Housings and home appliances

Abstract

This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, specifically providing a housing and a household appliance, aiming to solve the problems of decreased touch sensitivity of touch buttons due to environmental interference and mechanical jamming of mechanical buttons in existing household appliances. To this end, the housing of this application includes: a base body with a mounting cavity; a switch assembly disposed within the mounting cavity, the switch assembly including a circuit board and a trigger part connected to the circuit board; and a protective sleeve having a connecting end and a pressing end opposite to the connecting end, the connecting end being located within the mounting cavity and connected to the trigger part, and the pressing end being at least partially exposed outside the mounting cavity. In this application, the housing isolates dust, liquids, and other contaminants through the physical barrier of the pressing end of the protective sleeve, preventing trigger signal interference and short circuits, improving touch reliability, and enhancing user experience. Simultaneously, the connecting end of the protective sleeve directly engages or snaps with the trigger rod, simplifying the mechanical structure and helping to eliminate the risks of mechanical wear and foreign object jamming.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, specifically providing a housing and a household appliance. Background Technology

[0002] As the usage scenarios of traditional home appliances continue to expand towards diversification and intelligence, user groups exhibit highly differentiated characteristics in terms of age and operating habits, which leads to significant differences in their needs for product interaction methods.

[0003] However, the relevant technical solutions still have significant shortcomings in terms of adaptability: the touch buttons commonly used in small home appliances are easily affected by changes in ambient temperature and humidity, which can affect touch accuracy, while mechanical buttons have reliability issues such as long physical travel and easy accumulation of dirt and sticking in gaps. This explicit interaction design not only causes operational obstacles for elderly users and visually impaired groups, but also leads to problems such as operation interruption and slow response in complex scenarios such as multitasking in the kitchen.

[0004] Therefore, a new technical solution is needed in this field to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application aims to solve the aforementioned technical problems, namely, to address the issues in existing home appliances where touch buttons are affected by environmental interference in terms of touch sensitivity, and mechanical buttons are prone to mechanical jamming.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a housing comprising:

[0007] The base body has an installation cavity on it;

[0008] A switch assembly disposed within the mounting cavity, the switch assembly including a circuit board and a trigger portion connected to the circuit board;

[0009] A protective sleeve having a connecting end and a pressing end opposite to the connecting end, the connecting end being located within the mounting cavity and connected to the trigger portion, and the pressing end being at least partially exposed outside the mounting cavity.

[0010] Optionally, a blind hole is provided on the end face of the connection end, and the trigger part is disposed in the blind hole.

[0011] Optionally, the end face of the pressing end extends circumferentially to form a protective cap, the edge of which is adapted to the contour of the mounting cavity opening.

[0012] Optionally, the connection end extends circumferentially to form a protective cover, which covers the circuit board.

[0013] Optionally, the mounting cavity has a first opening and a second opening disposed opposite to each other, the first opening being close to the upper surface of the base body, and the protective cap covering the first opening.

[0014] Optionally, the inner wall of the mounting cavity is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove communicating with the second opening, and the outer wall of the protective sleeve is provided with a snap-fit ​​block that mates with the snap-fit ​​groove.

[0015] Optionally, the housing further includes:

[0016] A locking assembly passes sequentially through the circuit board and the protective cover and is connected to the base body.

[0017] Optionally, the housing further includes:

[0018] A touch panel is disposed on the base body, and the circuit board is electrically connected to the touch panel.

[0019] Optionally, the protective cover is made of silicone.

[0020] In a second aspect, this application provides a household appliance including a housing as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0021] With the above technical solution, the shell provided in this application forms a physical barrier at the pressing end of the protective cover, which can isolate environmental pollutants such as dust and liquids, avoid trigger signal disorder and short circuit, and improve touch reliability. At the same time, the protective cover is made of silicone material, which can provide clear pressing feedback and comfortable touch, and improve the user's operating experience. The protective cover is directly sleeved or snapped to the trigger rod through the connecting end, which simplifies the mechanical structure and eliminates the risk of jamming caused by mechanical wear and foreign object jamming. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the assembled structure of a housing according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure;

[0025] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of a switch assembly and protective sleeve according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a partial internal structural diagram of the base body according to an embodiment of this application, intended to illustrate the specific structure of the mounting cavity.

[0027] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0028] 11-Base body, 110-Mounting cavity, 1101-First opening, 1102-Second opening, 111-Snap-in slot, 112-Mounting post, 12-Bottom cover, 2-Switch assembly, 21-Circuit board, 22-Trigger rod, 3-Protective sleeve, 31-Pressing end, 32-Connecting end, 33-Protective cap, 34-Protective cover, 35-Snap-in block, 4-Touch panel. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.

[0030] It should be noted that in the description of this application, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationship, are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the relevant device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,in Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the housing assembly state according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shell's explosive disintegration.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the housing comprises two parts: a base body 11 and a bottom cover 12. The base body 11 has an inwardly recessed cavity structure. The size and shape of this cavity are adapted to the interface of household appliances to support components such as kettles, enabling stable installation and precise connection of appliance components. Between the cavity and the outer wall of the base body 11, an annular space with an open end is formed. This annular space provides a wiring channel for arranging the internal wiring of the appliance.

[0034] The bottom cover 12 is adapted to the base body 11 and is installed on the base body 11 to seal the opening end of the annular space, thereby protecting the circuit in the annular space and forming a closed structure for the entire housing.

[0035] Furthermore, the upper edge of the base body 11 is provided with a mounting cavity 110 communicating with the annular space, the size of which is adapted to the switch assembly 2, and the mounting cavity 110 is used to accommodate the switch assembly 2.

[0036] In one implementation, the mounting cavity 110 is provided with a first opening 1101 and a second opening 1102. The first opening 1101 is located on the upper surface of the base body 11, which is the trigger operation end of the switch assembly 2, facilitating external trigger control of the switch assembly 2. The second opening 1102 communicates with the annular space. This design connects the mounting cavity 110 with the wiring channel in the annular space, providing a convenient path for the wiring of the switch assembly 2, allowing the wiring of the switch assembly 2 to extend smoothly into the annular space and then connect with other circuit components of the household appliance.

[0037] Further, refer to Figure 3 The switch assembly 2 includes a circuit board 21 and a trigger unit connected to the circuit board 21. The circuit board 21 integrates a control circuit for receiving trigger signals from the trigger unit and transmitting them to the main control unit of the household appliance. The trigger unit takes the form of a trigger rod 22, one end of which is electrically connected to the circuit board 21, and the other end extends perpendicularly to the circuit board 21 to the first opening 1101 of the mounting cavity 110. When the trigger rod 22 is triggered, it converts the mechanical trigger signal into an electrical signal and transmits it to the circuit board 21, thereby controlling the corresponding functions of the household appliance, such as power switching and function mode switching.

[0038] Furthermore, to enhance the tactile feedback and comfort during user operation, a protective sleeve 3 is provided on the outside of the trigger portion of the switch assembly 2. The protective sleeve 3 has a structure that is closed at one end and open at the other, with the closed end being the pressing end 31 and the open end being the connecting end 32. The connecting end 32 is adapted to connect with the trigger rod 22 and can be securely installed on the trigger rod 22 by means of sleeve, snap-fit, or other fixing methods; when the user presses the pressing end 31, the pressing end 31 transmits pressure to the trigger rod 22, thereby causing the trigger rod 22 to trigger the circuit board 21, realizing the functional control of the switch assembly 2.

[0039] Considering that the protective case 3 needs to possess good elastic deformation capability, wear resistance, and insulation properties to meet the requirements of improved tactile feedback and electrical safety protection, the material of the protective case 3 can be, but is not limited to, elastic silicone. It can also be made of polymer materials such as thermoplastic elastomers and polyurethane elastomers. Thermoplastic elastomers combine the high elasticity of rubber with the processing characteristics of plastics, making them easy to injection molded and highly weather-resistant. Polyurethane elastomers, on the other hand, have high strength, high wear resistance, and excellent tear resistance, effectively extending the service life of the protective case 3.

[0040] In this embodiment, the protective cover 3 is preferably made of silicone.

[0041] The protective cover 3 provided in this application forms a physical barrier at the pressing end 31, isolating environmental pollutants such as dust and liquids, avoiding trigger signal disorder and short circuits, and improving touch reliability. At the same time, the use of silicone material can provide clear pressing feedback and comfortable touch, improving the user's operating experience. The connecting end 32 is directly sleeved or snapped onto the trigger rod 22, simplifying the mechanical structure and eliminating the risk of jamming caused by mechanical wear or foreign object jamming.

[0042] In one specific embodiment, a blind hole is provided axially on the end face of the connecting end 32 of the protective sleeve 3. The size of the blind hole is adapted to the size of the trigger rod 22 to ensure that the trigger rod 22 can be stably installed in the blind hole. The blind hole achieves a tight connection with the trigger rod 22 through interference fit or friction, preventing the trigger rod 22 from loosening or falling off during use. Furthermore, a buffer layer is provided at the bottom of the blind hole. This buffer layer is made of the same or similar elastic material as the protective sleeve 3 to absorb the impact force generated when the trigger rod 22 is triggered, thereby extending the service life of the protective sleeve 3 and the trigger rod 22.

[0043] Furthermore, to ensure a stable connection between the blind hole and the trigger rod 22, the inner wall of the blind hole is provided with an anti-slip texture. Specifically, the anti-slip texture can be a structure such as annular grooves, spiral patterns, or grid-like protrusions, which increases the contact friction between the inner wall of the blind hole and the outer surface of the trigger rod 22, preventing the trigger rod 22 from rotating circumferentially or sliding axially within the blind hole.

[0044] In one embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 3The end face of the pressing end 31 extends circumferentially to form a protective cap 33 structure. The surface of the protective cap 33 is designed with an arc shape, which not only conforms to ergonomic principles, making it easy for users to press, but also effectively disperses the stress generated during pressing, reducing local wear on the protective cap 33. The edge contour of the protective cap 33 is closely matched with the shape of the first opening 1101 of the mounting cavity 110. When the protective sleeve 3 is installed in place, the edge of the protective cap 33 can completely cover the outer edge of the first opening 1101 of the mounting cavity 110, forming a sealed protection. Through this design, dust, liquid and other foreign objects can be effectively prevented from entering the interior from the opening of the mounting cavity 110, preventing the circuit board 21 and trigger part in the switch assembly 2 from being contaminated or damaged.

[0045] In one embodiment, the connecting end 32 extends circumferentially to form a disc-shaped protective cover 34, the outer diameter of which is slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the circuit board 21, ensuring complete coverage of the circuit board 21 to provide protection. The protective cover 34 and the protective cap 33 are connected by a cylindrical connecting portion, the inner wall of which forms the aforementioned blind hole.

[0046] When the protective cover 3 is installed on the trigger rod 22, the protective cover 34 can completely cover the circuit board 21 to effectively isolate the circuit board 21 from the external environment, prevent electrical faults such as short circuits caused by external conductive objects contacting the circuit board 21, and at the same time provide physical protection for the circuit board 21 to avoid damage from collisions and squeezing during use, thereby enhancing the overall reliability and safety of the switch assembly 2.

[0047] Furthermore, the edge of the protective cover 34 extends vertically to form an annular edge, the height of which is adapted to the thickness of the circuit board 21, and can tightly wrap the outer edge of the circuit board 21. This forms a three-dimensional protection for the circuit board 21, effectively blocking external moisture, dust and other pollutants from entering through the gaps at the edge of the circuit board 21, and avoiding short circuits or component corrosion caused by the accumulation of foreign objects.

[0048] Furthermore, the protective plate has clearance holes on the inner surface of the circuit board 21 that are adapted to the electronic components of the circuit board 21. The shape and position of the clearance holes are precisely designed according to the protruding components (such as capacitors, inductors, connectors, etc.) on the circuit board 21 to avoid interference between the protective cover 34 and the components during installation.

[0049] The assembly process of switch assembly 2 is described below. Please refer to... Figure 4 The figure is a structural schematic diagram of the base body 11 from bottom to top, showing the local structure of the annular space and the specific shape of the mounting cavity 110, so as to understand the assembly relationship and installation position of the switch assembly 2.

[0050] Specifically, during assembly, a pre-assembly step is first performed: the protective sleeve 3 is axially fitted onto the trigger rod 22, ensuring that the blind hole and the surface of the trigger rod 22 are tightly fitted, while the protective cover 34 completely covers the circuit board 21. At this time, the protective cover 34 and the mounting holes on the circuit board 21 should be coaxially aligned to form a pre-assembled assembly.

[0051] Then, the entire assembly is installed: the pre-installed switch assembly 2 and protective sleeve 3 are moved upwards into the annular space from the open end of the base body 11 (i.e., the bottom opening of the annular space), so that the protective cap 33 is aligned with the second opening 1102 of the mounting cavity 110. During insertion, the arc-shaped edge of the protective cap 33 undergoes elastic deformation due to the pressure from the inner wall of the mounting cavity 110, until it completely passes through the first opening 1101 and then returns to its original shape and extends out of the mounting cavity 110. A stepped surface is provided at the first opening 1101, and the protective cap 33 is firmly placed on the stepped surface, forming a sealed protection for the mounting cavity 110.

[0052] Finally, locking components (such as bolts or screws) are passed through the mounting holes on the circuit board 21 and the protective cover 34 in sequence, and threadedly connected to the corresponding mounting posts 112 on the base body 11 to complete the fixed installation of the switch assembly 2.

[0053] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the mounting cavity 110 is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove 111 communicating with the second opening 1102 along the axial direction, and the outer wall of the protective sleeve 3 is provided with a snap-fit ​​block 35 that mates with the snap-fit ​​groove 111. When the assembly of the switch assembly 2 and the protective sleeve 3 is inserted into the mounting cavity 110 through the second opening 1102, the snap-fit ​​block 35 is aligned with the snap-fit ​​groove 111 and inserted. During the insertion process, the snap-fit ​​block 35 undergoes slight elastic deformation due to the pressure of the snap-fit ​​groove 111. After the snap-fit ​​block 35 is fully inserted into the snap-fit ​​groove 111, it returns to its original shape, and its end is tightly engaged with the bottom of the snap-fit ​​groove 111, thereby achieving dual positioning and limiting of the protective sleeve 3 in both the axial and circumferential directions. This structure effectively prevents the protective sleeve 3 from axial movement or circumferential rotation during use, prevents sealing failure or locking component installation deviation caused by component displacement, and thus improves the stability and reliability of the switch assembly 2 installation.

[0054] The side surface of the base body 11 is provided with a mounting port that communicates with the internal annular space. The shape and size of the mounting port are adapted to the touch panel 4 for embedded installation of the touch panel 4. The circuit board 21 is electrically connected to the touch panel 4.

[0055] This design combines the protective cover 3's press end 31 (silicone button) with the touch panel 4. The physical press feedback of the silicone button complements the fine operation function of the touch panel 4, meeting diverse interaction needs. It takes into account operational stability, durability, and user experience in terms of material properties and structural design.

[0056] This application also provides a household appliance, including the housing described above. Due to the structural design of the housing, this household appliance offers the following significant advantages: the housing, through the elastic material and sealing structure of the protective sleeve 3 and the pressing end 31, effectively blocks the influence of environmental contaminants such as dust and liquids on the internal circuitry, significantly improving the reliability of operating components in complex usage environments and preventing touch malfunctions or button jamming caused by environmental interference; the direct linkage design between the trigger rod 22 and the silicone button eliminates the complex transmission components of traditional mechanical buttons, structurally eliminating the risk of mechanical wear and foreign object jamming, and extending the service life of the operating components; simultaneously, the physical pressing feedback of the silicone button combined with the precise operation function of the touch panel 4 meets the need for rapid triggering. The technical advantages of the aforementioned housing structure significantly improve the household appliance's operational stability, environmental adaptability, and user experience, effectively solving common problems of traditional household appliance operating components.

[0057] The technical solutions of this application have been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of this application, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A housing, characterized in that, include: The base body (11) has an installation cavity (110) thereon; A switch assembly (2) is disposed within the mounting cavity (110), the switch assembly (2) including a circuit board (21) and a trigger portion connected to the circuit board (21); The protective sleeve (3) has a connecting end (32) and a pressing end (31) opposite to the connecting end (32), the connecting end (32) being located in the mounting cavity (110) and connected to the trigger part, and the pressing end (31) being at least partially exposed in the mounting cavity (110).

2. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end face of the connecting end (32) is provided with a blind hole, and the trigger part is disposed in the blind hole.

3. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end face of the pressing end (31) extends circumferentially to form a protective cap (33), the edge of which is adapted to the contour of the opening of the mounting cavity (110).

4. The housing according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting end (32) extends circumferentially to form a protective cover (34), which covers the circuit board (21).

5. The housing according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mounting cavity (110) has a first opening (1101) and a second opening (1102) disposed opposite to each other. The first opening (1101) is close to the upper surface of the base body (11), and the protective cap (33) covers the first opening (1101).

6. The housing according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inner wall of the mounting cavity (110) is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove (111) that communicates with the second opening (1102), and the outer wall of the protective sleeve (3) is provided with a snap-fit ​​block (35) that cooperates with the snap-fit ​​groove (111).

7. The housing according to claim 5, characterized in that, The housing also includes: The locking assembly passes through the circuit board (21) and the protective cover (34) in sequence and is connected to the base body (11).

8. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing also includes: A touch panel (4) is disposed on the base body (11), and the circuit board (21) is electrically connected to the touch panel (4).

9. The housing according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The protective cover (3) is made of silicone.

10. A household appliance, characterized in that, Includes the housing as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images