US20170017315A1 - Topside control panel for bathing unit system - Google Patents
Topside control panel for bathing unit system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20170017315A1 US20170017315A1 US14/798,906 US201514798906A US2017017315A1 US 20170017315 A1 US20170017315 A1 US 20170017315A1 US 201514798906 A US201514798906 A US 201514798906A US 2017017315 A1 US2017017315 A1 US 2017017315A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- control panel
- housing
- topside control
- touch
- top surface
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/041—Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K3/00—Baths; Douches; Appurtenances therefor
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
- G02F1/13—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
- G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
- G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
- G02F1/133308—Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/1601—Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/016—Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- G06F3/0487—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
- G06F3/0488—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
- A61H2201/00—Characteristics of apparatus not provided for in the preceding codes
- A61H2201/01—Constructive details
- A61H2201/0103—Constructive details inflatable
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
- A61H2201/00—Characteristics of apparatus not provided for in the preceding codes
- A61H2201/50—Control means thereof
- A61H2201/5023—Interfaces to the user
- A61H2201/5043—Displays
- A61H2201/5046—Touch screens
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
- A61H33/00—Bathing devices for special therapeutic or hygienic purposes
- A61H33/60—Components specifically designed for the therapeutic baths of groups A61H33/00
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
- G02F1/13—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
- G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
- G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
- G02F1/133308—Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
- G02F1/133311—Environmental protection, e.g. against dust or humidity
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to the field of control systems for bathing unit systems, and more specifically, to a topside control panel to provide a user with control and/or monitoring capabilities in connection with a bathing unit system.
- Bathing units such as spas typically include various bathing unit components that are used in operating the bathing system.
- the bathing unit components generally include pumps that circulate water through a piping system, pumps for activating water jets, at least one heating module to heat the water, a filter system, an air blower, an ozone generator, a lighting system, and a control system that activate and manage the various operational settings of the bathing unit components.
- Other types of bathing units that have similar components include, for instance, whirlpools, hot tubs, bathtubs, therapeutic baths, spas and swimming pools.
- Most modern bathing systems include a control panel that is in communication with the bathing unit control system. The control panel is typically positioned in proximity to the bathing system so that a user of the bathing system may interact with it in order to adjust and control the activation and settings of the various bathing unit components.
- sanitary e.g., mildew
- integrity e.g., rust
- operability/safety e.g., water-induced short circuits
- One approach for addressing the above issue is to construct the control panel using water-resistant sealing material, such as silicone, to at least partially fill air gaps present in the control panel device structure through which moisture could penetrate.
- the use of such water-resistant sealing material may effectively block water entry in the device and thus avoid the control panel internal components being exposed to moisture.
- a deficiency of such an approach is that it requires the owner of the bathing unit system to monitor and maintain the sealing material integrity, which would attract additional costs and efforts for operating the bathing system.
- control panels Another challenge associated with control panels is that different bathing unit manufacturers as well as different user may have different preferences in terms of the visual appearance of the control panels. To satisfy these different customers, different versions of the control panels need to be designed, manufactured and maintained in inventory. Such customization tends to increase the manufacturing cost of individual control panels and thus may increase the price paid by the end consumer.
- a topside control panel for a bathing unit system comprising:
- the top surface of the housing may be circumscribed by a peripheral edge for engaging the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly.
- a sealing material such as for example a gasket, may secure the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing.
- the peripheral edge may include a groove or channel and the sealing material securing the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing may be positioned within the groove or channel.
- the topside control panel may further comprise a cover frame including a cut out or window area for receiving the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly when assembled with the housing.
- the cover frame may be releasably fastened to the housing of the topside control panel through the use of suitable fasteners for allowing for the easy removal and/or fastening/re-fastening of the cover frame to the housing.
- the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly includes an electronic display, a touch or presence-sensitive layer, and a cover layer overlying a top surface of the touch or presence-sensitive layer.
- the cover layer of the touch or presence-sensitive assembly may include one or more translucent or transparent areas.
- the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly may be responsive to changes in capacitance resulting from touching or close proximity of an object to the touch or presence-sensitive layer to generate and transmit signals to a processor located on the circuit board assembly.
- one of the one or more translucent or transparent areas may be associated with an ambient light sensor positioned on the circuit board assembly. This may allow adapting the intensity and/or color of the images displayed by the electronic display to be conditioned at least in part on the basis of the detected amount of ambient light, for example to make the displayed images more pleasing to the user of the bathing unit system.
- the cover layer of the touch or presence-sensitive assembly preferably may include a tactile zone providing haptic feedback and/or a mechanical actuator for associating user tactile input to software-implemented actions.
- the cover layer is comprised at least in part of a glass material.
- a topside control panel for a bathing unit system comprising:
- the bottom surface may include a plurality of standoffs protruding therefrom for contacting the circuit board assembly.
- the bottom surface may also include a plurality of mounting brackets protruding therefrom for securing the circuit board assembly within the second recess.
- the top surface of the housing is circumscribed by a peripheral edge for engaging the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly and a sealing material may be used to secure the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing.
- the peripheral edge may in some cases include a groove or channel and the sealing material securing the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing may be positioned within the groove or channel.
- a topside control panel for a bathing unit comprising:
- a circuit board assembly may be positioned within the second recess, the circuit board assembly being electrically coupled to the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly.
- the top surface of the housing may be circumscribed by a peripheral edge for engaging the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly.
- the ventilation member may be comprised of an elongated hollow member extending from an aperture formed on a wall of the back panel.
- a topside control panel for a bathing unit comprising:
- the back panel may include a ventilation member configured for allowing air communication between the enclosed second space and a space external to the topside control panel.
- the ventilation member may be comprised of an elongated hollow member extending from an aperture formed on a wall of the back panel.
- a circuit board assembly may be positioned within the second enclosed space of the housing.
- a bathing unit comprising:
- the receptacle for holding water may include a peripheral wall on which the control panel is positioned.
- FIG. 1 shows a top isometric view of a topside control panel for a bathing unit in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a bottom isometric view of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 shows a side view of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 shows a top isometric exploded view of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 showing a set of disassembled components from a first viewing perspective.
- FIG. 5 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of the topside control panel of FIG. 4 showing the set of disassembled components from a second viewing perspective.
- FIG. 6 shows a top isometric exploded view of a first subset of components forming an upper housing subassembly of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 (shown disassembled in FIGS. 4 and 5 ).
- FIG. 7 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of the first subset of components of FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 8 shows a top isometric view of an LCD/touch screen assembly of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 shown disassembled in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- FIG. 9 shows a bottom isometric view of the LCD/touch screen assembly of FIG. 8 .
- FIG. 10 shows a top isometric exploded view of the LCD/touch screen assembly of FIG. 8 .
- FIG. 11 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of the LCD/touch screen assembly of FIG. 8 .
- FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of a housing member of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 shown disassembled in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the housing member being depicted in the first subset of components shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 .
- FIG. 13 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of a second subset of components of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 shown disassembled in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the second subset of components including the housing member of FIG. 12 and a rear adhesive gasket.
- FIG. 14 shows a bottom isometric view of the second subset of components of FIG. 13 , in an assembled form.
- FIG. 15 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of a third subset of components of the of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 shown disassembled in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the third subset of components including the second subset of components shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 and a printed circuit board.
- FIG. 16 shows a bottom view of the third subset of components of FIG. 15 , in an assembled form.
- FIG. 17 shows a top isometric view of a back panel component of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 shown disassembled in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- FIG. 18 shows a bottom isometric view of the back panel of FIG. 17 .
- FIG. 19 shows a side view of the back panel of FIG. 17 .
- FIG. 20 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line 24 - 24 of the topside control panel shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 21 shows a side view of the control panel of FIG. 1 installed within a wall portion of a bathing unit.
- FIG. 22 shows an isometric top view of as bathing unit on which the topside control panel of FIG. 1 is installed on an outer peripheral wall.
- FIG. 23 shows an example of a user interface may be displayed in a viewing area of the topside control panel of FIG. 1 in accordance with a non-limiting example of the present invention.
- a topside control panel refers to principles of the invention in the context of a bathing system. It is to be understood that the term “bathing system”, as used for the purposes of the present description, refers to spas, whirlpools, hot tubs, bathtubs, therapeutic baths, swimming pools and any other type of bathing unit that can be equipped with a control system for controlling various operational settings of the bathing units.
- FIGS. 1-5 show a topside control panel 100 in accordance with a specific example of implementation.
- the control panel 100 includes a housing 50 , which conceptually, divides the control panel 100 into an upper housing subassembly 350 and a bottom housing subassembly 360 .
- FIGS. 6-11 illustrate in more details certain features/components of a non-limiting embodiment of the upper housing subassembly 350
- FIGS. 12-19 illustrate in more details certain features/components of a non-limiting embodiment of the bottom housing subassembly 360 .
- the control panel 100 includes a cover frame 10 having an internal wall 146 which is in contact with, or in close proximity to, an outer surface of a peripheral wall 138 of the housing 50 .
- a LCD/touch screen assembly 20 is positioned in contact with, or in close proximity to, an inner surface of the peripheral wall 138 of the housing 50 , in opposite relationship to the cover frame 10 .
- the peripheral wall 138 forms a ring surrounding the LCD/touch screen assembly 20
- the cover frame 10 surrounds the ring.
- the housing 50 and/or the cover frame 10 can be made of any suitable material including plastic, metal or a composite.
- the cover frame 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is illustrated with a given aesthetic appearance and shape, however it will be apparent that any other aesthetic appearance may be used in alternative implementations.
- the cover frame 10 may be configured to engage the housing 50 using any suitable fasteners, including mechanical fasteners (for example clips) and adhesives.
- this type of configuration may allow customizing the visual/aesthetic appearance of the topside control panel by using different shapes and/or color for the cover frame 10 while the remaining components of the topside control panel remain unchanged between different models/designs.
- the cover frame 10 may be made using plastic material, which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost, potentially allowing the customization of the topside control panel 100 to be done at a relatively low cost.
- the cover frame 10 may be configured to releasably engage the housing 50 using any suitable fasteners.
- embodiments of topside control panels in which the cover frame 10 can releasably engage the housing 50 may allow for the cover frame 10 to be replaced by a user (for example in the case of damage and/or when a different visual appearance is desired) without having to replace a significant portion of the (or entire) top-side control panel 100 .
- the housing 50 includes a top surface 50 A circumscribed by a peripheral edge 140 which in the embodiment depicted includes a peripheral wall 148 .
- the top surface 50 A and the peripheral wall 148 define a recess 46 , where the recess 46 is configured for receiving the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 therein.
- the top surface 50 A of the housing 50 further includes a plurality of standoffs 38 protruding from the top surface 50 A, where one of the plurality of standoffs 38 is located generally along an axis b.
- the height of the plurality of standoffs 38 is chosen such that at least one of the plurality of standoffs 38 contacts a portion of a bottom surface 35 of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 .
- the specific example shown in FIGS. 4-7 illustrates three standoffs 38 , alternative embodiments may include more or fewer standoffs.
- the top surface 50 A of the housing 50 may also include an aperture 32 which is located along an axis a.
- the peripheral edge 140 includes a groove or channel 144 , which extends along a perimeter of the peripheral wall 148 .
- the peripheral edge surface 140 is circumscribed by a second peripheral wall 138 , where the second peripheral wall 138 is for engaging the inner perimeter of the cover frame 10 .
- the peripheral edge surface 140 engages a bottom peripheral edge surface 242 of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 .
- a sealing material 30 which may be in the form of a gasket seal, may be used to secure the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly 20 to the housing 50 .
- the sealing material 30 may be positioned within the groove or channel 144 to secure the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 to the housing 50 .
- the sealing material 30 can be a flexible and/or rubberized gasket seal or a double sided tape structure and may be comprised of a water resistant adhesive that adheres the peripheral bottom surface 142 of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 to the peripheral edge 140 of housing 50 .
- the sealing material 30 may advantageously reduce water infiltration between the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 and the housing 50 .
- the housing 50 further includes a peripheral flange 9 which is positioned on an outer surface of the second peripheral wall 138 .
- the peripheral flange 9 is designed to engage a bottom surface 7 of the cover frame 10 such that, upon assembly, at least a portion of the bottom surface 7 of the cover frame 10 engages at least a portion of a top surface of the peripheral flange 9 .
- the peripheral flange 9 in order to secure the cover frame 10 to the housing 50 , includes one or more recesses 5 on an edge thereof, which accommodate complementary mating projections 3 on an inner surface of an outskirt wall 29 of the cover frame 10 .
- the fastener used to couple the cover frame 10 to the housing 50 may be of a releasable type such as to facilitate the fastening, removal and re-fastening of the cover frame 10 to/from the housing 50 .
- FIGS. 1-10 In the specific example shown in FIGS.
- a light diffusion plate 40 is positioned on the top surface 50 A of the housing 50 such that the peripheral edge of the light diffusion plate 40 is in contact with, or in close proximity to, the meeting portion between upper surface 50 A and the first peripheral wall 148 .
- the light diffusion plate 40 includes a number of apertures 42 for receiving the protruding standoffs 38 therethrough, where one aperture is located along the axis b.
- the light diffusion plate 40 also includes aperture 44 located along the axis a as well as an elongated aperture 107 located substantially in the center of the light diffusion plate 40 , and apertures 110 A and 108 A.
- the light diffusion plate 40 can be omitted from, or integrated into, the control panel 100 .
- the light diffusion plate 40 may be constructed using any suitable material to permit light arriving on a rear (lower) surface thereof to diffuse along its periphery and travels towards the periphery of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 .
- the light diffusion plate 40 is comprised of a white polyester fabric that is at least partially opaque, however it will be appreciated that any other suitable type of material may be used in alternate implementations.
- FIGS. 8-11 show an embodiment of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 in accordance with a specific configuration.
- Other suitable LCD/touch screen assembly configuration may be used in alternative implementations.
- the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 includes a cover layer 12 , which may be made of glass, plastic or any other suitable material.
- the cover layer 12 may be made of a layer of a chemically strengthened glass, such as the Gorilla GlassTM (Corning Inc., NY, U.S.A.).
- the cover layer 12 may have an exemplary thickness of a few millimeters, for example, but without being limited thereto, 3 mm; other suitable thicknesses, however, may be used in other practical implementations.
- the cover layer 12 may include an opaque portion 8 and a translucent or transparent portion 6 , where the translucent or transparent portion 6 is designed to allow the user to see and interact with the display generated by the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 .
- the cover layer 12 also includes a tactile zone 2 which is located along the axis b shown in FIG. 6 , and may also include a transparent or translucent zone 4 which is located along the axis a shown in FIG. 6 .
- the cover layer 12 has a bottom surface 35 which is circumscribed by a bottom peripheral surface 142 . As explained earlier, the bottom peripheral surface 142 is designed to contact the sealing material 30 , which is positioned in the groove or channel 144 of housing 50 .
- the cover layer 12 further includes a peripheral edge surface 242 which circumscribes the bottom peripheral surface 142 .
- the peripheral edge surface 242 engages the peripheral edge surface 140 of the housing 50 .
- the tactile zone 2 allows associating user tactile input to software-implemented actions.
- the tactile zone 2 provides haptic feedback and/or includes a mechanical actuator to provide a user with the possible of providing commands through a push-button like action.
- the transparent or translucent zone 4 is associated with an ambient light sensor positioned on the circuit board assembly 80 , for example, for automatically adjusting the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 brightness display settings according to software-implemented actions.
- the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 further includes a touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 which is located under the cover layer 12 .
- a first wiring element 26 is positioned on a peripheral edge side wall 14 A of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 .
- the first wiring element 26 is designed to include a flange 22 which extends longitudinally under the bottom surface of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 and connects a wiring cable 15 , which electrically couples the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 to the circuit board assembly 80 .
- the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 can use capacitive sensor technology, in which case it can sense changes in capacitance at areas of the active region of the panel 100 caused by nearness of a user's finger or other object (such as a stylus) to the touch sensitive layer.
- the panel 100 may therefore be touch or presence-sensitive to the user's finger or other device such as a stylus.
- the sensitivity of the panel display 100 may typically be adjusted, e.g., through software driver adjustment, so that the user may not need to even physically touch the cover layer to actuate a button or some other activity such as a swipe.
- the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 is a TFT LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) module. Displays employing other technologies may be used in alternate implementations. Touch/presence-sensitive display assemblies suitable for the purpose of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 may be commercially available and thus need not be described in greater detail here.
- the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 further includes a display layer 18 which is located under the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 .
- the display layer 18 includes a second wiring element 36 which is positioned on a peripheral edge side wall 18 A of the display layer 18 corresponding to the peripheral edge side wall 14 A of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 on which is located the first wiring element 26 .
- the second wiring element 36 is designed to include a flange 222 which extends longitudinally under the bottom surface of the display layer 18 , and is configured to attach a wiring cable 13 , which electrically couples the display layer 18 to the circuit board assembly 80 .
- the display layer 18 engages the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 using any suitable fasteners, including mechanical fasteners (for example clips) and adhesives.
- the display layer 18 engages a flange 22 positioned on the first wiring element 26 and is secured to the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 with an adhesive layer.
- the display layer 18 and the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 engage the recess 46 defined by the first peripheral wall 148 and the top surface 50 A of the housing 50 , whereas the peripheral edge surface portion 242 of the cover layer 12 engages the peripheral edge surface 140 of the housing 50 and may be fastened thereto using any suitable adhesive material.
- the display layer 18 , touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 and cover layer 12 may be bonded to one another using any suitable adhesive in accordance with any suitable technique known in the art. In practical implementations, such a configuration may afford an advantageous reduction in water infiltration into the control panel 100 .
- the housing 50 includes a bottom surface 50 B circumscribed by a peripheral wall 28 , where the bottom surface 50 B and the peripheral wall 28 define a recess 48 .
- the peripheral wall 28 can include projecting portions 86 positioned on respective side wall portions thereof.
- the peripheral wall 28 includes a pair of projecting portions 86 , in an opposite relationship one to the other, and which project inwardly within the recess 48 .
- Each projecting portion projecting portions 86 can include a plurality of securing posts 66 , positioned on an inner surface thereof within the recess 48 .
- each projecting portion of the pair of projecting portions 86 includes a pair of securing posts 66 .
- One securing post of the pair of securing posts 66 is positioned on a first respective side wall portion of one of the projecting portions 86 , in opposite relationship to the other one securing post of the pair of securing posts 66 which is itself positioned on a second respective side wall portion of the same one of the pair of projecting portions 86 .
- the securing posts 66 protrude from the bottom surface 50 B and are designed to narrow in size towards the protruding extremity thereof.
- the bottom surface 50 B may also include a plurality of standoff posts 64 which also protrude from the bottom surface 50 B and which can be positioned peripherally close to, or adjacent to, an inner surface of the peripheral wall 28 . Other positioning of the standoff posts 64 on the bottom surface 50 B can be used in alternate practical implementations.
- the standoff posts 64 are designed to have a certain height such that at least some can contact a portion of a top surface of the circuit board assembly 80 .
- the bottom surface 50 B can also include a plurality of mounting brackets 56 protruding from the bottom surface 50 B, for securing the circuit board assembly 80 to the housing 50 .
- the bottom surface 50 B includes a pair of mounting brackets 56 .
- Other numbers of mounting brackets may be used in alternate practical implementations.
- the bottom surface 50 B can also include an aperture 32 which opens through the top surface 50 A.
- the aperture 32 is inline along the axis a and is designed to receive a generally hollow connector 60 extending therethrough, which in the example shown is in the form of a hollow cylindrical connector.
- the connector 60 creates an optical pathway for light signal thereby associating the transparent or translucent zone 4 with an ambient light sensor that may be positioned on the circuit board assembly 80 along the axis a.
- an ambient light sensor positioned on the circuit board assembly allow adapting the intensity and/or color of the images displayed by the electronic display to be conditioned at least in part on the basis of the detected amount of ambient light, for example to make the displayed images more pleasing to the user of the bathing unit system. Suitable ambient light sensors are commercially available, and as such, will not be further described here.
- the bottom surface 50 B can also include an aperture 34 which open through top surface 50 A thereby creating a ventilation pathway, which may allow ambient moisture to circulate and eventually escape from the control panel 100 to an outside space.
- the bottom surface 50 B can also include a plurality of light diffuser elements 62 , which are shown in FIG. 12-15 allowing the light coming from lighting elements, which may be LEDs for example, positioned on the board assembly 88 to allow light generated by these lighting elements propagate towards for upper/front portion of the top-side control panel 100 .
- the light diffuser elements 62 allow the peripheral wall 138 of the housing 50 to be illuminated, which in some implementations may create a visually pleasing back-lit effect for the top-side control panel 100 .
- the peripheral flange 9 present on the periphery of the housing 50 has a bottom surface 76 , which is circumscribed by a bottom wall 224 positioned on a peripheral edge of the flange 9 .
- the bottom wall 224 includes one or more wall portion(s) 68 which are generally inwardly projected.
- an adhesive gasket 70 having an inner peripheral wall 78 and which defines a cut out 82 , is designed such that the inner peripheral wall 78 is complementary to the outer surface of peripheral wall 28 of the housing 50 .
- the adhesive gasket 70 is for attaching the top-side control panel 100 on a surface of the bathing unit.
- the adhesive gasket 70 may also act as a water barrier to prevent water from penetrating within the body of the topside control panel 100 .
- the adhesive gasket 70 may further includes recesses 72 on a peripheral edge thereof, which mate with complementary wall portion(s) 68 of the bottom vertical wall 224 of the housing 50 .
- the wall portion(s) 68 ultimately engage the recesses 72 and the adhesive gasket 70 engages the housing 50 .
- the adhesive gasket 70 may be omitted from the control panel 100 or may be integrated as being part of the body of housing 50 .
- the circuit board assembly 80 is electrically coupled to the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 .
- the circuit board assembly 80 may include one or more processing elements configured to provide software-implemented functionality for operating the topside control panel 100 .
- the specifics functionality implemented by the processing elements is not critical to the invention and will, therefore, not be further described here.
- the circuit board's 80 periphery includes a plurality of peripheral recesses 88 which mate with, and are complementary to, the plurality of projection portions 86 on the peripheral wall 28 of the housing 50 .
- the circuit board assembly 80 includes a pair of peripheral recesses 88 to match with, and be complementary to, the pair of projecting portions 86 .
- the circuit board assembly 80 further includes a plurality of apertures 84 which are designed for engaging the plurality of mounting brackets 56 protruding from the bottom surface 50 B of the housing 50 .
- the circuit board assembly 80 includes a pair of apertures 84 which are designed for engaging the pair of mounting brackets 56 .
- the circuit board assembly 80 further includes apertures 110 C and 108 C for connecting wiring 13 and 15 , respectively.
- apertures 110 C and 108 C may be cooperatively located with apertures 110 B and 108 B extending through the bottom and top surface 50 B and 50 A of the housing 50 , as well as with apertures 110 A and 108 A of light diffusion element 40 (if present).
- circuit board assembly 80 may include one or more lighting elements, which may be LEDs for example, mounted upon the assembly 80 . These lighting elements may be controlled by processing components of the circuit board assembly 80 to generate light effects, which may be propagated to the upper/front portion of the top-side control panel 100 .
- light of different colors and/or intensity as well as different light patterns may be generated by providing suitable lighting elements and/or appropriate control functionality on the circuit board assembly 80 .
- the processing elements on the circuit board assembly 80 may be programmed for modulating the images displayed by the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 at least in part based on the type (for example color/intensity and/or pattern) of light generated by the one or more lighting elements. For example the color of the image displayed by the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 may be modulated to create a visually pleasing effect when view in combination with the color and or intensity of the light emitting by the one or more lighting elements.
- the circuit board assembly 80 is secured in the recess 48 by aligning the plurality of recesses 88 with the plurality of projecting portions 86 and aligning the plurality of apertures 84 with the plurality of mounting brackets 56 .
- the plurality of recesses 88 ultimately engage the plurality of securing posts 66 positioned on an inner surface of the projecting portions 86
- the plurality of mounting brackets 56 engage the apertures 84 such that the circuit board assembly 80 is secured in the recess 48 .
- control panel 100 further includes a back panel 90 which is positioned on the housing 50 , in opposite relationship to the cover frame 10 .
- FIGS. 17 to 19 better illustrate a specific embodiment of the back panel 90 .
- the back panel 90 includes a top (inner) surface 90 A circumscribed with a peripheral wall 126 which, when taken together, define space 116 .
- the top surface 90 A has a longitudinal concave shape and the peripheral wall 126 , accordingly, includes a longitudinal portion wall 120 which is complementary to the concave shape of the top surface 90 A.
- the concave shape may afford an advantageous moisture- ⁇ water-controlling effect in providing an air pathway for moisture or water to travel away from water ⁇ moisture sensitive elements present within the control panel 100 .
- the back panel 90 further includes a peripheral edge 124 which circumscribes the top surface 90 A.
- the peripheral edge 124 includes a groove or channel 104 which extends along a perimeter of the peripheral wall 126 , where the groove or channel 104 engages the peripheral wall 28 of the housing 50 .
- the back panel 90 peripheral wall 126 can include a plurality of recessed portion walls 98 where each one thereof has a corresponding one of a plurality of recessed portions 214 on the peripheral edge 124 .
- the peripheral wall 126 includes a pair of recessed portions 98 positioned in opposite relationship one to another, on each transversal portion of the peripheral wall 126 , where each one of the pair of recessed portions 98 has a corresponding recessed portion 214 on the peripheral edge 124 .
- the back panel 90 peripheral edge 124 can also include a plurality of mounting brackets 112 extending therefrom for engaging the peripheral wall 28 of the housing 50 .
- the peripheral edge 124 includes a pair of mounting brackets 112 positioned on each transversal portions of the peripheral edge 124 .
- each one of the plurality of mounting brackets 112 may include a snapping portion 114 for releasably securing the back panel 90 to the housing 50 .
- each one of the plurality of recessed portions 214 are aligned with a respective one of the plurality of projecting portions 86 , a surface edge of peripheral wall 28 engages into the groove or channel 104 , each one of the plurality of snapping portions 114 engages the respective one of the plurality of mounting brackets 58 and each one of the plurality of recessed portions 214 engage the respective one of the plurality of projecting portions 86 , resulting in that the back plate 90 snaps onto the housing 50 (the resulting configuration is shown in FIG. 2 ). While FIGS.
- FIG. 17-19 show a pair of mounting brackets 112 on each of the transversal portion walls of the peripheral edge 124 , it will be apparent that any suitable number of mounting brackets 112 may be used in specific alternate practical implementations. Alternatively still, adhesives or other fastening techniques/mechanisms known in the art may be employed in alternate implementations for securing the back plate 90 onto the housing 50 .
- the back panel 90 includes a ventilation aperture 94 formed on a wall thereof.
- the aperture 94 is formed on the top surface 90 A and is connected to an elongated hollow member 92 extending into a space external to the topside control panel 100 .
- the hollow member 92 extending from the aperture 94 formed on a wall of the back panel 90 provides an air communication path between a space internal to the topside control panel 100 and a space external thereto.
- the back plate 90 includes a pass-through 96 for connecting a power and signal wiring 134 (shown in FIG. 21 ) to the circuit board assembly 80 .
- Power and signal wiring elements are known in the art and, as such, will not be further described here.
- the topside control panel 100 upon assembly, can include a substantially continuous top surface which appears flush to a user's touch.
- the topside control panel 100 can include a discontinuous top surface which appears to a user's touch as having physically delimited zones, for example, such discontinuous top surface may provide a delimited LCD-touch screen area and a tactile input area.
- the topside control panel 100 can also include one or more generally enclosed spaces.
- an enclosed space 228 can be created when the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 engages the recess 46 ;
- an additional or alternate enclosed space 226 can be created between the bottom surface 50 B and a top surface of the circuit board assembly 80 when the circuit board assembly 80 is secured within the recess 46 ;
- an additional or alternate enclosed space 230 can be created between a bottom surface of the circuit board assembly 80 and the top surface 90 A of the back panel 90 when the circuit board assembly 80 is secured within the recess 46 .
- one or more of the above described enclosed spaces may be filled with a water proof material, such as silicone in order to prevent water from entering these enclosed spaces.
- a water proof material such as silicone
- one or more of the above described enclosed spaces may remain generally empty (filled at least in part by air). Tt also has been observed that leaving some empty spaces and allowing air communication between the one or more enclosed space and a space external to the topside control panel 100 may prevent undesirable moisture from accumulating and/or remaining in these enclosed spaces.
- FIGS. 21-22 show the topside control panel 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1-20 installed in a bathing unit system 200 .
- An exemplary bathing unit system can be a spa having a spa tub, although it will be appreciated that the subject matter may be practiced in connection with other bathing units, such as whirlpool baths and pools.
- the bathing unit system 200 includes a receptacle for holding a volume of bathing water 210 , a plurality of comfort components including at least a circulation pump and a heater and a controller (shown in FIG. 21 ) for controlling operational settings associated with the comfort components.
- the topside control panel 100 is positioned on an upper portion of a peripheral wall 132 A of the receptacle for holding water.
- the bathing unit may be fabricated in part using a moldable material, such as fiberglass.
- the topside control panel 100 may alternatively be installed in bathing units fabricated of other materials, including metal and ceramic materials.
- the topside control panel 100 may be installed by drilling or otherwise forming an opening in the bathing unit receptacle peripheral wall to form a mount opening, disposing the topside control panel through the mount opening, and securing the topside control panel in place by an adhesive gasket or mounting fasteners.
- FIG. 21 illustrates an embodiment in which screws 128 secure the topside control panel 100 via mounting fasteners 130 to an underside of peripheral wall 132 A.
- Other suitable fasteners may alternatively be employed in alternative implementations.
- a wiring harness 134 is connected between the topside control panel 100 and an electronic controller 136 of the spa installation, such that the topside control panel 100 is in communication with the electronic controller 136 for allowing a user of the bathing unit to control and/or monitor operational settings of at least some of the comfort components in the bathing unit system by using the topside control panel 100 .
- the controller 136 responds to commands entered via the control panel 100 and transmitted electronically over wiring harness 134 to control operational settings of the bathing unit system.
- the controller 136 may be a controller of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,406 and Canadian Patent 2,499,551, each one being hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
- FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary display 220 which may be produced with the control panel 100 , and showing “button” areas which may be actuated by close proximity or touching of the user finger or stylus.
- Other suitable display configurations may be envisioned for alternative implementations and will become apparent to the person skilled in the art in view of the present description.
- topside control panel for controlling and/or monitoring component in a bathing unit system.
- Other practical implementations may be possible.
- the topside control panel illustrated in the Figures is of generally rectangular shape, other shapes can also be contemplated in alternative implementations.
- the control panel can have another shape such as, but without being limited thereto, a generally square shape, a generally oval shape, a generally circular shape, a generally triangular shape, and the like.
- the topside control panel may include top decorative or informative overlay, optionally including ornamental layers or designs.
- the terms “around”, “about” or “approximately” shall generally mean within the error margin generally accepted in the art. Hence, numerical quantities given herein generally include such error margin such that the terms “around”, “about” or “approximately” can be inferred if not expressly stated.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates generally to the field of control systems for bathing unit systems, and more specifically, to a topside control panel to provide a user with control and/or monitoring capabilities in connection with a bathing unit system.
- Bathing units, such as spas, typically include various bathing unit components that are used in operating the bathing system. The bathing unit components generally include pumps that circulate water through a piping system, pumps for activating water jets, at least one heating module to heat the water, a filter system, an air blower, an ozone generator, a lighting system, and a control system that activate and manage the various operational settings of the bathing unit components. Other types of bathing units that have similar components include, for instance, whirlpools, hot tubs, bathtubs, therapeutic baths, spas and swimming pools. Most modern bathing systems include a control panel that is in communication with the bathing unit control system. The control panel is typically positioned in proximity to the bathing system so that a user of the bathing system may interact with it in order to adjust and control the activation and settings of the various bathing unit components.
- Positioning the control panel in proximity to the bathing unit system, for example on a portion of an outer peripheral wall of the bathing unit system, presents a challenge. While such proximity of the control panel to the bathing unit system facilitates user interactions with the control panel, this proximity increases detrimental exposure of the control panel internal and external components to moisture. As a result, this detrimental moisture exposure may increase, for example, sanitary (e.g., mildew), integrity (e.g., rust), operability/safety (e.g., water-induced short circuits) risks to the control panel, as well as other risks which can be apparent to the person of skill.
- One approach for addressing the above issue is to construct the control panel using water-resistant sealing material, such as silicone, to at least partially fill air gaps present in the control panel device structure through which moisture could penetrate. The use of such water-resistant sealing material may effectively block water entry in the device and thus avoid the control panel internal components being exposed to moisture. A deficiency of such an approach is that it requires the owner of the bathing unit system to monitor and maintain the sealing material integrity, which would attract additional costs and efforts for operating the bathing system.
- Another challenge associated with control panels is that different bathing unit manufacturers as well as different user may have different preferences in terms of the visual appearance of the control panels. To satisfy these different customers, different versions of the control panels need to be designed, manufactured and maintained in inventory. Such customization tends to increase the manufacturing cost of individual control panels and thus may increase the price paid by the end consumer.
- Against the background described above, there remains a need in the industry to provide a topside control panel for a bathing unit system that alleviates at least in part the problems associated with existing control panels of the type described above.
- In accordance with a first aspect, a topside control panel for a bathing unit system is provided comprising:
-
- a. a housing including a top surface and a bottom surface opposed to the top surface;
- b. a display touch or presence-sensitive assembly positioned upon the top surface of the housing; and
- c. a circuit board assembly positioned upon the bottom surface the housing, the circuit board assembly being electrically coupled to the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly.
- In some implementations, the top surface of the housing may be circumscribed by a peripheral edge for engaging the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly. A sealing material, such as for example a gasket, may secure the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing. In some specific implementations, the peripheral edge may include a groove or channel and the sealing material securing the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing may be positioned within the groove or channel.
- In some implementations, the topside control panel may further comprise a cover frame including a cut out or window area for receiving the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly when assembled with the housing. Optionally, the cover frame may be releasably fastened to the housing of the topside control panel through the use of suitable fasteners for allowing for the easy removal and/or fastening/re-fastening of the cover frame to the housing.
- In some implementations, the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly includes an electronic display, a touch or presence-sensitive layer, and a cover layer overlying a top surface of the touch or presence-sensitive layer. The cover layer of the touch or presence-sensitive assembly may include one or more translucent or transparent areas. In specific practical implementations, the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly may be responsive to changes in capacitance resulting from touching or close proximity of an object to the touch or presence-sensitive layer to generate and transmit signals to a processor located on the circuit board assembly.
- In specific practical implementations, one of the one or more translucent or transparent areas may be associated with an ambient light sensor positioned on the circuit board assembly. This may allow adapting the intensity and/or color of the images displayed by the electronic display to be conditioned at least in part on the basis of the detected amount of ambient light, for example to make the displayed images more pleasing to the user of the bathing unit system. The cover layer of the touch or presence-sensitive assembly preferably may include a tactile zone providing haptic feedback and/or a mechanical actuator for associating user tactile input to software-implemented actions. In specific practical implementations, the cover layer is comprised at least in part of a glass material.
- In accordance with another aspect, a topside control panel for a bathing unit system is provided comprising:
-
- a. a display touch or presence-sensitive assembly;
- b. a housing having:
- i. a top surface circumscribed by a top peripheral wall, the top surface and the top peripheral wall defining a first recess for receiving the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly;
- ii. a bottom surface opposed to the top surface, the bottom surface being circumscribed by a bottom peripheral wall, the bottom surface and the bottom peripheral wall defining a second recess; and
- c. a circuit board assembly positioned in the second recess of the housing, the circuit board assembly being electrically coupled to the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly.
- In at least some specific implementations, the bottom surface may include a plurality of standoffs protruding therefrom for contacting the circuit board assembly. The bottom surface may also include a plurality of mounting brackets protruding therefrom for securing the circuit board assembly within the second recess.
- In some specific implementations, the top surface of the housing is circumscribed by a peripheral edge for engaging the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly and a sealing material may be used to secure the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing. The peripheral edge may in some cases include a groove or channel and the sealing material securing the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly to the housing may be positioned within the groove or channel.
- In accordance with another aspect, a topside control panel for a bathing unit is provided comprising:
-
- a display touch or presence-sensitive assembly;
- a housing including:
- i. a top surface circumscribed by a top peripheral wall, the top surface and the top peripheral wall defining a first recess for receiving the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly; and
- ii. a bottom surface opposed to the top surface, the bottom surface being circumscribed by a bottom peripheral wall, the bottom surface and the bottom peripheral wall defining a second recess; and
- a back panel secured to the housing so as to enclose the second recess and form an enclosed space, the back panel including a ventilation member configured for allowing air communication between the enclosed space and a space external to the topside control panel.
- In some specific implementations, a circuit board assembly may be positioned within the second recess, the circuit board assembly being electrically coupled to the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly. The top surface of the housing may be circumscribed by a peripheral edge for engaging the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly.
- In some specific implementations, the ventilation member may be comprised of an elongated hollow member extending from an aperture formed on a wall of the back panel.
- In accordance with another aspect, a topside control panel for a bathing unit is provided comprising:
-
- a. a display touch or presence-sensitive assembly;
- b. a housing including:
- i. a top surface circumscribed by a top peripheral wall, the top surface and the top peripheral wall defining a first recess for receiving the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly so as to enclose at least part of the first recess and form a first enclosed space; and
- ii. a bottom surface circumscribed by a bottom peripheral wall, the bottom surface and the bottom peripheral wall defining a second recess; and
- c. a back panel secured to the housing so as to enclose at least part of the second recess to form a second enclosed space defined at least in part by the back panel, the bottom peripheral wall of the housing and the bottom surface of the housing, wherein a ventilation path is formed between the top surface and the bottom surface of the housing to allow air communication between the first enclosed space and the second enclosed space.
- In some specific implementations, the back panel may include a ventilation member configured for allowing air communication between the enclosed second space and a space external to the topside control panel. In some practical implementations, the ventilation member may be comprised of an elongated hollow member extending from an aperture formed on a wall of the back panel. A circuit board assembly may be positioned within the second enclosed space of the housing.
- In accordance with another aspect, a bathing unit is provided comprising:
-
- a. a receptacle for holding water;
- b. a plurality of comfort components including at least a circulation pump and a heater;
- c. a controller for controlling operational settings associated with the comfort components; and
- d. a topside control panel of the type described above, the topside control panel being in communication with the controller for allowing a user of the bathing unit system to control and/or monitor operational settings of at least some of the comfort components in the bathing unit system.
- In specific implementations, the receptacle for holding water may include a peripheral wall on which the control panel is positioned.
- All features of embodiments which are described in this disclosure and are not mutually exclusive can be combined with one another. Elements of one embodiment can be utilized in the other embodiments without further mention. Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying Figures.
- A detailed description of specific embodiments is provided herein below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a top isometric view of a topside control panel for a bathing unit in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the invention. -
FIG. 2 shows a bottom isometric view of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 shows a side view of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 shows a top isometric exploded view of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 showing a set of disassembled components from a first viewing perspective. -
FIG. 5 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of the topside control panel ofFIG. 4 showing the set of disassembled components from a second viewing perspective. -
FIG. 6 shows a top isometric exploded view of a first subset of components forming an upper housing subassembly of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 (shown disassembled inFIGS. 4 and 5 ). -
FIG. 7 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of the first subset of components ofFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 8 shows a top isometric view of an LCD/touch screen assembly of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 shown disassembled inFIGS. 4 and 5 . -
FIG. 9 shows a bottom isometric view of the LCD/touch screen assembly ofFIG. 8 . -
FIG. 10 shows a top isometric exploded view of the LCD/touch screen assembly ofFIG. 8 . -
FIG. 11 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of the LCD/touch screen assembly ofFIG. 8 . -
FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of a housing member of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 shown disassembled inFIGS. 4 and 5 , the housing member being depicted in the first subset of components shown inFIGS. 6 and 7 . -
FIG. 13 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of a second subset of components of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 shown disassembled inFIGS. 4 and 5 , the second subset of components including the housing member ofFIG. 12 and a rear adhesive gasket. -
FIG. 14 shows a bottom isometric view of the second subset of components ofFIG. 13 , in an assembled form. -
FIG. 15 shows a bottom isometric exploded view of a third subset of components of the of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 shown disassembled inFIGS. 4 and 5 , the third subset of components including the second subset of components shown inFIGS. 13 and 14 and a printed circuit board. -
FIG. 16 shows a bottom view of the third subset of components ofFIG. 15 , in an assembled form. -
FIG. 17 shows a top isometric view of a back panel component of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 shown disassembled inFIGS. 4 and 5 . -
FIG. 18 shows a bottom isometric view of the back panel ofFIG. 17 . -
FIG. 19 shows a side view of the back panel ofFIG. 17 . -
FIG. 20 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line 24-24 of the topside control panel shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 21 shows a side view of the control panel ofFIG. 1 installed within a wall portion of a bathing unit. -
FIG. 22 shows an isometric top view of as bathing unit on which the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 is installed on an outer peripheral wall. -
FIG. 23 shows an example of a user interface may be displayed in a viewing area of the topside control panel ofFIG. 1 in accordance with a non-limiting example of the present invention. - In the drawings, the embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examples. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
- The description below is directed to a specific implementation of a topside control panel according to principles of the invention in the context of a bathing system. It is to be understood that the term “bathing system”, as used for the purposes of the present description, refers to spas, whirlpools, hot tubs, bathtubs, therapeutic baths, swimming pools and any other type of bathing unit that can be equipped with a control system for controlling various operational settings of the bathing units.
-
FIGS. 1-5 show atopside control panel 100 in accordance with a specific example of implementation. Thecontrol panel 100 includes ahousing 50, which conceptually, divides thecontrol panel 100 into anupper housing subassembly 350 and abottom housing subassembly 360.FIGS. 6-11 illustrate in more details certain features/components of a non-limiting embodiment of theupper housing subassembly 350, whereasFIGS. 12-19 illustrate in more details certain features/components of a non-limiting embodiment of thebottom housing subassembly 360. - The following section describes in more details a non-limiting example of implementation of the
upper housing subassembly 350. - In the specific example of implementation of the
topside control panel 100 shown inFIGS. 1-3 , and shown in exploded/disassembled form inFIGS. 4 and 5 , thecontrol panel 100 includes acover frame 10 having aninternal wall 146 which is in contact with, or in close proximity to, an outer surface of aperipheral wall 138 of thehousing 50. In turn, a LCD/touch screen assembly 20 is positioned in contact with, or in close proximity to, an inner surface of theperipheral wall 138 of thehousing 50, in opposite relationship to thecover frame 10. In other words, when viewed from the top of thecontrol panel 100, theperipheral wall 138 forms a ring surrounding the LCD/touch screen assembly 20, and thecover frame 10 surrounds the ring. - The
housing 50 and/or thecover frame 10 can be made of any suitable material including plastic, metal or a composite. - The
cover frame 10 shown inFIGS. 1-3 is illustrated with a given aesthetic appearance and shape, however it will be apparent that any other aesthetic appearance may be used in alternative implementations. In specific practical implementations, thecover frame 10 may be configured to engage thehousing 50 using any suitable fasteners, including mechanical fasteners (for example clips) and adhesives. In some implementations, this type of configuration may allow customizing the visual/aesthetic appearance of the topside control panel by using different shapes and/or color for thecover frame 10 while the remaining components of the topside control panel remain unchanged between different models/designs. In practical implementations thecover frame 10 may be made using plastic material, which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost, potentially allowing the customization of thetopside control panel 100 to be done at a relatively low cost. - In non-limiting examples, the
cover frame 10 may be configured to releasably engage thehousing 50 using any suitable fasteners. Advantageously, embodiments of topside control panels in which thecover frame 10 can releasably engage thehousing 50 may allow for thecover frame 10 to be replaced by a user (for example in the case of damage and/or when a different visual appearance is desired) without having to replace a significant portion of the (or entire) top-side control panel 100. - With reference to
FIGS. 4-7 , which show different portions of thetopside control panel 100 in exploded form, it can be seen that thehousing 50 includes atop surface 50A circumscribed by aperipheral edge 140 which in the embodiment depicted includes aperipheral wall 148. In the specific example illustrated inFIGS. 4-7 , thetop surface 50A and theperipheral wall 148 define arecess 46, where therecess 46 is configured for receiving the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 therein. - In the specific example shown in
FIGS. 4-7 , thetop surface 50A of thehousing 50 further includes a plurality ofstandoffs 38 protruding from thetop surface 50A, where one of the plurality ofstandoffs 38 is located generally along an axis b. In practical implementations, the height of the plurality ofstandoffs 38 is chosen such that at least one of the plurality ofstandoffs 38 contacts a portion of abottom surface 35 of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20. While the specific example shown inFIGS. 4-7 illustrates threestandoffs 38, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer standoffs. In a specific embodiment, thetop surface 50A of thehousing 50 may also include anaperture 32 which is located along an axis a. - The
peripheral edge 140 includes a groove orchannel 144, which extends along a perimeter of theperipheral wall 148. In the embodiments depicted, theperipheral edge surface 140 is circumscribed by a secondperipheral wall 138, where the secondperipheral wall 138 is for engaging the inner perimeter of thecover frame 10. In a practical implementation, theperipheral edge surface 140 engages a bottomperipheral edge surface 242 of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20. - In the specific example shown in
FIGS. 4-7 , a sealingmaterial 30, which may be in the form of a gasket seal, may be used to secure the display touch or presence-sensitive assembly 20 to thehousing 50. In practical implementations, the sealingmaterial 30 may be positioned within the groove orchannel 144 to secure the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 to thehousing 50. In an exemplary embodiment, the sealingmaterial 30 can be a flexible and/or rubberized gasket seal or a double sided tape structure and may be comprised of a water resistant adhesive that adheres the peripheralbottom surface 142 of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 to theperipheral edge 140 ofhousing 50. In practical implementations, the sealingmaterial 30 may advantageously reduce water infiltration between the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 and thehousing 50. - The
housing 50 further includes aperipheral flange 9 which is positioned on an outer surface of the secondperipheral wall 138. In the specific example illustrated inFIGS. 4-7 , theperipheral flange 9 is designed to engage abottom surface 7 of thecover frame 10 such that, upon assembly, at least a portion of thebottom surface 7 of thecover frame 10 engages at least a portion of a top surface of theperipheral flange 9. In a specific example of implementation, in order to secure thecover frame 10 to thehousing 50, theperipheral flange 9 includes one ormore recesses 5 on an edge thereof, which accommodatecomplementary mating projections 3 on an inner surface of anoutskirt wall 29 of thecover frame 10. By urging thecover frame 10 downward onto thehousing 50 while theprojections 3 are axially aligned with therecesses 5, theprojections 3 ultimately enter therecesses 5 and thecover frame 10 snaps onto thehousing 50. Alternatively, suitable adhesives or other fastening techniques may be used in alternative implementations which will become apparent to the person skilled in the art in view of the present description. In some implementations, the fastener used to couple thecover frame 10 to thehousing 50 may be of a releasable type such as to facilitate the fastening, removal and re-fastening of thecover frame 10 to/from thehousing 50. In the specific example shown inFIGS. 4-7 , alight diffusion plate 40 is positioned on thetop surface 50A of thehousing 50 such that the peripheral edge of thelight diffusion plate 40 is in contact with, or in close proximity to, the meeting portion betweenupper surface 50A and the firstperipheral wall 148. Thelight diffusion plate 40 includes a number ofapertures 42 for receiving the protrudingstandoffs 38 therethrough, where one aperture is located along the axis b. Thelight diffusion plate 40 also includesaperture 44 located along the axis a as well as anelongated aperture 107 located substantially in the center of thelight diffusion plate 40, andapertures aperture 107 is cooperatively located withcorresponding aperture 34 located on thebottom surface 50A of thehousing 50, whereas theapertures corresponding apertures bottom surface 50A of thehousing 50. In some alternate implementations, thelight diffusion plate 40 can be omitted from, or integrated into, thecontrol panel 100. In specific practical implementations, thelight diffusion plate 40 may be constructed using any suitable material to permit light arriving on a rear (lower) surface thereof to diffuse along its periphery and travels towards the periphery of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20. In a non-limiting practical implementation, thelight diffusion plate 40 is comprised of a white polyester fabric that is at least partially opaque, however it will be appreciated that any other suitable type of material may be used in alternate implementations. -
FIGS. 8-11 show an embodiment of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 in accordance with a specific configuration. Other suitable LCD/touch screen assembly configuration may be used in alternative implementations. - In the specific embodiment shown in
FIGS. 8-11 , the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 includes acover layer 12, which may be made of glass, plastic or any other suitable material. By way of a non-limiting example, thecover layer 12 may be made of a layer of a chemically strengthened glass, such as the Gorilla Glass™ (Corning Inc., NY, U.S.A.). Thecover layer 12 may have an exemplary thickness of a few millimeters, for example, but without being limited thereto, 3 mm; other suitable thicknesses, however, may be used in other practical implementations. Thecover layer 12 may include anopaque portion 8 and a translucent ortransparent portion 6, where the translucent ortransparent portion 6 is designed to allow the user to see and interact with the display generated by the LCD/touch screen assembly 20. In one non-limiting embodiment, thecover layer 12 also includes atactile zone 2 which is located along the axis b shown inFIG. 6 , and may also include a transparent ortranslucent zone 4 which is located along the axis a shown inFIG. 6 . Thecover layer 12 has abottom surface 35 which is circumscribed by a bottomperipheral surface 142. As explained earlier, the bottomperipheral surface 142 is designed to contact the sealingmaterial 30, which is positioned in the groove orchannel 144 ofhousing 50. Thecover layer 12 further includes aperipheral edge surface 242 which circumscribes the bottomperipheral surface 142. In a practical implementation, when a bottom surface portion of the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 engages thespace 46 of thehousing 50, theperipheral edge surface 242 engages theperipheral edge surface 140 of thehousing 50. - In a practical implementation, the
tactile zone 2 allows associating user tactile input to software-implemented actions. In a specific embodiment, thetactile zone 2 provides haptic feedback and/or includes a mechanical actuator to provide a user with the possible of providing commands through a push-button like action. - In a practical implementation, the transparent or
translucent zone 4 is associated with an ambient light sensor positioned on thecircuit board assembly 80, for example, for automatically adjusting the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 brightness display settings according to software-implemented actions. - In the specific embodiment shown in
FIGS. 8-11 , the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 further includes a touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 which is located under thecover layer 12. Afirst wiring element 26 is positioned on a peripheraledge side wall 14A of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14. Thefirst wiring element 26 is designed to include aflange 22 which extends longitudinally under the bottom surface of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 and connects awiring cable 15, which electrically couples the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 to thecircuit board assembly 80. - In a practical implementation, the touch/presence-
sensitive layer 14 can use capacitive sensor technology, in which case it can sense changes in capacitance at areas of the active region of thepanel 100 caused by nearness of a user's finger or other object (such as a stylus) to the touch sensitive layer. Thepanel 100 may therefore be touch or presence-sensitive to the user's finger or other device such as a stylus. The sensitivity of thepanel display 100 may typically be adjusted, e.g., through software driver adjustment, so that the user may not need to even physically touch the cover layer to actuate a button or some other activity such as a swipe. - In a practical implementation, the LCD/
touch screen assembly 20 is a TFT LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) module. Displays employing other technologies may be used in alternate implementations. Touch/presence-sensitive display assemblies suitable for the purpose of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 may be commercially available and thus need not be described in greater detail here. - In the specific embodiment shown in
FIGS. 8-11 , the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 further includes adisplay layer 18 which is located under the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14. Thedisplay layer 18 includes asecond wiring element 36 which is positioned on a peripheraledge side wall 18A of thedisplay layer 18 corresponding to the peripheraledge side wall 14A of the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 on which is located thefirst wiring element 26. Thesecond wiring element 36 is designed to include aflange 222 which extends longitudinally under the bottom surface of thedisplay layer 18, and is configured to attach awiring cable 13, which electrically couples thedisplay layer 18 to thecircuit board assembly 80. - In a practical implementation, the
display layer 18 engages the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 using any suitable fasteners, including mechanical fasteners (for example clips) and adhesives. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 8-11 , thedisplay layer 18 engages aflange 22 positioned on thefirst wiring element 26 and is secured to the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 with an adhesive layer. - In a practical implementation, the
display layer 18 and the touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 engage therecess 46 defined by the firstperipheral wall 148 and thetop surface 50A of thehousing 50, whereas the peripheraledge surface portion 242 of thecover layer 12 engages theperipheral edge surface 140 of thehousing 50 and may be fastened thereto using any suitable adhesive material. In specific practical implementations, thedisplay layer 18, touch/presence-sensitive layer 14 andcover layer 12 may be bonded to one another using any suitable adhesive in accordance with any suitable technique known in the art. In practical implementations, such a configuration may afford an advantageous reduction in water infiltration into thecontrol panel 100. - The following section now describes in more details a non-limiting example of implementation of the
bottom housing subassembly 360. - With reference to
FIGS. 12-19 , thehousing 50 includes abottom surface 50B circumscribed by aperipheral wall 28, where thebottom surface 50B and theperipheral wall 28 define arecess 48. - The
peripheral wall 28 can include projectingportions 86 positioned on respective side wall portions thereof. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 12-19 , theperipheral wall 28 includes a pair of projectingportions 86, in an opposite relationship one to the other, and which project inwardly within therecess 48. Each projectingportion projecting portions 86 can include a plurality of securingposts 66, positioned on an inner surface thereof within therecess 48. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 12-19 , each projecting portion of the pair of projectingportions 86 includes a pair of securing posts 66. One securing post of the pair of securingposts 66 is positioned on a first respective side wall portion of one of the projectingportions 86, in opposite relationship to the other one securing post of the pair of securingposts 66 which is itself positioned on a second respective side wall portion of the same one of the pair of projectingportions 86. The securing posts 66 protrude from thebottom surface 50B and are designed to narrow in size towards the protruding extremity thereof. - The
bottom surface 50B may also include a plurality of standoff posts 64 which also protrude from thebottom surface 50B and which can be positioned peripherally close to, or adjacent to, an inner surface of theperipheral wall 28. Other positioning of the standoff posts 64 on thebottom surface 50B can be used in alternate practical implementations. The standoff posts 64 are designed to have a certain height such that at least some can contact a portion of a top surface of thecircuit board assembly 80. - The
bottom surface 50B can also include a plurality of mountingbrackets 56 protruding from thebottom surface 50B, for securing thecircuit board assembly 80 to thehousing 50. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 12-19 , thebottom surface 50B includes a pair of mountingbrackets 56. Other numbers of mounting brackets may be used in alternate practical implementations. - The
bottom surface 50B can also include anaperture 32 which opens through thetop surface 50A. Theaperture 32 is inline along the axis a and is designed to receive a generallyhollow connector 60 extending therethrough, which in the example shown is in the form of a hollow cylindrical connector. Theconnector 60 creates an optical pathway for light signal thereby associating the transparent ortranslucent zone 4 with an ambient light sensor that may be positioned on thecircuit board assembly 80 along the axis a. In specific practical implementations, the use of an ambient light sensor positioned on the circuit board assembly allow adapting the intensity and/or color of the images displayed by the electronic display to be conditioned at least in part on the basis of the detected amount of ambient light, for example to make the displayed images more pleasing to the user of the bathing unit system. Suitable ambient light sensors are commercially available, and as such, will not be further described here. - The
bottom surface 50B can also include anaperture 34 which open throughtop surface 50A thereby creating a ventilation pathway, which may allow ambient moisture to circulate and eventually escape from thecontrol panel 100 to an outside space. - The
bottom surface 50B can also include a plurality oflight diffuser elements 62, which are shown inFIG. 12-15 allowing the light coming from lighting elements, which may be LEDs for example, positioned on theboard assembly 88 to allow light generated by these lighting elements propagate towards for upper/front portion of the top-side control panel 100. In combination with thelight diffusion plate 40, thelight diffuser elements 62 allow theperipheral wall 138 of thehousing 50 to be illuminated, which in some implementations may create a visually pleasing back-lit effect for the top-side control panel 100. - In the specific example shown in
FIGS. 12-19 , theperipheral flange 9 present on the periphery of thehousing 50 has abottom surface 76, which is circumscribed by abottom wall 224 positioned on a peripheral edge of theflange 9. Thebottom wall 224 includes one or more wall portion(s) 68 which are generally inwardly projected. - In the specific example shown in
FIGS. 12-19 , anadhesive gasket 70 having an innerperipheral wall 78 and which defines a cut out 82, is designed such that the innerperipheral wall 78 is complementary to the outer surface ofperipheral wall 28 of thehousing 50. Theadhesive gasket 70 is for attaching the top-side control panel 100 on a surface of the bathing unit. In some implementations, theadhesive gasket 70 may also act as a water barrier to prevent water from penetrating within the body of thetopside control panel 100. Theadhesive gasket 70 may further includesrecesses 72 on a peripheral edge thereof, which mate with complementary wall portion(s) 68 of the bottomvertical wall 224 of thehousing 50. In a practical implementation, by urging theadhesive gasket 70 upwards onto thehousing 50 while the wall portion(s) 68 are axially aligned with therecesses 72, the wall portion(s) 68 ultimately engage therecesses 72 and theadhesive gasket 70 engages thehousing 50. Alternatively, theadhesive gasket 70 may be omitted from thecontrol panel 100 or may be integrated as being part of the body ofhousing 50. - The
circuit board assembly 80 is electrically coupled to the LCD/touch screen assembly 20. In specific practical implementations, thecircuit board assembly 80 may include one or more processing elements configured to provide software-implemented functionality for operating thetopside control panel 100. The specifics functionality implemented by the processing elements is not critical to the invention and will, therefore, not be further described here. The circuit board's 80 periphery includes a plurality ofperipheral recesses 88 which mate with, and are complementary to, the plurality ofprojection portions 86 on theperipheral wall 28 of thehousing 50. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 12-19 , thecircuit board assembly 80 includes a pair ofperipheral recesses 88 to match with, and be complementary to, the pair of projectingportions 86. - The
circuit board assembly 80 further includes a plurality ofapertures 84 which are designed for engaging the plurality of mountingbrackets 56 protruding from thebottom surface 50B of thehousing 50. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 12-19 , thecircuit board assembly 80 includes a pair ofapertures 84 which are designed for engaging the pair of mountingbrackets 56. - The
circuit board assembly 80 further includesapertures wiring apertures apertures top surface housing 50, as well as withapertures - In some practical implementations,
circuit board assembly 80 may include one or more lighting elements, which may be LEDs for example, mounted upon theassembly 80. These lighting elements may be controlled by processing components of thecircuit board assembly 80 to generate light effects, which may be propagated to the upper/front portion of the top-side control panel 100. Optionally, light of different colors and/or intensity as well as different light patterns may be generated by providing suitable lighting elements and/or appropriate control functionality on thecircuit board assembly 80. Optionally still, the processing elements on thecircuit board assembly 80 may be programmed for modulating the images displayed by the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 at least in part based on the type (for example color/intensity and/or pattern) of light generated by the one or more lighting elements. For example the color of the image displayed by the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 may be modulated to create a visually pleasing effect when view in combination with the color and or intensity of the light emitting by the one or more lighting elements. - In a practical implementation, the
circuit board assembly 80 is secured in therecess 48 by aligning the plurality ofrecesses 88 with the plurality of projectingportions 86 and aligning the plurality ofapertures 84 with the plurality of mountingbrackets 56. Upon urging thecircuit board assembly 80 towards thebottom surface 50B, the plurality ofrecesses 88 ultimately engage the plurality of securingposts 66 positioned on an inner surface of the projectingportions 86, and the plurality of mountingbrackets 56 engage theapertures 84 such that thecircuit board assembly 80 is secured in therecess 48. - In the specific embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1-3 , thecontrol panel 100 further includes aback panel 90 which is positioned on thehousing 50, in opposite relationship to thecover frame 10. -
FIGS. 17 to 19 better illustrate a specific embodiment of theback panel 90. In this specific embodiment, theback panel 90 includes a top (inner)surface 90A circumscribed with aperipheral wall 126 which, when taken together, definespace 116. In a specific example implementation, thetop surface 90A has a longitudinal concave shape and theperipheral wall 126, accordingly, includes alongitudinal portion wall 120 which is complementary to the concave shape of thetop surface 90A. In a practical implementation, the concave shape may afford an advantageous moisture-\water-controlling effect in providing an air pathway for moisture or water to travel away from water\moisture sensitive elements present within thecontrol panel 100. - The
back panel 90 further includes aperipheral edge 124 which circumscribes thetop surface 90A. Theperipheral edge 124 includes a groove orchannel 104 which extends along a perimeter of theperipheral wall 126, where the groove orchannel 104 engages theperipheral wall 28 of thehousing 50. - In a specific embodiment, the
back panel 90peripheral wall 126 can include a plurality of recessedportion walls 98 where each one thereof has a corresponding one of a plurality of recessedportions 214 on theperipheral edge 124. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 17 to 19 , theperipheral wall 126 includes a pair of recessedportions 98 positioned in opposite relationship one to another, on each transversal portion of theperipheral wall 126, where each one of the pair of recessedportions 98 has a corresponding recessedportion 214 on theperipheral edge 124. - In a specific embodiment, the
back panel 90peripheral edge 124 can also include a plurality of mountingbrackets 112 extending therefrom for engaging theperipheral wall 28 of thehousing 50. In the specific embodiment shown inFIGS. 17 to 19 , theperipheral edge 124 includes a pair of mountingbrackets 112 positioned on each transversal portions of theperipheral edge 124. Advantageously, each one of the plurality of mountingbrackets 112 may include a snappingportion 114 for releasably securing theback panel 90 to thehousing 50. In a practical implementation, by urging theback panel 90 upwards onto thehousing 50 while each of snappingportion 114 of the plurality of mountingbrackets 112 are aligned with a respective one of a plurality of mountingbrackets 58 positioned on an outer surface ofperipheral wall 28 of the housing 50 (shown inFIG. 14 ), and while each one of the plurality of recessedportions 214 are aligned with a respective one of the plurality of projectingportions 86, a surface edge ofperipheral wall 28 engages into the groove orchannel 104, each one of the plurality of snappingportions 114 engages the respective one of the plurality of mountingbrackets 58 and each one of the plurality of recessedportions 214 engage the respective one of the plurality of projectingportions 86, resulting in that theback plate 90 snaps onto the housing 50 (the resulting configuration is shown inFIG. 2 ). WhileFIGS. 17-19 show a pair of mountingbrackets 112 on each of the transversal portion walls of theperipheral edge 124, it will be apparent that any suitable number of mountingbrackets 112 may be used in specific alternate practical implementations. Alternatively still, adhesives or other fastening techniques/mechanisms known in the art may be employed in alternate implementations for securing theback plate 90 onto thehousing 50. - In a specific embodiment, the
back panel 90 includes aventilation aperture 94 formed on a wall thereof. In a specific embodiment, theaperture 94 is formed on thetop surface 90A and is connected to an elongatedhollow member 92 extending into a space external to thetopside control panel 100. In a practical implementation, thehollow member 92 extending from theaperture 94 formed on a wall of theback panel 90 provides an air communication path between a space internal to thetopside control panel 100 and a space external thereto. - The
back plate 90 includes a pass-through 96 for connecting a power and signal wiring 134 (shown inFIG. 21 ) to thecircuit board assembly 80. Power and signal wiring elements are known in the art and, as such, will not be further described here. - With reference to
FIG. 20 , upon assembly, thetopside control panel 100 can include a substantially continuous top surface which appears flush to a user's touch. Alternatively, thetopside control panel 100 can include a discontinuous top surface which appears to a user's touch as having physically delimited zones, for example, such discontinuous top surface may provide a delimited LCD-touch screen area and a tactile input area. - In a practical implementation, the
topside control panel 100 can also include one or more generally enclosed spaces. For example, anenclosed space 228 can be created when the LCD/touch screen assembly 20 engages therecess 46; an additional or alternateenclosed space 226 can be created between thebottom surface 50B and a top surface of thecircuit board assembly 80 when thecircuit board assembly 80 is secured within therecess 46; and an additional or alternateenclosed space 230 can be created between a bottom surface of thecircuit board assembly 80 and thetop surface 90A of theback panel 90 when thecircuit board assembly 80 is secured within therecess 46. - In a first type of practical implementation, one or more of the above described enclosed spaces may be filled with a water proof material, such as silicone in order to prevent water from entering these enclosed spaces.
- In a second type of practical implementation, one or more of the above described enclosed spaces may remain generally empty (filled at least in part by air). Tt also has been observed that leaving some empty spaces and allowing air communication between the one or more enclosed space and a space external to the
topside control panel 100 may prevent undesirable moisture from accumulating and/or remaining in these enclosed spaces. -
FIGS. 21-22 show thetopside control panel 100 illustrated inFIGS. 1-20 installed in abathing unit system 200. An exemplary bathing unit system can be a spa having a spa tub, although it will be appreciated that the subject matter may be practiced in connection with other bathing units, such as whirlpool baths and pools. Thebathing unit system 200 includes a receptacle for holding a volume of bathingwater 210, a plurality of comfort components including at least a circulation pump and a heater and a controller (shown inFIG. 21 ) for controlling operational settings associated with the comfort components. - In this exemplary practical implementation, the
topside control panel 100 is positioned on an upper portion of aperipheral wall 132A of the receptacle for holding water. - In many typical spa installations, the bathing unit may be fabricated in part using a moldable material, such as fiberglass. The
topside control panel 100 may alternatively be installed in bathing units fabricated of other materials, including metal and ceramic materials. - In a practical implementation, the
topside control panel 100 may be installed by drilling or otherwise forming an opening in the bathing unit receptacle peripheral wall to form a mount opening, disposing the topside control panel through the mount opening, and securing the topside control panel in place by an adhesive gasket or mounting fasteners.FIG. 21 illustrates an embodiment in which screws 128 secure thetopside control panel 100 via mountingfasteners 130 to an underside ofperipheral wall 132A. Other suitable fasteners may alternatively be employed in alternative implementations. - In a specific example implementation shown in
FIG. 21 , awiring harness 134 is connected between thetopside control panel 100 and anelectronic controller 136 of the spa installation, such that thetopside control panel 100 is in communication with theelectronic controller 136 for allowing a user of the bathing unit to control and/or monitor operational settings of at least some of the comfort components in the bathing unit system by using thetopside control panel 100. Thecontroller 136 responds to commands entered via thecontrol panel 100 and transmitted electronically overwiring harness 134 to control operational settings of the bathing unit system. In a specific practical implementation, thecontroller 136 may be a controller of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,406 and Canadian Patent 2,499,551, each one being hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. -
FIG. 23 illustrates anexemplary display 220 which may be produced with thecontrol panel 100, and showing “button” areas which may be actuated by close proximity or touching of the user finger or stylus. Other suitable display configurations may be envisioned for alternative implementations and will become apparent to the person skilled in the art in view of the present description. - The non-limiting embodiment shown in the Figures only illustrates one specific practical example in which a person of skill may use the concept presented in the present document in order to provide a user with a topside control panel for controlling and/or monitoring component in a bathing unit system. Other practical implementations may be possible. For example, while the topside control panel illustrated in the Figures is of generally rectangular shape, other shapes can also be contemplated in alternative implementations. For instance, it will become apparent to the person of skill that the control panel can have another shape such as, but without being limited thereto, a generally square shape, a generally oval shape, a generally circular shape, a generally triangular shape, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, the topside control panel may include top decorative or informative overlay, optionally including ornamental layers or designs.
- Note that titles or subtitles may be used throughout the present disclosure for convenience of a reader, but in no way these should limit the scope of the invention. Moreover, certain theories may be proposed and disclosed herein; however, in no way they, whether they are right or wrong, should limit the scope of the invention so long as the invention is practiced according to the present disclosure without regard for any particular theory or scheme of action.
- All references cited throughout the specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
- It will be understood by those of skill in the art that throughout the present specification, the term “a” used before a term encompasses embodiments containing one or more to what the term refers. It will also be understood by those of skill in the art that throughout the present specification, the term “comprising”, which is synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by,” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, un-recited elements or method steps.
- Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions will control.
- As used in the present disclosure, the terms “around”, “about” or “approximately” shall generally mean within the error margin generally accepted in the art. Hence, numerical quantities given herein generally include such error margin such that the terms “around”, “about” or “approximately” can be inferred if not expressly stated.
- Although various embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the present description that numerous modifications and variations can be made. The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.
Claims (37)
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