to manage.
Innovation Solution
A simplified connection system using guide domes and latching hooks integrated into a single injection-molded part, allowing the panel to be easily inserted and latched onto the housing, eliminating the need for conventional screws at the edge connection point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional screw connections with adapters are used to attach the panel to the housing, then the connection is secure and reliable, but the assembly and disassembly process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The guide dome and latching hook are merged into a single integrated component that is injection-molded as one piece with the panel. This eliminates the need for separate adapters and multiple fastening elements, significantly simplifying the connection structure while maintaining secure attachment to the housing
Solution Approach 2:
The screw connection system is completely extracted and removed from the edge attachment point. The patent eliminates screws and adapters at this location, replacing them with a simplified guide dome and latching hook mechanism that provides secure connection without the complexity of threaded fasteners
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate parts (adapters, screws, latching hooks) are used for panel connection, then the connection is reliable, but the number of parts increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional elements (guide dome, latching hook, and panel structure) are merged into a single injection-molded part. This reduces the quantity of separate components from multiple discrete parts to one integrated component, simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes
Solution Approach 2:
The single injection-molded part performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, guides alignment through the dome, and secures the panel through the latching hook. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized components
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a device for the care of washed articles, comprising a housing (1) and a panel (4) attached to one edge (2) on a front surface (3) of the housing (1), wherein said panel (4), relative to a longitudinal axis (5), is elongated and is delimited on an end surface (6) corresponding to the edge (2) along said longitudinal axis. The panel (4) on the end surface (6) is attached by means of at least one guide projection (7) and at least one detent hook (9) to the front surface (3), wherein the guide projection (7) is fitted into a corresponding first recess (8) of a corresponding component (11) in the front surface (3), and the detent hook (9) is engaged in a corresponding second recess (10) of the component (11) in the front surface (3).