Touch sensing apparatus for metal panel including display window with through-holes and touch part home appliance having metal panel and touch sensing apparatus, and method for controlling the same

• US 10,330,380 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Seungje
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US15/305,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20170234609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/126 of cellular type
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/006 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9643 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9647 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94031 Calibration involving digital processing
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96023 Details of electro-mechanic connections between different elements, e.g.: sensing plate and integrated circuit containing electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96046 Key-pad combined with display, back-lit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960705 Safety of capacitive touch and proximity switches, e.g. increasing reliability, fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960785 with illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96079 using a single or more light guides

Abstract

Provided is a metal touch sensing apparatus in which recognition performance thereof is improved, a plurality of touch parts are successively manipulated to enter into a specific mode, thereby preventing a refrigerator from being malfunctioned, and touch sensitivity of the refrigerator to be touched for the manipulation is visually adjusted, and a home appliance including the touch apparatus and a method for controlling the same.

Claims

1. A metal touch sensing apparatus comprising:

a front panel made of a metal material, the front panel including;

a display window defined by a plurality of through holes, and

at least one touch part formed at an area adjacent to the display window and configured to be displayed on the display window to allow a user to perform touch manipulation;

a sensor PCB mounted on a position corresponding to the touch part on a rear surface of the front panel, the sensor PCB including a sensor support defined by a groove recessed from a front surface of the sensor PCB;

a touch sensor mounted on the front surface of the sensor PCB for detecting touch of the touch part of the front panel, the touch sensor including a piezoelectric type sensor or a resistive cell type sensor;

a touch booster that is attached to the rear surface of the front panel, that defines an opening at a position corresponding to the touch sensor, and that is configured to move toward the touch sensor based on the touch part being manipulated, the touch booster comprising;

a common part located at a central region of the opening,

a first extension part that extends from a first side of the opening along a first circumference of the common part and that is spaced apart from the first circumference of the common part, and

a second extension part that extends from a second side of the opening along a second circumference of the common part and that is spaced apart from the second circumference of the common part, the second side of the opening facing the first side of the opening;

an elastic member contacting a rear surface of the sensor PCB corresponding to an outer edge of the sensor support to support the sensor PCB by pressing the sensor PCB towards the rear surface of the front panel to generate a base voltage in the touch sensor in a no-touch state, the elastic member being made of a silicon material or an epoxy material; and

a sensor control part detecting a voltage increasing from the base voltage when a touch operation occurs to recognize that the touch operation occurs when the increasing voltage is greater than a preset value.

2. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base voltage is set to a value less than a touch sensible voltage level.

3. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front panel has a thickness of about 0.4 mm to 1.0 mm.

4. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is provided in a pair, which are disposed at positions facing each other outside the touch sensor.

5. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is provided on each of a plurality of touch sensors.

6. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor and the sensor control part are accommodated into separate housings, respectively, and

each of the housings is attached to the front panel by an adhesive.

7. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive is disposed outside the touch part.

8. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is located at a position corresponding to a position of the touch part.

9. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first extension part of the touch booster and the second extension part of the touch booster are symmetrical to each other with respect to the common part of the touch booster, and

wherein a distance between the first circumference of the common part and the first extension part is equal to a distance between the second circumference of the common part and the second extension part.

10. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first extension part of the touch booster and the second extension part of the touch booster surround the common part of the touch booster.

11. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the common part of the touch booster comprises a protrusion that protrudes from a bottom surface of the common part toward the touch sensor, and that is located at a center of the bottom surface of the common part, and that is configured to contact the touch sensor based on the touch part being manipulated, and

wherein a width of the protrusion is less than a width of the first circumference of the common part and a width of the second circumference of the common part.

12. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second circumference of the common part faces the first circumference of the common part.

13. The metal touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second circumference of the common part extends from the first circumference of the common part.

14. A method for controlling a refrigerator including a sensor that detects manipulation of each of a plurality of touch parts formed on a front panel of a refrigerator door and that enables an input of command for an operation of the refrigerator by pressing the sensor at a normal mode, the method comprising:

entering into a special mode based on a user manipulating the plurality of touch parts in a state in which each touch part does not indicate the special mode to the user, the special mode including;

a first mode for confirming an operation state of the refrigerator, and

a second mode for changing a set-up condition of the refrigerator,

wherein entering into the special mode comprises;

detecting first touch of one of the plurality of touch parts, and

detecting second touch of another of the plurality of touch parts within a preset time after detection of the first touch of the one of the plurality of touch parts,

wherein the second mode include a sensitivity setting mode for adjusting a sensitivity of the sensor while maintaining the state in which each touch part does not indicate the special mode, adjusting the sensitivity of the sensor comprising;

detecting touch of one of the plurality of touch parts that is selected for changing the sensitivity,

displaying a current sensitivity value of the selected touch part for changing the sensitivity,

detecting a repeated press of the selected touch part to change the current sensitivity value, and

storing, in a storage part, a changed sensitivity value corresponding to the repeated press, and

wherein the method further comprises entering into the normal mode based on an end of the sensitivity setting mode.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein entering into the special mode comprises entering the special mode by the user manipulating the plurality of touch parts in a preset order in the state in which each touch part does not indicate the special mode.