Two-Component Fire-Resistant Plug Body for Household Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliance plug connections face risks of fire due to high current levels, with previous materials failing to meet stringent fire protection standards, such as the NiChrom wire test, and requiring additional components for inadequate heat transfer inhibition.
Innovation Solution
A plug body constructed from two components, where the first component is a fire protection plastic ensuring high fire protection and the second component provides mechanical advantages like flexibility and elasticity, allowing for snap-on linking of plugs and maintaining mechanical properties, enabling compliance with stringent fire protection standards like UL 94.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single material is used for the plug body, then manufacturing is simpler, but fire protection requirements cannot be met while maintaining mechanical flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The plug body is divided into two distinct components: a fire-resistant base component and a flexible covering component. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function - the base provides fire protection while the covering provides mechanical flexibility, resolving the contradiction between fire safety and mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug body combines two different materials with complementary properties: a fire-resistant plastic for the base component and a flexible material for the covering component. This composite construction enables the plug to simultaneously achieve fire protection requirements and mechanical flexibility that would be impossible with a single material.
2Reliability
If fire-resistant material is used for the entire plug body, then fire protection is improved, but mechanical flexibility and elasticity are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The plug body is segmented into a fire-resistant base component and a flexible covering component. The covering component made of flexible material can deform elastically to enable easy connection and disconnection operations, while the base component maintains fire protection, thus resolving the contradiction between fire safety and operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the plug body have different material properties tailored to their specific functions. The covering component uses flexible material where mechanical deformation is needed for connection operations, while the base component uses fire-resistant material where thermal protection is critical, achieving local optimization of both fire protection and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If additional outer housing is added for fire protection, then fire safety is improved, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fire protection function and the structural body are merged into a single integrated plug body construction. The fire-resistant base component and flexible covering component form one unified assembly that provides both fire protection and mechanical functionality without requiring a separate outer housing, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining fire safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The two-component plug body structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: the base component provides fire protection and structural support, while the covering component provides mechanical flexibility and ease of connection. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for additional specialized components, reducing overall device complexity.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If heat-resistant spacer is added between connector parts, then heat transfer inhibition is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-resistant spacer function is merged into the base component itself. The fire-resistant material of the base component inherently provides thermal insulation between connector parts, eliminating the need for a separate heat-resistant spacer and simplifying the overall connector structure while maintaining heat transfer inhibition.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic appliance (1), in particular a domestic dishwasher, comprising at least one plug (15) for electrical contacting, the plug (15) comprising a body (16) for mechanical retaining one or more electrically conductive contacts (17), which are accessible on at least one exit side (19) for contacting. Said domestic appliance is designed in such a way that the body (16) is constructed from at least two different components (20; 21), of which a first component (20) at least substantially forming the exit side (19) is made from a fire-retardant plastic.