Touch sensor assembly and refrigerator door including same

• US 10,521,033 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jinseung, Park, Seungje
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bibbee, Chayce R
• Application Number:
  US15/952,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9643 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96015 Constructional details for touch switches for capacitive touch switches see H03K2217/9607

Abstract

A touch sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a sensor housing disposed at a rear surface of an external member on which a touch operation unit on which a user touches is marked, a sensor PCB accommodated in the sensor housing, and an elastic member which is disposed at a rear side of the sensor PCB and presses the sensor PCB toward a rear surface of the external member, wherein the elastic member is mounted in an elastic member accommodation portion formed at a bottom surface of the sensor housing.

Claims

1. A household appliance, comprising:

a cabinet having a storage space; and

a door for opening or closing the storage space, the door including;

a front panel formed of a metallic plate and having a display window which is defined by a plurality of first through holes and a touch input area;

a door liner to define a rear surface of the door;

a deco member connecting the front panel and the door liner, and having an insertion hole;

a frame attached to a rear surface of the front panel and having an opening which communicates with the insertion hole, and also having cover support portions which protrude from side surfaces of the frame;

a display cover attached to the rear surface of the front panel and having an accommodation portion, a plurality of second through holes, and rail guides formed at sides of the display cover;

a touch sensor assembly provided on the accommodation portion at a position corresponding to the touch input area;

a display frame having a mounting portion that has a plate shape and sliding insertion portions formed at sides of the mounting portion, the sliding insertion portions configured to be slid in the rail guides when the display frame is inserted in the insertion hole of the deco member;

a display assembly coupled to the mounting portion and having a display printed circuit board (PCB) and a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein, when the touch input area of the front panel is touched by a user, the display cover is pressed against the cover support portions.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cover support portions are arranged along the frame in a longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other.

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising at least one protrusive portion which protrudes from a surface of each of the cover support portions to contact the rail guide of the display cover.

4. The household appliance according to claim 3, wherein the protrusive portion is formed in a rib shape or hemisphere shape.

5. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bosses protruding from the mounting portion and on which the display PCB is provided.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a support plate provided on an upper region of a front side of the frame.

7. The household appliance according to claim 6, wherein plate support portions are formed at sides of the front side of the frame.

8. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the accommodation portion includes an opening.

9. The household appliance according to claim 8, wherein housing support portions extend backward from the display cover to define the opening of the accommodation portion, and wherein an end of at least one housing support portion is bent to press against a rear surface of the touch sensor assembly.

10. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a frame handle extending upward from an upper end of the display frame.

11. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulating material filled in a space between the door liner and the front panel, wherein the heat insulating material is configured to surround an outer surface of the frame.

12. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a reflector attached to a front surface of the display PCB, wherein a plurality of third through holes are formed in the reflector at positions aligned with the first and second through holes.

20. The household appliance according to claim 12, wherein the touch sensor assembly has a second PCB.

21. The household appliance according to claim 12, further comprising a support plate coupled to the frame and provided between the display frame and the frame, wherein the display cover is adhered to a rear surface of the front panel, the display assembly is fixed to the display frame, and a handle extends upward from the display frame to slide the display frame into and out of the insertion hole.

13. A household appliance, comprising:

a cabinet; and

a door configured to open or close the cabinet, the door including;

a front panel having a plurality of holes and a touch input area;

a door liner;

a door trim connecting the front panel and the door liner, the door trim having an insertion hole;

a frame provided between the front panel and the door liner and having a first opening communicating with the insertion hole, and also having at least one support which protrudes from the frame;

a display cover provided between the front panel and the door liner, a plurality of holes, and rail guides formed at sides of the display cover;

a touch sensor assembly provided on the display cover and behind the touch input area;

a display frame having rails formed at sides of the display frame, the rails configured to be slid in the rail guides when the display frame is inserted in the insertion hole;

a display assembly coupled to the display frame and having a first printed circuit board (PCB) and a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein, when the touch input area is touched, the display cover is pressed against the at least one support.

14. The household appliance of claim 13, wherein a surface of the support that contacts the display cover is textured to include ribs or hemisphere-shaped bumps.

15. The household appliance according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of supports are arranged along an inner side of the frame to protrude into the first opening.

16. The household appliance according to claim 13, further comprising a plurality of bosses protruding from the display frame and a plurality of screws configured to fasten to the bosses to fix the first PCB to the display frame in a state where the first PCB is spaced apart from the display frame.

17. The household appliance according to claim 13, wherein the touch sensor assembly is provided in a second opening of the display cover, and housing supports extend from an edge of the second opening to maintain the touch sensor assembly in the second opening.

18. The household appliance according to claim 13, wherein the display cover has a plurality of holes provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of holes in the front panel, and wherein the display assembly includes a reflector provided over the first PCB and having a plurality of holes provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of holes in the front panel and the display cover such that light emitted from the LEDs is emitted to an outside of the front panel.

19. The household appliance according to claim 13, wherein the touch sensor assembly is provided in a second opening of the display cover such that front surfaces of the touch sensor assembly and the display cover are flush with each other.