Appliance remote touch-control panel with sound system

• US 3,983,553 A
• Filed: 05/12/1975
• Issued: 09/28/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kesling, Keith K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Habecker, Thomas B.
• Application Number:
  US05/576,802
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 340/365 R, 340/384 E, 340/384 C, 340/326
• US Class Current: 341/27
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

A remote touch-pad control panel for a domestic appliance coordinated with a sound system for selecting domestic appliance functions whereby a different sound is audible for each function pad touched by the operator. The touch control panel has an imporforate flexible plastic skin coextensive therewith having indicia pads with the skin superimposed on a rigid outer insulating sheet having a plurality of spaced apart apertures arranged in a preselected pattern therein. The flexible skin pads have contacts on their inner surface paired with fixed contacts on an inner rigid sheet spaced by an intermediate frame from the outer sheet whereby a deflecting touch control force through the flexible plastic skin pad establishes electrical connection between the paired contacts to operate the appliance function selected and energize the sound associated therewith.

Claims

1. A touch control apparatus for a domestic appliance comprising, an elongated box-shaped casing having a rectangular opening in one side wall, a composite touch responsive control panel assembly closing said wall opening, the user'"'"'s side of said panel assembly presenting a continuous uninterrupted surface formed by a flexible sheet of impervious plastic material having deflectable areas, said user'"'"'s side having a plurality of appliance control flexible pads delineated thereon at said deflectable areas with each pad including indicia defining an appliance function, electrically conducting means on said panel assembly in the form of a plurality of single fixed contacts, each of said fixed contacts arranged to interconnect with a movable contact member secured on the inner face of each said flexible pad at a deflectable area providing a series of flexible pad switches, a musical tone generator circuit including a speaker positioned in said casing, each said flexible pad switch being responsive to a preselected deflecting force to the flexible pad to selectively establish an electrical path for the flow of current between different portions of said circuit, and each said flexible pad switch being operative when closed to select a predetermined resistive value in said tone generator circuit causing an electrical pulse to generate a frequency for driving said speaker producing a predetermined audible tone, whereby a distinguishable audible musical tone is obtained for each flexible pad switch to assure the user of the actuation of the preselected appliance function.

2. A touch control apparatus for a domestic appliance comprising, an elongated casing having an opening in one side wall, a composite touch responsive control panel assembly closing said wall opening, said composite assembly including outer and inner electrically insulating panels, said outer panel having a plurality of spaced apart apertures arranged in a preselected pattern, said inner panel having a plurality of fixed electrical contacts thereon extending forwardly therefrom in axial alignment with each of said apertures, an intermediate frame sandwiched between said outer and inner panels, said frame being formed with a central cutout similar in shape to said panels but of a size smaller than that of said panels, said composite panel assembly including a flexible sheet of impervious plastic material on the outer surface of said outer panel having deflectable areas, said sheet presenting a continuous uninterrupted body superimposed over said outer panel, said sheet having a plurality of appliance control flexible pads on the user'"'"'s side at said deflectable areas, each said deflectable area defined by one of said outer panel apertures, said sheet having each of its flexible pads provided with a movable electrical contact on its inner surface protruding into its associated outer panel aperture, electrically conductive means in said frame cutout arranged to interconnect said sheet movable contacts, said fixed and movable contacts providing a series of flexible pad switches, each said flexible pad switch being operative for selective deflection of its movable contact into engagement with its associated fixed contact in response to a preselected force to its associated sheet deflectable area.

3. A remote touch control apparatus for a domestic appliance comprising, an elongated box-shaped casing having a rectangular opening in one side wall, a composite control panel assembly closing said wall opening, said composite assembly including outer and inner electrically insulating panels, said outer panel having a plurality of spaced apart apertures arranged in a preselected pattern, said inner panel having a plurality of fixed electrical contacts thereon extending forwardly therefrom in axial alignment with each of said apertures, an intermediate frame sandwiched between said outer and inner panels, said frame being formed with a central rectangular cutout similar in shape to said panels but of a size smaller than that of said panels, said composite panel assembly including a flexible sheet of impervious plastic material having deflectable areas on the outer surfaces of said outer panel, said sheet presenting a continuous uninterrupted body superimposed over said outer panel, said sheet having a plurality of appliance control flexible pads on the user'"'"'s side at said deflectable areas with each pad including indicia defining an appliance function, each said deflectable area defined by one of said outer panel apertures;

said sheet having each of its flexible pads provided with a movable electrical contact on its inner surface protruding into its associated outer panel aperture, electrically conductive means in said frame cutout arranged to interconnect said flexible sheet movable contacts, a musical tone generator circuit including a speaker positioned in said casing, said fixed and movable contacts providing a series of flexible pad switches, each said flexible pad switch being operative for selective deflection of its movable contact into engagement with its associated single fixed contact in response to a preselected deflecting force to its associated sheet flexible pad, each said flexible pad switch being operative when closed to select a predetermined resistive value in said tone generator circuit causing an electrical pulse to generate a frequency for driving said speaker producing a predetermined audible tone, whereby a distinguishable audible musical tone is obtained for each flexible pad switch to assure the user of the actuation of the preselected appliance function.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the fixed contacts are axially adjustable to allow for adjustment of the deflecting force required to close the switches.