Operating device and household appliance having the operating device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating devices with rotatable elements in electronic household appliances are vulnerable to ingress of extraneous substances like water, cleaning liquids, dust, and dirt through openings in the cover plate, which can damage the circuit board and its components, especially when the operating head is removable.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a hollow-cylindrical tube element or light guiding element with a double function, forming an inner flow channel from the cover plate to the circuit board, guides extraneous substances past the circuit board, preventing them from reaching sensitive components and enhancing protection by forming an inner flow channel and optionally using a sealing element or covering plate to isolate the circuit board from external substances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rotatable operating element with an opening in the cover plate is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to ingress of extraneous substances damaging the circuit board
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a shaft as an intermediary component that extends through the opening in the cover plate to connect with the circuit board. This shaft acts as a protective barrier, guiding extraneous substances away from the circuit board and preventing direct contact between harmful substances and sensitive electronic components, thereby resolving the contradiction between operational accessibility and protection reliability
2Ease of operation
If the operating head is made removable from the shaft, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates as the sealing element is removed allowing extraneous substances to reach the circuit board
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft serves as a permanent intermediary protective structure that remains in place even when the operating head is removed. This ensures continuous protection of the circuit board area, maintaining reliability while allowing the operating head to be removable for ease of operation and cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
The operating element is segmented into a removable operating head and a permanent shaft. This segmentation allows the operating head to be removed for cleaning while the shaft remains as a protective barrier, resolving the contradiction between ease of maintenance and reliability
3Reliability
If the shaft extends through the opening in the cover plate, then reliability is improved by protecting the circuit board, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as a mechanical connection element between the operating head and circuit board, provides structural support, and simultaneously serves as a protective barrier against extraneous substances. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining improved reliability
Data Source
AI summary
An operating device contains a cover plate having an opening, a rotatable operating element having an operating head on the cover plate, and a shaft running through the opening. Behind the cover plate and at a distance therefrom, there is a circuit board having an opening through which the shaft extends. The operating device includes a tube element which has a hollow-cylindrical base body that runs, between the cover plate and the shaft of the operating element, at least partially through the opening of the cover plate, and a radial inner side that forms, between the tube element and the shaft of the operating element, an inner flow channel that runs through the opening of the cover plate and past the opening of the circuit board, to protect the circuit board against extraneous substances which may enter the operating device through the opening of the cover plate.