EP3050482B1 - Domestic appliance - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a domestic dishwasher.

Household appliances are designed for the various types of installation as stand-alone appliances, built-under appliances, built-in appliances or fully integrated appliances and usually have a door that opens upwards or to the front towards the user. This often includes a user interface for inputting and outputting information.

A user interface mounted in a front-opening door is found particularly in domestic dishwashers. When the door is closed, it is provided either in the front or in the upper narrow side (top edge) of the door. In the former case, the user interface can be read and/or operated when the door is closed, in the latter case when the door is open. Depending on the position of the door, it is difficult or impossible to read and/or operate it from one direction or the other.

the EP 2 420 176 A2 discloses a light guide device arranged on a transverse surface of a front door of a dishwasher. The light-guiding device comprises a vertical surface with one or more light-emitting elements, which are connected to one or more light-emitting devices across a horizontal surface by means of light guides.

the DE 10 2008 027 127 A1 discloses a household appliance with a door panel and a door handle arranged thereon, the door handle having an operating device for selecting and/or setting operating states of the household appliance.

Against this background, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved household appliance.

According to the invention, a household appliance is proposed with at least one user interface for inputting and/or outputting information and an edge, the at least one user interface extending partially or completely around the edge.

The at least one user interface can run both over the edge and under the edge. A user interface that extends around the edge in one way or another eliminates the position of the door as an influencing factor and can therefore be read and/or operated by the user from the front as well as from above.

Furthermore, a user interface extending around the edge can replace two flat user interfaces which lie opposite one another on the edge, which correspondingly reduces the number of parts and the outlay on assembly.

The domestic appliance can be, for example, an oven, stove, steam cooker, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer or the like, in particular a dishwasher (domestic dishwasher).

In the present case, a user interface is a device via which a user makes contact with a machine. The user interface can, for example, output information visually to the user and the user can enter information manually—via function keys or the like. For this purpose, the user interface can be coupled in terms of signals to a control device of the household appliance. The control device can have a microprocessor.

The edge is a line or an area in which two surfaces belonging to a surface of the household appliance meet at an angle, preferably at a right angle. An extension of the user interface around the edge leads in particular to the fact that this includes a curved area. For example, in the case of surfaces that meet at right angles, this area can describe an arc of up to 90°. The edge can in particular be an imaginary edge which runs as an extension of an interrupted edge of the household appliance. The edge can have a radius of, for example, 0-20 mm, preferably 2-10 mm.

In general, the fact that the "user interface extends partially or completely around the edge" preferably includes two cases in particular: The user interface extends outside around the (imaginary) edge or the user interface extends inside around the (imaginary) edge.

"Partly" means that the curved area of the user interface may only include a part of that curve which would be the maximum possible due to the angle at which the surfaces meet, so the user interface only partially covers the edge.

"Completely" means that the curved area of the user interface encompasses the entire arc, thus the user interface covers the entire edge.

According to the invention, the at least one user interface has a first surface and a second surface, each for inputting and/or outputting information, the first surface pointing in at least one first spatial direction and the second surface pointing in at least one second spatial direction, and the first and second spatial direction are different.

An angle between the first spatial direction and the second spatial direction preferably encloses an angle of 45° or 90°, but alternatively the angle can be adapted to the respective design requirements.

According to a further embodiment, the first spatial direction and the second spatial direction are orthogonal to one another.

For example, a right angle corresponds to the conventional installation situation in which the various surfaces of a household appliance meet at a 90° angle.

According to the invention, the household appliance comprises a door having the edge.

The edge around which the user interface extends at least in sections can be an edge of the door. The aforementioned advantages of the user interface come into their own particularly in the case of those edges which can be moved towards the user when the door is opened. The outer edge of the door is particularly suitable, which the upper narrow side of the door is limited on the outside or is furthest away from a pivot axis about which the door can be pivoted.

According to a further embodiment, when the door is in the closed position, the first surface of the at least one user interface points upwards and the second surface of the at least one user interface points forwards.

In the case of doors whose pivot axis is provided at a lower end of the door, the edge is preferably a front upper outer edge of the door. The user interface then preferably extends - at least partially - around this edge and accordingly its first surface faces upwards, while the second surface faces forwards.

"In front" means moving against a depth direction towards an operator facing the household appliance, and "up" means moving in a height direction, i.e. towards a greater height.

According to the invention, the at least one user interface includes a screen for outputting information.

The screen is an electrically controlled display for the visualization of variable information such as images or characters. The screen is produced in particular on the basis of thin-film transistor (TFT) or light-emitting diode (LED) technology, but organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology is also conceivable.

Preferred information displays include defect displays, time displays, program displays, program progress displays, and the like. Depending on the available area of the respective screen, the information content shown may be abstracted or reduced.

According to the invention, the at least one user interface includes a touch-sensitive surface for entering information.

In particular, such touch-sensitive surfaces that function without special input pens are to be provided. Optionally, these can be based on resistive or capacitive technologies.

Capacitive surfaces are preferably used because they do not specify a preferred direction for actuation and also enable multi-finger gesture recognition (multi-touch) in addition to simple selective touching.

According to the invention, the at least one user interface is a touchscreen for inputting and outputting information.

Touch-sensitive surfaces can be provided independently, i.e. as a pure touch solution, or as a screen with separate touch points, or preferably as a combination of screen and touch-sensitive surface (touchscreen).

According to a further embodiment, the household appliance includes a control device which is set up to display the same information on the first and second areas of the at least one user interface.

A control device is a device that receives input signals from sensors in its environment, processes these signals and uses them to generate and output control signals for actuators in its environment. Sensors can be, for example, the touch-sensitive surfaces described above. Actuators can be one or more pumps of the dishwasher, for example. The control device can have a microprocessor and a memory for operating programs, in particular flushing programs.

According to a further embodiment, the domestic appliance comprises at least one further user interface for inputting and/or outputting information, which is arranged adjacent to the at least one user interface.

The additional user interface can, for example, for reasons of availability, because no sufficiently large user interface is available at low cost, or for constructive reasons Reasons may be provided in addition to the at least one user interface.

"Adjacent" means in the vicinity and preferably includes distances between 0 and 20 mm. Neighboring elements can therefore be directly adjacent to one another, but they do not have to be. Preferably, the further user interface is attached so that it is flush with the user interface in a width direction. Optionally, the two user interfaces are in close proximity to each other, which enables visual output in the sense of a uniform image area that extends across both user interfaces.

According to a further embodiment, the at least one further user interface is arranged in an upper narrow side of the door.

If the user interface extends at least over the front upper outer edge of the door when the door is closed and the further user interface is provided in the upper narrow side of the door in such a way that it visually and/or logically continues the user interface there, then at least one user interface is available, for example via the user interface Basic user input and/or output possible while the household appliance is in operation, and more detailed user input and/or output via the additional user interface when the appliance is idle.

According to the invention, the household appliance comprises a first surface and a second surface, which are connected to one another via the edge, with the at least one user interface extending continuously from the first surface to the second surface.

This embodiment makes it possible to provide one-piece user interfaces which extend continuously from the first surface over the edge into the second surface.

The first surface of the household appliance points in a first spatial direction and the second surface of the household appliance points in a second spatial direction, which is preferably perpendicular to the first spatial direction.

According to a further embodiment, the at least one user interface is integrated into a control panel of the household appliance.

When the door is closed, the control panel preferably extends perpendicularly to the depth direction of the household appliance and usually has a rectangular format with narrow sides provided on the sides. In particular, it serves to hold control and/or display elements such as touch-sensitive surfaces and/or screens. Therefore, the edge around which the user interface extends partially or completely can also be an edge (in particular an imaginary edge that runs as an extension of a broken edge of the control panel) of the control panel.

According to a further embodiment, the control panel has a viewing window, behind which the at least one user interface is arranged.

The user interface can be located a short distance behind the control panel for various reasons. These reasons include, in particular, protection against environmental influences, an impact resistance requirement or a sensitivity of a technology on which the touch-sensitive surface is based. The user interface is therefore preferably attached behind a viewing window of the control panel and centered so precisely that adhesive surfaces and a frame of the user interface are as imperceptible to the user as possible.

Further possible implementations of the invention also include combinations of features or embodiments described above or below with regard to the exemplary embodiments that are not explicitly mentioned. The person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic form of the invention.

• Fig. 1 zeigt eine Perspektivansicht eines Haushaltsgeräts;
• Fig. 2 zeigt eine Perspektivansicht eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels einer Nutzerschnittstelle;
• Fig. 3A - 3E zeigen Schnittansichten des ersten Ausführungsbeispiels aus Fig. 2 sowie ein zweites, drittes, viertes und fünftes Ausführungsbeispiel der Nutzerschnittstelle;
• Fig. 4 zeigt eine Perspektivansicht eines sechsten Ausführungsbeispiels der Nutzerschnittstelle;
• Fig. 5 zeigt eine Perspektivansicht eines Ausführungsbeispiels einer Bedienblende;
• Fig. 6 zeigt eine Perspektivansicht eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels einer Bedienblende mit einem Sichtfenster für die Nutzerschnittstelle; und
• Fig. 7 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht eines Bediensystems des Haushaltsgeräts.

Further advantageous refinements and aspects of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims and of the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below. The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the enclosed figures.

• 1 shows a perspective view of a household appliance;
• 2 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a user interface;
• Figures 3A - 3E 12 show sectional views of the first embodiment 2 and a second, third, fourth and fifth embodiment of the user interface;
• 4 shows a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the user interface;
• figure 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a control panel;
• 6 shows a perspective view of a further exemplary embodiment of a control panel with a viewing window for the user interface; and
• 7 shows a schematic view of an operating system of the household appliance.

Elements that are the same or have the same function have been provided with the same reference symbols in the figures, unless otherwise stated.

1 shows a perspective view of a household appliance, here in particular a household dishwasher 1.

The dishwasher 1 has a body that includes a washing compartment 2 and a door 3 . The washing container 2 and the door 3 can form a washing chamber 4 for washing items to be washed. Door 3 is in 1 shown in their open position. The door 3 can be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis provided at a lower end of the door 3 .

The washing compartment 2 is cuboid, for example, and can comprise a floor 5, a cover 6 opposite the floor 5, a rear wall 7 opposite the door 3, and two side walls 8, 9 opposite one another. In particular, the side walls 8, 9 can be made of stainless steel sheet.

The dishwasher 1 also has at least one loading level 10 . The at least one loading level 10 is preferably a washware receptacle of the dishwasher 1. In particular, multiple loading levels 10 can be provided, which can include a lower rack, an upper rack and/or a cutlery drawer. The multiple loading levels 10 are preferably arranged one above the other in the washing compartment 2 . Each loading level 10 is selectively in a push-in direction E into the washing compartment 2 or in a pull-out direction A out of it relocatable. For this purpose, a rail 11 is preferably provided on both sides of a respective loading level 10 .

2 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a user interface 13.

You can see door 3 off 1 with a door leaf, which extends in the XZ plane perpendicular to a depth direction Y of the household appliance 1 (main extension plane). With regard to the exemplary household dishwasher 1 from FIG 1 this is the case when door 3 is closed.

The door 3 or the door leaf has an upper narrow side 3a and a front side 3b. An edge 14 is formed at a joint between the upper narrow side 3a and the end face 3b, which edge 14 is formed in an area of an interruption that may be provided - for example due to a corresponding recess (see Fig. figure 5 ) - can be continued by an imaginary edge 14'.

A user interface 13, which can be a touch screen, for example, extends completely around the edge 14, 14', forming a first surface 15 and a second surface 16. The first surface 15 is curved in an arc shape and the second surface 16 is flat. The first surface 15 is provided for user interaction forwards and upwards, and due to the curvature of the first surface 15, surface normals of the same can in principle enclose an angle between 0° and 90° with the XZ plane of the door 3. The second surface 16 is intended for user interaction to the front, i.e. all surface normals of the second surface 16 form an angle of 90° with the XZ plane of the door 3.

The first and second areas 15, 16 of the user interface 13 are set up for the input and/or output of information. For this purpose, the user interface 13 can be embodied as a one-piece touch screen, for example, which has the surfaces 15 , 16 . Display and/or operating elements 13a, 13b can be shown in the areas 15, 16, which display, for example, the remaining washing time, the current washing program and a start/stop button. An input signal for a control device (not shown) of the dishwasher can be generated via the latter.

Alternatively, the user interface 13 comprising the first and second surface 15, 16 could only be designed as a screen for outputting information or only as a touch-sensitive surface for inputting information.

Figures 3A - 3E 12 show sectional views of the first embodiment 2 and a second, third, fourth and fifth exemplary embodiment of the user interface 13. All sectional views show a vertical section along a vertical central axis of the household appliance 1 through the door 3 with the user interface 13.

In Figure 3A 13 is the sectional view of the first embodiment of the user interface 13. FIG 2 shown, whose first surface 15 extends completely over the edge 14, 14 'from the end face 3b to the upper narrow side 3a and whose second surface 16 is provided on and parallel to the end face 3b of the door 3.

In Figure 3B the second exemplary embodiment of the user interface 13 can be seen, which additionally has a third surface 17 for inputting and/or outputting information. The third surface 17 is flat and extends on and parallel to the narrow side 3a. In this case, the user interface 13 formed, for example, as a one-piece touch screen also has the third surface 17 .

Figure 3C shows a sectional view of the third exemplary embodiment of the user interface 13, the first surface 15 of which is provided on the edge 14, 14' and the second surface 16 is provided on the upper narrow side 3a and parallel thereto.

3D shows, in a fourth exemplary embodiment, a user interface 13 or first surface 15 which only partially extends around the edge 14, 14', but which is otherwise as in FIGS Figs. 2 and 3A is trained.

Figure 3E shows a fifth embodiment of a user interface 13 that extends completely (in other embodiments also only partially) and exclusively around the edge 14, 14' and forms the (first) surface 15.

4 shows a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the user interface 14.

When compared with the first embodiment 2 and Figure 3A shows that the fourth exemplary embodiment also has a further user interface 13′, which is embedded in the upper narrow side 3a of the door 3 and is also used there for inputting and/or outputting information. The additional user interface 13 ′ is aligned with the user interface 13 in a width direction X and connects to it in the depth direction Y.

figure 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a control panel 18 of the household appliance 1.

The household appliance 1, more precisely its control panel 18, has a first surface 19 and a second surface 20 which collide at the edge 14. The edge 14, 14', around which the user interface 13 extends, is therefore part of the control panel 18 in the illustrated embodiment.

In the figure 5 The control panel 18 shown allows the user interface 13 according to the first exemplary embodiment (see Figs. 2 and 3a ) to frame and hold.

6 shows a perspective view of a further exemplary embodiment of the control panel 18 with a viewing window 21 for the user interface 13, which is only indicated. The user interface 13 is arranged behind the viewing window 21 in the depth direction.

7 shows a schematic view of an operating system of the household appliance 1.

It includes a control device 22 and the user interface 13, which in turn can be subdivided into the first area 15 and the second area 16 (and/or the third area 17 in an embodiment that is not shown). The two surfaces 15, 16 each have a touch-sensitive surface 23, a screen 24 or a touchscreen that integrates these functions. The arrows between the function blocks in the top and bottom halves of the 7 represent respective input and output signals between the user interface 13 and the controller 22. The Control device 22 is preferably set up to display the same information on screen 23 and screen 24 .

Although the present invention has been described using exemplary embodiments, it can be modified in many ways.

Reference signs used:

1

household appliance

2

flush tank

3

door

3a

upper narrow side

3b

face

4

washing chamber

5

floor

6

ceiling

7

back panel

8th

Side wall

9

Side wall

10

loading level

11

rail

13

user interface

13'

further user interface

13a

Display and/or control elements

13b

Display and/or control elements

14

edge

14'

imaginary edge

15

first face of the user interface

16

second area of the user interface

17

third surface of the user interface

18

control panel

19

first face of the household appliance

20

second face of the household appliance

21

viewing window

22

control device

23

touch-sensitive surface

24

Screen

E

insertion direction

A

pull direction

X

latitude direction

Y

depth direction

Z

height direction

Claims (8)

1. Household appliance (1) with at least one user interface (13) for inputting and outputting information and a door (3), which has an edge (14, 14'), wherein the at least one user interface (13) extends partially or wholly around the edge (14, 14'), characterised by a first surface (3a, 19) of the household appliance (1) and a second surface (3b, 20) of the household appliance (1), which are connected to one another by way of the edge (14, 14'), wherein the at least one user interface (13) extends continuously from the first surface (3a, 19) to the second surface (3b, 20), further characterised in that the at least one user interface (13) is a touchscreen for inputting and outputting information, wherein the at least one user interface (13) has a first surface (15) and a second surface (16) in each case for inputting and/or outputting information, wherein the first surface (15) of the at least one user interface (13) points in at least one first spatial direction and the second surface (16) of the at least one user interface (13) points in at least one second spatial direction and wherein the first and second spatial direction differ from one another.
2. Household appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that the first spatial direction and the second spatial direction are orthogonal to one another.
3. Household appliance according to claim 2, characterised in that when the door (3) is in a closed position, the first surface (15) of the at least one user interface (13) points upwards and the second surface (16) of the at least one user interface (13) points downwards.
4. Household appliance according to one of claims 2 - 3, characterised by a control device (22), which is designed to display the same information on the first and second surface (15, 16) of the at least one user interface (13).
5. Household appliance according to one of claims 1 - 4, characterised by at least one further user interface (13') for inputting and/or outputting information, which is arranged adjacent to the at least one user interface (13).
6. Household appliance according to claim 5, characterised in that the at least one further user interface (13') is arranged in a top narrow side (3a) of the door (3).
7. Household appliance according to one of claims 1 - 6, characterised in that the at least one user interface (13) is integrated into a control panel (18) of the household appliance (1).
8. Household appliance according to claim 7, characterised in that the control panel (18) has a viewing window (21), behind which the at least one user interface (13) is arranged.

Images