Date of Defense
12-3-2002
First Advisor
Dr. Koorosh Baghshineh
Abstract
A lifting mechanism was designed for the bottom rack of a dishwasher. The design was geared toward people suffering with back problems. As with any design, safety was a primary concern, and was taken into consideration when fulfilling the given specifications. Specific load requirements set by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) were taken into consideration and implemented into the design processes. A dishwasher model was chosen for the rack design and the essential dimensions were obtained. Two designs were chosen using a decision matrix to rate the performance of each. Analysis of high stress points and load distributions were performed for both the four-bar and pulley designs while computer simulation was done only for the four-bar design. Finally, a prototype was built for one of the designs and tested for functionality. Once this analysis was complete, it was found that the four-bar design could lift the dishes to a height of8.37 inches while the pulley design could lift the dishes about 6.86 inches. Also, as can be seen with the FEA analysis, stainless steel could be used to make either design, however, the nylon plastic is only strong enough to use on the four-bar design.
Recommended Citation
Dobson, Dena; Hyvarinen, Bethany; and Roberts, Katie, "Ergonomically Sound Design of a Bottom Dishwasher Rack" (2002). Honors Theses. 1911.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/1911
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Campus Only