Display switch for range hood and range hood

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of display switch and extractor hood for range hood, display switch includes fixed shell and the circuit board in the fixed shell, the fixed shell includes front half shell and rear half shell of front and back buckling, the inductor device for function control or identification is equipped on the circuit board, the through-hole opposite with the inductor device front and back is opened in the front half shell;The rear side of the front half shell has at least two hot riveting fixed columns extending backwards, corresponding mounting hole of the hot riveting fixed column is opened in the circuit board, the end of the hot riveting fixed column passes through the mounting hole of the circuit board, and the circuit board is compressed relative to the front half shell by hot riveting mode.The advantage is that: under the premise of ensuring reliable function, the light and thin and narrow and small design of display switch can be realized, which conforms to the development trend of the exquisite and beautiful appearance of extractor hood.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of range hood technology, and in particular to a display switch for a range hood and a range hood. Background Technology

[0002] A range hood is a kitchen appliance used to purify the kitchen environment. The front of the range hood typically features a display switch structure for function control and information display, allowing users to perform contact-based (e.g., touch) or non-contact (e.g., gesture recognition) function control. For example, Chinese utility model patent application number 202322396766.3 discloses a display switch structure and a cooling range hood. The display switch structure includes a display light panel bracket, a display light panel assembly, and a light panel cover. The display light panel assembly is mounted on the display light panel bracket and fixed by the light panel cover. The display light panel assembly includes a lower light panel cover, a PCB board, a upper light panel cover, and a display film. The PCB board is installed between the lower and upper light panel covers. A first gesture control sensor group for recognizing the range hood function and a second gesture control sensor group for recognizing the cooling function are mounted on the PCB board. The display film covers and is installed on the front side of the upper light panel cover, and through holes corresponding to the first and second gesture control sensor groups are formed on both the upper light panel cover and the display film.

[0003] However, as range hoods become more refined and aesthetically pleasing, the width (vertical dimension) of the entire unit's header for range hoods installed under cabinets is getting narrower, gradually decreasing from 40mm to 25mm. This necessitates that the display switch be narrower and thinner to facilitate installation. However, the conventional assembly structure design of existing display switches has minimum dimensional requirements for the overall thickness and width of the switch, making it difficult to achieve a narrower and thinner display switch design. Utility Model Content

[0004] The first technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a display switch for range hoods that is narrower and thinner than the existing technology.

[0005] The second technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a range hood with the above-mentioned display switch, in view of the current situation of the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the first technical problem is: a display switch for a range hood, including a fixed shell and a circuit board disposed in the fixed shell. The fixed shell includes a front half shell and a rear half shell that are fastened together. The circuit board is provided with a sensing device for function control or identification. The front half shell is provided with a through hole that is opposite to the front and rear of the sensing device.

[0007] The rear side of the front half shell has at least two rearwardly extending hot-riveting fixing posts. The circuit board has a through mounting hole corresponding to the hot-riveting fixing posts. The end of the hot-riveting fixing post passes through the mounting hole of the circuit board and presses the circuit board relative to the front half shell by hot riveting.

[0008] The display switch utilizes a heat-riveting fixing post extending from the rear of the front half-shell, directly heat-riveting it to the circuit board mounting holes, replacing the traditional multi-part assembly structure of the display light panel bracket, cover plate, and other components. This integrated design significantly reduces the number of parts and assembly layers, eliminating the space occupied by additional brackets, allowing for a substantial reduction in the overall thickness of the display switch. Simultaneously, it is more compact in the width direction, easily meeting the installation requirements of 25mm narrow range hoods. Secondly, the heat-riveting fixing post directly penetrates and presses the circuit board, achieving a tight fit between the circuit board and the front half-shell, avoiding the space required for traditional screw or clip fixing, further compressing radial and axial dimensions. This structure not only improves the rigidity and stability of the components but also simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs. This utility model's display switch, while ensuring reliable function, achieves a thinner and narrower design, aligning with the trend towards a refined and aesthetically pleasing appearance for range hoods.

[0009] The aforementioned "hot riveting fixing post" refers to a fixing structure formed by heating and softening the plastic post head, then applying pressure to deform it into a rivet head shape. For example, after the plastic post on the front half of the shell passes through the circuit board hole, it is heated and flattened using a hot riveting machine, thereby pressing the circuit board tightly.

[0010] Considering that cooking fumes and humid air inside the range hood can easily penetrate the display switch, causing short circuits, corrosion, or sensor failure on the circuit board, an effective protective measure is needed. As an improvement, the front half of the housing, located behind the circuit board, has a potting layer formed by potting adhesive. This potting layer is attached to the inner wall of the front half of the housing. The potting layer forms a sealing barrier, preventing fumes, moisture, and dust from contacting the circuit board, improving the circuit's insulation and environmental resistance, and extending the lifespan of the display switch. Simultaneously, the potting layer also serves to reduce vibration and dissipate heat. Another major function is that the potting method, with a potting thickness of approximately 2mm, significantly reduces the required thickness of the upper housing.

[0011] The aforementioned "potting layer" refers to a sealing and protective layer formed by pouring in liquid adhesive (such as epoxy resin or silicone) and then allowing it to cure. It is used to fill gaps, provide insulation, and prevent moisture. For example, a 1-3mm thick layer of epoxy adhesive can be poured onto the back of a circuit board to form an isolation layer.

[0012] As an improvement, the thickness of the potting layer is 1mm-3mm. By limiting the potting layer thickness to the range of 1mm-3mm, sufficient protective performance is ensured, while material usage is optimized, avoiding problems caused by excessive potting. This allows the overall thickness of the display switch to be thinner, balancing the protective effect with economy.

[0013] Considering that the thickness of the shell needs to balance structural strength, space occupation and aesthetics, if it is too thin, the shell may be easily deformed, and if it is too thick, the product will be bulky and take up too much installation space. As an improvement, the overall thickness of the front shell is in the range of 4 to 10 mm.

[0014] Considering that gaps can easily form at the interface when the display switch is installed into the range hood housing, allowing oil fumes and dust to seep in and affect internal components, an improvement is made by including a sealing strip along the outer perimeter of the front panel to ensure a tight seal with the component to be installed. This sealing strip fills the installation gap, provides a secondary seal, enhances overall leak-proof capability, protects the internal circuit board from contamination, and improves the product's environmental adaptability.

[0015] Considering that installing the sealing strip separately may increase assembly steps, and that the sealing strip is prone to displacement or detachment, affecting sealing reliability, as an improvement, the sealing strip and the front half shell are integrally injection molded. Integral injection molding simplifies the manufacturing process, ensures a tight fit between the sealing strip and the front half shell, improves sealing durability and consistency, and reduces assembly time and cost.

[0016] As an improvement, a fixing plate is also included, which surrounds the rear half-shell and connects the rear half-shell and the front half-shell by screws. The screw connection of the fixing plate enhances the overall structural strength, making the display switch installation more stable, resistant to vibration and external forces, and also facilitating disassembly and maintenance, thus improving installation flexibility. The rear half-shell primarily serves to support the fixing plate.

[0017] As an improvement, the fixing plate has lugs at both ends along its length, and the lugs have connecting holes for connecting to the component to be installed. The connecting holes on both sides of the fixing plate are fixed to the range hood housing with two screws. Using the fixing plate ensures that the sealing strip on the front half of the housing is effectively compressed with the whole machine to achieve an IPX6 waterproof effect.

[0018] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the second technical problem is as follows: a range hood, including a housing, a display panel disposed on the housing, and a display switch located inside the housing. The housing includes a fixing bracket for mounting the display switch. The fixing bracket has an opening opposite to the front of the display switch. The display panel is located on the front side of the display switch and covers the opening.

[0019] As an improvement, the front side of the display panel is provided with display labels corresponding to the various functional components of the display switch. These display labels (such as text and icons) provide intuitive operation guidance, improving the convenience and accuracy of user interaction and enhancing the product's usability and security. The aforementioned display labels refer to visual markings on the display panel used to indicate functions; they can be screen-printed or displayed on a film, such as printed symbols, text, or LED translucent patterns. For example, the display panel may be printed with words like "switch" or "wind speed," corresponding to the sensors on the back.

[0020] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this utility model are as follows: The display switch of this utility model adopts a hot-riveting fixing post extending from the rear side of the front half shell and directly hot-riveted to the circuit board mounting holes, replacing the traditional multi-part assembly structure of display light board bracket, cover plate, etc. This integrated design significantly reduces the number of parts and assembly levels, eliminates the space occupied by additional brackets, and allows for a significant reduction in the overall thickness of the display switch. Simultaneously, it is more compact in the width direction, easily meeting the installation requirements of narrow range hoods. Secondly, the hot-riveting fixing post directly penetrates the circuit board and presses it tightly, achieving a close fit between the circuit board and the front half shell, avoiding the reserved space required for traditional screw or clip fixing, further compressing the radial and axial dimensions. This structure not only improves the rigidity and stability of the components but also simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs. While ensuring reliable function, the display switch of this utility model achieves a thinner and narrower design, conforming to the development trend of exquisite and aesthetically pleasing range hoods. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the display switch according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the display switch according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the display switch according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the display switch in the separated state from the front half-shell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the display switch installed on the casing of the range hood according to an embodiment of the present invention (only the mounting bracket is shown on the casing of the range hood).

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A three-dimensional structural diagram showing the display switch, mounting bracket, and display panel in a separated state. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] In the specification and claims of this utility model, terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom," are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of this utility model. However, the use of these terms is merely for the purpose of explanation and is based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this utility model can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are for illustrative purposes only and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0029] Figures 1-6 This invention relates to a preferred embodiment of a display switch for a range hood and a range hood.

[0030] The display switch for the range hood in this embodiment is narrow and thin, with a width of 22.4mm and a thickness of 12mm, making it suitable for range hoods with narrow front heads. The display switch includes a mounting housing 1, a circuit board 13, a mounting plate 15, and a sealing strip 14. The mounting housing 1 is composed of a front half-shell 11 and a rear half-shell 12, which are joined together. Both the front half-shell 11 and the rear half-shell 12 are injection molded from ABS plastic. The overall thickness of the front half-shell 11 is 6mm, a thickness designed to achieve uniform light distribution for the display. The circuit board 13 is a PCBA board, installed between the front half-shell 11 and the rear half-shell 12. The circuit board 13 integrates a sensor 131 (such as an infrared sensor) for gesture recognition control and an LED indicator. A through hole 110 is provided on the front side of the front half-shell 11, opposite to the sensor 131. The through hole 110 is precisely aligned with the sensor 131 to ensure smooth signal transmission. Of course, in some embodiments, a capacitive touch sensor is provided on the circuit board 13 of the display switch to replace the gesture sensing device 131 described above.

[0031] The rear side of the front half-shell 11 has multiple rearwardly extending hot-riveting fixing posts 111, which are integrally injection molded with the front half-shell 11. The circuit board 13 has multiple through mounting holes 132 corresponding to the hot-riveting fixing posts 111. During assembly, the circuit board 13 is first placed behind the front half-shell 11, with the ends of the hot-riveting fixing posts 111 passing through the mounting holes 132 of the circuit board 13. Then, a hot riveting machine is used to heat and pressurize the ends of the hot-riveting fixing posts 111, softening and deforming them into mushroom-head rivet structures, thereby tightly pressing and fixing the circuit board 13 onto the front half-shell 11. This hot-riveting fixing method replaces the traditional bracket and cover plate structure, significantly reducing the number of parts and assembly space.

[0032] To further enhance protective performance, a potting layer is formed inside the front half-shell 11 on the rear side of the circuit board 13 using a potting method. The potting material is epoxy resin, which is injected through the side injection hole of the front half-shell 11. The resin fills the gap between the circuit board 13 and the front half-shell 11, and covers the rear side and surrounding area of ​​the circuit board 13. The potting layer is 2mm thick and, after curing, effectively isolates oil fumes, moisture, and dust, improving the insulation and corrosion resistance of the circuit board 13.

[0033] A sealing strip 14 is located at the outer periphery of the front half-shell 11. The sealing strip 14 is made of silicone material and is integrally molded with the front half-shell 11 through injection molding. When the display switch is installed on the range hood housing, the sealing strip 14 is elastically compressed with the mounting surface of the housing to form a tight seal, preventing external media from seeping in.

[0034] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 A fixing plate 15 surrounds the exterior of the rear half-shell 12. The fixing plate 15 is stamped from a metal sheet, with a rectangular storage groove in its center for the rear half-shell 12 to be received. The rear side of the front half-shell 11 also has two rearwardly extending connecting posts 112, each axially hollow to form screw holes 1120. Both the fixing plate 15 and the rear half-shell 12 have through holes coaxial with the screw holes 1120 of the connecting posts 112. During assembly, self-tapping screws are passed through the through holes in the fixing plate 15 and the rear half-shell 12 and screwed into the screw holes 1120 of the connecting posts 112 of the front half-shell 11, thereby securely connecting the fixing shell 1 to the fixing plate 15. The two ends of the fixing plate 15 in the longitudinal direction have outwardly extending lugs 151, each lug 151 having a connecting hole 152 for fixing the display switch to the mounting bracket 2 of the range hood housing using screws.

[0035] The display switch in this embodiment achieves a compact structure, thin thickness, and narrow width through hot riveting, potting and sealing, and an integrated sealing strip 14, while meeting the IPX6 waterproof rating requirements.

[0036] See Figure 5 and Figure 6 This embodiment provides a range hood, including a housing, a display panel 3, and a display switch. The housing includes a mounting bracket 2 located at the front forehead position, and the mounting bracket 2 has a rectangular opening 20 facing the front of the display switch. The display switch is the aforementioned display switch 10, which is fixed to the mounting bracket 2 with screws through the connecting holes 152 on the lugs 151 of the mounting plate 15, and the sealing strip 14 of the front half-shell 11 is tightly compressed against the mounting surface of the mounting bracket 2.

[0037] The display panel 3 is a tempered glass panel located in front of the display switch and covers the opening 20 of the mounting bracket 2. The front of the display panel 3 is silkscreened with display markings corresponding to the sensor 131 of the display switch, including gesture control area icons, fan speed symbols, and switch text. The display markings are aligned with the through-hole 110 on the front half-shell 11, allowing users to control the range hood functions via gestures.

[0038] The range hood in this embodiment has a front width of 25mm. Due to the use of a narrow and thin display switch, it has an exquisite and compact appearance and is easy to operate.

[0039] The range hood (with functions such as fan start and airflow adjustment) can be controlled by a voice module. It is equipped with a controller, a voice receiving module, and a voice parsing module. The voice receiving module receives user commands, and the voice parsing module parses the commands. Based on the parsed commands, the controller controls the range hood to perform corresponding operations, thereby realizing intelligent control of the range hood and improving the user experience.

[0040] In this embodiment, the display switch is directly fixed to the mounting holes 132 of the circuit board 13 by a hot-riveting fixing post 111 extending from the rear side of the front half-shell 11, replacing the traditional multi-part assembly structure of the display light board bracket, cover plate, etc. This integrated design significantly reduces the number of parts and assembly levels, eliminates the space occupied by additional brackets, and greatly reduces the overall thickness of the display switch. At the same time, it is also more compact in the width direction, making it easier to meet the installation requirements of narrow range hoods. Secondly, the hot-riveting fixing post 111 directly penetrates the circuit board 13 and is pressed tightly, achieving a tight fit between the circuit board 13 and the front half-shell 11, avoiding the reserved space required for traditional screw or clip fixing, and further compressing the radial and axial dimensions. This structure not only improves the rigidity and stability of the components, but also simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs. The display switch of this utility model can achieve a thinner and narrower design while ensuring reliable function, which is in line with the development trend of exquisite and beautiful appearance of range hoods.

Claims

1. A display switch for a range hood, comprising a fixed housing (1) and a circuit board (13) disposed within the fixed housing (1), wherein the fixed housing (1) comprises a front half-shell (11) and a rear half-shell (12) that are fastened together, the circuit board (13) is provided with a sensing device (131) for function control or identification, and the front half-shell (11) is provided with a through hole (110) that is opposite to the front and rear of the sensing device (131); Its features are: The rear side of the front half shell (11) has at least two rearwardly extending hot-riveting fixing posts (111). The circuit board (13) has a through mounting hole (132) corresponding to the hot-riveting fixing post (111). The end of the hot-riveting fixing post (111) passes through the mounting hole (132) of the circuit board (13) and presses the circuit board (13) relative to the front half shell (11) by hot riveting.

2. The display switch for a range hood according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front half shell (11) also has a potting layer formed by potting on the rear side of the circuit board (13), which is attached to the inner wall of the front half shell (11).

3. The display switch for a range hood according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the potting layer is 1mm-3mm.

4. The display switch for a range hood according to claim 1, characterized in that: The overall thickness of the front shell (11) ranges from 4mm to 10mm.

5. The display switch for a range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It also includes a sealing strip (14) located on the outer periphery of the front part of the front panel for sealing and fitting with the component to be installed.

6. The display switch for a range hood according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sealing strip (14) and the front half shell (11) are integrally injection molded.

7. The display switch for a range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It also includes a fixing plate (15) surrounding the rear half shell (12), the fixing plate (15) connecting the rear half shell (12) and the front half shell (11) by screws.

8. The display switch for a range hood according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fixing plate (15) has lugs (151) at both ends along its length, and the lugs (151) have connecting holes (152) for being adjacent to the component to be installed.

9. A range hood, characterized in that: The device includes a housing, a display panel (3) disposed on the housing, and a display switch located inside the housing. The housing includes a mounting bracket (2) for mounting the display switch. The mounting bracket (2) has an opening (20) opposite to the front of the display switch. The display panel (3) is located on the front side of the display switch and covers the opening (20).

10. The range hood according to claim 9, characterized in that: The front side of the display panel (3) is provided with display labels corresponding to the functional devices of the display switch.

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