Range Control Panel Cross Member for Front-Service Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking appliance designs require removal of the range from its cabinet opening to access fasteners for the cross member, making maintenance and repairs inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A mounting arrangement for a cross member with fasteners accessible in the depth direction, allowing for removal without extending or removing the range from the cabinet opening, using L-shaped brackets and screws aligned in the depth direction for easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the cross member is mounted using fasteners accessible from the width direction, then the cross member is securely fastened to the chassis, but the range must be removed from or extended from the cabinet opening to access the fasteners for maintenance and repair
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the access direction from the width direction (requiring range removal) to the depth direction (accessible from front). The cross member is repositioned and reoriented so that its fasteners face the depth direction, allowing technicians to access control element components by simply removing the control panel from the front of the range while it remains installed in the cabinet opening.
2Strength
If the cross member is positioned to provide structural support behind the control panel, then the chassis structure is stiffened, but the control element components are blocked from access during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The cross member is repositioned from a horizontal orientation blocking the control elements to a vertical orientation behind the control panel. This repositioning maintains structural support function while changing the access path to the control elements, allowing removal of the control panel to access components without the cross member blocking the way.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting arrangement is segmented into separate components: the cross member, the control panel, and the control element components. This segmentation allows the control panel to be removed independently to access the control elements, while the cross member remains in place providing structural support to the chassis.
Data Source
AI summary
A home appliance defining a width direction and a depth direction, and a control panel extending along the width direction, the control panel having control element components mounted thereat, the home appliance including a chassis within the body adjacent the control panel; first and second spaced brackets mounted to the chassis adjacent the control panel, with fastener portions aligned in the depth direction; and a cross member extending in the width direction between the first bracket and the second bracket with control elements intermediate the cross member and the chassis, the cross member having a fastener portion at each widthwise end thereof and aligned in the depth direction, the cross member being mounted to the first bracket using fasteners aligned in the depth direction, and the second bracket using fasteners aligned in the depth direction, wherein the fasteners are removable from the depth direction.