Washer Door Hinge Structure for Dual-Axis Stable Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treating apparatuses face issues with the rotating shaft shifting unit becoming bent or damaged due to the weight of the door, and hinge shafts detaching from their detachable parts during door rotation, leading to unstable door operation.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating apparatus with a rotating shaft shifting unit supported by a protruded part and a hinge unit featuring a first and second rotating axis, where the shifting unit is extended along the door's width and height, respectively, with a fourth shaft and shifting unit configuration that rotates together, and a lock to secure the shifting unit's position, preventing detachment and bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the rotating shaft shifting unit is provided on the door to selectively fasten horizontal or vertical rotating shafts, then the door can rotate in multiple directions, but the rotating shaft shifting unit becomes bent or damaged due to the weight of the door
Solution Approach 1:
A support protrusion is introduced as an intermediary element between the rotating shaft shifting unit and the door weight. The support protrusion receives and supports the rotating shaft shifting unit, preventing it from bearing the full weight of the door. This mediator structure allows the door to rotate in multiple directions while protecting the shifting unit from bending or damage caused by door weight.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple hinge shafts are provided on the door for multiple rotation directions, then the door can be rotated in diverse directions, but the hinge shaft may be detached from the hinge shaft detachable part during door rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism between the hinge shaft and hinge shaft detachable part is replaced with a magnetic field-based holding system. A magnet is provided in the hinge shaft detachable part to hold the hinge shaft, replacing traditional mechanical fastening methods. This magnetic holding system prevents the hinge shaft from detaching during door rotation while still allowing selective attachment and detachment when needed, improving reliability without sacrificing versatility.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a laundry treating apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet configuring an external feature and being provided with a laundry introduction port; a door being aligned to open and close the introduction port; a hinge unit configuring a first rotating axis rotating the door in a first rotating direction, and a second rotating axis rotating the door in a second rotating direction, the second rotating direction corresponding to a direction different from the first rotating direction; and a rotating shaft shifting unit configured to be capable of being moved so as to rotatably fasten the door to any one of the first rotating axis and the second rotating axis, wherein the hinge unit includes a first shaft and a second shaft configuring the first rotating axis and a third shaft and a fourth shaft configuring the second rotating axis, wherein the rotating shaft shifting unit is provided with a first shifting unit being extended along a width direction of the door, and a second shifting unit being extended along a height direction of the door from one end of the first shifting unit and selectively and rotatably fastening the fourth shaft to the cabinet, and wherein the fourth shaft is provided with a protrusion protruding toward the second shifting unit, and wherein an end portion of the protrusion comes in contact with the second shifting unit. According to the present invention, when the door of the laundry treating apparatus is opened in a second rotating direction (i.e., vertical direction or up-and-down direction), the second shifting unit may be prevented from being bent or damaged due to the weight of the door.