阅读说明：本技术 滚筒洗衣机及其控制面板 (drum washing machine and control panel thereof ) 是由 陈凯 胡海涛 范先锋 朱洪军 于 2019-06-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种滚筒洗衣机及其控制面板。本发明的控制面板包括：编码器、旋钮、圆形装饰面板、显示面板以及功能按键；所述旋钮套装于所述编码器上,用于驱动所述编码器转动,以便在多个预设洗涤模式中选择当前需要的洗涤模式；所述圆形装饰面板设置于所述旋钮的外侧,且所述圆形装饰面板设置有显示区域,所述显示区域用于查看所述显示面板上所显示的内容；多个所述功能按键环绕所述显示区域设置。本发明的滚筒洗衣机包括：箱体以及上述控制面板,所述箱体的前表面设置有用于安装所述控制面板的安装口。本发明通过将功能按键、显示面板以及用于选择洗涤模式的旋钮集中在一起设置,降低了占用的控制面板的面积,使得控制面板的整体外观得以改善。(The invention provides a drum washing machine and a control panel thereof. The control panel of the present invention comprises: the device comprises an encoder, a knob, a circular decoration panel, a display panel and function keys; the knob is sleeved on the encoder and used for driving the encoder to rotate so as to select a currently required washing mode from a plurality of preset washing modes; the round decoration panel is arranged on the outer side of the knob and provided with a display area, and the display area is used for viewing contents displayed on the display panel; the plurality of function keys are arranged around the display area. The drum washing machine of the present invention comprises: the front surface of the box body is provided with an installation opening for installing the control panel. The invention reduces the occupied area of the control panel by centralizing the function keys, the display panel and the knob for selecting the washing mode, thereby improving the overall appearance of the control panel.)

1. a control panel of a drum washing machine, characterized by comprising: the device comprises an encoder, a knob, a circular decoration panel, a display panel and function keys;

The knob is sleeved on the encoder and used for driving the encoder to rotate so as to select a currently required washing mode from a plurality of preset washing modes;

the round decoration panel is arranged on the outer side of the knob and provided with a display area, and the display area is used for viewing contents displayed on the display panel;

The plurality of function keys are arranged around the display area.

2. The control panel of claim 1, wherein all of the function keys are disposed on the circular decorative panel.

3. the control panel of claim 1, further comprising a main panel;

The main panel is provided with a mounting hole for mounting the round decorative panel;

All the function keys are arranged on the main panel around the mounting holes; or, one part of the function keys are arranged on the main panel around the mounting hole, and the other part of the function keys are arranged on the circular decorative panel.

4. The control panel according to claim 1, wherein the function keys are mechanical keys, and key holes for installing the mechanical keys are arranged on the circular decorative panel; alternatively, the first and second electrodes may be,

the function keys are touch keys.

5. The control panel of claim 1, wherein the display panel and the function keys are integrated into a touch screen; or the display panel, the function keys and the circular decorative panel are integrated into a touch screen.

6. The control panel of claim 1 wherein the display panel is snap-fit to the fascia panel.

7. the control panel of claim 6 wherein one of the display panel and the fascia panel is formed with a portion of a locating structure and the other of the display panel and the fascia panel is formed with another portion of the locating structure.

8. The control panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display area is circular, and an outer surface of the display area is a flat surface or a curved surface.

9. the control panel of any of claims 1-7, wherein the knob is keyed to the encoder key; and/or the presence of a gas in the gas,

An outer sleeve extending outwards is formed on the outer surface of the knob, and a plurality of washing mode marks corresponding to the washing modes one to one are arranged on the outer sleeve.

10. A drum washing machine characterized by comprising: a box body and a control panel according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a mounting opening for mounting the control panel is provided on a front surface of the box body.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a drum washing machine and a control panel thereof, belonging to the technical field of washing machines.

Background

The drum washing machine has the characteristics of no clothes winding, uniform washing, smaller wear rate than an impeller washing machine and the like.

As shown in fig. 1, the conventional drum washing machine includes: a cabinet, an upper cover plate covering the top opening of the cabinet, a door assembly installed at the front opening of the cabinet, and a control panel 10 'and a detergent box 20' located above the door assembly. Specifically, the control panel 10 ' includes a main panel 110 ', and a knob 120 ', a display panel 140 ' and a power switch 150 ' sequentially arranged from left to right; the knob 120 ' is used for selecting a washing mode that needs to be used currently among a plurality of preset washing modes, and a plurality of function keys 130 ' are arranged below the display panel 140 ' in an array manner.

However, in the control panel of the existing drum washing machine, the display function, the washing mode selection function, and the function keys for adjusting the washing time and the washing temperature are all linearly arranged on the control panel, which occupies more space of the control panel, resulting in insufficient overall aesthetic degree of the control panel.

disclosure of Invention

To solve the above and other potential problems in the prior art, in one aspect, the present invention provides a control panel for a drum washing machine, including: the device comprises an encoder, a knob, a circular decoration panel, a display panel and function keys; the knob is sleeved on the encoder and used for driving the encoder to rotate so as to select a currently required washing mode from a plurality of preset washing modes; the round decoration panel is arranged on the outer side of the knob and provided with a display area, and the display area is used for viewing contents displayed on the display panel; the plurality of function keys are arranged around the display area.

In a preferred technical scheme of the control panel, all the function keys are arranged on the circular decorative panel.

In the preferred technical scheme of the control panel, the control panel comprises a main panel, and the main panel is provided with mounting holes for mounting the circular decorative panel; all the function keys are arranged on the main panel around the mounting holes; or, one part of the function keys are arranged on the main panel around the mounting hole, and the other part of the function keys are arranged on the circular decorative panel.

In a preferred technical scheme of the control panel, the function keys are mechanical keys or touch keys.

In a preferred technical solution of the control panel, the display panel and the function keys are integrated into a touch screen; or the display panel, the function keys and the circular decorative panel are integrated into a touch screen.

In the preferred technical scheme of the control panel, the display panel is connected with the circular decorative panel in a buckling mode.

in a preferred embodiment of the control panel, one of the display panel and the circular decoration panel is formed with a part of a positioning structure, and the other of the display panel and the circular decoration panel is formed with another part of the positioning structure.

In a preferred technical solution of the control panel, the display area is circular, and an outer surface of the display area is a plane or a curved surface.

in the preferred technical scheme of the control panel, the knob is connected with the encoder through a key; and/or a plurality of washing mode marks which correspond to the washing modes one by one are arranged on the side surface of the knob, which is far away from the encoder.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a drum washing machine comprising: the front surface of the box body is provided with an installation opening for installing the control panel.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that according to the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention, by disposing a plurality of function keys around the display area of the circular decoration panel, and the circular decoration panel is disposed at the outer side of the knob for selecting the washing mode, so that the washing mode selection of the drum washing machine, the function selection including but not limited to the washing time, the washing temperature, etc., and the display are all concentrated in the area where the knob is located, the concentration of each function is increased, the occupied area of the control panel is reduced, and the overall appearance of the control panel is improved.

Advantages of additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become more readily understood by the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example and not limitation, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a control panel of a drum washing machine in the prior art;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a control panel of the drum washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a portion of the control panel of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of FIG. 3 from another perspective;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an assembled knob and encoder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5;

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of another control panel of the drum washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure:

10' -a control panel; 110' -a main panel;

120' -knob; 130' -function keys;

140' -a display panel; 150' -a power switch;

20' -a detergent box;

10-a control panel; 110-a main panel;

1101-indicating an arrow; 120-knob;

1201-back plane; 1202-an outer sleeve;

1203-washing mode identification; 130-function keys;

140-a display panel; 1401-a locating hole;

150-power switch; 160-round decorative panel;

1601-a front panel; 16011-display area;

16012-key hole; 1602-inner sleeve;

1603-snap; 1604-positioning column;

170-an encoder; 180-connecting column;

20-detergent box.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar function throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are illustrative and intended to be illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.

in the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the term "transverse" refers to a length direction of the drum washing machine, "longitudinal" refers to a width direction of the drum washing machine, and "vertical" refers to a height direction of the drum washing machine. The terms "inner," "outer," "radial," "circumferential," and the like, as used herein, refer to an orientation or positional relationship relative to one another as shown in the drawings for convenience in describing the invention and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the invention.

in the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly and can, for example, be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; they may be directly connected or indirectly connected through intervening media, or they may be connected internally or in any other suitable relationship, unless expressly stated otherwise. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

A drum washing machine is one of washing machines, and is very suitable for use in a space under a counter top because it is opened in a lateral direction. Generally, a drum washing machine mainly comprises a box body, a water inlet system, a washing system, a drainage system, a damping system, a control system and the like; wherein, the water inlet system can comprise a water inlet pipe, an electromagnetic valve, a detergent distributor and an outer barrel water inlet pipe; the control system mainly comprises a main circuit board, a knob for selecting a washing program, function keys for controlling washing temperature, washing time, motor speed, washing water level, rinsing times and the like, a display panel, a power switch and the like.

The main circuit board is generally installed inside the cabinet, the knob, the function keys, the display panel and the power switch are integrated on the control panel, and the control panel is generally installed at the installation opening formed on the front surface of the cabinet, so that a user can conveniently and quickly control the washing process of the clothes in front of the drum washing machine.

The detergent box 20 is usually disposed at the left side of the control panel, the tap water enters the detergent box 20 through the water inlet pipe under the control of the solenoid valve, the detergent box 20 has a drawer which can be drawn out from the outside, and a plurality of grooves are arranged in the drawer along the transverse direction, and the grooves can be used for placing articles such as washing powder, laundry detergent, disinfectant, softener and the like. For example, the drawer of a detergent box 20 is generally provided with three grooves along the transverse direction, and when in use, detergent, softener and pre-detergent can be respectively put into the grooves. Subsequently, water with or without detergent enters into the outer drum through the water inlet pipe of the outer drum so as to wash or rinse the clothes.

Fig. 2 shows a structure of a control panel, fig. 3 shows an exploded schematic view of a partial structure of the control panel, and fig. 4 shows a schematic view of the partial structure of fig. 3 from another view angle; FIG. 5 illustrates the assembled structure of the knob and encoder; fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of fig. 5.

as shown in fig. 2 to 6, the control panel 10 provided in the present embodiment includes: main panel 110, control components, and power switch 150. The power switch 150 may be disposed at any suitable position on the main panel 110, for example, the power switch 150 is disposed near the right side of the main panel 110 as shown in fig. 2. The control assembly includes: a circular decorative panel 160, function keys 130, a display panel 140, a knob 120, and an encoder 170. The main panel 110 can be fixed to a mounting opening provided on the front surface of the box body in a detachable or non-detachable manner, generally, a mounting opening with a shape similar to a rectangle is formed at the top end of the front surface of the box body, and then the main panel 110 is fixed in the mounting opening by welding, clamping, or bolting. The detergent box 20 is fixed at a position near the left side of the mounting opening, and it is understood that the drawer of the detergent box 20 can be drawn out by the user to protrude from the front surface of the cabinet. Of course, in some alternative examples, the detergent box 20 may not be provided, and the size of the mounting opening formed on the front surface of the box may be reduced appropriately, or the main panel 110 may be made larger so as to fill the whole mounting opening.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, a circular mounting hole is formed in the main panel 110, and a circular decorative panel 160 is disposed at the mounting hole. In the present embodiment, the circular decorative panel 160 includes a circular front panel 1601, and a display region 16011 for a user to view information displayed on the display panel 140 (described below) is further disposed around the center of the front panel 1601, and the display region 16011 may be made of a transparent material or may be a hollow opening. For example, in an alternative example, the display region 16011 is made of a transparent material with a mirror effect, and the other parts of the front panel 1601 except the display region 16011 are made opaque, and these parts may be made of an opaque material, or although they are made of the same transparent material as the display region 16011, these parts need to be made opaque, for example, opaque paint may be sprayed on these parts.

as shown in fig. 3 and 4, a plurality of key holes 16012 are formed in the front panel 1601 surrounding the display region 16011 at the center of the front panel 1601, and a plurality of mechanical or touch function keys 130 are respectively installed in the key holes 16012 so as to control the washing time, the washing temperature, the motor speed, etc. by pressing or touching the keys, that is, since the key holes 16012 are arranged circumferentially on the front panel 1601, the function keys 130 installed in the key holes 16012 are correspondingly arranged circumferentially on the front panel 1601. For example, fig. 2 to 4 show that 6 rectangular key holes 16012 having substantially the same size are formed in the front panel 1601 around the display region 16011, and 6 mechanical function keys 130 for controlling steam washing, reservation, rinsing, start/pause, rotation speed and temperature, respectively, are disposed in the 6 rectangular key holes 16012. Of course, in other examples, the key holes 16012 may be provided in any suitable number, and the shape and size of the key holes 16012 may be the same or different according to actual needs.

Of course, in some examples, the key hole 16012 may not be formed in the front panel 1601, and the function keys 130 may be arranged on the periphery of the display area 16011. For example, when the display region 16011 is a hollow opening on the display panel 140, it is only necessary to increase the diameter of the opening in order to accommodate the plurality of function keys 130 between the inner wall of the opening and the display panel 140.

as shown in fig. 2 to 5, an inner sleeve 1602 extending inward is formed on an inner surface of the front panel 1601; the inner sleeve 1602 may be continuous so as to form a closed loop; alternatively, the inner sleeve 1602 may be discontinuous such that its radial cross-section has one or more openings.

As shown in fig. 3 to 5, in order to fix the display panel 140 and the circular decoration panel 160, one or more buckles 1603 are further disposed along the circumferential direction in the inner sleeve 1602 of the circular decoration panel 160, so that the display panel 140 is locked in the receiving cavity enclosed by the inner sleeve 1602 and the front panel 1601 by means of connection of the buckles 1603. It should be understood that, in some examples, the inner side surface of the front panel 1601 may not be provided with the annular inner sleeve 1602, but the display panel 140 may be directly fixed on the inner surface of the front panel 1601 by bolts, screws, or snaps 1603. Moreover, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that although fig. 3 and 4 show the buckle 1603 being disposed on the inner sleeve 1602, in other examples, the buckle 1603 may be disposed on the display panel 140, and correspondingly, a slot for engaging with the buckle 1603 is disposed on the front panel 1601 of the circular decoration panel 160 or the inner sleeve 1602 to achieve the connection between the buckle 1603 of the circular decoration panel 160 and the display panel 140.

with continued reference to fig. 2 and 5, a positioning post 1604 is further disposed in the inner sleeve 1602, and accordingly, a positioning hole 1401 is disposed on the display panel 140 and is matched with the positioning post 1604 to prevent the display panel 140 and the circular decoration panel 160 from rotating relatively. During assembly, the positioning hole 1401 of the display panel 140 is aligned with the positioning post 1604 on the inner sleeve 1602 of the circular decoration panel 160, and then the display panel 140 is pressed towards the inner surface of the front panel 1601 until the display panel 140 is locked in the annular accommodating cavity enclosed by the inner sleeve 1602 and the inner surface of the front panel 1601 by the buckle 1603 on the inner sleeve 1602. It is understood that in some examples, the positioning posts 1604 may also be disposed on the display panel 140, and the positioning holes 1401 are correspondingly disposed on the inner surface of the front panel 1601. Of course, although fig. 3 and 4 only show one positioning hole 1604 and one positioning hole 1401 for positioning, in other examples, a plurality of positioning holes 1401 and a plurality of positioning pillars 1604 may be used for positioning, that is, the number of positioning holes 1401 and positioning pillars 1604 may be set according to actual needs.

It should be appreciated that in other examples, locating ribs or other locating structures may be used in place of locating holes 1401 and locating posts 1604 described above. In addition, the outer surface of the display panel 140 in this embodiment may be a plane or a curved surface protruding outward (i.e., protruding toward the circular decoration panel 160), and of course, the display region 16011 of the circular decoration panel 160 is also designed to be a plane or a curved surface protruding outward accordingly.

With continued reference to fig. 5, the display panel 140 is secured to the main circuit board by a connection post 180, the connection post 180 passing through a hollow encoder 170, as will be described below, so that when the encoder 170 is rotated by the knob 120, the display panel 140 and the circular decorative panel 160 that is snap-coupled to the display panel 140 will not rotate. Specifically, the connection posts 180 may be fixedly connected to the main circuit board and the display panel 140 by bolts, screws, or other suitable fixing means.

It should be noted that when the function keys 130 are touch keys, in some examples, the display panel 140 and the function keys 130 may be integrated into a touch panel, and in this case, the circular decoration panel 160 does not need to be provided with the key holes 16012 for installing the function keys 130. In other examples, the display panel 140, the function keys 130, and the circular decoration panel 160 may be integrated together into a touch panel to simplify the assembly process and improve the manufacturing efficiency.

As shown in fig. 2 to 6, the encoder 170 is inserted into the mounting hole of the main panel 110 and is connected to the circuit board inside the box body in a communication manner. The knob 120 is sleeved on the encoder 170 and is connected with the encoder 170 in a key manner, so that the encoder 170 is driven to rotate by rotating the knob 120, and a washing mode which needs to be used currently is selected from a plurality of preset washing modes. Specifically, a plurality of splines are provided on the outer surface of the encoder 170 in the circumferential direction, and the knob 120 and the encoder 170 are fixed by the splines. It is understood that in other examples, the knob 120 may be fixed with the encoder 170 by a bolt or any other suitable means to drive the encoder 170 to rotate.

Referring to fig. 3-5, knob 120 includes a back plate 1201 and an outer sleeve 1202 extending outwardly from an outer surface of back plate 1201. When assembled, a portion of the knob 120 may fit over a portion of the circular trim panel 160, and specifically, the outer sleeve 1202 of the knob 120 may fit over the inner sleeve 1602 of the circular trim panel 160. A plurality of washing pattern marks 1203 may be further disposed on the surface of the outer sleeve 1202, and the washing pattern marks 1203 correspond to preset washing patterns one to one. That is, when the knob 120 is rotated to the corresponding washing mode indication 1203, the encoder 170 correspondingly selects the washing mode corresponding to the washing mode indication 1203. It should be understood that, in order to enable the user to visually observe the washing mode selected by the user, a washing mode flag 1203 in a certain direction (for example, located right above) may be used as the currently selected washing mode, or an indication arrow 1101 may be provided as a flag on the main panel 110 as shown in fig. 2 to indicate the currently selected washing mode flag 1203. Furthermore, although the knob 120 shown in fig. 3-5 includes a back plate 1201 and an outer sleeve 1202 extending outwardly from the back plate 1201, in some examples, the outer sleeve 1202 may not be provided, and the currently selected wash mode may be determined by information displayed on the display panel 140.

it should be noted that the washing pattern indicator of the present embodiment can be printed, engraved, molded, or made on the outer sleeve 1202 of the knob 120 in any other suitable manner.

it is easily understood that in the present embodiment, the knob 120 is located between the circular decoration panel 160 and the main control panel, so that the user can rotate the knob 120 at the outside of the washing machine to select a currently required washing mode.

In operation, the user rotates the knob 120 to rotate the encoder 170 to select a washing mode, and by observing the washing mode indicator 1203 on the outer sleeve 1202 of the knob 120, the display panel 140 displays the information (such as remaining time, alarm information, etc.) related to the currently selected washing mode in real time, and the user can directly observe the information displayed by the display panel 140 through the display area 16011 on the circular decoration panel 160. In addition, the user can select a corresponding function by operating the function key 130 on the circular decoration panel 160, and the function information (for example, the motor rotation speed, the washing temperature, the washing water level, the rinsing frequency, etc.) corresponding to the selected function key 130 is also displayed on the display panel 140.

Fig. 7 shows another structure of the control panel 10. As shown in fig. 7, the control panel 10 is different from the above-described embodiments in that the function keys 130 are provided on the main panel 110. Specifically, the function keys 130 are disposed at positions close to the mounting holes of the main panel 110. It will be readily appreciated that these function keys 130 are of course also disposed around the display area 16011 of the circular trim panel 160. Moreover, in some examples, a part of the plurality of function keys 130 may be disposed on the circular decoration panel 160, and another part may be disposed on the main control panel.

The control panel 10 of the present embodiment, by disposing the plurality of function keys 130 around the display region 16011 of the circular decoration panel 160, and disposing the circular decoration panel 160 outside the knob 120 for selecting the washing mode, the washing mode of the drum washing machine, including but not limited to the washing time, the washing temperature, etc., is selected and the display is concentrated on the region where the knob 120 is located, thereby increasing the concentration of each function, reducing the occupied area of the control panel 10, and improving the overall appearance of the control panel 10.

The encoder 170, the display panel 140, the touch screen, etc. described above may be any suitable electronic device in the prior art, and the operation principle and structure thereof are the same as those in the prior art without being particularly limited thereto.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solution of the present invention, and not for limiting the same; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.