Transparent Appliance Control Panel With Split Touch and Switch Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and cost of manufacturing and assembling input devices for modern household appliances, which often require separate components for touchscreen and switching functions, necessitate a simplification to reduce the number of components and enhance user interaction.
Innovation Solution
A display and control element that integrates a transparent input element for both touchscreen and switching regions, using a marker element to differentiate between them, where the transparent input element covers a larger area with a blind or cover to create distinct regions, allowing for reduced component assembly and improved user differentiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate components are used for touchscreen and switching functions, then functionality is comprehensive, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the touchscreen input element and switching elements into a single integrated transparent input element. The transparent input element serves dual purposes: it acts as a touchscreen interface when activated and as a switching element with pushbuttons when deactivated, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent input element is designed to perform multiple functions depending on its activation state. When activated, it functions as a touchscreen display; when deactivated, it functions as a set of physical pushbuttons. This multi-functionality allows a single component to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate components.
2Ease of manufacture
If a transparent input element covers the entire area, then manufacturing is simplified, but user differentiation between input regions becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different visual properties to different regions of the transparent input element. The active touchscreen region appears transparent allowing visibility through it, while the inactive switching region appears opaque or has a different visual characteristic. This local differentiation in visual quality enables users to easily distinguish between the two functional regions while maintaining a unified manufacturing process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A display and control element (10) for a household appliance comprising: a transparent input element (12); a display element (14) mounted behind the input element (12); and a marker element (20, 26; 30, 32) which divides the area of the input element (12) into at least one touchscreen region through which the display element (14) is visible, and at least one switching region in which the display element (14) is not visible.