Range Top Support Plate With Integral Clips for Precise Frame Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional assembly methods for home appliances often result in errors due to misalignment of parts, leading to reduced productivity and increased time for disassembly, despite increased attention, as some errors remain undetected.
Innovation Solution
A support plate with first and second protrusions is used to align and secure the top frame to the chassis, ensuring precise alignment in fore and aft directions and transverse directions, facilitating accurate mounting and fastening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional assembly methods are used without alignment features, then the assembly process is simpler, but misalignment errors occur leading to reduced productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate acts as an intermediary component between the chassis and top frame, incorporating protrusions that engage with recesses to provide alignment features. This mediator element resolves the misalignment problem without requiring complex alignment mechanisms on the main components themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions on the support plate perform preliminary alignment action before final fastening of the top frame to the chassis. By pre-positioning the top frame correctly through the alignment protrusions, the system prevents misalignment errors before they occur during the assembly process.
2Manufacturing precision
If alignment protrusions are added to the support plate, then assembly precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment function is segmented from the main structural components (chassis and top frame) and incorporated into the support plate. This segmentation allows the alignment features to be added without modifying the primary structures, thereby improving precision while minimizing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate incorporates local alignment features (protrusions at specific positions) rather than requiring overall complexity in the entire assembly system. The alignment functionality is localized to specific regions of the support plate where protrusions engage with corresponding recesses on the top frame.
3Reliability
If manual alignment attention is increased, then some errors may be detected, but productivity is reduced and some errors remain undetected
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate with alignment protrusions performs self-alignment functionality, eliminating the need for operators to manually align components. The protrusions automatically guide the top frame into correct position during assembly, providing error prevention without requiring increased operator attention or reducing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for aligning a top frame with respect to a top portion of a chassis in a home appliance is provided. The assembly includes a top frame and a support plate. The support plate is configured to be secured to a chassis and includes a first set and a second set of protrusions. The first set of protrusions is configured to engage the top frame to align the top frame in fore and aft directions. The second set of protrusions is configured to engage the top frame to align the top frame in transverse directions. A method for aligning a top frame with respect to a top portion of a chassis in a home appliance is also provided.