Warewasher Door Threshold Seal With Labyrinth Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial warewashers face challenges in maintaining a sealed environment during operation while allowing user access for maintenance, as existing access doors often leak water and steam, and temporary seals like rubber or plastic can deteriorate over time.
Innovation Solution
A vertically hinged access door with a threshold seal member and labyrinth seal assembly is used, where the threshold seal includes a downwardly extending rib that mates with a groove on the shelf for a lower seal, and the labyrinth seal extends along the door's edge to prevent water and steam leakage, eliminating the need for temporary seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a vertically hinged access door is used to allow user access for maintenance, then ease of operation is improved, but water and steam leakage occurs through the door
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible threshold seal member is positioned at the bottom of the access door, comprising a lower sealing portion and an inner sealing portion that flexibly contact the shelf to prevent water and steam leakage while allowing the door to open and close
Solution Approach 2:
A labyrinth seal assembly is added vertically along the edge of the access door, creating a multi-level sealing path that prevents leakage through the hinged door opening by utilizing vertical dimension
2Ease of manufacture
If temporary seals like rubber or plastic are used at the threshold, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to deterioration over time
Solution Approach 1:
The threshold seal member is constructed as a composite structure with a rigid support portion and a flexible sealing portion, combining the advantages of both material types to achieve durability while maintaining sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member is designed with specific geometric parameters including a downwardly extending rib structure and positioning protrusions that change the sealing mechanism from material-dependent to geometry-dependent, improving reliability
3Reliability
If the access door is kept closed to prevent leakage, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates as access for maintenance is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible threshold seal member allows the door to maintain effective sealing when closed while still permitting frequent opening for maintenance access without compromising the sealed environment
Solution Approach 2:
The labyrinth seal assembly extends vertically to create additional sealing barriers that remain effective during door operation, allowing maintenance access while maintaining the sealed environment
Data Source
AI summary
A warewasher for washing wares including a housing defining an internal space with at least one spray zone for washing wares. The housing includes an opening defined in part by a lower shelf. A liquid delivery system provides a spray of liquid within the spray zone. An access door has a vertically hinged connection to the housing to provide an open configuration that allows user access to the spray zone and a closed configuration that inhibits user access to the spray zone. The access door includes a threshold seal member at the bottom of the access door. The threshold seal member includes a lower sealing portion that mates with an upper surface of the shelf to provide a lower seal extending laterally along a width of the access door, and an inner sealing portion that cooperates with an inner edge the shelf to provide an inner seal extending laterally along the width of the access door. The inner seal located nearer the spray zone than the lower seal.