Refrigerator Button Light-Guiding Structure for Clear Button Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerator button displays struggle to clearly differentiate between clicked buttons and adjacent buttons due to diffused light, leading to weakened light intensity and user confusion.
Innovation Solution
A button display apparatus featuring condensing members that direct light from lamps to specific light emitting slits on button printed units, enhancing light intensity and clarity by preventing light from being irradiated to adjacent buttons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light from lamps is allowed to illuminate freely, then the overall illumination area is increased, but the light intensity on specific buttons is weakened and adjacent buttons become confused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces light guiding members that segment and separate the light paths from each lamp to specific light emitting slits corresponding to individual buttons. This segmentation prevents light diffusion to adjacent buttons while maintaining high light intensity on the target button, thereby resolving the contradiction between illumination area and button identification clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guiding members act as intermediary elements between the lamps and the buttons. These intermediaries direct and confine the light from each lamp to its corresponding light emitting slit, preventing light from spreading to adjacent buttons. This intermediary mechanism ensures both sufficient light intensity and clear button differentiation.
2Area of stationary object
If light is diffused to cover multiple buttons, then the illumination coverage is improved, but the distinction between operated and adjacent buttons is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The light guiding members create segmented light paths that are spatially separated for each button. Each lamp's light is confined to its designated light emitting slit through these segmented pathways, ensuring that while multiple buttons can be illuminated, each button receives light only from its corresponding lamp, maintaining clear operational distinction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by ensuring that each button area receives light with specific characteristics from its corresponding lamp only. The light guiding members create localized illumination zones where the light intensity and direction are optimized for each individual button, preventing light spill to adjacent areas and maintaining precise operation detection.
3Illumination intensity
If condensing members are added to focus light on specific buttons, then light intensity and button clarity are improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The light guiding members serve as intermediary components that are relatively simple in structure compared to complex condensing optics. These intermediaries effectively direct and confine light paths using straightforward geometric configurations, achieving the light focusing effect while minimizing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guiding members are designed to utilize the natural propagation characteristics of light and the geometric arrangement of lamps and buttons. The structure allows light to self-direct through the guiding members to the appropriate light emitting slits without requiring complex active control mechanisms or additional energy input, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
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
The solution allows users to easily recognize operated buttons with increased light intensity, reducing confusion and improving usability by ensuring light is focused on the correct button printed units.
Implementation Method 1
condensing members for covering the paths from the lamps to the light emitting slits, so that light generated by the lamps can be transmitted through the light emitting slits
Implementation Method 2
The lamps 51′ are light emitting diodes each respectively formed by laminating semiconductors, connecting an electrode to the laminated semiconductors, and covering the resulting semiconductor chip with resin or glass
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a button display apparatus of a refrigerator which can improve an illumination effect of operation buttons by condensing light of lamps for illuminating display characters or contours of the operation buttons on the operation buttons. The button display apparatus of the refrigerator includes: a control board; switches installed on the front surface of the control board, for recognizing external operations; lamps mounted on the front surface of the control board around the switches, for irradiating light according to the recognition operations of the switches; a cover installed to cover the front surface of the control board, and composed of button printed units; contact units for displaying operation ranges of the user on parts of the button printed units; and condensing members for covering the paths from the lamps to the contact units, so that the light generated by the lamps can reach the contact units.