Washer Door Cover With Knurled Transparency for Concealed Interior
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treating machines face challenges in effectively concealing or altering the visibility of unaesthetic parts within the inner space without requiring additional components or complex manufacturing steps, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating machine with a door featuring a cover element made of transparent material with a knurled portion, which integrates a rough surface pattern to conceal or alter visibility of inner space parts, thereby avoiding the need for extra components and simplifying manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a transparent window is used to allow inspection of the inner space, then visibility is improved, but unaesthetic parts become visible
Solution Approach 1:
The cover element incorporates a knurled portion that creates a localized rough surface pattern in specific areas. This allows different regions of the same transparent cover element to have different optical properties - some areas remain clear for visibility while the knurled portions scatter light to conceal unaesthetic parts of the inner space.
Solution Approach 2:
The knurled portion of the cover element alters the optical appearance by creating a rough surface that scatters light. This changes the visual transmission properties from clear to obscured in the knurled regions, allowing selective concealment while maintaining transparency in non-knurled areas.
2Shape
If additional components are added to conceal parts of the inner space, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The knurled portion is integrated directly into the cover element itself, merging the concealing function with the existing transparent cover structure. This eliminates the need for separate concealing components or additional assembly steps, as the rough surface pattern is formed as part of the cover element manufacturing process.
3Loss of information
If a knurled portion is added to the cover element, then visibility control is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The knurled portion is formed during the initial molding or manufacturing process of the cover element itself. By incorporating the rough surface pattern creation into the base manufacturing process, no additional post-processing steps or separate manufacturing operations are required, thus avoiding increased manufacturing complexity.
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 solution allows for easy, effective, and economical concealment or alteration of inner space visibility, enhancing the machine's aesthetics and cleanliness by hiding unaesthetic parts without compromising transparency, while maintaining user safety through strategic placement and material choice.
Implementation Method 1
Surface in-parts formed on lid cover are modified in their shape for the light coming from the inside to be refracted or dispersed when the light transmits through lid cover
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Laundry treating machine (1) comprising an opening (4) giving access to an inner space of the laundry treating machine (1) and a door (5) to open and close said opening (4), the door (5) comprising, from an outer side to an inner side of the machine (1), an outer frame (52), a cover element (54), a transparent window (55) and an inner frame (56), wherein the cover element (54) is made of a transparent material with a knurled portion (540), so as to avoid or altering visibility of parts of the inner space from the outside when the door (5) is closed