Steam Oven Water Tank Access Panel for Heat-Safe Front Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
In small-and-medium-sized steam ovens, the limited space between the cooking space and the control panel poses challenges for installing the water supplier, leading to aesthetic issues and user inconvenience due to the exposure of the access hole, which degrades the appliance's appearance and increases the risk of user injury from heat.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a second front panel with an access hole that allows the water tank to pass through, coupled with a housing that overlaps the panel, providing a safe and convenient mechanism for water tank access while maintaining the appliance's aesthetic appeal by using a lightweight, cost-effective material for the second front panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the water supplier is installed in the limited space between the cooking space and control panel, then the appliance structure is compact, but the access hole becomes exposed causing aesthetic issues and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the water supplier inside the control panel's internal space. The control panel serves as an outer container that houses the water supplier component, allowing the water tank access hole to be positioned within the control panel structure rather than being exposed on the appliance exterior. This nested arrangement resolves the contradiction by maintaining compact space utilization while preventing heat exposure risks and aesthetic degradation.
2Ease of operation
If the access hole is positioned for easy water tank access, then user convenience is improved, but the exposed hole degrades appliance appearance and increases safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel acts as an intermediary structure between the user and the water supplier. It provides a dedicated access hole that allows users to remove and install water tanks conveniently, while simultaneously serving as a protective barrier that shields the exposed water tank from heat and maintains the appliance's aesthetic appearance. The control panel mediates between the need for easy access and the need for safety and aesthetics.
3Shape
If the control panel covers the water supplier area, then aesthetic appearance is maintained, but user access to water tank becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel is segmented to include a specific access hole that separates the aesthetic exterior surface from the functional interior space. The front surface of the control panel maintains aesthetic appearance, while the segmented access hole provides a dedicated pathway for water tank insertion and removal. This segmentation allows the control panel to simultaneously fulfill aesthetic and operational requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a cooking appliance. In the cooking appliance, a housing is coupled to a second front panel disposed at a front of an electronic component space, the housing accommodating a water tank is coupled to the second front panel, the second front panel has an access hole for allowing the water tank to come in and out, and the second front panel and the housing are coupled in a way that an open front surface of the housing connects to the access hole.