Household appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances with projection surfaces face challenges in achieving clear and modern designs while being cost-effective and flexible, often relying on expensive and complex self-adhesive films for projection surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance with a projection surface is created by forming the viewing window and front wall elements from a single workpiece using screen printing, allowing the projection surface to be integrated cost-effectively and maintaining transparency, with optional tinting and masking edges applied to enhance design and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a self-adhesive projection film is used to create a projection surface, then the projection display quality is improved, but the production cost increases and processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive self-adhesive projection films with a cost-effective screen printing process that directly applies projection surface material to the viewing window. This eliminates the need for separate adhesive films and reduces material costs while simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the viewing window and front wall element into a single integrated component formed from one workpiece. This merging eliminates the need for separate assembly steps and reduces the number of components, thereby lowering production costs and simplifying manufacturing.
2Manufacturing precision
If a separate workpiece is used for the viewing window, then the projection surface can be applied, but material waste increases due to cutting
Solution Approach 1:
The viewing window and front wall element are formed from a single workpiece, eliminating the need to cut a separate viewing window from a larger material stock. This integrated approach ensures that material is used efficiently without generating cut-off waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The single workpiece serves multiple functions: it provides both the front wall structure and the viewing window opening. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components and reduces overall material consumption.
3Manufacturing precision
If the projection surface is applied with high printing intensity, then the projection display quality is improved, but the transparency of the viewing window decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the printing intensity parameter of the screen printing process to achieve a balance between projection display quality and viewing window transparency. By carefully controlling the amount of material deposited, the projection surface provides sufficient contrast for image display while maintaining adequate light transmission for visibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces material waste, lowers production costs, and enhances display quality with flexible design options, while ensuring the viewing window remains transparent for user access to the appliance's contents.
Implementation Method 1
the projection surface can be produced on the viewing window using a screen printing process
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a household appliance (1, 100), wherein the household appliance (1, 100) comprises a housing (5, 105) with a receiving container (6, 106) and an opening (11, 111). Furthermore, the household appliance (1, 100) comprises a door unit (13, 113), wherein the door unit (13, 113) is provided for closing the opening (11, 111), a viewing window (19, 119) which is substantially arranged in the door unit (13, 113), wherein the viewing window (19, 119) is substantially transparent so that the receiving container (6, 106) is visible when the opening (11, 111) is closed, a projection surface (20, 120), wherein the projection surface (20, 120) is provided in the area of the viewing window (19, 119), a front wall assembly (7, 107), wherein the front wall assembly (7, 107) comprises at least one front wall element (7a, 107a), wherein the viewing window (19, 119) of the door unit (13, 113) and at least one front wall element (7a,107a) are formed from the same workpiece and that the projection surface (20, 120) on the viewing window (19, 119) can be produced using a screen printing process, so that the projection surface (20, 120) and the viewing window (19, 119) remain essentially transparent.