Home appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch sensor assemblies for home appliances, such as refrigerator doors, face challenges in accurately detecting user interactions while maintaining a sleek appearance, as they often require visible sensors or complex configurations that compromise the aesthetic and functional integrity of the appliance.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensor assembly integrated into the refrigerator door's front panel, featuring a sensor PCB with a touch booster and elastic members, which detects deformation caused by user pushing, allowing for seamless integration and enhanced user interaction without visible sensors, utilizing a display assembly to convey operation states through a display window.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a touch sensor assembly is integrated into the front panel to detect user interactions, then the detection precision is improved, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates due to visible sensors or complex configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor assembly is merged with the front panel structure, where the sensor PCB is positioned behind the front panel and the touch booster integrates the sensing function directly into the panel surface. This merging allows the sensor to be functionally present but visually hidden, resolving the contradiction between detection precision and aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch booster acts as an intermediary element that transfers the user's touch input from the front panel surface to the sensor PCB behind it. This mediator enables accurate touch detection while keeping the sensor components hidden, maintaining both detection precision and aesthetic appearance.
2Measurement precision
If visible sensors or complex configurations are used to detect user interactions, then the detection precision is improved, but the device complexity increases compromising the sleek design
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional elements (sensor PCB, touch booster, front panel) are merged into an integrated assembly where the sensor function is built into the panel structure itself. This reduces the number of separate visible components and simplifies the overall configuration while maintaining detection precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The front panel serves multiple functions: it acts as both the aesthetic exterior surface and the touch sensing interface. The touch booster provides universal functionality by working with the sensor PCB to detect various user interactions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, lowering 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 enables precise detection of user interactions while maintaining the appliance's aesthetic appeal, enhancing user experience by providing intuitive operation state display without compromising the exterior design.
Implementation Method 1
a touch booster and elastic members, which transmits displacement occurring when the front panel is pushed by a user
Implementation Method 2
the touch sensor assembly being closely attached to a rear surface of the front panel to detect deformation of the front panel due to a pushing manipulation by a user
Implementation Method 3
the display assembly being configured to irradiate light passing through the display window into the rear space of the front panel to display an operation state of a refrigerator
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Provided are a touch sensor assembly that is maintained in a state in which the touch sensor is closely attached to an exterior member to accurately detect displacement when touch manipulation is performed to improve a recognition rate, a refrigerator door including a touch sensor assembly that is capable of preventing a sensor control part from being damaged by static electricity and having an improved front outer appearance, and a method for manufacturing the refrigerator door.