Touch Button Spring Alignment for Household Appliance Control Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for mounting touch buttons on household appliance control panels often result in connection errors due to spring deformation, leading to sensitivity changes and incorrect key detection, especially when springs are positioned near the edge of the circuit board, requiring laborious and time-consuming assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a control panel design with a board holder that includes a second support extending towards the spring and a first support positioned opposite to it, preventing oscillation and bending of the spring during assembly, and a separator that aligns with the circuit board to ensure proper alignment without guiding components, allowing for quick and cost-effective assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If guides surrounding the spring are placed onto the circuit board to fix the spring position, then the spring alignment is improved, but the device complexity and assembly time increase when the spring is positioned near the edge of the circuit board
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guiding function into the separator component itself. The separator includes guide portions that extend toward the spring, eliminating the need for separate guiding components. This integration maintains spring alignment precision while reducing device complexity and assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator acts as an intermediary component between the circuit board and control panel, providing guidance for the spring through its guide portions. This intermediary structure ensures proper spring alignment during assembly without requiring complex guiding mechanisms attached directly to the circuit board.
2Stability of the object's composition
If springs are surrounded with components assembled thereafter to guide them, then the spring position is stabilized, but the assembly process becomes laborious and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portions are pre-formed as integral parts of the separator component. This preliminary structuring allows the spring to be guided automatically during the normal assembly process, eliminating the need for additional time-consuming guiding operations after component assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding function is merged into the separator component design. The guide portions are formed as part of the separator's structure, allowing spring stabilization to occur automatically during separator installation rather than requiring separate guiding steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If two components are assembled to surround and guide the spring, then the spring alignment is improved, but the buttons may get stuck when components cannot be properly seated or aligned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guiding function into a single separator component rather than using two separate components. This reduces the number of interfaces and potential misalignment points, thereby improving reliability and preventing buttons from getting stuck during assembly or operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator serves as an intermediary component that provides guidance for the spring through its guide portions. This single intermediary structure ensures proper spring alignment while minimizing the risk of assembly errors that could cause button malfunction.
4Productivity
If no guiding components are used to reduce assembly complexity, then the assembly process becomes quicker and cheaper, but the spring may deform during assembly causing connection errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guiding function into the separator component, which is already part of the standard assembly process. This integration provides spring guidance without adding separate guiding components or assembly steps, thereby maintaining high productivity while ensuring spring alignment precision.
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 design eliminates connection errors by ensuring the spring remains aligned and stable, reducing assembly time and costs, while preventing the touch button from getting stuck or deformed during assembly.
Implementation Method 1
detection of the capacitive change by means of springs connected to the circuit board, which have a plate at the ends thereof that contact the control area
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a household appliance (1) comprising a control panel (2) having a control area (A) thereon which enables the user to select the desired program parameters by touching; a circuit board (4) which is disposed behind the control panel and which is placed onto a board holder (3); at least one touch button (7) having a plate (6) bearing against the control area (A) and at least one spring (5) one end of which is fixed to the plate (6) and the other end to the circuit board (4) and which transmits to the circuit board (4) the capacitive difference forming when the control area (A) is touched; and a separator (8) which is placed onto the circuit board (4) so as to remain between the circuit board (4) and the control panel (2).