EP1360446B1

EP1360446B1 - Domestic appliance

Info

Publication number: EP1360446B1
Application number: EP02700981A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bora Bukulmez; Ümit ALTUN; Emre Arisoy; Nihat Bayiz; Mehmet Durmaz
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2001-02-13
Filing date: 2002-02-13
Publication date: 2006-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 2022-02-13
Also published as: ES2272664T3; DE60214672T2; ATE339662T1; DE60214672D1; WO2002065036A1; EP1360446A1; TR200300992T1

Abstract

A door panel (9) is fastened onto the domestic appliance door (2) in order to enable the user to control the control panel (3) placed on the upper panel (10) of the domestic appliance, when the door (2) is closed. The keys on the door (5) located on the door panel (9) contact with the control panel keys (4) located on the control panel (3) when the door is closed, thus enabling the control of the control card. Said control panel keys (4) located on the control panel are in contact with the keys on the door (5) when the door (2) of the domestic appliance is closed. These keys (4,5) provide the modification of the same or different functions.

Description

The present invention relates to a domestic appliance according to the preamble of claim 1. Such an appliance is Known from document FR2 701 550.
The term "Domestic appliances" comprises such household machinery as washing machines, dish-washers, refrigerators, ovens, etc. Among these household appliances, for instance refrigerators are provided with a control panel on them, which allows the user to make adjustments or changes in their operational functions (temperature adjustment, holiday option, economic programs, etc.) in order to obtain a cooling at the desired temperature values. The control panel is placed on the refrigerator cabinet or on the refrigerator door and is provided with adjustment buttons to be used for regulating different functions. Furthermore, an indicator that enables the user to monitor the adjustments and changes previously made, is also provided on the control panel.
In the state of art, the control panels are placed on the upper part of the refrigerator cabinets; therefore the refrigerator control cannot be made on the refrigerator door as it is positioned below the front upper section of the refrigerator where the control panel is provided.
In the state of art, there are also some applications wherein the control panel is located on the refrigerator door. However, certain difficulties are encountered in placing the control panel on the door. As the cables providing the electrical connection pass over the hinges, the opening direction of the door cannot be changed.
The keys on the control panel are used to regulate or change only one function. Using different keys for each function, in other words assigning of only one function to one key causes an increase in the number of the keys, which in turn leads to an increase in the key-control card connection and thus in the refrigerator cost.
In the state of art, various solutions are brought forward for the problem of increased number of keys. One of said solutions is disclosed in the PCT Application No. 9962287, which describes a remote control device with two control levels. Said remote control device has two different control circuits. When it is (closed) off, the functions assigned to the keys located on the upper section of its surface are activated and when it is (open) on, the functions assigned to the keys on the lower section are activated. The "sensor circuits" which sense whether the remote control device is at a closed or open position, provide the activation of the first control circuit when the said device is open and activates the second control circuit when it is closed (off).
In the Japanese Patent No. 6189383, another solution directed to decrease the number of the keys on a remote control device, is disclosed. Said remote control device is provided with a lid on the keys located on the inner surface of said device and when this lid is closed, the keys located on its inner surface are fitted onto the keys on the inner surface of the device. By means of a key which transmits the status (whether the lid is open or closed) data to the control unite, the functions to be activated can be recognized.
The object of the present invention is to allow the user to control the household appliance when its door is open or closed.
Another object of the present invention is to decrease the number of keys provided on the control panel of the household appliance by assigning more than one function at the same time, to said keys.
The domestic appliance control panel realized to attain said objectives of the present invention is illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is the exploded view of the control panel and the door panel;
Figure 2 is the perspective view showing the closed position of the appliance door;
Figure 3, is the perspective view showing the open position of the appliance door.

The components shown in the drawings are separately given reference numerals as shown below:

1. Cabinet
2. Door
3. Control Panel
4. Control Panel key
5. Key-on-the door
6. Indicator
7. Key recess
8. Box
9. Door panel
10. Upper panel
11. Cable connection
12. Pin
13. Window
14. Lid

The domestic appliance according to the invention comprises a cabinet (1), a cabinet-door (2) , a control panel (3) that allows the user to change certain parameters of the domestic appliance and to regulate certain functions of it, an upper panel (10) provided on the cabinet (1) onto which the control panel (3) is mounted and a door panel (9) which is mounted on the door (2), in front of the control panel (3), provides access to the said control panel (3) even when the door (2) is closed.
The control panel (3) comprises one or more control panel keys (4) which allow the user to change certain parameters of the domestic appliance and to regulate certain functions of it, an indicator (6) enabling the user to monitor the adjustments and modifications made, and a box (8) wherein the control card is placed and the electrical connection of which is realized by means of one or more cable connections (11). The keys (4) and the indicator are preferably located on the front face of the box (8).
Preferably said control panel (3) is manufactured separately from the domestic appliance and is mounted into a recess formed on the upper panel (10) of the appliance and fastened to said recess by means of the fastening elements. As it is manufactured separately from the domestic appliance, it may be used for different domestic appliances by making necessary modifications. Furthermore, as the control panel (3) is not located inside the domestic appliance cabinet (1), it is not effected by the potential changes in temperature and humidity that may occur within in the appliance.
The door panel (9) comprises one or more keys (5) on the door which allow the user to change certain parameters of the domestic appliance and to regulate certain functions of it and the same number of key recesses (7). The door panel (9) is designed independently of the control panel (3), appliance cabinet (1) and door (2) and provides access to the control panel (3) when said appliance is at "off" position. The door panel (9) has a structure that preferably covers entirely the front face of the control panel (3). A window (13) is provided on the door panel (9) so that the indicator (6) located on the control panel (3) can be seen without opening the domestic appliance door (2). Said window (13) is preferably provided with a movable lid (14) made of a transparent material. The keys (5) on the door are placed into the key recesses (7) provided on the door panel (9), and preferably have a spring mechanism. As the user presses the keys (5) on the door when the domestic appliance door (2) is closed, these keys (5) get in contact with the keys (4) on the control panel, and activate them by pushing. The window (13) on the door panel (9) allows the indicator (6) to be seen and monitored even when the door (2) is closed, thus enabling the modification of the parameters or adjustments of the functions by means of the keys (5) on the door.
When the domestic appliance door (2) is open, the user can directly use the keys (4) located on the control panel (3) in order to change the parameters or to regulate the functions. On the other hand, when the door is closed, the user is able to employ the control panel keys (4) only by pressing the keys-on the door (5) which are preferably affecting to the control panel keys (4) by means of a spring. In this case, the keys (5) on the door allow the user to modify different parameters as those of the control panel keys (4) or to regulate different functions as those of the control panel keys (4).
In order to enable the control panel keys (4) and the keys (5) on the door to change different paremeters or to meet different functions, a selective element that transmits the information about the functions to be fulfilled to the control card, is used. Said selective element, for instance a selecting key, is able to execute a process of selection for more than one function that can be realized by other keys. In a preferred embodiment, a pin (12) that transmits the information on the open or closed position of the door (2) to the control card, is used as the selective element. Said pin (12) is located on the cabinet (1) or on the door (2), as well as on the door (2) at a point where the door (2) approaches the cabinet (1) while being closed.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the pin (12) placed on the door (2) approaching to the cabinet (1) contacts with the cabinet (1) and thus the pushed pin (12) opens an electrical switch and initiates the transmittal of the information that the door (2) is closed, to the control card. Then, the parameters and functions allowed to be modified or regulated by the user when the door is closed, are activated when the keys (5) on the door are pressed. When the door (2) is open, as there is no contact between the door (2) and the pin (12) on the cabinet (1), said pin (12) does not contact with the electrical switch, leaving it at the off position and the information that the door (2) is open, is transmitted to the control card. Then, the parameters and functions allowed to be modified or regulated by the user when the door (2) is open are activated when the control panel keys (4) are pressed.
By virtue of the present invention, the parameters of the domestic appliance can be modified or its functions can be regulated when the domestic appliance door is open or closed, by using a smaller number of keys. The domestic appliance can be designed with less limitations by using the control panel (3) and the cost is reduced as the number of the keys is reduced too. Since the control panel (3) and the door panel (9) are manufactured independently of each other as well as of the other components of the appliance, they may be utilized in different domestic appliances. Due to the presence of the window (13) located on the door panel (9) and the transparent lid (14),the indicator (6) provided on the control panel (3) can be seen even when the appliance door is closed.

Claims

A domestic appliance comprising a cabinet (1), a door (2) and a control panel (3) located on the cabinet (1), comprising control panel keys (4), which allow the user to change certain parameters of the domestic appliance and to regulate certain functions of it when the door (2) is open, a door panel (9) which is mounted on the door (2) in front of the control panel (3), comprising keys (5) on the door that get in contact with the control panel keys (4), which allow the user to change certain parameters of the domestic appliance and to regulate certain functions of it, in order to activate them (4), when the appliance door (2) is closed, characterized with the keys (5) on the door, that allow the user to modify different parameters or to regulate different functions as those of the control panel keys (4), which are triggered by the keys (5) on the door (2) by touching them when the door (2) is closed.
A domestic appliance as defined in Claim 1, characterized with the control panel (3) comprising an indicator (6) to monitor the changes in the parameter and functions realized by the user, when the door (2) is open, and a window (13) on the door panel (9), that coincides with the indicator (6) when the door (2) is closed, to monitor the changes in the parameters and functions realized by the user, when the door (2) is closed, through the indicator (6).
A domestic appliance as defined in Claims 1 and 2, characterized with the door panel (9) comprising preferably a movable lid (14) in window (13) made of a transparent material.
A domestic appliance as defined in claims 1 to 3, characterized with the door panel (9) manufactured separately from the cabinet (1) and the door (2).
A domestic appliance as defined in Claims 1 to 4, characterized with the control panel (3) manufactured separately from the cabinet (1) and the door (2) and, that its electrical connection to the domestic appliance, is realized by a cable connection (11).
A domestic appliance as defined in Claims 1 to 5, characterized with a selective element that enables to change different parameters or to meet different functions, when the door (2) is closed, by being triggered by the keys on the door (2).
A domestic appliance as defined in Claim 6, characterized with a selective element (12) located on the door (2) or on the cabinet (1), which is electrically connected to a control card on the control panel (9), in order to transmit the information about the closed or open position of the door, that "the door is closed" when it is closed and that "the door is open" when it is open, to the control card.
A domestic appliance as defined in Claim 7, characterized with a pin (12) that is used as the selective element for transmitting the information on the open or closed position of the door (2) to control card.