Washer Door Hinge Wire Routing for Concealed Electrical Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing washing machines face challenges in aesthetically connecting electrical components inside the cabinet with those inside the door without exposing wires, which affects the machine's exterior design and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A washing machine design featuring a hinge with a wire guide portion that allows wires to pass through, enabling electrical connections between components inside the cabinet and door while maintaining a clean exterior, using a wire guide recessed into the hinge and a detachable cover to prevent exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wires are used to connect electrical components inside the cabinet with those inside the door, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the aesthetic appearance of the machine is compromised due to exposed wires
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is nested within the hinge assembly structure. The hinge body contains internal passages and channels that route the wire from the cabinet interior through the hinge mechanism to the door interior, concealing the wire within the existing structural components rather than exposing it on the exterior surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge assembly serves as an intermediary structure that facilitates wire routing between the cabinet and door. By incorporating wire guide portions and routing channels within the hinge body, the hinge acts as a mediator that transports the wire through its internal structure, preventing direct exposure of the wire on the machine's exterior.
2Ease of manufacture
If wires are routed externally to connect electrical components, then installation is simplified, but foreign materials can enter and affect machine operation
Solution Approach 1:
The wire routing path is nested within the hinge assembly's internal structure. The hinge body contains dedicated passages and channels that guide the wire from the cabinet through the hinge to the door, creating a protected internal corridor that prevents foreign materials such as water, dust, or debris from contaminating the wire or interfering with machine operation.
3Shape
If the hinge structure is modified to include wire routing features, then wire concealment is achieved, but the hinge complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the mechanical pivot connection between door and cabinet, and it serves as an integrated wire routing channel. By incorporating wire guide portions and internal passages into the hinge body, the same structural component achieves both mechanical support and electrical wire concealment, avoiding the need for separate wire management components.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire routing function is merged with the hinge assembly structure. Rather than treating wire management as a separate subsystem, the invention integrates wire guide portions, routing channels, and concealment features directly into the hinge body, combining mechanical support and electrical wire management into a single unified component.
4Adaptability or versatility
If wires are allowed to move freely during door operation, then flexibility is maintained, but wire damage or disconnection may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is nested within protected passages and channels formed in the hinge body. These internal routing paths guide the wire through the hinge assembly while preventing direct exposure to mechanical stress, abrasion, or disconnection risks during door opening and closing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge body acts as an intermediary protective structure that shields the wire during door movement. The wire guide portions and routing channels within the hinge body serve as mediators that constrain and protect the wire, preventing it from becoming damaged or disconnected while still allowing the door to move freely through its full range of motion.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a washing machine having an improved wire connection structure for electrically connecting electrical components. The washing machine includes a cabinet which has a first electrical component, forms an exterior, and has an opening through which laundry is inserted; a door provided with a second electrical component, and configured to open and close the opening; a wire which electrically connects the first electrical component and the second electrical component; and a hinge which has a wire guide portion for coupling the door to the cabinet so as to be rotatable about a rotating axis and for guiding the wire.