Washer Door Sealing Structure for Touch Display Moisture Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry treating apparatuses face challenges in providing an integrated aesthetic sense, preventing sealant leakage, enhancing joint strength, and protecting electronic components from moisture when a touch screen is integrated into the door, particularly with circular door designs.
Innovation Solution
A door structure with a circular light transmitting region overlapping within a rectangular display area, a touch sensor covering the light transmitting region, and a sealant filling groove system to prevent moisture infiltration, along with a mounting guide for precise alignment and sealant collection, ensures a secure and aesthetically pleasing design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a mechanical fastening structure (bracket, hook) is used to couple the door cover to the door frame, then the joint strength is enhanced, but it becomes difficult to use with glass material door covers and circular-shaped doors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical fastening structure (brackets, hooks) with an adhesive bonding system. The adhesive is applied to the inner side of the door frame and bonds the door cover to the door frame through chemical adhesion rather than mechanical interlocking, enabling compatibility with glass materials and circular shapes that cannot accommodate mechanical fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bonding mechanism from mechanical (physical interlocking) to chemical (adhesive bonding). This parameter change in the coupling method allows the door cover to be made of glass material and shaped circularly, as these forms are incompatible with mechanical fastening structures.
2Shape
If adhesive is coated at an inner side of the door frame far away from the edge portion to prevent leakage, then appearance quality is maintained, but joint strength deteriorates and foreign substances can easily infiltrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third dimension (depth/layering) by creating a stepped structure with a first level adhesive coating near the edge for strength and sealing, and a second level adhesive coating inward for appearance. This multi-level approach in the depth dimension allows the adhesive to extend closer to the edge without visible leakage, maintaining both joint strength and appearance quality.
3Ease of operation
If a touch screen is provided on the door, then advanced user interface and integrated aesthetic sense are achieved, but moisture infiltration into electronic elements becomes more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the adhesive coating as a flexible sealing film between the door cover (containing the touch screen) and the door frame. This adhesive film creates a moisture barrier that protects the electronic elements of the touch screen while maintaining the integrated aesthetic design.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive serves as an intermediary substance that both bonds the door cover to the door frame and provides moisture sealing. This intermediary layer protects the touch screen electronic elements from moisture infiltration while allowing the touch screen to function on the door surface.
4Strength
If adhesive is coated closer to the edge portion of the door frame, then joint strength is enhanced and foreign substance infiltration is prevented, but adhesive leakage deteriorates appearance quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by using a stepped, multi-level adhesive structure in the depth dimension. The first level adhesive coating is applied near the edge for strength and sealing, while the second level coating is applied inward at a higher position. This vertical layering allows the adhesive to extend closer to the edge without visible leakage from the front view, maintaining both joint strength and appearance quality.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a laundry treating apparatus (1) including a body (20) provided with a laundry inlet (20a); and a door (10) configured to open and close the laundry inlet, wherein the door includes a door frame (110, 1110, 1210, 4110, 1311, 1411) having a first opening portion (111a) facing the laundry inlet and a second opening portion (111b) corresponding to a display module (130, 1130) mounted at an inside in a state that the door is closed; and a door cover (140, 1140, 1240, 1340, 1440, 2140, 3140) coupled to the door frame to form an appearance of the door, the door cover includes a non-light-transmitting region (143, 1143, 2143, 3143, 1343, 1443), and a first light transmitting region (141, 1141, 1241, 1341, 1441, 2141, 3141) corresponding to the first opening portion and a second light transmitting region (142, 1142, 1342, 2142, 3142) corresponding to the second opening portion within the non-light-transmitting region, and a sealant filling groove (111d, 1111d, 4111d) configured to fill sealant for adhesion to the door cover is formed at a portion overlapping with the non-light-transmitting region on the door frame.