Control panel assembly for home appliances and method for manufacturing the same

• US 6,750,407 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Ki Ho, Song, Young Han, Kim, Myong Deok
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedhofer, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/362,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20030150699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5.R, 200/5.A, 200/308-317, 200/512, 200/517
• US Class Current: 200/5.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14286 means for heating the insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1418 the inserts being deformed or preformed, e.g. by the injection pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/286 Cutlery
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3443 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/70 having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard mounting together a plurality of independent switches H02B
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/028 Printed information
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/00 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/047 Preformed layer in mould
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/016 Control panel; Graphic display; Programme control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/43 Electric condenser making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49165 by forming conductive walled aperture in base

Abstract

A control panel assembly for home appliances devised for a better external appearance and more stable operation is disclosed. The control panel assembly includes a substrate (40) provided with at lest one switch (42) for operating home appliance and at least one display element (43) for displaying the operation state, an external film (60) configured to make it possible for an user to access to the switch (42) and the display element (43), and a control panel (30) allowing the substrate 40 to be installed therein, the control panel (30) injection-molded to be inserted in the external film (60) and integrated with the external film (60)

Claims

1. A control panel assembly for home appliances comprising:

a substrate for fitting at least one switch for operating a home appliance and indicators for indicating operating states of the home appliance, respectively;

an outside film formed such that a user can access the at least one switch and the indicators; and

a control panel injection-molded so as to be inserted in and unitized with the outside film, and having a substrate fitted to an inside thereof.

2. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an intermediate frame for connecting the outside film to the at least one switch and/or indicators such that the outside film interacts with the at least one switch and/or indicators.

3. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the intermediate frame includes at least one intermediate button for driving the at least one switch.

4. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the intermediate frame includes:

a body extending for a certain length, and

a leg for connecting the body to the intermediate frame resiliently.

5. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the leg is a spiral member.

6. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the intermediate frame further includes reinforcing ribs formed between the at least one intermediate button and a second button.

7. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the intermediate frame includes at least one supporter for supporting the indicators and guiding indication of the indicators.

8. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the supporter includes:

an opening opposite to the indicators; and

a wall extended in a vertical direction from a circumference of the opening.

9. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control panel includes button pass through holes opposite to the at least one switch.

10. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control panel includes indicating pass through holes opposite to the indicators.

11. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control panel is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent material.

12. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control panel is formed of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).

13. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outside film covers an entire front surface of the control panel.

14. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the outside film has a continuous surface without holes for prevention of water infiltration into the substrate.

15. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outside film includes buttons formed opposite to the at least one switch, and

indicator windows opposite to the indicators, wherein

the buttons and the indicator windows have characters and graphics printed together with a predetermined color for assisting use by a user.

16. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the buttons are projected opposite to the at least one switch so that the at least one switch is operative as the user presses the button.

17. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outside film is formed of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalata), or PC (Polycarbonate).

18. A method for fabricating a control panel assembly for home appliances, comprising:

forming an outside film such that a user can put a home appliance into operation and know an operation state;

injection molding resin in the outside film, to form the control panel as one unit with the outside film; and

fitting the control panel unitized with the outside film to a substrate, such that the outside film can interact with switches and buttons fitted on the substrate.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step forming the outside film includes the steps of;

printing graphics or characters on a raw film for indicating operations and 10 operation states, and

forming the printed film to be in conformity with a predetermined outside form by heat.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the film is formed of PC or PET.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the graphics or characters are printed such that the graphics or characters indicate intended forms when the graphics or characters are deformed in a thermal formation.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein forming the printed film includes the steps of;

placing the printed film in a mold having a forming surface of a required form, applying heat and pressure to the film such that the film is brought into close contact with the forming surface, maintaining a pressure in the mold for a time period for forming the film to a form opposite to the forming surface, and

separating the formed film from the mold.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the film is heated by a heating coil provided to the mold.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the film is pressed by injection of compressed air into the mold.

25. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the step of trimming a formed edge of the film after forming the printed film.

26. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein injection molding resin in the outside film injection molding resin in the outside film includes:

placing the formed film in a first mold having recesses opposite to a form of a front surface of the formed film;

coupling a second mold opposite to the first mold with the first mold having the film placed therein, to form a forming cavity between the first mold and the second mold;

injecting resin into the forming cavity; and

removing a control panel from the mold, the control panel being formed as the resin is set as one unit with the film.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the film is fixed to the recesses in the first mold by vacuum adsorption.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein coupling a second mold a second mold includes pressing down an edge of the placed film by using a supporting part on the second mold for stable setting of the film.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the resin is not injected to parts corresponding to the buttons and the indicator windows formed in the film.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the resin is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent material.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the resin is ABS.

32. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the resin has a melting point lower than the film.

33. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the step of fitting an intermediate frame on the substrate for connecting the outside film to the switches/the buttons before fitting the central panel.