TWI717172B - Waterproof touch panel device - Google Patents

Abstract

A waterproof touch panel device is suitable for being arranged in a mounting slot of a top frame of a washing machine, and the top frame also has an opening located behind the mounting slot. The waterproof touch panel device includes a touch casing, a waterproof casing and a touch circuit board. The touch housing is suitable for being arranged in the mounting groove. The touch housing includes a substrate, a rear plate extending downward from the side edge of the substrate adjacent to the opening, and a side edge extending downward from the remaining part of the substrate The side plates at both ends of the back plate are connected, and the base plate is recessed to form a groove away from the back plate. The waterproof housing covers the substrate of the touch housing. The waterproof housing includes a top plate abutting against the substrate, a back cover extending downward from the side edge of the top plate adjacent to the opening, and a rest part of the top plate The side edge of the rear panel extends downward and is connected to the side cover plates at both ends of the back plate, and a gap is defined between the side cover plate and the side plate of the touch housing. The touch circuit board is arranged in the waterproof casing and located in the groove of the substrate of the touch casing.

Description

Waterproof touch panel device

The present invention relates to a touch panel device, in particular to a waterproof touch panel device.

The touch panel of the existing top-loading drum washing machine is set on the front of the top cover for users to operate and set various functions, such as performing washing functions or pure dehydration functions, and setting water volume, washing time, dehydration time and Parameters such as times. Although the outermost layer of the existing touch panel is protected by a waterproof casing to prevent the internal circuit boards and other electronic components from contacting water and causing malfunctions, once the user indicates to place the washing machine outdoors, once the weather is bad and there is heavy rainfall , Rainwater may penetrate into the interior through the tiny gap between the waterproof housing and internal components due to capillary phenomena, causing damage to electronic components such as circuit boards. Another situation is that after the user first washes the clothes by hand, the water splashed during the process of pouring the water-containing clothes and washing water into the inner tub may also penetrate into the interior due to the capillary phenomenon through the tiny gap between the waterproof housing and the internal components. Therefore, there is room for improvement on the touch panel of the existing washing machine.

Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a touch panel device with waterproof function.

Therefore, the waterproof touch panel device of the present invention is suitable for a mounting groove provided in a top frame of a washing machine. The top frame also has an opening behind the mounting groove. The waterproof touch panel device includes a touch The housing is suitable for being arranged in the mounting groove. The touch housing includes a substrate, a rear plate extending downward from the side edge of the substrate adjacent to the opening, and a side edge extending downward from the remaining part of the substrate. The side plates connecting the two ends of the back plate, the base plate is recessed to form a groove away from the back plate; a waterproof housing covering the base plate of the touch housing, the waterproof housing including a top plate abutting against the base plate, a A rear cover plate extending downward from the side edge of the top plate adjacent to the opening and a side cover plate extending downward from the side edges of the remaining part of the top plate and connecting both ends of the rear plate, the side cover plate and the touch housing A gap is defined between the side plates; and a touch circuit board is disposed in the waterproof casing and located in the groove of the substrate of the touch casing.

In some embodiments, the base portion of the control housing is recessed to form a groove spaced from the rear plate portion, and the waterproof housing further includes a groove extending downward from the top plate and connected to the rear plate. Waterproof ribs between boards.

In some embodiments, the gap is between 2.15mm and 2.6mm, and there is a height difference between the surface of the substrate abutting the top plate and the top frame, so that the height difference is h, and the gap is a , Then h and a satisfy the following relationship: h> 1.484×10 ^-5 m ² /a.

In some embodiments, the back plate includes a step-like junction portion extending downward from the substrate and an extension portion that is bent from the junction portion and extends toward the top frame and is connected to the top frame. The back cover is connected to the joint by abutting.

The present invention has at least the following effects: the gap is defined between the side cover plate of the waterproof housing and the side plate of the touch housing, so that the accumulated water at the connection between the side plate and the top frame passes through the gap The maximum height that can be climbed due to the capillary phenomenon is less than the height difference between the substrate and the top frame, and the accumulated water cannot penetrate into the fine gap between the substrate and the top plate of the waterproof housing, and naturally cannot enter the touch housing. The groove can effectively prevent the touch circuit board from being damaged by contact with water.

1 and 2, a first embodiment of the waterproof touch panel device of the present invention is applicable to a mounting groove 114 provided in a top frame 11 of a washing machine 1, the top frame 11 also having a front wall Part 111, two side wall parts 112 connecting the two ends of the front wall part 111, a partition wall part 113 spaced apart from the front wall part 111, and an opening 115 located behind the mounting groove 114. The installation slot 114 is located between the front wall portion 111, the side wall portions 112 and the partition wall portion 113, and the opening 115 is for a user to put laundry into the inner tub of the washing machine 1 (not shown). The waterproof touch panel device includes a touch casing 2, a waterproof casing 3, a touch circuit board 4, a display casing 5 and a display circuit board 6.

2 to 4, the touch housing 2 is suitable for being disposed on the top frame 11 and closing the mounting groove 114. The touch housing 2 may be, for example, an integrally formed plastic part, which includes a substrate 21, a A rear plate 22 extending downward from the side edge of the base plate 21 adjacent to the opening 115 and a side plate 23 extending downward from the side edge of the remaining part of the base plate 21 and connected to both ends of the rear plate 22. The base plate 21 is recessed to form a groove 211 away from the back plate 22 and a groove 212 spaced from the back plate 22. The groove 211 is located at the center of the base plate 21 and adjacent to the front wall of the top frame 11部111. The groove 212 is adjacent to and substantially parallel to the back plate 22. The touch housing 2 also has a plurality of through holes 213 penetrating through the substrate 21, the function of which will be described later. The rear plate 22 includes a step-like joining portion 221 extending downward from the base plate 21 and an extension portion 222 bent from the joining portion 221 and extending toward the partition wall portion 113 of the top frame 11. The joining portion 221 The length of the downward extension is the largest at the center, and gradually decreases from the center to the ends. The joint portion 221 has a first surface 221a extending obliquely downward from the substrate 21, and a first surface 221a bent from the first surface 221a. The second surface 221b extends horizontally and faces upward, and a third surface 221c extends obliquely downward from the second surface 221b to the extension 222. The extension portion 222 is correspondingly bent from the lower end of the joint portion 221 and extends toward the partition wall portion 113 and engages with the partition wall portion 113, so that the extension portion 222 is concave in the center. The side plate 23 is substantially U-shaped and connects the front wall 111 and the side wall 112 of the top frame 11 respectively. The side plate 23 has five downwardly extending hooks 231 for connecting with the front wall 111 Click to connect.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the waterproof housing 3 covers the substrate 21 of the touch housing 2, and is joined to the touch housing 2 in a hook fitting manner, for example, the waterproof housing 3 For example, it can be an integrally formed plastic part, which includes a top plate 31 that abuts against the base plate 21, a rear cover plate 32 extending downward from the side edge of the top plate 31 adjacent to the opening 115, and a back cover plate 32 extending from the rest of the top plate 31 The side edges extend downward and connect the side cover plates 33 at both ends of the rear cover plate 32 and a waterproof rib 34 extending downward from the top plate 31 into the groove 212 and spaced from the rear cover plate 32. The touch circuit board 4 can be disposed under the top plate 31 of the waterproof housing 3 and in the groove 211 of the substrate 21 of the touch housing 2, for example, by bonding. The top plate 31 has a plurality of windows (not shown) at positions corresponding to the perforations 213 and a plurality of buttons (not shown) at positions corresponding to the touch circuit board 4. The parts of the windows are made of transparent material, and the buttons are for users to operate. The rear cover plate 32 abuts against the first surface and the second surface of the joint portion 221 connecting the rear plate 22. The side cover 33 is substantially U-shaped, and a gap a is defined between it and the side plate 23 of the touch housing 2.

With the arrangement of the rear cover 32 and the waterproof ribs 34, the function of a double waterproof barrier can be provided. When the user first washes the clothes by hand, the process of pouring the water-containing clothes and washing water into the inner tub through the opening 115 The water splashed in the middle will be blocked by the rear cover 32 first, and even a small amount of water will pass through the fine gap between the rear cover 32 and the joint 221 of the rear plate 22 along the second surface due to capillary phenomena. 221b and the first surface 221a penetrate between the top plate 31 and the base plate 21, but once the small amount of water contacts the waterproof rib 34, it will flow along the waterproof rib 34 to the lower end of the waterproof rib 34, and finally Drops into the groove 211, and does not continue to penetrate between the top plate 31 and the substrate 21 and move toward the perforations 213 and even the touch circuit board 4, effectively blocking external water intrusion.

，其中H為可爬升的最大高度，γ是水的表面張力係數為0.0728N/m，θ為水的液面與毛細管壁面(即側蓋板33及側板23)的夾角，ρ是水的密度為1000kg/m ³，g是重力加速度為9.81m/s ²，r為毛細管的半徑在本實施例為間隙a的一半即a/2。在本實施例中，θ經實際實驗測出約為60度，a為2.45mm，代入上述公式後便能得出H約為6.06mm，其數值小於本實施例中該基板21與該頂部框體11的高度差h為7.68mm，如此一來便確保了積水經由該間隙a因毛細現象可爬升的最大高度小於該基板21與該頂部框體11的高度差h。而由上述公式得知，H與a是成反比的關係，而能發揮防水效果的先決條件是H > h，將此條件代入上述公式成為不等式後，可得出h > 1.484×10 ^-5m ²/a的關係式，在h為7.68mm的條件下，a > 1.93mm，且a的數值越大，H的數值則越小，但考量到塑膠件(即觸控殼體2與防水殼體3)的成形公差、組裝公差以及安裝槽114佔用頂部框體11的空間分配，a的數值不宜過大，a的數值介於2.15mm至2.6mm之間是較佳的，而h的數值也不以7.68mm為限制，只要能滿足h > 1.484×10 ^-5m ²/a的關係式即可。 If the user places the washing machine 1 outdoors, in bad weather and heavy rain, it will easily cause water to accumulate at the junction of the side plate 23 and the top frame 11, thanks to the side cover plate of the waterproof housing 3 The gap a is defined between 33 and the side plate 23 of the touch housing 2, and the maximum height that the water can climb due to capillary phenomenon through the gap a is smaller than the surface of the substrate 21 against the top plate 31 and the top frame 11 If the height difference h is high, the water cannot penetrate into the fine gap between the substrate 21 and the top plate 31 of the waterproof housing 3, and naturally cannot enter the groove 211 of the touch housing 2, which can effectively prevent water from contacting The touch circuit board 4 is damaged. The maximum height that the stagnant water can climb through the gap a due to capillary phenomena can be calculated by the following formula:

, Where H is the maximum height that can be climbed, γ is the surface tension coefficient of water, which is 0.0728N/m, θ is the angle between the liquid surface of the water and the capillary wall (ie side cover 33 and side plate 23), and ρ is the density of water It is 1000 kg/m ³ , g is the gravitational acceleration of 9.81 m/s ² , and r is the radius of the capillary. In this embodiment, it is half of the gap a, that is, a/2. In this embodiment, θ is about 60 degrees measured through actual experiments, and a is 2.45 mm. After substituting the above formula, H is about 6.06 mm, which is smaller than the value of the substrate 21 and the top frame in this embodiment. The height difference h of the body 11 is 7.68 mm, which ensures that the maximum height that the accumulated water can climb through the gap a due to capillary phenomenon is smaller than the height difference h between the substrate 21 and the top frame 11. According to the above formula, H and a are inversely proportional, and the prerequisite for the waterproof effect is H> h. After substituting this condition into the above formula as an inequality, it can be obtained that h> 1.484×10 ^-5 m The relational expression of ² /a, under the condition that h is 7.68mm, a> 1.93mm, and the larger the value of a, the smaller the value of H, but considering the plastic parts (that is, the touch case 2 and the waterproof case The forming tolerance, assembly tolerance, and mounting groove 114 of the body 3) occupy the space distribution of the top frame 11, the value of a should not be too large, the value of a is preferably between 2.15mm and 2.6mm, and the value of h is also It is not limited to 7.68mm, as long as the relational expression of h> 1.484×10 ^-5 m ² /a can be satisfied.

The display housing 5 is disposed in the mounting groove 114 and is located below the touch housing 2, and the display housing 5 is used for the display circuit board 6 to be disposed therein to provide a protection function. The display circuit board 6 has a plurality of display lights 61. The display lights 61 may be LEDs, for example, whose positions correspond to the perforations 213 of the substrate 21 of the touch housing 2. When the user is operating the waterproof touch panel When the device is installed, according to the function that the user wants to use, for example, when performing a general washing process, the corresponding indicator light 61 will light up, so that the user can recognize the function currently being executed through the windows (not shown), and each Parameters such as the amount of water, the number of washes, the dehydration time, etc.

In summary, the waterproof touch panel device of the present invention defines the gap a between the side cover 33 of the waterproof housing 3 and the side plate 23 of the touch housing 2, so that the gap a is located between the side plate 23 and the side plate 23. The maximum height that the accumulated water at the junction of the top frame 11 can climb due to capillary phenomenon through the gap a is less than the height difference h between the substrate 21 and the top frame 11, and the accumulated water cannot penetrate into the substrate 21 and the waterproof housing 3 The fine gaps between the top plates 31 naturally cannot enter the grooves 211 of the touch casing 2, which can effectively prevent the touch circuit board 4 from being damaged by contact with water, so it can indeed achieve the purpose of the invention.

However, the above are only examples of the present invention. When the scope of implementation of the present invention cannot be limited by this, all simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the content of the patent specification still belong to This invention patent covers the scope.

1: washing machine 11: Top frame 111: front wall 112: side wall 113: Partition Wall 114: installation slot 115: opening 2: Touch case 21: substrate 211: Groove 212: groove 213: Piercing 22: rear panel 221: Joint 221a: First side 221b: second side 221c: Third side 222: Extension 23: side panel 231: Card Hook 3: Waterproof shell 31: top plate 32: rear cover 33: side cover 34: Waterproof rib 4: touch circuit board 5: Display shell 6: Display circuit board 61: Indicator light a: gap h·: height difference

Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an incomplete three-dimensional schematic diagram illustrating that an embodiment of the waterproof touch panel device of the present invention is installed on a washing machine; Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a touch housing of the embodiment; Figure 4 is an incomplete cross-sectional view taken from the section line IV-IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an incomplete cross-sectional view taken from the section line V-V of Figure 1;

1: washing machine

11: Top frame

111: front wall

112: side wall

113: Partition Wall

114: installation slot

115: opening

2: Touch case

21: substrate

211: Groove

213: Piercing

22: rear panel

222: Extension

23: side panel

231: Card Hook

3: Waterproof shell

31: top plate

32: rear cover

33: side cover

4: touch circuit board

5: Display shell

6: Display circuit board

61: Indicator light

Claims (4)

A waterproof touch panel device is suitable for setting a mounting slot of a top frame of a washing machine, the top frame also has an opening behind the mounting slot, the waterproof touch panel device includes: a touch shell Body, suitable for being arranged in the mounting groove, the touch housing includes a substrate, a rear plate extending downward from the side edge of the substrate adjacent to the opening, and a side edge extending downward from the remaining part of the substrate and connected On the side plates at both ends of the back plate, the base plate is recessed to form a groove away from the back plate; a waterproof housing covering the base plate of the touch housing; the waterproof housing includes a top plate abutting against the base plate, a The top plate is adjacent to the side edge of the opening and extends downward and a side cover extends downward from the side edges of the rest of the top plate and connects both ends of the back plate. The side cover and the touch housing A gap is defined between the side plates; and a touch circuit board is disposed in the waterproof housing and is located in the groove of the substrate of the touch housing; wherein, the side plate and the top frame are connected The maximum height that the stagnant water can climb through the gap due to capillary phenomena is smaller than the height difference between the substrate and the top frame. The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate of the touch housing is recessed to form a groove spaced from the rear plate, and the waterproof housing further includes a groove extending downward from the top plate into the Waterproof ribs with grooves and spaced from the rear cover. The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein the gap is between 2.15mm and 2.6mm, and there is a height difference between the surface of the substrate against the top plate and the top frame, so that the height difference is Is h, the gap is a, then h and a satisfy the following relationship: h>1.484×10 ^-5 m ² /a. The touch panel device according to claim 1, wherein the rear plate includes a downward direction from the substrate A step-shaped joint part and an extension part bent from the joint part toward the top frame and connected to the top frame, and the rear cover plate abuts and connects the joint part.

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