Interface and laundry treating apparatus having the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treating apparatuses require significant space for their control panels due to the separate arrangement of display, selection, and input components, making it inconvenient for users to repeatedly select and set desired courses and options.
Innovation Solution
A rotary knob control panel with an encoder that generates electrical signals for each preset rotation click, allowing users to select and set specific courses and options by rotating the knob in a specific direction, reducing the need for multiple input components and minimizing space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If display, selection, and input components are arranged separately in conventional interfaces, then each component can be clearly distinguished and operated, but the control panel requires significant space and becomes complex in structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the display portion, search interface, selection portion, and input means into a single integrated touchscreen display. All control functions are merged into one component that can display information and receive user input through touch operations, eliminating the need for separate physical components and significantly reducing the control panel area.
Solution Approach 2:
The touchscreen display serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays control commands, allows searching for commands, enables selection of commands, and requests execution of selected commands. This multi-functional design replaces multiple specialized components with a single universal interface that performs all control operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for control functions, then each function can be performed with dedicated hardware, but the device complexity and installation space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges display, search, selection, and input functions into a single touchscreen interface, reducing the number of separate hardware components. This integration simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining all necessary control capabilities through software-based function separation within the unified interface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional knobs require repeated rotation to select courses and options, then all available courses and options can be accessed, but the operation becomes time-consuming and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a search interface that allows users to directly search for and jump to specific control commands without sequentially rotating through all options. This preliminary action of searching enables users to quickly locate desired courses and options, significantly reducing selection time compared to repeated rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The touchscreen interface allows users to skip through options by directly selecting desired commands from the displayed list rather than sequentially rotating through all possibilities. This skipping capability enables rapid navigation to specific courses and options, reducing the time required for selection.
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 enables users to easily select and set desired courses and options with fewer rotations, providing a more convenient and space-efficient control interface for laundry treating apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
an encoder coupled to the manipulation portion and configured to sequentially generate or vary an electrical signal every preset rotation click is installed
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a laundry treating apparatus including a control panel for setting a shortcut of a specific course and option desired by a user.