Touch Sensor Assembly And Refrigerator Door With Touch Sensor Assembly And Method For Manufacturing The Same

• US 20160117022A1
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Hyunki, PARK, Seungje, PARK, Kihyun, PARK, Jinseung
• Granted Patent: US 10,007,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/02 Doors specially adapted for stoves or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/086 touch control
• 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: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• 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

Provided are a touch sensor assembly that is maintained in a state in which the touch sensor is closely attached to an exterior member to accurately detect displacement when touch manipulation is performed to improve a recognition rate, a refrigerator door including a touch sensor assembly that is capable of preventing a sensor control part from being damaged by static electricity and having an improved front outer appearance, and a method for manufacturing the refrigerator door.

Claims

1. A refrigerator door comprising:

a front panel defining a front appearance of the refrigerator door, the front panel including a display window;

a touch sensor assembly that is closely attached to a rear surface of the front panel, the touch sensor assembly being configured to detect deformation of the front panel caused by a user'"'"'s pushing manipulation;

a cover display to which the touch sensor assembly is coupled;

an adhesion member configured to adhere the cover display to the rear surface of the front panel;

a frame defining a space for accommodating the cover display at a rear position of the front panel, the frame including a cover support that is configured to push the cover display toward the front panel to closely contact the cover display to the front panel; and

a display assembly disposed in the space defined by the frame, the display assembly being configured to irradiate light through the display window to display an operation state of the refrigerator to the user.

2. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein a front surface of the cover support includes one or more protrusions that protrude forward toward the front panel, the one or more protrusions being oriented transverse to an insertion direction of the cover display.

3. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor assembly is movably coupled to the cover display such that the touch sensor assembly moves in a front/rear direction relative to the cover display after coupling.

4. A home appliance comprising:

a front panel defining a frontal appearance of the home appliance, the front panel including a touch manipulation part;

a housing cover attached to a rear surface of the front panel by an adhesion member, a front surface of the housing cover defining an opening at a position corresponding to a position of the touch manipulation part;

a touch booster that is inserted within the opening and movably coupled to the housing cover, the touch booster being configured to directly contact the front panel;

a sensor PCB configured to detect a displacement of the front panel through a movement of the touch booster; and

an elastic member contacting a rear surface of the sensor PCB and configured to support the sensor PCB by pressing the sensor PCB toward the front panel.

5. The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein, based on the sensor PCB being pressed by the elastic member, a front surface of the touch booster is positioned closer to the rear surface of the front panel than the front surface of the housing cover.

6. The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein the touch booster is movably coupled to the housing cover by a plurality of hooks.

7. A sensor PCB comprising:

a plastic member;

a copper film disposed on an upper surface of the plastic member;

a plurality of sensor supports defined by the copper film and the plastic member, the plurality of sensor supports being placed apart from each other;

a plurality of metal plates that contact the copper film and cover the plurality of sensor supports;

a plurality of ceramic devices attached to an upper surface of the metal plate, each of the ceramic devices having a smaller area than each of the metal plates;

a spacer disposed on an upper surface of the copper film, the spacer defining a first through hole and a plurality of sensor holes formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of ceramic devices; and

a conductive foil attached to the copper film via the spacer, the conductive foil defining a second through hole at a position corresponding to the first through hole such that the first and second through holes are aligned, the conductive foil further including a conductive line having a mesh shape on a lower surface of the conductive foil.

8. A method for manufacturing a refrigerator door, wherein the refrigerator door includes a metallic front panel defining a frontal appearance of the refrigerator door and having a plurality of first through holes, a cover display having a plurality of second through holes defined at positions corresponding to positions of the first through holes, an adhesion member adhering the cover display to a rear surface of the front panel, a deco member coupled to the front panel, a door liner defining a rear surface of the refrigerator door by coupling with the deco member, an insulation member filled in a space formed by the front panel, the deco member, and the door liner, an insertion opening formed at a position of the deco member, a frame defining a space at a rear position of the front panel to receive the cover display, the space configured to communicate with the insertion opening, and a display assembly disposed in the space of the frame by passing through the insertion opening and irradiating light passing through the first and second through holes, the method comprising:

attaching the cover display to the front panel using an adhesion member based on a fixing jig being closely contacted to the front panel.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein closely contacting the fixing jig to the front panel includes passing a plurality of pins that extend away from an upper surface of the fixing jig through the plurality of first through holes of the front panel.

10. A touch sensor assembly comprising:

a sensor PCB on which a sensor for detecting displacement of an exterior member of a home appliance is mounted, the sensor being configured to detect displacement based on a user touching the exterior member;

a sensor housing attached to an inner surface of the exterior member, the sensor housing defining a space configured to accommodate the sensor PCB; and

an elastic member disposed on a first surface that is opposite a second surface on which the sensor is mounted, the elastic member being configured to press the sensor PCB to thereby stabilize the sensor PCB relative to the exterior member.

11. A refrigerator door comprising:

a front panel defining an outer appearance of a front surface of the door and in which a display window is disposed;

a deco member coupled to the front panel, the deco member defining an insertion hole on one side of the deco member;

a door liner coupled to the deco member to define a rear surface of the door;

an insulation material filled into a space defined by the front panel, the deco member, and the door liner;

a frame defining a rear space of the front panel;

a display assembly inserted through the insertion hole after the insulation material is filled and disposed in the space defined by the frame, the display assembly being configured to irradiate light passing through the display window into the rear space of the front panel to display an operation state of a refrigerator; and

a touch sensor assembly comprising a sensor that is closely attached to a rear surface of the front panel to detect deformation of the front panel due to a pushing manipulation by a user,

wherein the display assembly comprises a display PCB on which an LED for irradiating the light is mounted, and

wherein a sensor control part configured to process a signal generated by the touch sensor assembly is mounted on the display PCB.

12. A method for manufacturing a refrigerator door, the method comprising:

assembling a display assembly with a touch sensor assembly;

attaching a cover display and the touch sensor assembly to a rear surface of a front panel;

attaching a frame to the front panel;

filling a foaming solution into a door except for a space defined inside the frame to form an insulation material; and

inserting the display assembly into the frame to mount the display assembly.