Washer Door Hinge Structure for Wide Opening and Wire Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treating apparatuses face challenges in achieving a large open angle for the door while maintaining a simple appearance and ensuring operation reliability, especially with asymmetric door and laundry introduction opening configurations, and in accommodating electric connections for display units.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a hinge unit with an accommodation space for electric wires, featuring a dual hinge structure with asymmetric connection points and an eccentric arrangement to facilitate a wide door opening and accommodate electric connections, allowing for efficient electric path management and enhanced reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a conventional door opening/closing structure is used, then the structure is simple, but the open angle is restricted and appearance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The door structure is divided into multiple components: a door body, a quadrangular door portion, and a fixing plate. The hinge unit is also segmented into a hinge body and a connection unit. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the quadrangular door portion can achieve a large open angle while the fixing plate maintains a simple appearance when viewed from the front.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection unit is nested within the hinge unit, and the quadrangular door portion is nested within the door assembly. The connection unit connects the quadrangular door portion to the hinge body, creating a nested structure that enables complex motion (large open angle) while maintaining a simple external appearance.
2Reliability
If a simple hinge unit structure is used, then manufacturing is easier, but operation reliability and durability are lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge unit is segmented into a hinge body and a connection unit with distinct functions. The hinge body provides stable mounting to the laundry treating apparatus, while the connection unit provides reliable rotational connection to the door. This functional segmentation improves reliability by ensuring each component is optimized for its specific purpose.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection unit employs an asymmetric structure with an upper connection part and a lower connection part that are not symmetrical. This asymmetric design allows for optimized stress distribution and improved operational reliability while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity.
3Shape
If a concaved-type door with no gap is used, then appearance is simple, but conventional door structures cannot be applied
Solution Approach 1:
The quadrangular door portion is nested within the door assembly in such a way that it can rotate independently to provide the necessary opening angle. When the door is closed, the quadrangular door portion aligns with the door body to create a concaved-type appearance with no visible gap, while the nested structure allows for complex opening motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The door structure utilizes dimensional arrangement by positioning the quadrangular door portion and connection unit in specific spatial relationships. The connection unit extends in a direction that allows rotation while maintaining the concaved appearance from the front view, effectively using three-dimensional space to resolve the contradiction between appearance and functionality.
4Ease of manufacture
If electric wire path is not planned in hinge unit, then manufacturing is simpler, but electric connection path is difficult to obtain
Solution Approach 1:
The electric wire accommodation function is merged with the hinge unit structure. The connection unit serves dual purposes: providing mechanical connection for door rotation and providing a pathway for electric wires. This merging eliminates the need for separate wire routing structures, simplifying manufacturing while ensuring reliable electric connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection unit is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides mechanical support, enables rotational motion, and accommodates electric wires. This universal design approach reduces the overall number of components and simplifies manufacturing while ensuring all necessary functions are integrated into a single structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A
AI summary
A laundry treating apparatus (1) includes: a body (20) having a laundry introduction opening of a circular shape; a door (10) having a display unit (12), having a circular shape eccentric from the laundry introduction opening (20a), and configured to open and close the laundry introduction opening; a controller electrically connected to the display unit, and provided at the body; and a hinge unit (30) mounted to the body, configured to rotatably connect the door to the body, and formed to accommodate therein at least part of an electric wire (50) for electrically connecting the controller to the display unit.