CONTROL PANEL ASSEMBLY FOR LAUNDRY MACHINE

• US 20080062673A1
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HWANG, Sung Gi, Heo, Seon Il, Yoon, Ju Han, Kim, Seong Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 7,673,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/85
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/00 User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control panel assembly in which a light emitted from a single lamp is prevented from being dispersed nearby. A control panel assembly for a laundry machine, the control panel assembly includes a lamp supporter in which a plurality of lamps are installed to display functions selected by a user; a deco formed corresponding to the plurality of the lamps, the deco including a plurality of light-emitting holes through which a light emitted from each of the lamps passes; a light window including a light dispersion preventing part provided between the lamp supporter and the deco to prevent the light emitted from each of the lamps from being emitted through the other light-emitting holes except a single light-emitting hole corresponding each of the lamps.

Claims

1. A control panel assembly for a laundry machine, the control panel assembly comprising:

a lamp supporter in which a plurality of lamps are installed to display functions selected by a user;

a deco formed corresponding to the plurality of the lamps, the deco including a plurality of light-emitting holes through which a light emitted from each of the lamps passes;

a light window including a light dispersion preventing part provided between the lamp supporter and the deco to prevent the light emitted from each of the lamps from being emitted through the other light-emitting holes except a single light-emitting hole corresponding each of the lamps.

2. The control panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the light window comprises a plurality of light-emitting protrusions formed at predetermined positions corresponding to the plurality of the light-emitting holes, respectively.

3. The control panel assembly of claim 2, wherein the light dispersion preventing part comprises a light transmittance preventing member provided between each neighboring light-emitting protrusions to prevent a light emitted from each of the lamps from being incident on the light window.

4. The control panel assembly of claim 2, wherein the light dispersion preventing part comprises a light dispersion preventing hole formed between each neighboring light-emitting protrusions to allow the light emitted from each of the lamp to pass through.

5. The control panel assembly of claim 2, wherein a rear surface of the light-emitting protrusion is formed with a substantially large surface roughness.

6. The control panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lamps are arranged in a circumferential direction.

7. The control panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the light window is formed of acryl material.

8. A laundry machine including a control panel assembly, wherein the control panel assembly comprising:

a lamp supporter in which a plurality of lamps are installed to display functions selected by a user;

a deco formed corresponding to the plurality of the lamps, the deco including a plurality of light-emitting holes through which a light emitted from each of the lamps passes;

a light window including a light dispersion preventing part provided between the lamp supporter and the deco to prevent the light emitted from each of the lamps from being emitted through the other light-emitting holes except a single light-emitting hole corresponding each of the lamps.