Self-Supporting Mounting Assembly for Vertical-Axis Appliance Doors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing home appliances with vertical axis doors is challenging due to the need for additional personnel or equipment to hold the door upright during coupling, increasing time and costs, especially when upper components are not accessible from above.
Innovation Solution
A mounting assembly comprising first and second brackets that self-support the upper portion of a door relative to the cabinet, using a pivot pin and slot configuration to maintain vertical alignment until the door is fully coupled, allowing for coupling without additional support or equipment and accommodating limited access during manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional door coupling methods are used, then the door can be securely attached to the cabinet, but additional personnel or equipment is required to hold the door upright during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly enables the door to self-support in an upright position during assembly through its own structural components (brackets and pivot pin mechanism), eliminating the need for external support equipment or additional personnel to hold the door
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting assembly acts as an intermediary device between the door and the cabinet, providing temporary support and alignment during the coupling process. The brackets and pivot pin serve as intermediate elements that facilitate the attachment without requiring additional external support
2Manufacturing precision
If additional support equipment is used to hold the door upright, then the door can be properly aligned during coupling, but manufacturing time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly is pre-installed on the cabinet before door attachment, creating the support structure in advance. The brackets and pivot pin are positioned beforehand to automatically guide and maintain proper vertical alignment when the door is coupled, eliminating the need for time-consuming alignment adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting assembly's structural design inherently provides vertical alignment through its geometry and mounting configuration, allowing the door to self-align during attachment without requiring external alignment tools or equipment
3Adaptability or versatility
If the upper components are not accessible from above, then the cabinet design is more compact, but traditional assembly methods cannot be used
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly utilizes lateral or side access dimensions for installation and adjustment, rather than requiring vertical access from above. The brackets can be mounted and adjusted from the sides of the cabinet, enabling assembly in compact configurations where the upper components are not accessible from the top
Data Source
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AI summary
A home appliance (10) includes a door (20) coupled with a cabinet (12) of the home appliance (10) and moveable about a vertical axis between open and closed positions. A lower hinge assembly (22) moveably couples a lower portion (24) of the door (20) with the cabinet (12). A mounting assembly (30) is configured to support an upper portion (32) of the door (20) relative to the cabinet (12) until the upper portion (32) of the door (20) is coupled with the cabinet (12) and includes a first bracket (40) supporting a pivot pin (46) and a second bracket (42) including a slot (48) configured to receive the pivot pin (46) therein. When the lower portion (24) of the door (20) is coupled to the cabinet (12) by the lower hinge assembly (22) and the pivot pin (46) is received within the slot (48), the mounting assembly (30) is configured to maintain the upper portion (32) of the door (20) in vertical alignment with the lower portion (24) along the vertical axis.