Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
r ~ ~ PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 2 1 7 0 6 8 5
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to appliances, such as
clothes washers and clothes dryers for example, and
more particularly to improved control arrangements
for such appliances.
For years mechanical switches of the push
button actuated, slider operated type have been
used on such appliances. As is well known,
depressing a selected push button, or actuator, of
such a switch causes one or more of the sliders
contained within the switch to move relative to
other sliders. This causes various switch contact
pairs to open and/or close as desired. One such
illustrative mechanism is shown and described in US
Patent No. 3,569,639, entitled Pushbutton Switch
Assembly With Multiple Momentary Action, issued to
Steward A. Woodward and assigned to General
Electric Company, assignee of the present
invention; which patent is incorporated herein by
reference. Push button/slider operated switches
are especially adapted for use in such appliances
as various operations require different settings of
a number of different switch contact pairs.
Typically such switch mechanisms are mounted on
such appliances in a control assembly or backsplash
with the various push button actuators projecting
from one side or face of the assembly cover member.
In the past such switch mechanisms were mounted in
the appliance control assembly with individual push
buttons projecting through individual openings in
the cover member or plate of the assembly. One
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 2 1 7 0 6 85
disadvantage of such an arrangement is that it is
difficult to clean around the individual actuators.
More recently various types of "electronic"
switch mechanisms, such as capacitive touch and
membrane switches, have come into use; particularly
in connection with calculators and other electronic
machines. Consumers often view such switch
arrangements as indicating a higher quality or more
modern product. For this and other reasons,
appliance and mechanical switch manufacturers have
improved push button/slider operated switches in a
number of aspects. One result is that in present
day switch mechanisms a significantly shorter
stroke of the push button actuators is needed to
operate the sliders than in prior such mechanisms.
This enables push button/slider operated switches
to be used in conjunction with flexible cover
sheets to provide a look and feel similar to
electronic switches.
A number of attempts have been made to adapt
such switch mechanisms to appliances, such as
clothes washers and dryers, without complete
success. A typical approach has been to mount the
flexible cover sheet directly over the switch
housing and to then mount the switch housing and
cover sheet behind the cover plate of the control
assembly or backsplash, with the push buttons and
cover sheet aligned with an opening in the cover
plate. This enables the sheet to be depressed a
30 mi nimllm distance when actuating any push button.
However, the opening in the cover plate exposing
the switch mechanism and flexible cover sheet
presents a recession which is hard to keep clean.
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 21 7 0 6 8 5
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to
provide a household appliance with an improved
control assembly.
It is another object of this invention to
provide such an improved appliance control assembly
in which the switch actuators are activated through
a flexible sheet, while the control assembly
presents a generally planar surface to the user.
In accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention a control assembly for a
household appliance includes a generally planar
control mounting plate and a generally planar cover
plate mounted in overlying juxtaposition. A rib
extends around the periphery of the mounting plate
and projects toward the cover plate. A flange
extends around the periphery of the cover plate and
projects toward the mounting plate. The rib abuts
the cover plate and fits closely within the flange.
A switch mechanism includes a housing with a
plurality of switch actuators projecting from one
side thereof in a contiguous area. The switch
housing is mounted to the mounting plate with the
switch actuators positioned within the rib and
projecting toward the cover plate. The cover plate
has a recess projecting toward the mounting plate.
An opening in the recess is aligned with and
encompasses the contiguous area of the switch
actuators. The distal ends of the actuators are
generally aligned the recess and a thin flexible
cover sheet is mounted in the recess so that
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 2 1 706 85
selected actuators are activated by depressing
corresponding areas of the sheet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a somewhat simplified, fragmentary
front perspective view of an automatic clothes
washing machine of the top loading type,
incorporating one embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the
control mounting portion of the control assembly of
the machine of Fig. 1, with some parts omitted for
the sake of simplicity.
Fig. 3 is a simplified cross section view
generally as seen along line 3-3 in Fig. 1, with
some components omitted for the sake of simplicity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown an
automatic clothes washing machine 10 of the top
loading type, incorporating one embodiment of the
present invention. The machine 10 includes a
cabinet 11 and a control assembly or backsplash 12.
The cabinet 11 includes a top member 13 with a lid
14, providing access to the interior of the
machine. The control assembly includes a rear wall
(not shown) and a pair of end caps, one of which is
shown at 15. The rear wall and end caps are
mounted to the cabinet 11 and support a control
mounting member or plate 16 and a cover member or
plate 17, both of which are best shown in Fig. 2.
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 2 1 7 0 6 8 5
An illustrative control assembly as thus far
described is shown and described in detail in co-
pending US Patent Application SN. 9D-HL-18718, of
Jon Katz et al, assigned to General Electric
Company, assignee of the present invention, which
co-pending application is incorporated herein by
reference.
Referring now to Fig.'s 2 and 3, the control
mounting member or plate 16 is formed from a
relatively heavy metal, such as sheet steel for
example, and supports various controls such as
timer 18, water level control 19 and inlet water
temperature control 20. Normally clothes washers
include a number of push button actuated switches
to enable the operator to select various aspects of
the washing operation. In the exemplification
machine 10 a number of these switches are
incorporated into a switch assembly 22 that is
mounted on the plate 16.
The plate 16 includes a planar body 24 with an
elongated rib 25 along its top edge and an
elongated rib 26 along its lower edge. The ribs
25,26 project forward of the body 24, that is
toward the cover plate 17. A flange 27 projects
rearward along the top edge of top rib 25, while
several tabs 28 project from the bottom edge of the
lower rib 28. A transverse slot 29 extends across
each of the tabs 28. End pieces 30,31 are mounted
to the ends of control mounting plate 16 so as to
effectively form parts of member 16. The fronts
32,33 of the end pieces connect the ends of ribs
25,26 and form a continuous rib 34 extending
completely around the periphery of the member 16.
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 21 7 0 6 8 5
The cover plate 17 conveniently is formed from
a relatively thin sheet of a suitable metal, such
as aluminum, and conveniently has graphic elements
on its face, including indicia associated with
various controls. The cover plate 17 is in the
form of a generally rectangular, generally planar
body 36 with a rim 37 extending along the top,
bottom and ends of the body 36 and projecting to
the rear, that is toward the mounting plate 16.
The corners of the body 36 are curved, as is the
intersection of the body 36 and rim 37, so that the
cover plate can be drawn from a single sheet of
material without rupturing. A plurality of tabs
depend from the rim 37 along the bottom of plate 17
and correspond to the slots 29 in tabs 28 along the
bottom of mounting plate 16. Along the top of
cover plate 17 the rim 37 extends into a flange 39.
The members or plates 16,17 are assembled in
overlying juxtaposition by inserting the tabs 38
into the slots 29 and rotating the members 16,17
together so that the rib 34 around member 16 fits
against the rear surface of member 17 and closely
within the rim 37 around the periphery of member
17. The tabs 38 are then bent over to secure the
plates 16,17 together. Additionally the flanges
27,39 conveniently are joined by screws, which have
been omitted for the sake of simplicity.
The switch assembly 22 includes a generally
rectangular, box like housing 42 with a front face
43 and with mounting ears 44 projecting outwardly
from its the top and bottom adjacent its rear. A
plurality of push button actuators 45 project
forward of the front face 43 and are depressed to
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 2 1 7068~
move various sliders and thus operate contact pairs
located within the housing 42. In the
exemplification switch assembly 22 the switches are
arranged in a single horizontal row. If desired
they could be arranged in two or more parallel rows
or in some other contiguous arrangement. It is
significant to the present invention only that the
push buttons be in a contiguous area (such as the
rectangle surrounding the push buttons 45). Such
switch mechanisms are well known in the art and the
internal components of switch assembly 22 have been
omitted for the sake of simplicity.
The planar body 24 of control mounting member
16 includes an opening 48 which is sized to receive
the switch housing 42. The switch assembly 22 is
mounted on the mounting member 16 by inserting the
housing through the opening 48 until the ears 44
engage the rear or back of plate 16 and then
securing the ears 44 to the body 24 by screws 49.
As will be discussed in detail hereafter, the ears
are positioned relative to the front face 43 of
housing 42 such that the housing extends beyond the
planar body 24 a distance less than the height of
the rib 34.
Referring to Fig.'s 2 and 3, the planar body
36 of cover plate 17 includes a recessed portion 52
which has a generally rectangular configuration.
An opening 53 is formed in the recessed portion 52,
surrounded by a planar ledge 54. The recessed
portion and opening are positioned so that the
opening 53 is aligned with the switch assembly 22
and the opening 53 is sized to encompass the
contiguous area surrounding the push buttons 45.
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 21 7 0 6 8 5
The switch housing is positioned so that, when the
control mounting member 16 and cover member 17 are
in juxtaposed overlying relationship, as seen in
Fig.'s 1 and 3, the ledge 54 will abut the switch
housing 42 and the push buttons 45 will be
positioned in opening 53, in alignment with ledge
54.
A thin cover sheet 56 of a suitable flexible
material, such as the polycarbonate material sold
by General Electric Company under the trademark
LEXAN, is mounted in the recessed area 52.
Conveniently the sheet 56 and cover plate 17 are
connected by an adhesive joint, indicated by cross
hatched area 57. The adhesive can be formed in any
suitable manner, such as by a separate body of
adhesive or by a double backed adhesive tape, for
example. The depth of the recessed area 52 is
substantially equal to the thickness of the sheet
56 so that the front of the sheet is in
substantially the same plane as the front of plate
17. Thus the plate and sheet present a
substantially uninterrupted surface which is easy
for the user to clean. Indicia areas 58 are
indicated on the front face 43 of the switch
housing 42, aligned with the push buttons 45, and
similarly aligned indicia areas 59 are indicated on
the sheet 56. In the exemplification embodiment
the areas 58 contain indicia of the function
controlled by the associated push button; the sheet
56 is generally opaque and the areas 59 are clear
so that an operator can see the indicia in areas
58. If desired the indicia can be placed on the
sheet 56 or can be placed on the plate 17, in
PATENT - Docket No. 9D-HL-18719 2 1 7 0 6 85
alignment with the push buttons; Areas 60 on the
sheet are depressed to operate the associated push
buttons. The areas 60 can be indicated by some
indicia printed on the sheet or by a physical
change in the sheet, such as by raising them from
the remaining surface of sheet 56, for example.
As seen in Fig. 3, the push buttons are in
close proximity to, and preferably just touch, the
rear surface of the sheet 56. The rear surface of
the planar ledge 54 around the opening 53 in cover
member 17 is in close proximity to, and preferably
just touches, the front face 43 of switch housing
42. This assures that only minimal deflection of
the sheet 56 is needed to depress the push buttons.
The portions of mounting member top and bottom ribs
25,26 aligned with the recessed portion 52 of
member 17 are connected to the member 17 by
adhesive joints, as indicated by cross hatched
areas 62,63 respectively, formed in some suitable
manner, such as by a body of adhesive or by double
backed adhesive tape for example. This provides
additional strength and rigidity to the control
assembly, particularly in the area of the interface
between sheet 56 and push buttons 45.
While a specific embodiment of the invention
has been illustrated and described herein, it is
realized that modifications and changes will occur
to those skilled in the art to which the invention
pertains. It is therefore to be understood that
the appended claims are intended to cover all such
modifications and changes as fall within the true
spirit and scope of the invention.
