Laundry machine

• US 7,752,871 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Han Ki, Jang, Ho Sung, Yoon, Jong Sun, Hwang, Sung Gi, Son, Chang Woo, Lyu, Jae Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heckert; Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/476,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 68/120.1, 68/122.3, 68/122.7
• US Class Current: 68/12.27
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs

Abstract

The present invention relates to laundry machines, and more particularly, to a control unit assembly in a laundry machine which enables easy assembly and accurate alignment of an input device of a printed circuit board with a button portion of a control panel.

The control unit assembly includes a control panel having various operation buttons and coupling portions, a plurality of coating guides coupled to a rear surface of the control panel having fastening portions corresponding to the coupling portions, a plurality of printed circuit boards respectively mounted on the coating guides, each having an electric circuit mounted thereon, joining portions for joining the coating guides together so as to place the coating guides closer to an inside of the control panel, and holders for preventing the coupling portions and fastening portions from moving with respect to each other when the fastening portions are aligned with the coupling portions, thereby improving assembly work, preventing malfunction of the laundry machine, and permitting easy detection of an operation progress.

Claims

1. A laundry machine comprising:

a drum;

a cabinet that forms an exterior of the laundry machine and protects the drum;

a control panel having operational buttons, and coupling portions;

a plurality of coating guides having fastening portions corresponding to the coupling portions for mounting to a rear surface of the control panel;

a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCB) respectively mounted on the coating guides each having an electric circuit mounted thereon;

joining portions for joining the respective coating guides so as to approach an inside of the control panel; and

a plurality of holders for preventing the coupling portions and the fastening portions from moving with respect to each other at a time the coupling portions are brought closer to the fastening portions, respectively, and wherein the joining portion includes;

a hook on a first one of the coating guides, and

a joining surface on a second one of the coating guides, the joining surface having a hook hole for holding the hook.

2. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening portion includes walls on an upper portion of the coating guide having a fastening hole, and a holder that includes at least one rib projected from the wall at an area around the fastening hole.

3. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the holders are formed opposite to each other with respect to the fastening hole.

4. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coupling portion includes a fastening boss, and the holder has an end sloped for easy placing in of the fastening boss.

5. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the holders opposite to each other with respect to the fastening hole is distanced enough to allow sliding of the fastening boss.

6. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening portion includes walls on an upper portion of the coating guide, and a holder is a cylinder projected from the wall at an area around a fastening hole.

7. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cylinder has an inside diameter with a size enough to allow sliding of a fastening boss.

8. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening portion includes walls on an upper portion of the coating guide, and a holder is an arc projected from the wall at an area around a fastening hole.

9. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the holder is formed on an upper side and a lower side of the fastening hole.

10. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the holder is formed on a left side and a right side of the fastening hole.

11. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining portion is formed on a side of each of the coating guides.

12. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coating guides joined together form an outside appearance having a curvature at which the PCBs and the operation buttons can be placed closer.

13. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one hook and hook hole are formed, respectively.

14. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining portion includes a plurality of hooks having holding directions to be held at hook holes different from one another.

15. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining portion further includes position guide means for guiding the hook to the hook hole for easy fastening of the hook to the hook hole.

16. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the position guide means includes:

a guide projection from one of the coating guides, and

a guide projection receiver at another one of the coating guides for receiving the guide projection.

17. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein the guide projection is adjacent to the hook.

18. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one of the guide projections and the guide projection receivers are formed, respectively.

19. A control unit assembly comprising:

a control panel having operation buttons and coupling portions;

a plurality of coating guides coupled to a rear surface of the control panel having fastening portions corresponding to the coupling portions;

a plurality of printed circuit boards respectively mounted on the coating guides, each of the circuit boards having an electric circuit mounted thereon;

a plurality of joining portions for joining the respective coating guides so as to approach an inside of the control panel; and

a plurality of holders for preventing the coupling portions and fastening portions from moving with respect to each other when the fastening portions are aligned with the coupling portions, and wherein the joining portion includes;

a hook on one of the coating guide, and

a joining surface on another one of the coating guides and having a hook hole for holding the hook.