HOME APPLIANCE WITH UNDISTORTED FRONT PANEL CURVATURE

摘要

A home appliance including an appliance body having an internal framework; a metal panel covering a portion of the internal framework, the panel having a curved portion turned through the curve inwardly toward an interior of the appliance, wherein the panel surface adjacent the curve is substantially smooth and substantially undistorted, the panel being fabricated by engaging a metal sheet with a bender assembly, holding the metal sheet against translational movement, and applying pressure to the metal sheet using a punch having a curved head and being operatively associated with the bender assembly, the pressure being applied by moving the punch against the metal sheet using a damped punch driver operatively associated with the bender assembly.