Recessed Wireless Module Layout for Built-In Household Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household appliances, such as dishwashers and refrigerators, face challenges in wireless signal transmission and reception due to their placement in areas like bathrooms and kitchens, where materials can block or absorb signals, limiting their positioning and material choices for built-in installations.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance design featuring a communication module positioned at a recessed delimiting surface parallel to the underside, allowing wireless signal transmission without passing through obstructive materials, and enabling greater flexibility in placement and material selection for built-in installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the communication module is positioned on the front side or top surface of the household appliance, then wireless signal transmission is blocked or absorbed by surrounding materials, but positioning the module elsewhere may affect the appliance's appearance or functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The communication module is positioned on the first delimiting surface which is essentially parallel to the underside of the body, representing a dimensional shift from traditional front/top positioning to a bottom-adjacent location. This spatial reconfiguration allows wireless signals to transmit through air rather than being blocked by surrounding materials, while the recessed design maintains aesthetic integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess formed by the first and second delimiting surfaces acts as an intermediary structure that houses the communication module. This recessed configuration provides a protected niche that allows the module to be positioned away from signal-blocking surfaces while maintaining the appliance's overall structural integrity and aesthetic appearance.
2Strength
If the household appliance uses built-in materials such as steel for the body, then the appliance structure is strengthened and aesthetics are improved, but wireless signals are blocked or absorbed by these materials
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance body maintains its strong steel construction overall, but the first delimiting surface area is configured with a recess that locally modifies the structure to accommodate the communication module. This localized structural adjustment allows wireless signals to transmit through an air path rather than steel, while the rest of the appliance retains its full structural strength and aesthetic steel finish.
3Ease of repair
If the communication module is positioned on accessible surfaces for ease of maintenance, then the module can be easily serviced, but the module becomes visible and may affect the appliance's aesthetic appearance when built-in
Solution Approach 1:
The communication module is nested within the recess formed by the first and second delimiting surfaces, which are essentially parallel to the underside. This nesting configuration hides the communication module within the appliance's structure when viewed from the front, maintaining aesthetic appearance, while the module remains accessible from the bottom or side for maintenance purposes.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
Herein a household appliance (1) is disclosed being configured to perform a useful cycle of operation on an item (3). The household appliance (1) comprises a treating chamber (5) for accommodating the item (3) during the performance of the useful cycle, and a body (7) enclosing the treating chamber (5). The body (7) comprises a front side (9), an underside (11), a first delimiting surface (13) and a second delimiting surface (15), wherein the first and second delimiting surfaces (13, 15) forms a recess (17) between the underside (11) and the front side (9). The first delimiting surface (13) is essentially parallel to the underside (11) of the body (7). The household appliance (1) further comprises a communication module (19) configured to wirelessly transmit and/or receive data. The communication module (19) is arranged at the first delimiting surface (13).