Laundry Appliance Control-Panel Assembly with Liquid Splash Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry appliances face challenges in easy mounting and maintenance of control panels, particularly with capacitive sensors, and are vulnerable to liquid splashes that can damage the printed circuit board.
Innovation Solution
A control-panel assembly with a protecting box that compresses spring detectors for capacitive sensing, providing a user interface and housing light guides, and featuring projecting barriers to divert liquid drops away from the printed circuit board, ensuring easier assembly and protection from spills.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If spring detectors are used for capacitive sensing in the control panel, then user interface functionality is improved, but mounting complexity increases due to the need to compress spring detectors during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel assembly is pre-compressed during manufacturing before final installation, so that spring detectors are already in their compressed state. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex compression mechanisms during mounting and maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A compression tool or device is used as an intermediary during the mounting process to compress spring detectors temporarily, allowing them to be installed in the compressed state without requiring manual compression by the installer.
2Ease of operation
If the control panel is positioned close to the detergent drawer for user convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but vulnerability to liquid splashes increases
Solution Approach 1:
A protecting box is introduced as an intermediary structure between the control panel and the detergent drawer area. This protecting box captures and redirects liquid splashes before they can reach the control panel, allowing the control panel to remain in its accessible position without being exposed to water damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The protecting box uses the force and direction of liquid splashes to redirect them away from the control panel. Instead of trying to prevent splashes entirely, the design accepts their presence and巧妙地 uses their trajectory to divert them into safe paths that do not harm the control panel.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the control panel is made rigid for structural stability, then stability is improved, but ease of maintenance deteriorates due to difficulty in removing and replacing the panel
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel assembly is segmented into modular components including the protecting box, control panel, and mounting structures. This segmentation allows the control panel to be easily removed and replaced as a complete module while maintaining the structural integrity of the overall assembly through standardized connection interfaces.
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
Facilitates easier mounting and maintenance of control panels while preventing liquid spills from reaching the printed circuit board, enhancing the reliability and durability of the appliance.
Implementation Method 1
one or more spring detectors arranged to be compressed when the protecting box is attached to the printed circuit board, and to transmit a capacitive variation signal
Implementation Method 2
one or more spring detectors arranged to be compressed when the protecting box is attached to the printed circuit board
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A laundry appliance (1) comprises a control-panel assembly (3, 30) having: - An outer shell (5) which is coupled to a casing of the laundry appliance and provides a user interface; - an internal printed circuit board (6) provided with one or more sensors; and - a protecting box (7) firmly attached to the printed circuit board (6) and at least partially interposed between the outer shell and the printed circuit board; - one or more spring detectors (18) which transmit to the one or more sensors a signal related to the capacitive variation that is generated when the user interface is touched, wherein the protecting box (7) has one or more head zones (11) compressing the one or more spring detectors (18) when the protecting box (7) is attached to the printed circuit board (6), the capacitive variation being sensed by the one or more spring detectors (18) through the one or more head zones (11).