EP2938241A1

EP2938241A1 - Dishwasher with improved front panel structure

Info

Publication number: EP2938241A1
Application number: EP12816299.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ahmet ALDAG; Fatih BASARAN; Erdem AKYILDIZ; Ismail Demircioglu
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2012-12-25
Filing date: 2012-12-25
Publication date: 2015-11-04
Also published as: WO2014101937A1

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a dishwasher for washing dishes comprising a front panel for providing information display and operation control in respect of operation of said dishwasher. Said front panel has a substantially planar body extending parallel to a top plate of said dishwasher. The top plate bridges the front face of the machine where the front door is located and a rear face, bearing against a wall surface. Said top plate constitutes the uppermost surface of said dishwasher.

Description

DISHWASHER WITH IMPROVED FRONT PANEL STRUCTURE

The present invention pertains to a dishwasher having an improved front panel which has enhanced visibility during use. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a dishwasher having an improved front panel intended for information display and operation control purposes.
Dishwashers generally have front doors openable around an axis parallel to the ground in the close vicinity thereof. Such doors allow access to the inner volume of the dishwasher for putting dishes therein and are closed along an upper line where the door’s uppermost portion engages with the machine body. Front faces of the dishwashers further comprise a control and information panel in the upper region of the front face directly above the closing line of the door, such an information panel typically enabling users set different operation modes and be informed of current operation status.
The present invention provides an improved information display and operation control panel, which has a first position of operation and a second inactivated position of non-operation. It is worthy of note that persons loading a dishwasher generally involve in different body movements such as bending, twisting, standing etc. These are natural movements required to load or unload a dishwasher machine. However, it is not always possible to interact with the information display and operation control panel of the dishwasher during these movements because it faces directly forward and the informative indications and lights thereon are not always clearly visible from different viewing angles during loading and unloading. To that end, an information display and operation control panel, which is more visible when loading and unloading and especially when standing is desirable as standing position is an intermediate position during these activities.
The second inactivated position of non-operation of said information display and operation control panel according to the present invention is also advantageous in that it eliminates the risk of tampering by children. Buttons and illuminated operation knobs are vulnerable to tempering by children as they are simply attractive to little children and such panels are even reachable to babies after they get on their feet.
Among others, a prominent patent disclosure in the technical field of the present invention may be referred to as US 5,365,959, disclosing a dishwasher with a front-opening door having a built-in control panel on the top part. The control panel normally not operable and concealed when the door is closed, reveals itself when the door is opened. It is however disadvantageous in that it is only operable after opening the door and as such its use is structurally dependent on the opened position of the door.
The present invention provides an information display and operation control panel for a dishwasher overcoming the aforementioned inconveniences, which is defined in the characterizing portion of Claim 1.
Primary object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher having an information display and operation control panel which is more easily visible during loading and unloading of the appliance and especially when standing.
The present invention proposes a dishwasher for washing dishes comprising a front panel, having a display and control buttons and knobs for operating the appliance.
The front panel is formed as a planar body with a certain thickness. The thickness of the front panel is suitable for sliding it into an inner top plate space of said dishwasher upon which it is fully disposed within said top plate.
Said front panel can be moved with respect to said top plate between a concealed position and an extended position, respectively used when inactivated and when the appliance is to be operated.
Said front panel is displaced by an electrical motor which drives a transmission gear to move said front panel. When desired, said front panel is slidably extended outwardly from said top plate. The linear displacement of said front panel is maintained by guiding rails in said top plate. Said guiding rails are in the form of hollow rods in which a wheel connected to the front panel is provided.
Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a dishwasher front panel whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained hereinafter in brief. The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.
Fig. 1a demonstrates side by side a planar view and a general perspective view of a top plate rear face of a dishwasher with an extended information display and operation control panel according to the present invention.
Fig. 1b demonstrates side by side a planar view and a general perspective view of a top plate rear face of a dishwasher appliance with a concealed information display and operation control panel according to the present invention.
Fig. 2a demonstrates side by side a general perspective view and a front view of a dishwasher appliance with an extended information display and operation control panel according to the present invention.
Fig. 2b demonstrates side by side a general perspective view and a front view of a dishwasher appliance with a concealed information display and operation control panel according to the present invention.
Referring now to the figures outlined above, the present invention proposes a dishwasher front panel as defined in Claim 1.
The following numerals are assigned to different parts demonstrated in the drawings:
(1) Top plate
(2) Rail
(3) Motor
(4) Front panel
(5) Switch
(6) Transmission mechanism
(7) Screen
The present invention proposes a dishwasher for washing dishes comprising a front panel for providing information display and operation control in respect of operation of said dishwasher. The present invention proposes a front panel (4) facing upwards, therefore enabling a more comfortable and natural viewing angle when standing.
Said front panel (4) of the invention is designed as a substantially planar body extending parallel to a top plate (1) of the dishwasher. A dishwasher does have a top surface extending parallel to the ground on which it stands. The top plate (1) bridges the front face of the machine where the front door is located and a rear face, the latter usually bearing against a wall surface. Said top plate (1) therefore constitutes the uppermost surface of said dishwasher.
Said top plate (1) according to the present invention incorporates said front panel (4) within its inner volume. Said front panel (4) is movable with respect to said top plate (1) between two extreme positions in the manner that said front panel (4) is entirely concealed within said top plate (1) in a first position and is extensible from within said top plate (1) to reach a fully extended second position. When said front panel (4) is fully pushed forward into the inner space in said top plate (1), it is concealed and it cannot be used for operating the dishwasher nor can it let users with a screen (7) portion thereon be aware of the operation status of the dishwasher appliance. On the other hand, when it is extended either by way of using a remote control or pushing a respective button, it is extended to reveal its surface where several operational control options are provided with respective buttons and knobs as well as with said informative screen (7).
Said front panel (4) is displaced by a motor (3) by means of a transmission mechanism (6). The transmission mechanism (6) is typically driven by said motor (3) which is optionally an electrical motor (3) to advance said front panel (4) back and forth relative to the inner volume of said top plate (1). The direction along which said front panel (4) displaces between said front face and said rear face of the dishwasher is parallel to the lateral edges of said top plate (1).
Said front panel (4) according to the present invention is slidably extensible from within said top plate (1) to be displaceably guided along at least one rail (2) that is disposed within said top plate (1). Said front panel (4) is preferably guided by two rails (2) as demonstrated in Fig. 1a and 1b. Said guiding rails (2) ensure that the direction of displacement is maintained between said two positions of said front panel (4), i.e. said first position of operation and said second inactivated position of non-operation.
Said guiding rails (2) are linearly extending tubular hollow bodies comprising a wheel in connection with said front panel (4), said wheel advanceable within said guiding rail (2). The displacement direction of said front panel (4) which is mechanically connected to said wheels, therefore remains unchanged as said wheels roll on inner walls of said rails (2).
The transmission mechanism (6) according to the invention can be realized in alternative ways. Said transmission mechanism (6) may for instance be designed as a linear roller bearing guideway assembly, a worm gear with a right angle drive or a rack and pinion gear. Either of these is equally effective in converting rotational movement of said motor (3) into linear movement to advance said front panel (4).
According to the present invention, position of said front panel (4) is controlled by switches (6). Those are standard industrial control element having very wide use.
Summarizingly, a dishwasher for washing dishes is presented with a front panel (4) for providing information display and operation control in respect of operation of said dishwasher, said front panel (4) having a substantially planar body extending parallel to a top plate (1) of said dishwasher. Said front panel (4) is movable with respect to said top plate (1) between two extreme positions in the manner that said front panel (4) is entirely concealed within said top plate (1) in a first position and is extensible from within said top plate (1) to reach a fully extended second position.

Claims

A dishwasher for washing dishes comprising a front panel (4) for providing information display and operation control in respect of operation of said dishwasher, said front panel (4) having a substantially planar body extending parallel to a top plate (1) of said dishwasher characterized in that said front panel (4) is movable with respect to said top plate (1) between two extreme positions in the manner that said front panel (4) is entirely concealed within said top plate (1) in a first position and is extensible from within said top plate (1) to reach a fully extended second position.
A dishwasher as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said top plate (1) constitutes the uppermost surface of said dishwasher.
A dishwasher as set forth in Claim 1 or 2 wherein said front panel (4) is displaced by a motor (3) by means of a transmission mechanism (6).
A dishwasher as set forth in Claim 1 or 3 wherein said front panel (4) is slidably extensible from within said top plate (1) to be displaceably guided along at least one rail (2) that is disposed within said top plate (1).
A dishwasher as set forth in Claim 4 wherein said guiding rail (2) is a linearly extending tubular hollow body comprising a wheel in connection with said front panel (4), said wheel advanceable within said rail (2).
A dishwasher as set forth in Claim 3 wherein said transmission mechanism (6) is either a linear roller bearing guideway assembly, a worm gear with a right angle drive or a rack and pinion gear.