LED console assembly with light reflector

• US 9,940,857 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Heater, Timothy E., Schuh, Eric J., Subramaniyam, Sithaarth T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NEILS, PEGGY A
• Application Number:
  US14/943,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20160071443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/04 Quantity, e.g. weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• 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: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0422 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/06 using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/14 Arrangements of reflectors therein
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/142 multiple reflectors

Abstract

A console assembly for an appliance has a light transmissive indicia assembly having at least one indicator and one operator control, a printed circuit assembly (PCA) mounted to the indicia assembly with touch circuit and light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted to both sides of the PCA, and a light reflector disposed adjacent to the PCA and the LEDs.

Claims

1. A console assembly for an appliance comprising:

a light transmissive indicia assembly (IML) having at least one indicator and at least one operator control;

a printed circuit assembly (PCA) mounted to the IML, having a touch circuit on a first side adjacent to the IML, operatively coupled with the at least one operator control on the IML, and further having at least one light emitting diode (LED) on a second side opposite the first side, and at least one opening through the PCA from the second side to the first side;

a light reflector disposed adjacent to the second side of the PCA and comprising at least one dome shaped light cup disposed adjacent to and positioned to aligned with the at least one LED, wherein light from the LED is directed toward the light cup and reflected backward by the light cup through the at least one opening of the PCA and through the IML.

2. The console assembly according to claim 1 further comprising an attachment means.

3. The console assembly according to claim 2 wherein the attachment means includes an adhesive.

4. The console assembly according to claim 3 wherein the adhesive is pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA).

5. The console assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a console shell and an encoder PCA mounted on a first side of the console shell.

6. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein the PCA has a plurality of LEDs and the light reflector has a plurality of cups, each cup being disposed adjacent to an LED.

7. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein the light reflector is mounted to the IML, through the PCA.

8. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein the light reflector is coupled to the IML by means of one or more fasteners.

9. The console assembly according to claim 8 wherein the least one fastener is a screw.

10. The console assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a console shell coupled to the IML by means of one or more fasteners.

11. The console assembly according to claim 10 wherein the least one fastener is a screw.

12. The console assembly according to claim 1 further comprising an encoder.

13. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein the IML, comprises one of polyester, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

14. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein the PCA comprises one of CEM-1 (cotton paper and epoxy) or FR4 epoxy resin and fiberglass.

15. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein the light reflector comprises one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP) or polycarbonate (PC).

16. The console assembly according to claim 10 wherein the console shell comprises one of flame retardant acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (FR ABS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), or flame retardant polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (FR PC-ABS).

17. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein light from the LED is directed toward the dome shape of the light cup.

18. The console assembly according to claim 1 wherein the light cup defines a three dimensional space when the light reflector and PCA are aligned and the LED is received in the three dimensional space.

19. The console assembly according to claim 6 wherein the reflected light from one of the plurality of light cups is directional and separated from the reflected light from a cup adjacent from the one of the plurality of light cups.