Dishwasher appliances and user interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dishwasher appliance user interfaces face issues with button design, where button springs provide variable force and can become misaligned, leading to a loose feel and inconsistent activation of switches, affecting consumer satisfaction and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a button body slidably mounted to a control panel with a board housing featuring a planar frame and a resilient cantilever that extends in forward biased engagement with the button body, maintaining alignment and providing a consistent linear force feel during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If button springs are used to provide resilient force, then the button can return to undepressed configuration, but the spring provides variable force and becomes misaligned causing loose feel and inconsistent switch activation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional coil spring from the button assembly and replaces it with a flat resilient member that is integrated into the button structure. This extraction of the problematic spring component eliminates the variable force and misalignment issues while maintaining the essential resilient function needed for button operation and switch activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical form and material properties of the resilient element from a coil spring to a flat resilient member with specific dimensional parameters. This parameter change includes using a flat member with controlled thickness, length, and material durometer to provide consistent linear force throughout the button's travel distance, ensuring reliable switch activation and consistent feel.
2Area of stationary object
If the button is made small to fit within limited control panel space, then space utilization improves, but button assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the button assembly by integrating the flat resilient member directly into the button structure rather than using a separate spring component. This merging reduces the number of parts and simplifies assembly while maintaining the compact size needed for limited control panel space.
Solution Approach 2:
The button assembly is designed to perform multiple functions within a single compact unit: providing user input, maintaining resilient force, ensuring alignment, and activating the switch. The flat resilient member serves both as the spring element and as an alignment feature, reducing overall assembly complexity despite the small size constraints.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures a consistent feel and improved assembly, reducing drift and ensuring reliable activation of switches, enhancing user interface performance and consumer satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient cantilever. The planar frame may define a switch aperture in transverse alignment with the button body. The resilient cantilever may extend from the planar frame in forward biased engagement with the button body
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher appliance and user interface are generally provided herein. The user interface may be provided on the dishwasher appliance and include a control panel, a button body, a board housing, and a control board. The button body may be slidably mounted to the control panel. The board housing may be disposed behind the control panel along a transverse direction. The board housing may include a planar frame and a resilient cantilever. The planar frame may define a switch aperture in transverse alignment with the button body. The resilient cantilever may extend from the planar frame in forward biased engagement with the button body. The control board may be fixed to the board housing and include a contact switch positioned in transverse alignment with the switch aperture to selectively engage the button body.