Control panel of a laundry processing machine

• US 7,598,885 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Hye Yong, Kwon, Dae Hee, Kim, Hyun Seok, Lee, Seong Yeol, Kim, Bo Yeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US11/437,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20070119484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.45, 340/815.47, 340/815.55, 200/296, 200/316, 200/19.18, 362/26, 362/27
• US Class Current: 340/815.45
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/105 comprising arrangements for illumination

Abstract

A control panel of a laundry processing machine includes a control substrate having LEDs, a transparent window having transparent protrusions formed to be corresponded to the LEDs, and a display cover having a plurality of ribs which are protruded at a surface of the display cover and placed between the transparent protrusions, thereby one of lights emitted from the LEDs is directed to the corresponding transparent protrusions without being spread elsewhere.

Claims

1. A control panel of a laundry processing machine comprising:

a control substrate provided with a plurality of LEDs;

a transparent window provided with a plurality of transparent protrusions formed to correspond to the LEDs; and

a light spread preventing means placed between the transparent protrusions such that the light emitted from each of the plurality of the LEDs is directed to each LED'"'"'s corresponding transparent protrusion,

wherein the control panel further comprises a display cover in which the transparent protrusions are inserted,

wherein the light spread preventing means is a plurality of ribs protruding at a surface of the display cover.

2. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 1, wherein the control panel further comprises a rotary switch placed on the control substrate and the plurality of LEDs are mounted to surround the rotary switch according to a circular direction at predetermined intervals.

3. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 1, wherein the transparent window includes a platebody which is formed to follow an arc shape of a rotary switch, and the plurality of transparent protrusions are positioned on at least one side of an interior or exterior of the platebody.

4. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 3, wherein the transparent window has a plurality of rib insert holes in which the ribs are inserted.

5. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 1, wherein the control panel further comprises a plurality of LED supporters, which support the plurality of LEDs provided to the control substrate.

6. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 5, wherein the ribs protrude between the plurality of transparent protrusions from the LED supporters.

7. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 6, wherein the transparent window has a plurality of rib insert holes in which the ribs are inserted.

8. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 5, wherein the LED supporters protrude to form a plurality of walls to surround each individual LED.

9. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 8, wherein the walls are formed to extend between the transparent protrusions.

10. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 1, wherein the control panel covers the control substrate.

11. A control panel of a laundry processing machine comprising:

a control substrate provided with a plurality of LEDs;

a transparent window provided with a plurality of transparent protrusions formed to correspond to the LEDs;

a display cover at which a plurality of light display holes are formed to correspond to each of the LEDs; and

a light spread preventing means placed between the plurality of light display holes such that light emitted from a given LEDs is directed to that given LED'"'"'s light display hole,

wherein the light spread preventing means is a plurality of ribs protruding toward the transparent window on a back side of the display cover.

12. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 11, wherein a plurality of rib insert holes are formed in the transparent window to receive corresponding ones of the plurality of ribs.

13. The control panel of the laundry processing machine of claim 11, wherein the control panel covers the control substrate.