Door for a household appliance having a handle insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door handle solutions for household appliances, particularly refrigerators, are costly and require separate parts for different appliance sizes, limiting cost-effectiveness and versatility.
Innovation Solution
A door handle insert divided into multiple parts, with interchangeable end pieces and a central extruded profile, allowing for a wide range of length variants and cost savings by using identical parts across different devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a one-piece plastic handle insert is used, then the appliance has an aesthetically pleasing handle-free front, but a separate plastic part must be provided for different-sized appliances increasing manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The handle insert is divided into multiple segments including a central part and end pieces that can be combined in different configurations. This segmentation allows the same basic components to be used across different appliance sizes by varying the number and arrangement of segments, eliminating the need to create entirely new parts for each size.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle insert design uses universal components that can serve multiple appliance sizes. The central part and end pieces are designed as standardized elements that can be reused across different configurations, making a single set of components universally applicable to various appliance dimensions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate plastic parts are provided for different-sized appliances, then each appliance size has a customized handle, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the handle insert into modular components, the design enables customization for different appliance sizes using the same basic parts. This approach allows manufacturers to create size-specific handles through selective assembly rather than producing entirely separate parts for each size.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functionality of multiple size-specific handles into a single set of reusable components. By combining central parts and end pieces in different arrangements, the same components serve multiple appliance sizes, reducing the total number of unique parts that need to be manufactured.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a one-piece plastic handle insert is used, then the structure is simple, but interchangeability for different lengths is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The handle insert is segmented into interchangeable components including a central part and end pieces. This segmentation enables different length configurations by assembling and disassembling the same basic components in varying arrangements, providing interchangeability without requiring entirely different parts for each length.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle design incorporates dynamic assembly capabilities where components can be easily connected and disconnected. This allows the handle structure to adapt to different length requirements through simple reconfiguration rather than requiring fixed, non-interchangeable one-piece constructions.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a door (2) for a household appliance (1), particularly for a household refrigerator, wherein a handle insert (10) is integrated in at least one side wall (8a, 8b) of the door. The handle insert (10) is divided into at least two, preferably at least three parts (14, 15, 16) in the longitudinal axis of the side wall, and particularly comprises at least two end pieces (14, 15) and at least one center part (16). The invention further relates to a corresponding household appliance (1) and to a method for producing the handle insert. The two end pieces (14, 15) are thereby injection-molded and the center part (16) is extruded.