WO2014041799A1

WO2014041799A1 - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2014041799A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/005372
Authority: WO
Inventors: 梶原　裕志; 健神藤; 淳也坂元
Original assignee: パナソニック株式会社
Priority date: 2012-09-14
Filing date: 2013-09-11
Publication date: 2014-03-20
Also published as: MY167379A; CN104736757A; EP2896735A4; CN104736757B; EP2896735A1

Abstract

A washing machine (100) is provided with a rotating drum (3) that is rotatably driven, a washing machine housing (1) containing the rotating drum, and an operation display panel (16) that is disposed above the washing machine housing (1) and has a window opening (21). The washing machine is further provided with: a liquid crystal panel (25) attached to the back surface side of the operation display panel (16); a transparent glass plate (22) attached via an elastic body (23) to the back surface side of the operation display panel (16) in the area where the window opening (21) is disposed; and a transparent electrode (24) mounted on the back surface of the transparent glass plate (22).

Description

Washing machine

The present invention relates to a washing machine that performs at least washing, rinsing, and dewatering steps in a rotating drum.

In a conventional washing machine, a bottomed cylindrical rotating drum is disposed in a water tank in a predetermined direction, and the rotating drum is driven to rotate. A large number of through holes through which water and air pass are formed on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum.

A clothing doorway that can be opened and closed by a door is formed on the front side of the aquarium. Washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying are performed by the user putting laundry into the rotating drum from the clothing entrance and exit, and controlling the water injection and drainage into the water tank and the rotation of the rotating drum. .

An operation display panel having a light emitting display section and a pressing operation button section is arranged at the upper part on the front side of the washing machine main body, and the user selects a desired driving course and starts driving. The operation display panel is made of a transparent resin, and its surface is covered with an insert-molded film, and is colored and printed to form a decorative surface. The user can easily identify the driving situation by turning on the selected course or blinking during driving (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

FIG. 38 is a front view of an operation display panel 1050 mounted on a conventional washing machine.

FIG. 38 shows a state in which all display contents are displayed on the liquid crystal panel 1051. Assume that the user selects the “Hurry” course, for example. At this time, when the user presses the course button 1052, only the contents effective for course selection on the liquid crystal panel 1051 are lit, and the set course changes each time the user presses the course button 1052. The user confirms that the driving course is set to “Hurry” and presses the “Start” button to start driving.

However, in the configuration of the conventional washing machine, there are many operation buttons for setting the operation details such as the course button 1052 on the operation display panel 1050, and thus it is difficult for the user to know which button to press and the operability is improved. There is a problem of being bad.

In addition, since the display on the liquid crystal panel 1051 is only lit at a predetermined display position, there is a problem that as the number of pieces of information to be displayed increases, each display becomes smaller and visibility decreases.

JP 2005-143793 A

The present invention provides a washing machine having an operation display panel excellent in operability and visibility.

A washing machine of the present invention includes a rotating drum that is rotationally driven, a washing machine housing that houses the rotating drum, an operation display panel that is disposed above the washing machine housing and has an opening window, and an operation display panel And a liquid crystal panel attached to the back side. Moreover, the transparent glass plate attached via an elastic body and the transparent electrode with which the back surface of a transparent glass plate is mounted | worn are provided in the back surface side of the part provided with the opening window of the operation display panel.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drum-type washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the first embodiment of the present invention. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5A-5A in FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5B-5B in FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a front view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a drum-type washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the second embodiment of the present invention. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11A-11A in FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11B-11B in FIG. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13A is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the upper side of the operation display panel of the drum-type washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13B is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the lower side of the operation display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a rear view of the operation display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the opening of the back cover of the drum-type washing machine in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the opening of the back cover of the drum-type washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a front view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a drum-type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the third embodiment of the present invention. 20A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 20A-20A in FIG. 20B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 20B-20B in FIG. FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22A is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the upper side of the operation display panel of the drum-type washing machine in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22B is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration near the lower side of the operation display panel according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration near the engaging portion of the operation display panel according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 25 is a front view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a drum-type washing machine according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 27 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 28A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 28A-28A in FIG. 28B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 28B-28B in FIG. FIG. 29 is an exploded perspective view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 30 is a perspective view of an elastic body of a drum type washing machine in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 32 is a front view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a drum-type washing machine in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. 35A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 35A-35A in FIG. 35B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 35B-35B in FIG. FIG. 36 is an exploded perspective view of the operation display panel of the drum type washing machine in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 37A is a perspective view of an elastic body of a drum type washing machine in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 37B is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration taken along line 37B-37B in FIG. 37A. FIG. 38 is a front view of an operation display panel mounted on a conventional washing machine.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a water tank 2 is disposed in a suspended state in the main body 1 which is a casing of the drum type washing machine 100. A rotating drum 3 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is rotatably disposed in the water tank 2 with its rotating shaft inclined downward from the front side toward the back side.

On the front side of the water tank 2, a clothing doorway 4 that leads to the open end of the rotating drum 3 is formed. The front frame 5 constitutes the front surface of the main body 1. An opening 6 is provided on the upward inclined surface formed on the front side of the front frame 5. The user can put the laundry in and out of the rotary drum 3 through the clothing doorway 4 by opening the door 9 that opens and closes the opening 6. Since the door 9 is provided on the upward inclined surface, the user can perform the work of putting in and out the laundry without bending his / her waist. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the poor workability of a drum-type washing machine of a general type in which the rotation axis of the rotary drum 3 is horizontal and the laundry is taken in and out through an opening formed in the vertical direction. Can do.

A large number of through holes 10 communicating with the water tank 2 are formed on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 3. The rotating drum 3 is rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction by a motor 11 attached to the back side of the water tank 2. The water tank 2 is connected with a water injection pipe 12 and a drain pipe 13, and water is poured into and drained into the water tank 2 by controlling the water injection valve 14 and the drain valve 15.

An operation display panel 16 is disposed on the upper part of the front frame 5. In the lower left as viewed from the front of the operation display panel 16, a detergent charging case 17 (see FIG. 3) is arranged on the front frame 5 so as to be drawn forward. Prior to driving, the user puts detergent into the detergent charging case 17 and operates the operation display panel 16 as necessary. As a result, the user can set the desired operation details, start operation, pause, etc., and can recognize the progress of the operation.

The user opens the door 9, puts the laundry into the rotating drum 3, and causes the drum type washing machine 100 to start operation. Then, the water injection valve 14 is opened, water is poured into the detergent charging case 17, and a predetermined amount of water is poured into the water tank 2 through the water injection conduit 12 while flowing the detergent that has been poured into the detergent charging case 17. Is made. Then, the rotating drum 3 is rotationally driven by the motor 11 and the washing process is started. In the washing step, the stirring operation of lifting and dropping the laundry in the rotation direction is repeated by the rotation of the rotating drum 3.

After a predetermined washing time has elapsed, the drain valve 15 is opened, and dirty washing water is discharged from the drain pipe 13. Then, the washing water contained in the laundry is dehydrated by the dehydrating operation of rotating the rotary drum 3 at a high speed. Thereafter, water is poured into the water tank 2 from the water injection pipe 12 and a rinsing process is performed. Also in this rinsing step, the stirring operation for the laundry by the rotation of the rotating drum 3 is repeated, and the rinsing is performed.

Here, the operation display panel 16 will be described in detail.

2 is a front view of the operation display panel 16 of the drum type washing machine 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drum type washing machine 100, and FIG. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine 100 in the vicinity of the operation display panel 16, FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5A-5A in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5B is 5B-5B in FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the operation display panel 16 of the drum type washing machine 100.

The operation display panel 16 is disposed between the front frame 5 and the top plate 18. The surface of the transparent resin portion 19 of the operation display panel 16 is covered with an insert-molded film 20 (PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) film), and constitutes a decorative surface that is colored and printed. An opening window 21 having a substantially rectangular shape is provided at the center of the transparent resin portion 19.

The opening window 21 is an area where neither the transparent resin portion 19 nor the film 20 is formed. On the back side of the operation display panel 16 where the opening window 21 is provided, the transparent glass plate 22 is an elastic body 23. It is attached via. A transparent electrode 24 is bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 22. Further, on the back side of the transparent glass plate 22, the liquid crystal panel 25 is attached to the liquid crystal mounting base 26. A control board unit 27 for controlling the transparent electrode 24 and the liquid crystal panel 25 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 26.

The operation display panel 16 has a pressing operation button part 28 and a light emitting display part 29. Inside the operation display panel 16, there is a control board unit 32 on which a switch 30, a light emitting element 31 and the like are mounted, and the control board unit 32 is attached to a back cover 33.

Further, an operation member 36 having a light guide path 34 for guiding the light of the light emitting element 31 to the light emitting display unit 29 and a button unit 35 for pressing the switch 30 is provided between the operation display panel 16 and the back cover 33. It has been. Since the transparent resin portion 19 is not formed on the pressing operation button portion 28 and only the film 20 exists, the switch 30 can be operated with a light operating force. Further, since the light emitting display portion 29 is printed with high transparency, even the weak light of the light emitting element 31 can be illuminated so that the user can fully recognize it.

When the user presses the power-on button (one of the buttons of the pressing operation button unit 28), a display as shown in FIG. The user can see the display through the transparent glass plate 22. Next, for example, when the user touches the surface of the transparent glass plate 22 in the area where “manual course” is displayed with his / her finger, the display changes on the setting screen for the number of “washing” and time, The display changes on the setting display screen, and lower settings can be made one after another. In this way, a method in which the user sets the display screen in direct contact with the display screen is called a touch panel method. By detecting a change in capacitance when the finger touches the transparent glass plate 22 by the transparent electrode 24 bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 22, the position touched by the finger is specified, and the display contents are displayed. It can be changed according to the user's operation.

In the conventional operation display panel 1050 as shown in FIG. 38, the display window in the center is only for showing the display content of the liquid crystal panel 1051 through the transparent resin and the film formed by insert molding on the surface. The display location is also decided. Therefore, as the content to be displayed increases, the displayed characters become smaller. In addition, there are a large number of setting buttons such as the course button 1052, and it is difficult for the user to know where to press, the operability is deteriorated, the display characters are small, and the visibility is poor.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the opening window 21 is provided in the operation display panel 16 as described above. And the structure which attaches the transparent glass plate 22 which the transparent electrode 24 adhere | attached to the back surface side of the part in which the opening window 21 was provided of the operation display panel 16 via the elastic body 23 is used. With this configuration, the user can make hierarchical settings by directly touching the display screen. As a result, there is no need to provide a large number of fixed operation buttons, and the number of operation buttons can be greatly reduced. Further, the liquid crystal panel 25 only needs to display only the necessary display at that time, so that the display contents can be reduced and the display characters can be increased. Therefore, operability and visibility can be improved.

Here, the change in capacitance is determined by the dielectric constant of the material touched by the finger. The higher the dielectric constant, the greater the change in capacitance and the higher the sensitivity. Also, high sensitivity means that the position pressed by a finger can be recognized accurately and quickly. Furthermore, for example, it means that it is difficult to cause an erroneous detection that recognizes that a water droplet is attached as a touched state by a finger, and an erroneous detection due to the influence of external noise.

For example, the dielectric constant of glass is about 9, the dielectric constant of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin or PET resin is about 3, and the change in capacitance is inversely proportional to the thickness. Therefore, for example, if the material of the part touched with a finger is a glass plate, the sensitivity can be made equal even if the thickness is three times that of ABS resin or PET resin.

Note that ABS resin and PET resin are transparent resin molding materials that are generally used as materials for operation display panels, and are used in the transparent resin portion in the present embodiment and conventional examples. In the conventional example, a transparent resin having the same thickness (about 3 mm) as the others and a film (PET film) having a thickness of about 0.2 mm are insert-molded on the surface of the central display portion. On the other hand, the operation display panel 16 of the present embodiment has an opening window 21, and the transparent electrode 24 is bonded to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 16 where the opening window 21 is provided. A transparent glass plate 22 having a thickness of about 2 mm is configured. This is to increase the sensitivity as much as possible.

For example, the operation display panel 16 may not be provided with the opening window 21, the thickness of the transparent resin portion 19 may be reduced, and the transparent electrode 24 may be directly bonded to the back surface. is there. However, since the film 20 (PET film) is insert-molded on the surface, the thickness of the transparent resin portion 19 is 2.5 mm or more in order to suppress warping and deformation after molding while ensuring the adhesion of the film 20. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the thickness further.

On the other hand, in order to obtain a sensitivity that can be operated without a sense of incongruity when the user operates, it is necessary to suppress the thickness of the transparent resin portion 19 to about 1.5 mm. Furthermore, when the transparent electrode 24 is bonded to the operation display panel 16, it is necessary to apply pressure and heat with dedicated equipment after bonding in order to prevent bubbles from remaining and to improve adhesion. At this time, if the entire operation display panel 16 is inserted, a large facility is required and productivity cannot be increased. For the above reasons, in the present embodiment, a configuration in which the transparent electrode 24 is directly bonded to the operation display panel 16 is not employed.

In the present embodiment, an opening window 21 is provided on the operation display panel 16, and the transparent glass plate 22 to which the transparent electrode 24 is bonded from the back side is connected to the opening window 21 of the operation display panel 16 via the elastic body 23. It is attached to the back side of the part provided. Thereby, the user can see the display of the liquid crystal panel 25, touch the surface of the transparent glass plate 22 with a finger, and set various operation details as necessary.

In the present embodiment, the thickness of the transparent glass plate 22 is set to about 2 mm in order to prevent damage caused by unexpected external force. As mentioned above, since the dielectric constant of glass is larger than that of ABS resin, the sensitivity at the time of operation can be sufficiently increased even with this thickness, and the position pressed by the finger can be recognized accurately and quickly. can do. In addition, for example, it is possible to realize a configuration in which it is difficult to cause erroneous detection such as determining that a finger is touched when water droplets are attached, and to prevent erroneous detection due to the influence of external noise.

Since electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 25 and the control board unit 27 are arranged on the back side of the transparent glass plate 22, it is necessary to waterproof. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the outer periphery of the substantially rectangular transparent glass plate 22 is covered with a frame-shaped elastic body 23, and the transparent glass plate 22 is attached to the operation display panel 16 via the elastic body 23. These are attached to the back side of the portion where the substantially rectangular opening window 21 is provided. In the inside of the upper side 37 of the opening window 21 and the inside of the lower side 38, the transparent glass plate 22 is operated and displayed via the elastic body 23 in the three directions of the front side, the back side and the end side of the transparent glass plate 22. It is waterproofly attached between the panel 16 and the liquid crystal mounting base 26.

In addition, in the inside of the left side 39 and the inside of the right side 40 of the opening window 21, the transparent glass plate 22 is in the two directions of the back side and the end side of the transparent glass plate 22 via the elastic body 23, and the operation display panel. 16 and the liquid crystal mounting base 26 are waterproofly attached.

Further, bosses 41 are provided in the vicinity of the four corners of the opening window 21 on the back surface of the operation display panel 16, and the liquid crystal mounting base 26 and the back surface cover 33 are fastened with screws. In the fastening state with screws, the elastic body 23 is pressed by the liquid crystal mounting base 26 and is in close contact with the transparent glass plate 22 and the operation display panel 16. As a result, the waterproof property of the opening window 21 is ensured. Therefore, even if the user accidentally spills water on the opening window 21, water is not supplied to the electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 25 and the control board unit 27 inside. It is possible to improve safety without sticking.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the liquid crystal mounting base 26 and the back cover 33 are fastened together has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the liquid crystal mounting base 26 is operated and displayed alone. The same effect can be obtained by fastening the panel 16 with screws.

Further, since the transparent glass plate 22 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 16 where the opening window 21 is provided via the elastic body 23, the transparent glass plate 22 is applied by an impact applied from the outside. It can be prevented from being damaged. For example, an impact load is applied to the transparent glass plate 22 when the user drops something. Further, when a product is delivered to a user's home in a packaged state and falls from the loaded state or falls, an impact force is also applied. The operation display panel 16 is made of resin and absorbs a little impact, but the transparent glass plate 22 is hard but weak against impact. Therefore, by arranging the elastic body 23 on the outer periphery of the transparent glass plate 22, a soft structure is obtained, and damage can be prevented even if an impact is applied from the outside.

Glass has a linear expansion coefficient that is an order of magnitude smaller than that of ABS resin. In places where the products are installed at the user's home, the temperature difference between summer and winter is large. Even when the product is stored in the warehouse in a packaged state, a considerable temperature difference occurs due to seasonal and regional differences. When components having a large difference in linear expansion coefficient are combined, damage to the components may occur unless the structure absorbs deformation due to the difference in thermal expansion.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the transparent glass plate 22 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 16 where the opening window 21 is provided via the elastic body 23. As a result, even if a dimensional change occurs between the transparent glass plate 22 and the operation display panel 16 or the liquid crystal mounting base 26 due to a difference in thermal expansion, the elastic body 23 absorbs the dimensional change, thereby preventing damage to the components. .

On the operation display panel 16, in addition to the area in the opening window 21 where the user can set the operation content by touching the transparent glass plate 22, a pressing operation button unit for turning on, turning off, starting, etc. Several 28 are also arranged. It is also possible for the user to eliminate the pressing button 28 by directly touching and setting the transparent glass plate 22 in accordance with the contents displayed on the liquid crystal panel 25.

However, if you do not leave a fixed operation button that is always visible from the outside, the user will make a mistake during the operation and want to return to the previous operation, or if something goes wrong during driving. When you want to stop, you may not know what to do. In order to prevent this, a fixed operation button is left.

Further, in the present embodiment, a switch 30 that operates by pressing the pressing operation button section 28, a light emitting element 31 that illuminates the light emitting display section 29, and the like are stacked on the control board unit 32. Then, the control board unit 32 is separated from the control board unit 27 for controlling the transparent electrode 24 and the liquid crystal panel 25, the control board unit 32 is attached to the back cover 33, and the control board unit 27 is attached to the liquid crystal mounting base 26. Yes.

The reason why the

control board units

27 and 32 are separated in this way is that the surface shape of the operation display panel 16 is a round shape that recedes from the center position of the product toward the end. Due to this round shape, the position of the control board unit 32 placed at the right end is relatively retracted compared to the control board unit 27 placed near the center, and the control board unit 32 is arranged differently from each other. Difficult to do. Therefore, for example, if the surface shape of the operation display panel 16 is a shape close to a plane, the

control board units

27 and 32 can be configured integrally and attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 26 or the like.

Next, the concave steps between the transparent resin part 19 and the transparent glass plate 22 formed on each of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the rectangular opening window 21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5A, the surface concave steps H2 between the operation display panel 16 and the transparent glass plate 22 on the left side 39 and the right side 40 of the opening window 21 are the upper side 37 and the lower side 38 of the opening window 21 shown in FIG. Is smaller than the surface step difference H1 between the operation display panel 16 and the transparent glass plate 22. This concave surface step is obtained by adding the thickness of the transparent resin portion 19 that covers the transparent glass plate 22 and the thickness of the elastic body 23 when the elastic body 23 is interposed.

As described above, in the inside of the left side 39 of the opening window 21 and the inside of the right side 40, the elastic body 23 is interposed in the two directions of the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 22; Since it hits the transparent resin part 19, the surface concave step H <b> 2 only needs to have a thickness of about 2.5 mm that allows insert molding without problems.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, in the inside of the upper side 37 and the inside of the lower side 38 of the opening window 21, the elastic body 23 is interposed in the three directions of the front surface side, the back surface side, and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 22. Therefore, the surface concave step H1 is about 4.5 mm obtained by adding 3 mm of the transparent resin portion 19 and 1.5 mm of the elastic body 23 and is larger than the surface concave step H2. The difference between the surface concave step H1 and the surface concave step H2 is due to the step H3 of the step portion 42 formed on the left side of the left side 39 and the step H3 of the step portion 42 formed on the right side of the right side 40. Absorbed.

Since the opening window 21 is recessed by one step from the surface of the operation display panel 16, it is conspicuous in appearance, and if the width L1 of the opening window is too small with respect to the entire width L0 of the operation display panel 16, glass serving as a display unit There may be a design problem that the portion is poor and detracts from luxury. When information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 25 and the user sets the operation details or when the operation status of the product is displayed, the inside of the opening window 21 is lit brightly. The recessed area of the opening window 21 becomes more conspicuous as an external dent.

By increasing the width L1 of the opening window 21 and setting the ratio of the operation display panel 16 to the total width L0 to, for example, about 40%, the presence of the recessed area of the opening window 21 can be increased and the design can be improved. it can. However, since the total width L0 is about 600 mm, the lateral width L1 of the opening window 21 needs to be about 240 mm. It is difficult to attach such a large transparent glass plate 22 to the operation display panel 16 so as to withstand impact force while ensuring waterproofness. Further, if the operation display panel 16 itself is provided with such a large opening window 21, the strength of the parts is lowered, and it becomes difficult to suppress warping and deformation after molding. Furthermore, since the transparent glass plate 22 and the transparent electrode 24 are enlarged, the production cost is also increased.

In the present embodiment, the surface step difference H2 between the operation display panel 16 and the transparent glass plate 22 on the left side 39 and the right side 40 of the opening window 21 and the operation display panel 16 and the transparent glass plate on the upper side 37 and the lower side 38 are shown. 22 and smaller than the surface concave step H1. Then, the difference between the surface concave step H1 and the surface concave step H2 is absorbed by the step H3 of the step portion 42 formed on the left side of the left side 39 and the step H3 of the step portion 42 formed on the right side of the right side 40. ing. That is, the surface concave step H1 is substantially equal to the sum of the surface concave step H2 and the step H3. Thus, in addition to the lateral width L1 of the opening window 21, by providing the lateral width L2 between the stepped portions 42 that spreads outward, the concave region that is conspicuous in appearance can be made wider.

The lateral width L1 of the opening window 21 is related to the size of the transparent glass plate 22, the transparent electrode 24, and the liquid crystal panel 25. Specifically, the width L1 is set to about 150 mm as a size sufficient to protect these electric parts from water ingress from the outside and to resist damage from the external impact. . However, this is too small for the overall width L0 = 600 mm of the operation display panel 16, and the appearance looks poor. Therefore, a recessed region having a lateral width L2 = 260 mm between the step portions 42 is provided outside the opening window 21. That is, according to this configuration, the lateral width L2 of the recessed area can be made about 40% of the total width L0 of the operation display panel 16, so that the recessed area is recognized and present in appearance. Design can be enhanced by increasing the feeling.

The lateral width L2 between the step portions 42 can be freely set because it does not affect the internal structure in terms of waterproofness and strength. Further, at the left side 39 and the right side 40 of the opening window 21, the surface side of the transparent glass plate 22 is brought into contact with the operation display panel 16 in order to reduce the step H2. It is the structure which is interposed between the liquid crystal mounting base 26 and the operation display panel 16 by being screwed at the boss 41 and interposed between the rear surface side and the end surface side. Thereby, the water resistance from the surface side of the transparent glass plate 22 is ensured without entering the inside of the opening window 21. Moreover, even if an impact is applied from the outside, the elastic body 23 absorbs it, so that it is possible to prevent parts from being damaged.

In the present embodiment, the surface side of the transparent glass plate 22 is brought into contact with the operation display panel 16 inside the left side 39 and the right side 40 of the opening window 21 in order to make the concave region wide in terms of appearance design. The level difference H2 was reduced. This is because by reducing the level difference H2, the sense of unity between the region having the horizontal width L1 and the region having the horizontal width L2 is increased, and the region looks wide (horizontal width L2). In addition, this invention is not limited to this example, and when it is not necessary to show a recessed area widely, like the inside of the upper side 37 and the lower side 38 of the opening window 21, the surface side of the transparent glass plate 22, A configuration in which the elastic body 23 is interposed in the three directions of the back surface side and the end surface side may be applied to the left side 39 and the right side 40. That is, the four sides of the opening window 21 may be configured to have the surface concave step H1 and the stepped portion 42 may not be provided.

As described above, the drum type washing machine 100 according to the present embodiment includes the rotating drum 3 that is rotationally driven, the main body 1 that is a washing machine housing that houses the rotating drum 3, and the upper portion of the washing machine housing. An operation display panel 16 having an opening window 21 and a liquid crystal panel 25 attached to the back side of the operation display panel 16 are provided. Further, a transparent glass plate 22 attached via an elastic body 23 to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 16 where the opening window 21 is provided, and a transparent electrode 24 attached to the back side of the transparent glass plate 22. I have.

With such a configuration, when setting the operation details, if the user selects a course that he / she wants to select by directly touching the display on the transparent glass plate 22, then, for example, a time setting for “washing”, etc. Is displayed. Therefore, a hierarchical operation in which the user touches it to determine the setting is possible. Further, the number of operation buttons can be reduced, the displayed characters and the like can be enlarged, and operability and visibility can be improved. Moreover, since the transparent glass plate 22 is attached to the operation display panel 16 via the elastic body 23, it is possible to prevent water adhering to the transparent glass plate 22 from entering the housing.

The opening window 21 has a substantially rectangular shape, and the step H2 between the operation display panel 16 and the transparent glass plate 22 formed on the left side 39 and the right side 40 of the opening window 21 is the upper side 37 of the opening window 21. And it is comprised so that it may become smaller than the level | step difference H1 of the operation display panel 16 and the transparent glass plate 22 which are formed in the lower side 38. FIG.

With such a configuration, the transparent glass plate 22 having display and operation functions can be shown visually large. The transparent glass plate 22 is on the concave side (inside the casing) than the opening window 21 and is conspicuous in appearance. Therefore, if the area occupied by the opening window 21 in the operation display panel 16 is small, the appearance design is poor particularly when the light is turned off. May be seen. However, with the above-described configuration, the transparent glass plate 22 can be made to appear large horizontally, and the appearance design can be improved.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum type washing machine 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, a water tank 102 is disposed in a suspended state in the main body 101 which is a casing of the drum type washing machine 200. A rotating drum 103 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is rotatably disposed in the water tank 102 in a state in which the rotating shaft is inclined downward from the front side toward the back side.

On the front side of the water tank 102, a clothing doorway 104 leading to the opening end of the rotating drum 103 is formed. The front frame 105 constitutes the front surface of the main body 101. An opening 106 is provided on the upward inclined surface formed on the front side of the front frame 105. The user can put the laundry in and out of the rotary drum 103 through the clothing entrance 104 by opening the door 109 that opens and closes the opening 106. Since the door 109 is provided on the upward inclined surface, the user can perform the work of putting in and out the laundry without bending his / her waist. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the poor workability of a drum-type washing machine of a general type in which the rotation axis of the rotary drum 103 is horizontal and the laundry is taken in and out through an opening formed in the vertical direction. Can do.

A large number of through holes 110 communicating with the water tank 102 are formed on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 103. The rotating drum 103 is rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction by a motor 111 attached to the back side of the water tank 102. A water injection pipe 112 and a drain pipe 113 are connected to the water tank 102, and water injection and drainage into the water tank 102 are performed by controlling the water injection valve 114 and the drain valve 115, respectively.

An operation display panel 116 is arranged on the upper part of the front frame 105. In the lower left as viewed from the front of the operation display panel 116, a detergent charging case 117 (described in FIG. 9) is arranged on the front frame 105 in a state where it can be pulled out forward. Prior to driving, the user puts detergent into the detergent charging case 117 and operates the operation display panel 116 as necessary. As a result, the user can set the desired operation details, start operation, pause, etc., and can recognize the progress of the operation.

The user opens the door 109, puts the laundry into the rotating drum 103, and causes the drum type washing machine 200 to start operation. Then, the water injection valve 114 is opened, water is injected into the detergent charging case 117, and a predetermined amount of water is injected into the water tank 102 via the water injection conduit 112 while flowing the detergent that has been charged into the detergent charging case 117. Is made. Then, the rotating drum 103 is driven to rotate by the motor 111, and the washing process is started. In the washing step, the stirring operation of lifting and dropping the laundry in the rotation direction is repeated by the rotation of the rotating drum 103.

After a predetermined washing time has elapsed, the drain valve 115 is opened, and dirty washing water is discharged from the drain pipe 113. Then, the washing water contained in the laundry is dehydrated by the dehydrating operation of rotating the rotary drum 103 at a high speed. Thereafter, water is poured into the water tank 102 from the water injection conduit 112, and a rinsing process is performed. Also in this rinsing step, the stirring operation for the laundry by the rotation of the rotating drum 103 is repeated, and the rinsing is performed.

Here, the operation display panel 116 will be described in detail.

8 is a front view of the operation display panel 116 of the drum type washing machine 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the drum type washing machine 200, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of the operation display panel 116 vicinity of the drum type washing machine 200. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11A-11A in FIG. 8, FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11B-11B in FIG. 8, and FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the operation display panel 116 of FIG.

The operation display panel 116 is disposed between the upper part of the front frame 105 and the top plate 118. The surface of the transparent resin portion 119 of the operation display panel 116 is covered with an insert-molded film 120 (PET film) and constitutes a decorative surface that has been colored and printed. An opening window 121 having a substantially rectangular shape is provided at the center of the transparent resin portion 119.

The opening window 121 is an area where neither the transparent resin portion 119 nor the film 120 is formed. On the back side of the operation display panel 116 where the opening window 121 is provided, the transparent glass plate 122 is an elastic body 123. It is attached via. A transparent electrode 124 is bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 122. Further, on the back side of the transparent glass plate 122, the liquid crystal panel 125 is attached to the liquid crystal attachment base 126. A control board unit 127 for controlling the transparent electrode 124 and the liquid crystal panel 125 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 126.

The operation display panel 116 has a press operation button part 128 and a light emission display part 129. Inside the operation display panel 116 is a control board unit 132 on which a switch 130, a light emitting element 131 and the like are mounted, and the control board unit 132 is attached to the back cover 133.

Further, an operation member 136 having a light guide path 134 for guiding the light of the light emitting element 131 to the light emitting display portion 129 and a button portion 135 for pressing the switch 130 is provided between the operation display panel 116 and the back cover 133. It has been. Since the transparent resin portion 119 is not formed on the pressing operation button portion 128 and only the film 120 exists, the switch 130 can be operated with a light operating force. In addition, since the light-emitting display portion 129 is printed with high transparency, even the weak light of the light-emitting element 131 can be lit so that the user can fully recognize it.

When the user presses the power-on button (one of the buttons of the pressing operation button unit 128), the liquid crystal panel 125 displays, for example, as shown in FIG. The user can see the display through the transparent glass plate 122. Next, for example, when the user touches the surface of the transparent glass plate 122 in the area where “manual course” is displayed with his / her finger, the display changes on the setting display screen for the number of “washing” and time, The display changes on the setting display screen, and lower settings can be made one after another. In this way, a method in which the user sets the display screen in direct contact with the display screen is called a touch panel method. By detecting a change in capacitance when the finger touches the transparent glass plate 122 by the transparent electrode 124 adhered to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 122, the position touched by the finger is specified, and the display contents are displayed. It can be changed according to the user's operation.

In the conventional operation display panel 1050 as shown in FIG. 38, the display window in the center is only for showing the display content of the liquid crystal panel 1051 through the transparent resin and the film formed by insert molding on the surface. The display location is also decided. Therefore, as the content to be displayed increases, the displayed characters become smaller. In addition, there are many setting buttons such as the course button 1052, and it is difficult for the user to know where to press, the operability is deteriorated, the display characters are small, and the visibility is deteriorated.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, as described above, the operation display panel 116 is provided with the opening window 121. And the structure which attaches the transparent glass plate 122 with which the transparent electrode 124 was adhere | attached through the elastic body 123 to the back surface side of the part in which the opening window 121 was provided of the operation display panel 116 is used. With this configuration, the user can make hierarchical settings by directly touching the display screen. As a result, there is no need to provide a large number of fixed operation buttons, and the number of operation buttons can be greatly reduced. Further, the liquid crystal panel 125 only needs to display only the necessary display at that time, so that the display contents can be reduced and the display characters can be increased. Therefore, operability and visibility can be improved.

For example, the dielectric constant of glass is about 9, ABS resin and PET resin are about 3, and the change in capacitance is inversely proportional to the thickness. Therefore, for example, if the material of the part touched with a finger is a glass plate, the sensitivity can be made equal even if the thickness is three times that of ABS resin or PET resin.

Note that ABS resin and PET resin are transparent resin molding materials that are generally used as materials for operation display panels, and are used in the transparent resin portion in the present embodiment and conventional examples. In the conventional example, a transparent resin having the same thickness (about 3 mm) as the others and a film (PET) having a thickness of about 0.2 mm are insert-molded on the center display portion. In contrast, the operation display panel 116 of the present embodiment has an opening window 121, and a transparent electrode 124 is bonded to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 116 where the opening window 121 is provided. A transparent glass plate 122 having a thickness of about 2 mm is formed. This is to increase the sensitivity as much as possible.

For example, the operation display panel 116 may not be provided with the opening window 121, the thickness of the transparent resin portion 119 may be reduced, and the transparent electrode 124 may be directly bonded to the back surface, which may increase the sensitivity during operation. is there. However, since the film 120 (PET) is insert-molded on the surface, the thickness of the transparent resin portion 119 is set to 2.5 mm or more in order to suppress warping and deformation after molding while ensuring the adhesion of the film 120. It is necessary to do this, and it is difficult to make it thinner.

On the other hand, in order to obtain a sensitivity that can be operated without a sense of incongruity when the user operates, it is necessary to suppress the thickness of the transparent resin portion 119 to about 1.5 mm. Further, when the transparent electrode 124 is bonded to the operation display panel 116, it is necessary to pressurize and heat with dedicated equipment after bonding in order to prevent bubbles from remaining and to improve adhesion. At this time, if the entire operation display panel 116 is inserted, a large facility is required and productivity cannot be increased. For the above reasons, in the present embodiment, a configuration in which the transparent electrode 124 is directly bonded to the operation display panel 116 is not employed.

In the present embodiment, an opening window 121 is provided on the operation display panel 116, and a transparent glass plate 122 having a transparent electrode 124 bonded to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 116 where the opening window 121 is provided. It is attached via an elastic body 123. Thereby, the user can see the display on the liquid crystal panel 125, touch the surface of the transparent glass plate 122 with a finger, and set various operation details as necessary.

In the present embodiment, the thickness of the transparent glass plate 122 is set to about 2 mm in order to prevent damage caused by unexpected external force. As mentioned above, since the dielectric constant of glass is larger than that of ABS resin, the sensitivity at the time of operation can be sufficiently increased even with this thickness, and the position pressed by the finger can be recognized accurately and quickly. can do. In addition, for example, it is possible to realize a configuration in which it is difficult to cause erroneous detection such as determining that a finger is touched when water droplets are attached, and to prevent erroneous detection due to the influence of external noise.

Since electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 125 and the control board unit 127 are arranged on the back side of the transparent glass plate 122, it is necessary to waterproof. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the outer periphery of the substantially rectangular transparent glass plate 122 is covered with a frame-shaped elastic body 123, and the transparent glass plate 122 is attached to the operation display panel 116 via the elastic body 123. These are attached to the back side of the portion where the substantially rectangular opening window 121 is provided. In the inside of the upper side 137 of the opening window 121 and the inside of the lower side 138, the transparent glass plate 122 is operated and displayed via the elastic body 123 in the three directions of the front surface side, the back surface side, and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 122. The panel 116 and the liquid crystal mount 126 are attached in a waterproof manner.

In addition, the transparent glass plate 122 is arranged on the operation display panel via the elastic body 123 in the two directions of the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 122 even inside the left side 139 and right side 140 of the opening window 121. 116 and the liquid crystal mounting base 126 are waterproofly attached.

Furthermore, bosses 141 are provided in the vicinity of the four corners of the opening window 121 on the back surface of the operation display panel 116, and the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the back surface cover 133 are fastened with screws. In the fastening state with screws, the elastic body 123 is pressed by the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and is in close contact with the transparent glass plate 122 and the operation display panel 116. As a result, the waterproof property of the opening window 121 is ensured. Therefore, even if the user accidentally spills water on the opening window 121, water is applied to the electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 125 and the control board unit 127. It is possible to improve safety without sticking.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the back cover 133 are fastened together is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the liquid crystal mounting base 126 is operated and displayed alone. The same effect can be obtained by fastening the panel 116 with screws.

Further, since the transparent glass plate 122 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 116 where the opening window 121 is provided via the elastic body 123, the transparent glass plate 122 is applied by an impact applied from the outside. It can be prevented from being damaged. For example, when a user drops something on the transparent glass plate 122, an impact load is applied. Further, when a product is delivered to a user's home in a packaged state and falls from the loaded state or falls, an impact force is also applied. The operation display panel 116 is made of resin and absorbs a little impact, but the transparent glass plate 122 is hard but weak against impact. Therefore, by disposing the elastic body 123 on the outer periphery of the transparent glass plate 122, a soft structure is obtained, and damage can be prevented even if an impact is applied from the outside.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the transparent glass plate 122 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 116 where the opening window 121 is provided via the elastic body 123. As a result, even if a dimensional change occurs between the transparent glass plate 122 and the operation display panel 116 or the liquid crystal mounting base 126 due to a difference in thermal expansion, the elastic body 123 absorbs the dimensional change, thereby preventing damage to the components. .

On the operation display panel 116, in addition to the area in the opening window 121 where the user can set the operation content by touching the transparent glass plate 122 with his / her finger, pressing operation button portions such as power on, power off and start are provided. Several 128 are also arranged. It is also possible for the user to eliminate the pressing button 128 by directly touching and setting the transparent glass plate 122 according to the content displayed on the liquid crystal panel 125.

Further, in the present embodiment, the switch 130 that is operated by pressing the pressing operation button unit 128, the light emitting element 131 that illuminates the light emitting display unit 129, and the like are stacked on the control board unit 132. Then, the control board unit 132 is separated from the control board unit 127 that controls the transparent electrode 124 and the liquid crystal panel 125, the control board unit 132 is attached to the back cover 133, and the control board unit 127 is attached to the back face of the liquid crystal mounting base 126. It is installed.

The reason why the

control board units

127 and 132 are separated in this way is that the surface shape of the operation display panel 116 is a round shape that recedes from the center position of the product toward the end. Due to this round shape, the position of the control board unit 132 placed at the right end is relatively retracted compared to the control board unit 127 placed near the center, and the control board unit 132 is arranged differently from each other. Difficult to do. Therefore, for example, if the surface shape of the operation display panel 116 is a shape close to a plane, the

control board units

127 and 132 can be configured integrally and attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 126 or the like.

Next, the concave steps between the transparent resin portion 119 and the transparent glass plate 122 formed on each of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the rectangular opening window 121 will be described. As shown in FIG. 11A, the surface concave steps H2 between the operation display panel 116 and the transparent glass plate 122 on the left side 139 and the right side 140 of the opening window 121 are the upper side 137 and the lower side 138 of the opening window 121 shown in FIG. Is smaller than the surface concave step H1 between the operation display panel 116 and the transparent glass plate 122. The surface concave step is obtained by adding the thickness of the transparent resin portion 119 that covers the transparent glass plate 122 and the thickness of the elastic body 123 when the elastic body 123 is interposed.

As described above, in the inside of the left side 139 of the opening window 121 and the inside of the right side 140, the elastic body 123 is interposed in the two directions of the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 122. Since it hits the transparent resin portion 119, the surface concave step H2 only needs to have a thickness of about 2.5 mm that allows insert molding without problems.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, inside the upper side 137 and the inside of the lower side 138 of the opening window 121, the elastic body 123 is interposed in the three directions of the front side, the back side, and the end side of the transparent glass plate 122. Therefore, the surface concave step H1 is about 4.5 mm obtained by adding the thickness of 3 mm of the transparent resin portion 119 and the thickness of 1.5 mm of the elastic body 123, and is larger than the surface concave step H2. The difference between the surface concave step H1 and the surface concave step H2 is due to the step H3 of the step 142 formed on the left side of the left side 139 and the step H3 of the step 142 formed on the right side of the right side 140. Absorbed.

Since the opening window 121 is recessed by one step from the surface of the operation display panel 116, it is conspicuous in appearance, and if the width L1 of the opening window is too small with respect to the entire width L0 of the operation display panel 116, glass serving as a display unit There may be a design problem that the portion is poor and detracts from luxury. When the information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 125 and the user sets the operation details or the operation status of the product is displayed, the inside of the opening window 121 is brightly lit, so it does not matter. The recessed area of the opening window 121 becomes more conspicuous as an external dent.

By increasing the horizontal width L1 of the opening window 121 and setting the ratio of the operation display panel 116 to the total width L0 to, for example, about 40%, the presence of the recessed area of the opening window 121 can be increased and the design can be improved. it can. However, since the total width L0 is about 600 mm, it is necessary to set the lateral width L1 of the opening window 121 to about 240 mm, and the transparent glass plate 122 that is as large as this can withstand impact force while ensuring waterproofness. It is difficult to attach to the operation display panel 116. Further, if the operation display panel 116 itself is provided with such a large opening window 121, the strength of the parts is lowered, and it becomes difficult to suppress warping and deformation after molding. Furthermore, since the transparent glass plate 122 and the transparent electrode 124 are increased in size, the production cost is increased.

In the present embodiment, the surface step difference H2 between the operation display panel 116 and the transparent glass plate 122 on the left side 139 and the right side 140 of the opening window 121 is the same as the operation display panel 116 and the transparent glass plate on the upper side 137 and the lower side 138. It is made smaller than the surface concave step H <b> 1 with 122. Then, the difference between the surface concave step H1 and the surface concave step H2 is absorbed by the step H3 of the step 142 formed on the left side of the left side 139 and the step H3 of the step 142 formed on the right side of the right side 140. ing. That is, the surface concave step H1 is substantially equal to the sum of the surface concave step H2 and the step H3. Thus, in addition to the lateral width L1 of the opening window 121, by providing the lateral width L2 between the stepped portions 142 spreading outward, the conspicuous concave region can be made wider.

The horizontal width L1 of the opening window 121 is related to the size of the transparent glass plate 122, the transparent electrode 124, and the liquid crystal panel 125. Specifically, the width L1 is set to about 150 mm as a size sufficient to protect these electric parts from water ingress from the outside and to resist damage from the external impact. . However, this is too small for the overall width L0 = 600 mm of the operation display panel 116 and looks poor in appearance. Therefore, a recessed region having a lateral width L2 = 260 mm between the stepped portions 142 is provided outside the opening window 121. In other words, according to this configuration, the lateral width L2 of the recessed area can be set to about 40% of the total width L0 of the operation display panel 116. Design can be enhanced by increasing the feeling.

The lateral width L2 between the step portions 142 can be freely set because it does not affect the internal structure in terms of waterproofness and strength. Further, on the left side 139 and the right side 140 of the opening window 121, the surface side of the transparent glass plate 122 is brought into contact with the operation display panel 116 in order to reduce the step H2. In this configuration, the screw is interposed between the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the operation display panel 116 by being screwed at the boss 141. Thereby, the water resistance from the surface side of the transparent glass plate 122 is ensured without entering the inside of the opening window 121. Further, even if an impact is applied from the outside, the elastic body 123 absorbs it, so that it is possible to prevent damage to parts.

FIG. 13A is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration near the upper side 137 of the operation display panel 116 of the drum-type washing machine 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13B shows the vicinity of the lower side 138 of the operation display panel 116 FIG. 14 is a rear view of the operation display panel 116, FIG. 15A is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration near the opening 156 of the back cover 133 of the drum type washing machine 200, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of the opening part 162 vicinity of the back surface cover 133 of the drum type washing machine 200. FIG.

The transparent glass plate 122 is elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the operation display panel 116 via the elastic body 123. A liquid crystal panel 125 is attached to the liquid crystal attachment base 126 on the transparent glass plate 122 side, and a control board unit 127 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal attachment base 126. On the lower side of the operation display panel 116, a door 109 and a detergent charging case 117 are arranged, and the upper side affects the height of the entire product, so that it is difficult to make the operation display panel 116 large. Therefore, by arranging parts on the front and back of the liquid crystal mounting base 126, the space inside the operation display panel 116 can be used effectively, and the display range can be used widely.

A relay line 150 is provided on the left side of the transparent electrode 124. The relay line 150 is connected to the control board unit 127 and has a function of transmitting operation information indicating where the user touched the display screen. A relay line 151 is provided on the lower side of the liquid crystal panel 125. The relay line 151 is connected to the control board unit 127 and controls the display content of the liquid crystal panel 125. The transparent glass plate 122, the elastic body 123, the liquid crystal panel 125, the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the control board unit 127 are unitized to form a touch panel unit 152. The touch panel unit 152 may be attached to the back surface of the operation display panel 116 alone. Further, after the touch panel unit 152 is attached to the back cover 133, the touch panel unit 152 may be attached to the back surface of the operation display panel 116 in the state of the operation display unit 153 assembled with the control board unit 132 and the operation member 136.

When adhering the transparent electrode 124 to the transparent glass plate 122, special manufacturing equipment is required so that dust does not adhere and bubbles do not occur. In addition, special performance inspections such as whether the position at which the user touches the transparent glass plate 122 with a finger is recognized corresponding to the position on the liquid crystal panel 125 and the sensitivity is normal are also required. The outer periphery of the transparent glass plate 122 is covered with an elastic body 123 and attached to the liquid crystal mounting base 126. Therefore, after being assembled as the touch panel unit 152, the positional relationship between the transparent electrode 124 and the liquid crystal panel 125 may be shifted, thereby hindering the operation, or dust may adhere to the transparent electrode 124 and cause an appearance problem. Can be prevented.

In addition, the length of the

relay lines

150 and 151 connected to the control board unit 127 can be shortened by attaching the liquid crystal panel 125 to the front side of the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and attaching the control board unit 127 to the back side to form a unit. Can do. As a result, malfunction due to external noise can be prevented, and it can be prevented from being accidentally hooked and damaged at the time of assembly, and the assemblability is improved. That is, since the touch panel unit 152 can be assembled to the operation display panel 116 in a unit state in which quality such as performance and appearance is ensured, the quality is stabilized and the assemblability can be improved. It is also possible to produce the touch panel unit 152 in a factory equipped with inspection / manufacturing equipment necessary for unitization, and to produce an operation display unit 153 that does not require such equipment in a factory that does not have special equipment. it can. Further, it is possible to adopt a flexible production system in which the operation display panel 116 is assembled in another factory.

As shown in FIG. 11B, the liquid crystal mounting base 126 is fastened by screws with a boss 141 formed on the back surface of the operation display panel 116 in the vicinity of the opening window 121. In order to form the boss 141, a space of about 15 mm is usually required, so the boss 141 is provided at four positions on the left and right sides of the opening window 121 having a sufficient space. However, the boss 141 is not provided on the upper and lower sides of the opening window 121 so that the vertical width of the liquid crystal panel 125 can be utilized to the maximum. Even in such a configuration, as described above, the transparent glass plate 122 is covered with the elastic body 123 and elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the operation display panel 116. It is possible to prevent the detergent water and the like from entering the inside of the touch panel unit 152 from the opening window 121 while maintaining the sealing property. Note that it is effective to secure the sealing performance by directly fastening the vicinity of the opening window 121 with a screw. Further, by fastening the back cover 133 and the liquid crystal mounting base 126 together, it is possible to secure space and improve assemblability.

As shown in FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 14, the liquid crystal mounting base 126 has engaging portions 154, 155 (first engagement) that engage with the operation display panel 116 between the bosses 141 (between the screw fastening portions). Joint section) is provided. As described above, since it is difficult to provide the boss 141 in the vertical direction of the opening window 121 having no space, when the liquid crystal panel 125 spreads horizontally, the space between the bosses 141 (between the screw fastening portions) is separated. The floating of the operation display panel 116 cannot be restricted. Therefore, an engaging portion 154 is provided on the upper side of the liquid crystal mounting base 126 between the bosses 141, and an engaging portion 155 is provided on the lower side, and each is engaged with the operation display panel 116. Thereby, the float between the boss | hubs 141 is controlled and a sealing performance can be ensured over the whole region of the opening window 121. Since the engaging

portions

154 and 155 can be formed in a smaller space than the boss 141, the sealing performance can be secured without sacrificing the vertical width of the liquid crystal panel 125, and the design and usability can be ensured. Can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 14, 15A and 15B, the back cover 133 covering the control board unit 127 is provided with an opening 156 (first opening). A relay connector 157 of the control board unit 127 is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 156, and a lid 158 (first lid) that covers the opening 156 is provided.

FIG. 14 shows a state where the cover 158 is removed and the relay connector 157 can be seen from the opening 156. The relay connector 157 connects the control board unit 132 and the control board unit 127, and it is not necessary to attach the back cover 133 to the operation display panel 116 in a pre-connected state, but in a state assembled as the operation display unit 153. Can be connected later.

Connecting the relay connector 157 before attaching the back cover 133 to the operation display panel 116 means that the relay lead wire 159 is covered by the touch panel unit 152 and is frustrated. Further, since it is necessary to give the relay lead wire 159 slack, the assemblability is poor and the relay lead wire 159 may be bitten inside the unit. However, the relay connector 157 is connected from the opening 156 after the operation display unit 153 is assembled, and the lid 158 is finally attached, so that it is not necessary to give the relay lead wire 159 an unnecessary slack. Therefore, the relay lead wire 159 can be prevented from biting inside the operation display unit 153, and workability can be improved.

A relay connector 160 is also provided at a position visible from the opening 156 of the control board unit 127. Therefore, similarly to the above-described relay connector 157, after the operation display unit 153 is assembled, the relay lead wire 161 connected to the control device (not shown) arranged on the main body side is connected from the opening 156 to the relay connector. 160 can be connected.

Since the relay lead wire 161 can be turned on the outside of the back cover 133, there is no need to assemble the assembly by hand search. Therefore, the relay lead wire 161 can be prevented from biting inside the operation display unit 153, and workability can be improved.

Further, after connecting the

relay lead wires

159 and 161 to the

relay connectors

157 and 160, the cover 158 is put on the opening 156, so that the

control board units

127 and 132, the liquid crystal panel 125, and the transparent electrode 124 can be The cover 133 and the operation display panel 116 are covered. Therefore, for example, the fitting gap can be suppressed to about 0.5 mm over the entire area. Thereby, after the operation display panel 116 is assembled to the main body 101, insects such as cockroaches, dust, and the like can be prevented from entering the operation display unit 153, and the product can be prevented from failure for a long period of time.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 14, 15A and 15B, the back cover 133 covering the control board unit 127 is provided with an opening 162 (first opening). A connector 163 of the control board unit 127 is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 162, and a lid 164 (second lid) that covers the opening 162 is provided. In FIG. 14, the cover 164 is removed and the connector 163 can be seen from the opening 162. The connector 163 is for writing a control program. When the control program is improved after assembly into a product, for example, at a factory or a user's house, it is necessary to write to the microcomputer of the control board unit 127. In addition, it is used.

∙ There are not many opportunities to write control programs, but they may occur at the beginning of mass production. As work at that time, writing can be performed by removing the operation display panel 116 from the main body 101, opening the lid 164, allowing the connector 163 to be seen from the opening 162, and connecting the connector 163. At this time, it is not necessary to touch any other electrical connection portion such as a connector, and it is not necessary to remove the back cover 133 from the operation display panel 116. Therefore, work is easy and secondary disasters such as mistakes when reassembling can be prevented.

Further, by covering the opening 162 with the lid 164, the

control board units

127 and 132, the liquid crystal panel 125, and the transparent electrode 124 are covered with the back cover 133 and the operation display panel 116. Therefore, for example, the fitting gap can be suppressed to about 0.5 mm over the entire area. Thereby, after assembling the operation display panel 116 to the main body 101, insects such as cockroaches, dust and the like can be prevented from entering the operation display unit 153, and the product can be prevented from being broken for a long time.

As described above, the drum type washing machine 200 according to the present embodiment includes the rotating drum 103 that is rotationally driven, the main body 101 that is a washing machine housing that houses the rotating drum 103, and the upper portion of the washing machine housing. An operation display panel 116 having an opening window 121 and a liquid crystal panel 125 attached to the back side of the operation display panel 116 are provided. In addition, a transparent glass plate 122 attached to the back side of the opening window 121 via the elastic body 123 on the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 116 where the opening window 121 is provided, and the back surface of the transparent glass plate 122 are attached. The transparent electrode 124 is provided.

With such a configuration, when setting the operation details, if the user selects a course that he / she wants to select by directly touching the display of the transparent glass plate 122, then, for example, the time setting for “washing”, etc. Is displayed. Therefore, a hierarchical operation in which the user touches it to determine the setting is possible. Further, the number of operation buttons can be reduced, the displayed characters and the like can be enlarged, and operability and visibility can be improved. Moreover, since the transparent glass plate 122 is attached to the operation display panel 116 via the elastic body 123, it is possible to prevent water adhering to the transparent glass plate 122 from entering the housing.

The opening window 121 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a step H2 between the operation display panel 116 and the transparent glass plate 122 formed on the left side 139 and the right side 140 of the opening window 121 is the upper side 137 of the opening window 121. And it is comprised so that it may become smaller than the level | step difference H1 of the operation display panel 116 and the transparent glass plate 122 which are formed in the lower side 138. FIG.

With such a configuration, the transparent glass plate 122 having display and operation functions can be shown visually large. The transparent glass plate 122 is on the concave side (inside the housing) than the opening window 121 and is conspicuous in appearance. Therefore, if the area occupied by the opening window 121 in the operation display panel 116 is small, the appearance design is poor particularly when the light is turned off. May be seen. However, with the above-described configuration, the transparent glass plate 122 can be made to appear large horizontally and the appearance design can be improved.

The drum type washing machine 200 according to the present embodiment further includes a liquid crystal mounting base 126 to which the liquid crystal panel 125 is attached, and a control board unit 127 that controls the liquid crystal panel 125 and the transparent electrode 124. The transparent glass plate 122 is elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the operation display panel 116 via the elastic body 123, and the control board unit 127 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 126.

Thus, the space can be saved by mounting the liquid crystal panel 125 on the front side of the liquid crystal mounting base 126 and the control board unit 127 on the back side. Therefore, the space inside the operation display panel 116 can be expanded, and the display range can be expanded by enlarging the liquid crystal panel 125.

Also, the transparent glass plate 122, the elastic body 123, the liquid crystal panel 125, the liquid crystal mounting base 126, and the control board unit 127 are unitized to form the touch panel unit 152. The touch panel unit 152 is attached to the back cover 133 that covers the operation display panel 116 or the control board unit 127.

With such a configuration, it can be assembled to the operation display panel 116 or the back cover 133 in a unit state in which quality such as performance and appearance is ensured. Therefore, quality can be stabilized and assemblability can be improved. Furthermore, even in a factory that does not have the inspection / manufacturing equipment necessary for unitization, the touch panel unit 152 can be assembled to the operation display panel 116 and the like, so that a flexible production system can be taken.

Further, the liquid crystal mounting base 126 is fastened to the back surface of the operation display panel 116 by screws in the vicinity of the opening window 121. With such a configuration, the sealing property between the transparent glass plate 122 and the operation display panel 116 by the elastic body 123 can be ensured, and detergent water or the like enters the touch panel unit 152 from the opening window 121. Can be prevented.

In addition, the liquid crystal mounting base 126 has engaging portions 154 and 155 (first engaging portions) that engage with the operation display panel 116 between the fastening portions using screws.

With such a configuration, even when the liquid crystal panel 125 is enlarged horizontally and the fastening portions by screws are separated, the floating of the operation display panel 116 can be regulated by the engaging

portions

154 and 155. Therefore, the sealing property between the transparent glass plate 122 and the operation display panel 116 by the elastic body 123 can be ensured over the entire area of the opening window 121, and the detergent water from the opening window 121 to the inside of the touch panel unit 152. Etc. can be prevented.

Also, an opening 156 (first opening) provided in the back cover 133, a lid 158 (first lid) covering the opening 156, and a position corresponding to the opening 156 of the control board unit 127 are provided.

Relay connectors

157 and 160 are further provided.

With such a configuration, after the control board unit 127 and the back cover 133 are attached to the operation display panel 116, the relay connector 157 from the control board unit 127 and the relay connector 160 from the main body 101 side are connected, and finally the lid You can do 158. Therefore, there is no need to give the relay lead wire 159 an unnecessary slack, and the relay lead wire 159 can be prevented from being bitten inside the operation display panel 116.

Further, an opening 162 (second opening) provided in the back cover 133, a lid 164 covering the opening 162, and a control program writing provided at a position corresponding to the opening 162 of the control board unit 127. A connector 163 is further provided.

With such a configuration, for example, when the control program is improved and it becomes necessary to write to the microcomputer of the control board unit 127, the lid 164 is opened without removing the back cover 133 from the operation display panel 116. Thus, writing can be performed by connecting to the connector 163. Therefore, work is easy and secondary disasters such as mistakes during reassembly can be prevented.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 16, a water tank 202 is arranged in a suspended state in the main body 201 which is a casing of the drum type washing machine 300. In the water tank 202, a rotating drum 203 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is rotatably arranged with its rotating shaft inclined downward from the front side toward the back side.

On the front side of the water tank 202, a clothing doorway 204 leading to the opening end of the rotary drum 203 is formed. The front frame 205 constitutes the front surface of the main body 201. An opening 206 is provided on the upward inclined surface formed on the front side of the front frame 205. The user can put the laundry in and out of the rotary drum 203 through the clothing doorway 204 by opening the door 209 that opens and closes the opening 206. Since the door 209 is provided on the upward inclined surface, the user can perform the work of putting in and out the laundry without bending his / her waist. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the poor workability of a drum type washing machine of a general type in which the rotation axis of the rotary drum 203 is horizontal and the laundry is taken in and out through an opening formed in the vertical direction. Can do.

A large number of through holes 210 communicating with the water tank 202 are formed on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 203. The rotating drum 203 is rotationally driven in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction by a motor 211 attached to the back side of the water tank 202. The water tank 202 is connected with a water injection pipe 212 and a drain pipe 213, and water is poured into and drained into the water tank 202 by controlling the water injection valve 214 and the drain valve 215.

An operation display panel 216 is disposed on the upper part of the front frame 205. In the lower left as viewed from the front of the operation display panel 216, a detergent charging case 217 (described in FIG. 18) is disposed on the front frame 205 so as to be able to be pulled forward. Prior to driving, the user puts detergent into the detergent charging case 217 and operates the operation display panel 216 as necessary. As a result, the user can set the desired operation details, start operation, pause, etc., and can recognize the progress of the operation.

The user opens the door 209, puts the laundry into the rotary drum 203, and causes the drum type washing machine 300 to start operation. Then, the water injection valve 214 is opened, water is injected into the detergent charging case 217, and a predetermined amount of water is injected into the water tank 202 via the water injection conduit 212 while flowing the detergent that has been poured into the detergent charging case 217. Is made. Then, the rotating drum 203 is rotationally driven by the motor 211, and the washing process is started. In the washing step, the stirring operation of lifting and dropping the laundry in the rotation direction is repeated by the rotation of the rotary drum 203.

After a predetermined washing time has elapsed, the drain valve 215 is opened, and dirty washing water is discharged from the drain pipe 213. Then, the washing water contained in the laundry is dehydrated by the dehydrating operation of rotating the rotary drum 203 at a high speed. Thereafter, water is poured into the water tank 202 from the water injection pipe 212, and the rinsing process is performed. Also in this rinsing step, the stirring operation for the laundry by the rotation of the rotary drum 203 is repeated, and the rinsing is performed.

Here, the operation display panel 216 will be described in detail.

FIG. 17 is a front view of the operation display panel 216 of the drum type washing machine 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the drum type washing machine 300, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of the operation display panel 216 vicinity of the drum type washing machine 300. FIG. 20A is a sectional view taken along the line 20A-20A in FIG. 17, FIG. 20B is a sectional view taken along the line 20B-20B in FIG. 17, and FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the operation display panel 216.

The operation display panel 216 is disposed above the front frame 205 and the top plate 218. The surface of the transparent resin portion 219 of the operation display panel 216 is covered with an insert-molded film 220 (PET film), and constitutes a decorative surface that has been colored and printed. An opening window 221 having a substantially rectangular shape is provided at the center of the transparent resin portion 219.

Open window 221 is an area where neither transparent resin part 219 nor film 220 is formed. A transparent glass plate 222 is attached via an elastic body 223 on the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 216 where the opening window 221 is provided. A transparent electrode 224 is bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 222. A liquid crystal panel 225 is attached to the liquid crystal mounting base 226 on the back side of the transparent glass plate 222. A control board unit 227 for controlling the transparent electrode 224 and the liquid crystal panel 225 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 226.

The operation display panel 216 has a pressing operation button part 228 and a light emitting display part 229. Inside the operation display panel 216 is a control board unit 232 on which a switch 230, a light emitting element 231 and the like are mounted, and the control board unit 232 is attached to the back cover 233.

Further, an operation member 236 having a light guide path 234 for guiding the light of the light emitting element 231 to the light emitting display portion 229 and a button portion 235 for pressing the switch 230 is provided between the operation display panel 216 and the back cover 233. It has been. Since the transparent resin portion 219 is not formed on the pressing operation button portion 228 and only the film 220 exists, the switch 230 can be operated with a light operation force. In addition, since the light-emitting display portion 229 is printed with high transparency, even the weak light of the light-emitting element 231 can be emitted so that the user can fully recognize it.

When the user presses the power-on button (one of the buttons of the pressing operation button unit 228), the liquid crystal panel 225 displays, for example, as shown in FIG. The user can see the display through the transparent glass plate 222. Next, when the user touches, for example, the surface of the transparent glass plate 222 in the area where “manual course” is displayed with the finger, the display changes to the display screen for setting the number of times of washing and time, or the water level is changed. The display changes on the setting display screen, and lower settings can be made one after another. In this way, a method in which the user sets the display screen in direct contact with the display screen is called a touch panel method. By detecting the change in capacitance when the finger touches the transparent glass plate 222 by the transparent electrode 224 bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 222, the position touched by the finger is specified, and the display contents are displayed. It can be changed according to the user's operation.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the operation display panel 216 is provided with the opening window 221. And the structure which attaches the transparent glass plate 222 to which the transparent electrode 224 was adhere | attached through the elastic body 223 to the back surface side of the part in which the opening window 221 was provided of the operation display panel 216 is used. With this configuration, the user can make hierarchical settings by directly touching the display screen. As a result, there is no need to provide a large number of fixed operation buttons, and the number of operation buttons can be greatly reduced. Further, the liquid crystal panel 225 needs to display only the necessary display at that time, so that the display content can be reduced and the display characters can be increased. Therefore, operability and visibility can be improved.

Note that ABS resin and PET resin are transparent resin molding materials that are generally used as materials for operation display panels, and are used in the transparent resin portion in the present embodiment and conventional examples. In the conventional example, a transparent resin having the same thickness (about 3 mm) as the others and a film (PET) having a thickness of about 0.2 mm are insert-molded on the center display portion. In contrast, the operation display panel 216 of the present embodiment has an opening window 221, and the transparent electrode 224 is bonded to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 216 where the opening window 221 is provided. A transparent glass plate 222 having a thickness of about 2 mm is configured. This is to increase the sensitivity as much as possible.

For example, the operation display panel 216 is not provided with the opening window 221, the transparent resin portion 219 is thinned, and the transparent electrode 224 is directly bonded to the back surface. is there. However, since the film 220 (PET) is insert-molded on the surface, the thickness of the transparent resin portion 219 is set to 2.5 mm or more in order to suppress warping and deformation after molding while ensuring the adhesion of the film 220. It is necessary to do this, and it is difficult to make it thinner.

On the other hand, in order to obtain a sensitivity that can be operated without a sense of incongruity when the user operates, it is necessary to suppress the thickness of the transparent resin portion 219 to about 1.5 mm. Furthermore, when the transparent electrode 224 is bonded to the operation display panel 216, it is necessary to apply pressure and heat with dedicated equipment after bonding in order to prevent bubbles from remaining and to improve adhesion. At this time, if the entire operation display panel 216 is inserted, a large facility is required and productivity cannot be increased. For the above reasons, in this embodiment, a configuration in which the transparent electrode 224 is directly bonded to the operation display panel 216 is not employed.

In the present embodiment, an opening window 221 is provided on the operation display panel 216, and the transparent glass plate 222 to which the transparent electrode 224 is bonded is provided from the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 216 where the opening window 221 is provided. It is attached via an elastic body 223. Thereby, the user can see the display on the liquid crystal panel 225, touch the surface of the transparent glass plate 222 with a finger, and set various operation details as necessary.

In the present embodiment, the thickness of the transparent glass plate 222 is set to about 2 mm in order to prevent breakage due to unexpected external force applied. However, as described above, the dielectric constant of the glass is ABS resin. Therefore, even at this thickness, the sensitivity at the time of operation can be sufficiently increased, and the position pressed by the finger can be recognized accurately and quickly. In addition, for example, it is possible to realize a configuration in which it is difficult to cause erroneous detection such as determining that a finger is touched when water droplets are attached, and to prevent erroneous detection due to the influence of external noise.

Since electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 225 and the control board unit 227 are arranged on the back side of the transparent glass plate 222, it is necessary to waterproof. Therefore, in this embodiment, the outer peripheral portion of the substantially rectangular transparent glass plate 222 is covered with a frame-shaped elastic body 223, and the transparent glass plate 222 is attached to the operation display panel 216 via the elastic body 223. These are attached to the back side of the portion where the substantially rectangular opening window 221 is provided. In the inside of the upper side 237 of the opening window 221 and the inside of the lower side 238, the transparent glass plate 222 is operated and displayed via the elastic body 223 in the three directions of the front surface side, the back surface side, and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 222. The panel 216 and the liquid crystal mounting base 226 are waterproofly attached.

In addition, the transparent glass plate 222 is also inserted into the operation display panel via the elastic body 223 in the two directions of the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 222 even inside the left side 239 and right side 240 of the opening window 221. 216 and the liquid crystal mounting base 226 are waterproofly attached.

Furthermore, bosses 241 are provided in the vicinity of the four corners of the opening window 221 on the back surface of the operation display panel 216, and the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and the back surface cover 233 are fastened with screws. In the fastening state with screws, the elastic body 223 is pressed by the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and is in close contact with the transparent glass plate 222 and the operation display panel 216. As a result, the waterproof property of the opening window 221 is ensured. Therefore, even if the user accidentally spills water on the opening window 221, water is not supplied to the electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 225 and the control board unit 227 inside. It is possible to improve safety without sticking.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and the back cover 233 are fastened together is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the liquid crystal mounting base 226 is operated and displayed alone. The same effect can be obtained by fastening the panel 216 with screws.

Further, since the transparent glass plate 222 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 216 where the opening window 221 is provided via the elastic body 223, the transparent glass plate 222 is caused by an impact applied from the outside. It can be prevented from being damaged. For example, when a user drops something on the transparent glass plate 222, an impact load is applied. Further, when a product is delivered to a user's home in a packaged state and falls from the loaded state or falls, an impact force is also applied. The operation display panel 216 is made of resin and absorbs a little impact, but the transparent glass plate 222 is hard but weak against impact. Therefore, by disposing the elastic body 223 on the outer periphery of the transparent glass plate 222, a soft structure is obtained, and damage can be prevented even if an impact is applied from the outside.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the transparent glass plate 222 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 216 provided with the opening window 221 through the elastic body 223. As a result, even if a dimensional change occurs between the transparent glass plate 222 and the operation display panel 216 or the liquid crystal mounting base 226 due to a difference in thermal expansion, the elastic body 223 absorbs the dimensional change. .

On the operation display panel 216, in addition to the area in the opening window 221 where the user can set the operation content by touching the transparent glass plate 222, the operation button panel for power on, power off, start, etc. Several 228 are also arranged. It is also possible for the user to eliminate the pressing operation button unit 228 by directly touching and setting the transparent glass plate 222 in accordance with the content displayed on the liquid crystal panel 225.

In the present embodiment, the switch 230 that operates by pressing the pressing operation button unit 228, the light emitting element 231 that emits the light emitting display unit 229, and the like are mounted on the control board unit 232. Then, the control board unit 232 is separated from the control board unit 227 for controlling the transparent electrode 224 and the liquid crystal panel 225, the control board unit 232 is attached to the back cover 233, and the control board unit 227 is attached to the back face of the liquid crystal mounting base 226. It is installed.

The reason why the

control board units

227 and 232 are separated in this way is that the surface shape of the operation display panel 216 is a round shape that recedes from the center position of the product toward the end. Because of this round shape, the position of the control board unit 232 placed at the right end is relatively retracted compared to the control board unit 227 placed near the center, and they are arranged at different levels, and are configured as one member. Difficult to do. Therefore, for example, if the surface shape of the operation display panel 216 is a shape close to a flat surface, the

control board units

227 and 232 can be configured integrally and attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 or the like.

Next, the concave step between the transparent resin portion 219 and the transparent glass plate 222 formed on each of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the rectangular opening window 221 will be described. As shown in FIG. 20A, the surface concave steps H2 between the operation display panel 216 and the transparent glass plate 222 on the left side 239 and the right side 240 of the opening window 221 are the upper side 237 and the lower side 238 of the opening window 221 shown in FIG. Is smaller than the surface concave step H1 between the operation display panel 216 and the transparent glass plate 222. The surface concave step is obtained by adding the thickness of the transparent resin portion 219 that covers the transparent glass plate 222 and the thickness of the elastic body 223 when it is interposed.

As described above, the inside of the left side 239 of the opening window 221 and the inside of the right side 240 are interposed through the elastic body 223 in two directions on the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 222, but the surface side is directly Since it hits the transparent resin portion 219, the surface concave step H2 only needs to have a thickness of about 2.5 mm that allows insert molding without problems.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19, inside the upper side 237 and the lower side 238 of the opening window 221, the elastic body 223 is interposed in the three directions of the front surface side, the back surface side, and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 222. Therefore, the surface concave step H1 is about 4.5 mm obtained by adding 3 mm of the transparent resin portion 219 and 1.5 mm of the elastic body 223, and is larger than the surface concave step H2. The difference between the surface concave step H1 and the surface concave step H2 is due to the step H3 of the step portion 242 formed on the left side of the left side 239 and the step H3 of the step portion 242 formed on the right side of the right side 240. Absorbed.

Since the opening window 221 is recessed by one step from the surface of the operation display panel 216, it is conspicuous in appearance, and if the width L1 of the opening window is too small with respect to the entire width L0 of the operation display panel 216, glass serving as a display unit There may be a design problem that the portion is poor and detracts from luxury. When information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 225 and the user sets the operation details or when the operation status of the product is displayed, the inside of the opening window 221 is lit brightly, but when the light is turned off, The recessed area of the opening window 221 becomes more conspicuous as an external dent.

By increasing the horizontal width L1 of the opening window 221 and setting the ratio of the operation display panel 216 to the total width L0 to, for example, about 40%, the presence of the recessed area of the opening window 221 can be increased and the design can be improved. it can. However, since the total width L0 is about 600 mm, it is necessary to set the lateral width L1 of the opening window 221 to about 240 mm, so that the large transparent glass plate 222 can withstand impact force while ensuring waterproofness. It is difficult to attach to the operation display panel 216. Further, when the operation display panel 216 itself is provided with such a large opening window 221, the strength of the parts is lowered, and it becomes difficult to suppress warping and deformation after molding. Furthermore, since the transparent glass plate 222 and the transparent electrode 224 are enlarged, the production cost is increased.

In the present embodiment, the surface step difference H2 between the operation display panel 216 and the transparent glass plate 222 on the left side 239 and the right side 240 of the opening window 221 is the same as the operation display panel 216 and the transparent glass plate on the upper side 237 and the lower side 238. It is smaller than the surface concave step H1 with 222. Then, the difference between the surface concave step H1 and the surface concave step H2 is absorbed by the step H3 of the step 242 formed on the left side of the left side 239 and the step H3 of the step 242 formed on the right side of the right side 240. ing. That is, the surface concave step H1 is substantially equal to the sum of the surface concave step H2 and the step H3. Thus, in addition to the lateral width L1 of the opening window 221, by providing the lateral width L2 between the stepped portions 242 spreading outside, the conspicuous concave region can be seen wider.

The width L1 of the opening window 221 is related to the size of the transparent glass plate 222, the transparent electrode 224, and the liquid crystal panel 225. Specifically, the width L1 is set to about 150 mm as a size sufficient to protect these electric parts from water ingress from the outside and to resist damage from the external impact. . However, this is too small for the overall width L0 of the operation display panel 216 to be about 600 mm, and the appearance looks poor. Therefore, a concave region having a lateral width L2 = 260 mm between the step portions 242 is provided outside the opening window 221. In other words, according to this configuration, the lateral width L2 of the recessed area can be set to about 40% of the total width L0 of the operation display panel 216. Design can be enhanced by increasing the feeling.

The horizontal width L2 between the step portions 242 can be freely set because it does not affect the internal structure in terms of waterproofness and strength. Further, on the left side 239 and the right side 240 of the opening window 221, the surface side of the transparent glass plate 222 is brought into contact with the operation display panel 216 in order to reduce the step H2. This is a configuration in which the elastic body 223 is interposed between the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 222, is screwed at the boss 241, and is pressed between the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and the operation display panel 216. Thereby, the water resistance from the surface side of the transparent glass plate 222 is ensured without entering the inside of the opening window 221. In addition, even when an impact is applied from the outside, the elastic body 223 absorbs it, so that it is possible to prevent parts from being damaged.

FIG. 22A is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration near the upper side 237 of the operation display panel 216 of the drum type washing machine 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 22B shows the vicinity of the lower side 238 of the operation display panel 216. FIG. FIG. 23 is a view showing a cross-sectional configuration in the vicinity of the engaging portion 257 of the operation display panel 216.

The transparent glass plate 222 is elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and the operation display panel 216 via the elastic body 223. A liquid crystal panel 225 is attached to the liquid crystal attachment base 226 on the transparent glass plate 222 side, and a control board unit 227 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal attachment base 226. On the lower side of the operation display panel 216, a door 209 and a detergent charging case 217 are arranged, and the upper side affects the height of the entire product, so that it is difficult to make the operation display panel 216 large. Therefore, by arranging parts on the front and back of the liquid crystal mounting base 226, the space inside the operation display panel 116 can be used effectively, and the display range can be used widely.

A relay line 250 is provided on the left side of the transparent electrode 224. The relay line 250 is connected to the control board unit 227 and has a function of transmitting operation information indicating where the user touched the display screen. A relay line 251 is provided on the lower side of the liquid crystal panel 225. The relay line 251 is connected to the control board unit 227 and controls the display content of the liquid crystal panel 225. The transparent glass plate 222, the elastic body 223, the liquid crystal panel 225, the liquid crystal mounting base 226, and the control board unit 227 are unitized to form a touch panel unit 252. The touch panel unit 252 may be attached to the back surface of the operation display panel 216 alone. Further, after the touch panel unit 252 is attached to the back cover 233, it may be attached to the back surface of the operation display panel 216 in the state of the operation display unit 253 in which the control board unit 232 and the operation member 236 are also assembled.

When adhering the transparent electrode 224 to the transparent glass plate 222, special manufacturing equipment is required so that dust does not adhere and bubbles do not occur. In addition, special performance inspections such as whether the position at which the user touches the transparent glass plate 222 with a finger is recognized corresponding to the position on the liquid crystal panel 225 and whether the sensitivity is normal are also required. The transparent glass plate 222 is attached to the liquid crystal mounting base 226 with its outer periphery covered with an elastic body 223. Therefore, after being assembled as the touch panel unit 252, the positional relationship between the transparent electrode 224 and the liquid crystal panel 225 is shifted, which may hinder the operation, or dust may adhere to the transparent electrode 224 and cause an appearance problem. Can be prevented.

In addition, the length of the

relay lines

250 and 251 connected to the control board unit 227 is shortened by attaching the liquid crystal panel 225 to the front side of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and attaching the control board unit 227 to the back side to form a unit. Can do. As a result, malfunction due to external noise can be prevented, and it can be prevented from being accidentally hooked and damaged at the time of assembly, and the assemblability is improved. That is, since the touch panel unit 252 can be assembled to the operation display panel 216 in a unit state in which quality such as performance and appearance is ensured, the quality can be stabilized and the assemblability can be improved. In addition, the touch panel unit 252 may be produced in a factory equipped with inspection / manufacturing equipment necessary for unitization, and the operation display unit 253 that does not require such equipment may be produced in a factory without special equipment. it can. Further, it is possible to adopt a flexible production system in which the operation display panel 216 is assembled in another factory.

As shown in FIG. 20B, the liquid crystal mounting base 226 is fastened by screws with a boss 241 formed on the back surface of the operation display panel 216 in the vicinity of the opening window 221. In order to form the boss 241, a space of about 15 mm is usually required, so that the boss 241 is provided at four positions on the left and right sides of the opening window 221 with a sufficient space. However, the boss 241 is not provided on the upper and lower sides of the opening window 221 so that the vertical width of the liquid crystal panel 225 can be utilized to the maximum. Even in such a configuration, as described above, the transparent glass plate 222 is covered with the elastic body 223 and elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and the operation display panel 216. Therefore, the sealing property can be maintained, and the detergent water or the like can be prevented from entering the touch panel unit 252 from the opening window 221. Note that it is effective to secure the sealing performance by directly fastening the vicinity of the opening window 221 with a screw. Further, by fastening the back cover 233 and the liquid crystal mounting base 226 together, it is possible to secure a space and improve assemblability.

As shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, the liquid crystal mounting base 226 has engaging portions 254 and 255 (first engaging portions) that engage with the operation display panel 216 between the bosses 241 (between the screw fastening portions). Is provided. As described above, it is difficult to provide the boss 241 in the vertical direction of the opening window 221 having no space. Therefore, when the liquid crystal panel 225 spreads horizontally, the bosses 241 (between the screw fastening portions) are separated from each other, and the floating of the operation display panel 216 cannot be regulated. Therefore, the engaging portion 254 is provided on the upper side of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 between the bosses 241, and the engaging portion 255 is provided on the lower side, and each is engaged with the operation display panel 216. Thereby, the float between the boss | hubs 241 can be controlled and a sealing performance can be ensured over the whole region of the opening window 221. Since the engaging

portions

254 and 255 can be formed in a smaller space than the boss 241, the sealing property can be ensured without sacrificing the vertical width of the liquid crystal panel 225, and the design and usability can be ensured. Can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 22B, an engagement portion 256 (second engagement portion) that engages with the front frame 205 is provided at the lower side 238 of the liquid crystal mounting base 226, and an operation display panel is provided. The floating of 216 to the front is regulated. Since the liquid crystal mounting base 226 is engaged with the operation display panel 216 by the engaging portion 255 described above, the operation display panel 216 is moved forward of the operation display panel 216 without engaging the operation display panel 216 with the front frame 205. Floating can be suppressed. The operation display panel 216 is not applied with a force that causes the product to float forward during normal use. For example, when the product is handled in a packaged state and falls or falls, the operation display panel 216 is moved forward. Such a force may act. Therefore, by engaging the engaging portion 256 of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 with the front frame 205, it is possible to prevent the operation display panel 216 from coming off the front of the product.

In addition, when the operation display panel 216 floats in front of the product, a gap is generated between the front frame 205 and the operation display panel 216, and when it is pressed, the quality deteriorates by moving, etc. There may be a problem that dust or the like enters and adversely affects quality. In the present embodiment, by engaging the engaging portion 256 of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 with the front frame 205, the operation display panel 216 can be prevented from floating in front of the product.

Note that, instead of the above-described configuration, the operation display panel 216 may be directly engaged with the front frame 205, but this causes a problem that the vertical width of the liquid crystal panel 225 cannot be widened. The operation display panel 216 is configured to protrude obliquely upward from the outer shape formed by the top plate 218 and the front frame 205, and there is a standing wall on the lower side. When the engaging portion is provided at the lower part of the operation display panel 216, if the engaging portion is not provided separately from the standing wall, the standing wall becomes thick and the surface becomes sinked. appear. Furthermore, since the liquid crystal mounting base 226 must also release this engaging portion, it is necessary to make the liquid crystal panel 225 smaller correspondingly. For these problems, by engaging the engaging portion 256 of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 with the front frame 205, the operation display panel 216 can be moved forward without sacrificing the vertical width of the liquid crystal panel 225. It is possible to prevent the frame body 205 from floating or coming off.

Further, as shown in FIG. 23, an engagement portion 257 (third engagement portion) that engages with the front frame 205 is also provided at the lower portion of the back cover 233, and the operation display panel 216 The product is restricted from floating to the front. Since the back cover 233 is fastened to the operation display panel 216, the back cover 233 can be controlled to float to the front of the product without engaging the operation display panel 216 with the front frame 205.

Although the operation display panel 216 has a long shape that extends to both ends of the product, the range in which the liquid crystal mounting base 226 in the center portion is present to prevent the operation display panel 216 from floating and coming off from the front frame 205. The engagement portion 256 of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 can be performed, and the range where the liquid crystal mounting base 226 does not exist can be performed by the engaging portion 257 of the back cover 233. Therefore, it is not necessary to form an engaging portion on the lower side of the operation display panel 216, and it is possible to prevent the liquid crystal panel 225 and the control board unit 232 from floating and coming off without sacrificing the vertical width. Can do.

As described above, the drum-type washing machine 300 according to the present embodiment includes the rotary drum 203 that is rotationally driven, the main body 201 that is a washing machine housing that houses the rotating drum 203, and the upper portion of the washing machine housing. An operation display panel 216 provided with an opening window 221 and a liquid crystal panel 225 attached to the back side of the operation display panel 216 are provided. Further, a transparent glass plate 222 attached via an elastic body 223 and a transparent electrode 224 attached to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 222 on the back side of the operation display panel 216 where the opening window 221 is provided. I have.

With such a configuration, when setting the operation details, if the user selects a course that he / she wants to select by directly touching the display of the transparent glass plate 222, then, for example, a time setting for “washing”, etc. Is displayed. Therefore, a hierarchical operation in which the user touches it to determine the setting is possible. Further, the number of operation buttons can be reduced, the displayed characters and the like can be enlarged, and operability and visibility can be improved. Further, since the transparent glass plate 222 is attached to the operation display panel 216 via the elastic body 223, it is possible to prevent water adhering to the transparent glass plate 222 from entering the housing.

The opening window 221 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a step H2 between the operation display panel 216 and the transparent glass plate 222 formed on the left side 239 and the right side 240 of the opening window 221 is the upper side 237 of the opening window 221. And it is comprised so that it may become smaller than the level | step difference H1 of the operation display panel 216 and the transparent glass plate 222 which are formed in the lower side 238.

With such a configuration, the transparent glass plate 222 having display and operation functions can be shown visually large. The transparent glass plate 222 is on the concave side (inside the housing) from the opening window 221 and is conspicuous in appearance. Therefore, if the area occupied by the operation display panel 216 of the opening window 221 is small, the appearance design is poor particularly when the light is turned off. May be seen. However, with the above-described configuration, the transparent glass plate 222 can be made to appear large horizontally, and the appearance design can be improved.

The drum-type washing machine 300 according to the present embodiment further includes a liquid crystal mounting base 226 to which the liquid crystal panel 225 is attached and a control board unit 227 that controls the liquid crystal panel 225 and the transparent electrode 224. The transparent glass plate 222 is elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and the operation display panel 216 via the elastic body 223, and the control board unit 227 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 226.

Thus, the space can be saved by mounting the liquid crystal panel 225 on the front side of the liquid crystal mounting base 226 and the control board unit 227 on the back side. Therefore, the space inside the operation display panel 216 can be expanded, and the display range can be expanded by enlarging the liquid crystal panel 225.

Further, the transparent glass plate 222, the elastic body 223, the liquid crystal panel 225, the liquid crystal mounting base 226, and the control board unit 227 are unitized to constitute the touch panel unit 252. The touch panel unit 252 is attached to the operation display panel 216 or the back cover 233 that covers the control board unit 227.

With such a configuration, it can be assembled to the operation display panel 216 or the back cover 233 in a unit state in which quality such as performance and appearance is ensured. Therefore, quality can be stabilized and assemblability can be improved. Furthermore, even in a factory that does not have inspection / manufacturing equipment necessary for unitization, the touch panel unit 252 can be assembled to the operation display panel 216 and the like, so that a flexible production system can be achieved.

The liquid crystal mounting base 226 is fastened to the back surface of the operation display panel 216 with screws in the vicinity of the opening window 221. With such a configuration, the sealing property between the transparent glass plate 222 and the operation display panel 216 by the elastic body 223 can be ensured, and detergent water or the like enters the touch panel unit 252 from the opening window 221. Can be prevented.

Further, the front frame 205 is disposed on the front side of the main body 201 which is a washing machine casing, and the liquid crystal mounting base 226 is engaged with the engaging portions 254 and 255 (the first ones) engaged with the operation display panel 216. 1 engaging portion) and an engaging portion 256 (second engaging portion) that engages with the front frame 205.

With such a configuration, by engaging the liquid crystal mounting base 226 with the front frame body 205, it is not necessary to provide an engagement portion with the front frame body 205 on the operation display panel 216, and the display range of the liquid crystal panel 225 is eliminated. Can be enlarged.

In addition, the control board unit 227 is covered and a back cover 233 attached to the operation display panel 216 is further provided. The back cover 233 includes an engaging portion 257 (third engaging portion) that engages with the front frame 205. Have.

With such a configuration, even if the operation display panel 216 is not provided with an engaging portion with the front frame 205, the operation display panel 216 is floated because the operation display panel 216 is attached to the front frame 205. It is possible to prevent dust, water droplets, and the like from entering from the gap.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum type washing machine 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 24, a water tank 302 is arranged in a suspended state in a main body 301 which is a casing of the drum type washing machine 400. In the water tank 302, a rotating drum 303 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is rotatably arranged with its rotating shaft inclined downward from the front side to the back side.

On the front side of the water tank 302, a clothing doorway 304 leading to the opening end of the rotating drum 303 is formed. The front frame 305 constitutes the front surface of the main body 301. An opening 306 is provided on the upward inclined surface formed on the front side of the front frame body 305. The user can put the laundry in and out of the rotary drum 303 through the clothing entrance 304 by opening the door 309 that opens and closes the opening 306. Since the door 309 is provided on the upward inclined surface, the user can perform the work of putting in and out the laundry without bending his / her waist. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the poor workability of a drum-type washing machine of a general type in which the rotation axis of the rotary drum 303 is horizontal and the laundry is taken in and out through an opening formed in the vertical direction. Can do.

A large number of through holes 310 communicating with the water tank 302 are formed on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 303. The rotating drum 303 is rotationally driven in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction by a motor 311 attached to the back side of the water tank 302. A water injection line 312 and a drainage pipe 313 are connected to the water tank 302 by piping, and water is injected and drained into the water tank 302 by controlling the water injection valve 314 and the drainage valve 315, respectively.

An operation display panel 316 is disposed on the upper part of the front frame 305. In the lower left as viewed from the front of the operation display panel 316, a detergent charging case 317 (described in FIG. 26) is arranged on the front frame 305 in a state where it can be pulled out forward. Prior to driving, the user puts detergent into the detergent charging case 317 and operates the operation display panel 316 as necessary. As a result, the user can set the desired operation details, start operation, pause, etc., and can recognize the progress of the operation.

The user opens the door 309, puts the laundry into the rotating drum 303, and causes the drum type washing machine 400 to start operation. Then, the water injection valve 314 is opened, water is poured into the detergent charging case 317, and a predetermined amount of water is poured into the water tank 302 via the water pouring conduit 312 while flowing the detergent that has been poured into the detergent charging case 317. Is made. Then, the rotating drum 303 is rotationally driven by the motor 311 and the washing process is started. In the washing step, the stirring operation of lifting and dropping the laundry in the rotation direction is repeated by the rotation of the rotary drum 303.

After a predetermined washing time has elapsed, the drain valve 315 is opened, and the dirty washing water is discharged from the drain pipe 313. Then, the washing water contained in the laundry is dehydrated by the dehydrating operation of rotating the rotary drum 303 at a high speed. Thereafter, water is injected into the water tank 302 from the water injection pipe 312 and a rinsing process is performed. Also in this rinsing step, the stirring operation for the laundry by the rotation of the rotary drum 303 is repeated, and the rinsing is performed.

Here, the operation display panel 316 will be described in detail.

FIG. 25 is a front view of the operation display panel 316 of the drum type washing machine 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the drum type washing machine 400, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of the operation display panel 316 vicinity of the drum type washing machine 400. FIG. 28A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 28A-28A in FIG. 25, FIG. 28B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 28B-28B in FIG. 25, and FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the operation display panel 316. FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the elastic body 323 of the drum type washing machine 400.

The operation display panel 316 is disposed between the front frame 305 and the top plate 318. The surface of the transparent resin portion 319 of the operation display panel 316 is covered with an insert-molded film 320 (PET film), and constitutes a decorative surface that is colored and printed. An opening window 321 having a substantially rectangular shape is provided at the center of the transparent resin portion 319.

Open window 321 is a region where neither transparent resin portion 319 nor film 320 is formed. A transparent glass plate 322 is attached via an elastic body 323 on the back side of the operation display panel 316 where the opening window 321 is provided. A transparent electrode 324 is bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 322. In addition, a liquid crystal panel 325 is attached to a liquid crystal mounting base 326 on the back side of the transparent glass plate 322. A control board unit 327 for controlling the transparent electrode 324 and the liquid crystal panel 325 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 326.

The operation display panel 316 has a press operation button unit 328 and a light emitting display unit 329. Inside the operation display panel 316 is a control board unit 332 on which a switch 330, a light emitting element 331 and the like are mounted. The control board unit 332 is attached to the back cover 333.

Further, an operation member 336 having a light guide path 334 for guiding the light of the light emitting element 331 to the light emitting display unit 329 and a button unit 335 for pressing the switch 330 is provided between the operation display panel 316 and the back cover 333. It has been. Since the transparent resin portion 319 is not formed on the pressing operation button portion 328 and only the film 320 exists, the switch 330 can be operated with a light operation force. In addition, since the light-emitting display portion 329 is printed with high transparency, even weak light from the light-emitting element 331 can be emitted so that it can be recognized by the user.

When the user presses the power-on button (one of the buttons of the pressing operation button unit 328), the liquid crystal panel 325 displays, for example, as shown in FIG. The user can see the display through the transparent glass plate 322. Next, when the user touches, for example, the surface of the transparent glass plate 322 in the area where “manual course” is displayed with the finger, the display changes on the setting display screen for the number of “washing” and time, The display changes on the setting display screen, and lower settings can be made one after another. In this way, a method in which the user sets the display screen in direct contact with the display screen is called a touch panel method. The transparent electrode 324 bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 322 detects a change in capacitance when the finger touches the transparent glass plate 322, thereby identifying the position touched by the finger and displaying the display content. It can be changed according to the user's operation.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, as described above, the operation display panel 316 is provided with the opening window 321, and the transparent electrode is provided on the back surface side of the portion of the operation display panel 316 where the opening window 321 is provided. A configuration in which a transparent glass plate 322 to which 324 is bonded is attached via an elastic body 323 is used. With this configuration, the user can make hierarchical settings by directly touching the display screen. As a result, there is no need to provide a large number of fixed operation buttons, and the number of operation buttons can be greatly reduced. Further, the liquid crystal panel 325 only needs to display only the necessary display at that time, so that the display contents can be reduced and the display characters can be increased. Therefore, operability and visibility can be improved.

Since electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 325 and the control board unit 327 are arranged on the back side of the transparent glass plate 322, it is necessary to waterproof. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the outer periphery of the substantially rectangular transparent glass plate 322 is covered with a frame-shaped elastic body 323, and the transparent glass plate 322 is attached to the operation display panel 316 via the elastic body 323. These are attached to the back side of the portion where the substantially rectangular opening window 321 is provided. In the inside of the upper side 337 of the open window 321 and the inside of the lower side 338, the transparent glass plate 322 is operated and displayed via the elastic body 323 in the three directions of the front surface side, the back surface side, and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 322. The panel 316 and the liquid crystal mounting base 326 are attached in a waterproof manner.

In addition, the transparent glass plate 322 is disposed on the operation display panel via the elastic body 323 in the two directions of the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 322 also in the left side 339 and the right side 340 of the opening window 321. 316 and a liquid crystal mounting base 326 are attached in a waterproof manner. Note that, on the left side 339 and the right side 340, the surface side of the transparent glass plate 322 is not covered with the elastic body 323. However, since the elastic body 323 is pressed against the operation display panel 316 at the left and right outer portions of the transparent glass plate 322, waterproofness is ensured.

With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the level difference between the left side 339 of the opening window 321 and the right side 340 with respect to the transparent glass plate 322 while ensuring waterproofness between the transparent glass plate 322 and the operation display panel 316. By reducing the level difference, the design has a neat appearance and has the advantage of widening the viewing angle. In the present embodiment, the front surfaces of the left side 339 and the right side 340 of the transparent glass plate 322 are not covered with the elastic body 323, but the same effect can be obtained even if the upper side 337 and the lower side 338 are configured similarly. be able to. The elastic body 323 should just be comprised so that the front part of at least one end surface may not be covered among the four end surfaces formed between the transparent glass plate 322 and the opening window 321. FIG.

Furthermore, bosses 341 are provided in the vicinity of the four corners of the opening window 321 on the back surface of the operation display panel 316, and the liquid crystal mounting base 326 and the back surface cover 333 are fastened with screws. In the fastening state with screws, the elastic body 323 is pressed by the liquid crystal mounting base 326 and is in close contact with the transparent glass plate 322 and the operation display panel 316. As a result, the waterproof property of the opening window 321 is ensured. Therefore, even if the user accidentally spills water on the opening window 321, the liquid crystal panel 325, the control board unit 327, and the like in the interior are water-tight. It is possible to improve safety without sticking.

In this embodiment, an example in which the liquid crystal mounting base 326 and the back cover 333 are fastened together is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the liquid crystal mounting base 326 is operated and displayed alone. The same effect can be obtained by fastening the panel 316 with screws.

As shown in FIG. 28A, FIG. 28B, and FIG. 30, an opening 323a is provided on the lower side of the elastic body 323 at a position corresponding to the end surface of the transparent glass plate 322. A groove 323b is provided on at least one of the left and right sides of the elastic body 323.

As a result, even if the seal of the opening window 321 is broken due to a scratch on the elastic body 323 or a defective part such as a short shot of the operation display panel 316, water that has entered from the lower side of the opening 323a is not removed. Then, it passes through the opening 323 a provided on the lower side of the elastic body 323 and goes downward, and does not go to the transparent electrode 324 on the back surface of the transparent glass plate 322. On the other hand, since water that has entered from the left and right sides of the elastic body 323 passes through the groove portion 323b provided in the elastic body 323, the water flows into the charging portion such as the control board unit 332. Will never go. With such a configuration, safety can be ensured.

In addition, a standing wall 316a is provided on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the operation display panel 316 (see FIG. 27). The standing wall 316 a is configured to cover the end surface of the elastic body 323. Thereby, even when water is splashed from the periphery of the operation display panel 316, it prevents the elastic body 323 from being splashed with water. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the problem that water enters the operation display panel 316 from the gap between the elastic bodies 323 and the charging unit is splashed with water.

Further, since the transparent glass plate 322 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 316 provided with the opening window 321 through the elastic body 323, the transparent glass plate 322 is caused by an impact applied from the outside. It can be prevented from being damaged. For example, when a user drops something on the transparent glass plate 322, an impact load is applied. Further, when a product is delivered to a user's home in a packaged state and falls from the loaded state or falls, an impact force is also applied. The operation display panel 316 is made of resin and absorbs a little impact, but the transparent glass plate 322 is hard but weak against impact. Therefore, by disposing the elastic body 323 on the outer periphery of the transparent glass plate 322, a soft structure is obtained, and damage can be prevented even when an impact is applied from the outside.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the transparent glass plate 322 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 316 provided with the opening window 321 via the elastic body 323. As a result, even if a dimensional change occurs between the transparent glass plate 322 and the operation display panel 316 or the liquid crystal mounting base 326 due to a difference in thermal expansion, the elastic body 323 absorbs the dimensional change, thereby preventing damage to the components. .

With the configuration as described above, it is possible to provide the drum-type washing machine 400 that is excellent in operability, visibility, and appearance design while ensuring the waterproofness around the operation display panel 316.

As described above, the drum-type washing machine 400 according to the present embodiment includes the rotating drum 303 that is rotationally driven, the main body 301 that is a washing machine housing that houses the rotating drum 303, and the upper portion of the washing machine housing. An operation display panel 316 provided with an opening window 321 and a liquid crystal panel 325 attached to the back side of the operation display panel 316 are provided. In addition, a transparent glass plate 322 attached via an elastic body 323 and a transparent electrode 324 attached to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 322 on the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 316 where the opening window 321 is provided. I have.

With such a configuration, when setting the operation details, if the user selects a course that the user wants to select by directly touching the display of the transparent glass plate 322, then, for example, the time setting for “washing”, etc. Is displayed. Therefore, a hierarchical operation in which the user touches it to determine the setting is possible. Further, the number of operation buttons can be reduced, the displayed characters and the like can be enlarged, and operability and visibility can be improved. Moreover, since the transparent glass plate 322 is attached to the operation display panel 316 via the elastic body 323, it is possible to prevent water adhering to the transparent glass plate 322 from entering the housing.

The opening window 321 has a substantially rectangular shape, and the step H2 between the operation display panel 316 and the transparent glass plate 322 formed on the left side 339 and the right side 340 of the opening window 321 is the upper side 337 of the opening window 321. And it is comprised so that it may become smaller than the level | step difference H1 of the operation display panel 316 and the transparent glass plate 322 which are formed in the lower side 338.

With such a configuration, the transparent glass plate 322 having display and operation functions can be shown visually large. The transparent glass plate 322 is located on the concave side (inside the casing) from the opening window 321 and is conspicuous in appearance. Therefore, if the area occupied by the opening window 321 in the operation display panel 316 is small, the appearance design is poor particularly when the light is turned off. May be seen. However, by adopting the above-described configuration, the transparent glass plate 322 can be made to appear large horizontally and the appearance design can be improved.

The drum-type washing machine 400 according to the present embodiment further includes a liquid crystal mounting base 326 to which the liquid crystal panel 325 is attached, and a control board unit 327 that controls the liquid crystal panel 325 and the transparent electrode 324. The transparent glass plate 322 is elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 326 and the operation display panel 316 via the elastic body 323, and the control board unit 327 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 326.

Thus, the space can be saved by mounting the liquid crystal panel 325 on the front side of the liquid crystal mounting base 326 and the control board unit 327 on the back side. Therefore, the space inside the operation display panel 316 can be expanded, and the display range can be expanded by enlarging the liquid crystal panel 325.

Further, the elastic body 323 is configured not to cover the front surface portion of at least one of the four end surfaces formed between the transparent glass plate 322 and the opening window 321.

With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the level difference with respect to the transparent glass plate 322 of the opening window 321 while ensuring the sealing performance between the transparent glass plate 322 and the opening window 321, and thus the waterproof property is high, and A highly-designed operation display panel 316 can be realized.

Further, an opening 323a is provided at a position corresponding to the end surface of the transparent glass plate 322 on the lower side of the elastic body 323.

With this configuration, even if the seal below the opening window 321 is broken due to a scratch on the elastic body 323 or a defective part such as a short shot of the operation display panel 316, the water that has entered the elastic body 323 is broken. It passes downward through the opening 323a provided on the lower side of the head. Thus, since it is set as the structure which does not go to the transparent electrode 324 of the back surface of the transparent glass plate 322, it can prevent that a water | spatter splashes on a charging part etc. and can ensure safety | security.

Further, the groove portion 323b is provided on at least one of the left and right sides of the elastic body 323.

With this configuration, even when the left or right seal of the opening window 321 is broken, the infiltrated water passes through the groove portion 323b provided in the elastic body 323 and flows downward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from splashing on the charging unit and the like, and to ensure safety.

Also, a standing wall 316a is provided on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the operation display panel 316, and the standing wall 316a covers the end face of the elastic body 323.

With this configuration, even when water is poured from the periphery of the operation display panel 316, the standing wall 316a provided on either the upper or lower side of the operation display panel 316 prevents water from splashing on the end surface of the elastic body 323. It is possible to avoid such a problem that water enters the operation display panel 316 from the gap of the body 323 and water is applied to the charging unit and the like.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of a drum-type washing machine 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 31, a water tank 402 is disposed in a suspended state in a main body 401 that is a casing of the drum type washing machine 500. A rotating drum 403 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom is disposed in the water tank 402 so that the rotating shaft is inclined downward from the front side toward the back side.

On the front side of the water tank 402, a clothing doorway 404 leading to the opening end of the rotating drum 403 is formed. The front frame body 405 constitutes the front surface of the main body 401. An opening 406 is provided on the upward inclined surface formed on the front side of the front frame 405. The user can put the laundry in and out of the rotary drum 403 through the clothing entrance 404 by opening the door 409 that opens and closes the opening 406. Since the door 409 is provided on the upward inclined surface, the user can perform the work of putting in and out the laundry without bending his / her waist. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the poor workability of a drum-type washing machine of a general type in which the rotation axis of the rotary drum 403 is horizontal and the laundry is taken in and out through an opening formed in the vertical direction. Can do.

A large number of through holes 410 communicating with the water tank 402 are formed on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 403. The rotating drum 403 is rotationally driven in the forward direction and the reverse direction by a motor 411 attached to the back side of the water tank 402. The water tank 402 is connected to a water injection pipe 412 and a drain pipe 413, and water is poured into and drained into the water tank 402 by controlling the water injection valve 414 and the drain valve 415.

An operation display panel 416 is disposed on the upper part of the front frame 405. In the lower left as viewed from the front of the operation display panel 416, a detergent charging case 417 (described in FIG. 33) is arranged on the front frame 405 so as to be drawn forward. Prior to driving, the user puts detergent in the detergent charging case 417 and operates the operation display panel 416 as necessary. As a result, the user can set the desired operation details, start operation, pause, etc., and can recognize the progress of the operation.

The user opens the door 409, puts the laundry into the rotating drum 403, and causes the drum type washing machine 500 to start operation. Then, the water injection valve 414 opens, water is injected into the detergent charging case 417, and a predetermined amount of water is injected into the water tank 402 via the water injection conduit 412 while flowing the detergent that has been charged into the detergent charging case 417. Is made. Then, the rotating drum 403 is rotationally driven by the motor 411, and the washing process is started. In the washing step, the stirring operation of lifting and dropping the laundry in the rotation direction is repeated by the rotation of the rotating drum 403.

After a predetermined washing time has elapsed, the drain valve 415 is opened, and the dirty washing water is discharged from the drain pipe 413. Then, the washing water contained in the laundry is dehydrated by the dehydrating operation of rotating the rotary drum 403 at a high speed. Thereafter, water is poured into the water tank 402 from the water injection conduit 412 and the rinsing process is performed. Also in this rinsing step, the stirring operation for the laundry by the rotation of the rotating drum 403 is repeated, and the rinsing is performed.

Here, the operation display panel 416 will be described in detail.

FIG. 32 is a front view of the operation display panel 416 of the drum type washing machine 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the drum type washing machine 500, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of the operation display panel 416 vicinity of the drum type washing machine 500. FIG. 35A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 35A-35A in FIG. 32, FIG. 35B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 35B-35B in FIG. 32, and FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the operation display panel 416. FIG. 37A is a perspective view of the elastic body 423 of the drum type washing machine 500, and FIG. 37B is a view showing a cross-sectional configuration taken along line 37B-37B in FIG. 37A.

The operation display panel 416 is disposed above the front frame 405 and the top plate 418. The surface of the transparent resin portion 419 of the operation display panel 416 is covered with an insert-molded film 420 (PET film) and constitutes a decorative surface that is colored and printed. In the center of the transparent resin portion 419, an opening window 421 having a substantially rectangular shape is provided.

The opening window 421 is an area where neither the transparent resin part 419 nor the film 420 is formed. A transparent glass plate 422 is attached via an elastic body 423 on the back side of the operation display panel 416 where the opening window 421 is provided. A transparent electrode 424 is bonded to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 422. In addition, a liquid crystal panel 425 is attached to a liquid crystal mounting base 426 on the back side of the transparent glass plate 422. A control board unit 427 for controlling the transparent electrode 424 and the liquid crystal panel 425 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 426.

The operation display panel 416 has a press operation button unit 428 and a light emitting display unit 429. Inside the operation display panel 416 is a control board unit 432 on which a switch 430, a light emitting element 431, and the like are mounted, and the control board unit 432 is attached to the back cover 433.

Further, an operation member 436 having a light guide path 434 for guiding the light of the light emitting element 431 to the light emitting display portion 429 and a button portion 435 for pressing the switch 430 is provided between the operation display panel 416 and the back cover 433. It has been. Since the transparent resin portion 419 is not formed on the pressing operation button portion 428 and only the film 420 exists, the switch 430 can be operated with a light operation force. In addition, since the light-emitting display portion 429 is printed with high transparency, even the weak light of the light-emitting element 431 can be emitted so that the user can fully recognize it.

When the user presses the power-on button (one of the buttons of the pressing operation button unit 428), the liquid crystal panel 425 displays, for example, as shown in FIG. The user can see the display through the transparent glass plate 422. Next, when the user touches the surface of the transparent glass plate 422 in the area where “manual course” is displayed with his / her finger, for example, the display changes on the setting screen for the number of “washing” and time, The display changes on the setting display screen, and lower settings can be made one after another. In this way, a method in which the user sets the display screen in direct contact with the display screen is called a touch panel method. The transparent electrode 424 adhered to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 422 detects a change in capacitance when the finger touches the transparent glass plate 422, thereby identifying the position touched by the finger and displaying the display content. It can be changed according to the user's operation.

In the conventional operation display panel 1050 as shown in FIG. 38, the display window at the center is only for showing the display content of the liquid crystal panel 1051 through the transparent resin and the film formed by insert molding on the surface thereof. The display location is also decided. Therefore, as the content to be displayed increases, the displayed characters become smaller. In addition, there are many setting buttons such as the course button 1052, and it is difficult for the user to know where to press, the operability is deteriorated, the display characters are small, and the visibility is deteriorated.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the operation display panel 416 is provided with the opening window 421. And the structure which attaches the transparent glass plate 422 to which the transparent electrode 424 was adhere | attached through the elastic body 423 to the back surface side of the part in which the opening window 421 was provided of the operation display panel 416 is used. With this configuration, the user can make hierarchical settings by directly touching the display screen. As a result, there is no need to provide a large number of fixed operation buttons, and the number of operation buttons can be greatly reduced. Further, the liquid crystal panel 425 only needs to display only the necessary display at that time, so that the display contents can be reduced and the display characters can be increased. Therefore, operability and visibility can be improved.

Since electrical components such as the liquid crystal panel 425 and the control board unit 427 are arranged on the back side of the transparent glass plate 422, it is necessary to waterproof. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the outer periphery of the substantially rectangular transparent glass plate 422 is covered with a frame-shaped elastic body 423, and the transparent glass plate 422 is attached to the operation display panel 416 via the elastic body 423. These are attached to the back side of the portion where the substantially rectangular opening window 421 is provided. In the inside of the upper side 437 of the opening window 421 and the inside of the lower side 438, the transparent glass plate 422 is operated and displayed via the elastic body 423 in the three directions of the front surface side, the back surface side, and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 422. The panel 416 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 are waterproofly attached.

In addition, the transparent glass plate 422 is disposed on the operation display panel via the elastic body 423 in the two directions of the back surface side and the end surface side of the transparent glass plate 422 even inside the left side 439 and inside the right side 440 of the opening window 421. It is waterproofly attached between 416 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426.

The elastic body 423 is provided with an engagement claw 423c at each of four corners and an engagement hook 423d at each of the left and right. Further, the liquid crystal mounting base 426 is provided with one engagement hole 426c at each corner and one engagement claw 426d at each side. The engaging claw 423c and the engaging hole 426c are fitted, and the engaging hook 423d and the engaging claw 426d are fitted. The engagement claw 423c and the engagement hole 426c, or the engagement hook 423d and the engagement claw 426d constitute a fourth engagement portion.

Thereby, the elastic body 423 fitted with the transparent glass plate 422 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 are configured in a unit state. Thereby, since the elastic body 423 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 can be unitized without separate parts such as screws, the number of parts and cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, it is possible to prevent problems related to assembly such that the elastic body 423 fitted with the transparent glass plate 422 is detached from the liquid crystal mounting base 426 and dropped during assembly work.

Further, a notch 426e is provided at a position corresponding to the side surface of the elastic body 423 on the outer wall of the liquid crystal mounting base 426. Thereby, at the time of assembling with the operation display panel 416, a part of the elastic body 423 crushed between the operation display panel 416 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 escapes to a notch 426e provided in the liquid crystal mounting base 426. . Thereby, it is possible to avoid the poor assembling property that the elastic body 423 is strongly repelled and cannot be assembled. In addition, the operation display panel 416 is prevented from floating due to the repulsion of the elastic body 423.

Furthermore, bosses 441 are provided in the vicinity of the four corners of the opening window 421 on the back surface of the operation display panel 416, and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 and the back surface cover 433 are fastened with screws. In the fastening state with screws, the elastic body 423 is pressed by the liquid crystal mounting base 426 and is in close contact with the transparent glass plate 422 and the operation display panel 416. As a result, the waterproof property of the opening window 421 is ensured. Therefore, even if the user accidentally spills water on the opening window 421, the liquid crystal panel 425, the control board unit 427, etc. in the interior are water-filled. It is possible to improve safety without sticking.

In this embodiment, an example in which the liquid crystal mounting base 426 and the back cover 433 are fastened together is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 is operated and displayed alone. The same effect can be obtained by fastening the panel 416 with screws.

In addition, a standing wall 416a is provided on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the operation display panel 416 (see FIG. 34). The standing wall 416a is configured to cover the end surface of the fourth engagement portion (at least one of the engagement claw 423c and the engagement hook 423d) of the elastic body 423. Thereby, even when water is poured from the periphery of the operation display panel 416, the standing wall 416a prevents water from splashing on the engaging portion of the elastic body 423. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a problem that water enters the inside of the operation display panel 416 from the gap of the engaging portion of the elastic body 423 and the charging portion or the like is splashed with water.

Further, since the transparent glass plate 422 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 416 where the opening window 421 is provided via the elastic body 423, the transparent glass plate 422 is caused by an impact applied from the outside. It can be prevented from being damaged. For example, when a user drops something on the transparent glass plate 422, an impact load is applied. Also. Similarly, when the product is delivered to the user's home in a packaged state and falls from the loaded state or falls, an impact force is also applied. The operation display panel 416 is made of resin and absorbs a little impact, but the transparent glass plate 422 is hard but weak against impact. Therefore, by disposing the elastic body 423 on the outer periphery of the transparent glass plate 422, a soft structure is obtained, and damage can be prevented even if an impact is applied from the outside.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the transparent glass plate 422 is attached to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 416 where the opening window 421 is provided via the elastic body 423. As a result, even if a dimensional change occurs between the transparent glass plate 422 and the operation display panel 416 or the liquid crystal mounting base 426 due to a difference in thermal expansion, the elastic body 423 absorbs the dimensional change, thereby preventing damage to the components. .

With the configuration as described above, it is possible to provide the drum type washing machine 500 that is excellent in cost and assembling property while ensuring the waterproofness around the operation display panel 416.

As described above, the drum-type washing machine 500 according to the present embodiment includes the rotating drum 403 that is rotationally driven, the main body 401 that is a washing machine housing that houses the rotating drum 403, and the upper portion of the washing machine housing. An operation display panel 416 provided with an opening window 421 and a liquid crystal panel 425 attached to the back side of the operation display panel 416 are provided. Further, a transparent glass plate 422 attached via an elastic body 423 and a transparent electrode 424 attached to the back surface of the transparent glass plate 422 on the back side of the portion of the operation display panel 416 where the opening window 421 is provided. I have.

With such a configuration, when setting the operation details, if the user selects a course that he / she wants to select by directly touching the display of the transparent glass plate 422, then, for example, a time setting for “washing”, etc. Is displayed. Therefore, a hierarchical operation in which the user touches it to determine the setting is possible. Further, the number of operation buttons can be reduced, the displayed characters and the like can be enlarged, and operability and visibility can be improved. Moreover, since the transparent glass plate 422 is attached to the operation display panel 416 via the elastic body 423, it is possible to prevent water adhering to the transparent glass plate 422 from entering the housing.

The opening window 421 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a step H2 between the operation display panel 416 and the transparent glass plate 422 formed on the left side 439 and the right side 440 of the opening window 421 is an upper side 437 of the opening window 421. And it is comprised so that it may become smaller than the level | step difference H1 of the operation display panel 416 and the transparent glass plate 422 which are formed in the lower side 438. FIG.

With such a configuration, the transparent glass plate 422 having display and operation functions can be shown visually large. The transparent glass plate 422 is on the concave side (inside of the housing) from the opening window 421 and is conspicuous in appearance. Therefore, if the area occupied by the opening window 421 in the operation display panel 416 is small, the appearance design is poor particularly when the light is turned off. May be seen. However, with the above-described configuration, the transparent glass plate 422 can be made to appear large horizontally, and the appearance design can be improved.

The drum-type washing machine 500 according to the present embodiment further includes a liquid crystal mounting base 426 to which the liquid crystal panel 425 is attached, and a control board unit 427 that controls the liquid crystal panel 425 and the transparent electrode 424. The transparent glass plate 422 is elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base 426 and the operation display panel 416 via the elastic body 423, and the control board unit 427 is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base 426.

Thus, the space can be saved by mounting the liquid crystal panel 425 on the front side of the liquid crystal mounting base 426 and the control board unit 427 on the back side. Therefore, the space inside the operation display panel 416 can be expanded, and the display range can be expanded by enlarging the liquid crystal panel 425.

The elastic body 423 includes a fourth engagement portion (at least one of the engagement claw 423c and the engagement hole 426c, and the engagement hook 423d and the engagement claw 426d) that engages with the liquid crystal mounting base 426. ing.

With such a configuration, the elastic body 423 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 can be directly engaged. Therefore, the elastic body 423 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 can be unitized without separate parts such as screws, and the number of parts and cost can be reduced. Furthermore, it is possible to solve problems related to assembly, such as parts around the elastic body 423 coming off and dropping during assembly work.

Further, a notch 426e is provided at a position corresponding to the side surface of the elastic body 423 of the liquid crystal mounting base 426.

With such a configuration, when the operation display panel 416 is assembled, a part of the elastic body 423 crushed between the operation display panel 416 and the liquid crystal mounting base 426 is notched 426e provided in the liquid crystal mounting base 426. Can escape. Accordingly, it is possible to solve the assembling problem that the elastic body 423 is strongly repelled and cannot be assembled. In addition, the operation display panel 416 can be prevented from floating due to the repulsion of the elastic body 423.

Furthermore, a standing wall 416a is provided on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the operation display panel 416, and the fourth engaging portion of the elastic body 423 is covered with the standing wall 416a.

With such a configuration, even when water is poured from the periphery of the operation display panel 416, the standing wall 416 a provided on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the operation display panel 416 serves as the fourth engagement portion of the elastic body 423. It can prevent water from splashing. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of a problem that water enters the operation display panel 416 from the gap between the fourth engagement portions of the elastic body 423 and the charging portion or the like is splashed with water.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the

rotating drums

3, 103, 203, 303, and 403 formed in the bottomed cylindrical shape are in a state in which the rotation shaft is inclined downward from the front side toward the back side. The drum-

type washing machines

100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 that are rotatably arranged have been described as examples. However, the washing machine of the present invention is not limited to this example, and is also applicable to a washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotating drum is horizontal, a washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotating drum is vertical (so-called top loading washing machine), and the like. Is possible.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a special effect that a washing machine having an operation display panel excellent in operability and visibility can be provided. Therefore, this invention is useful as a washing machine etc. which perform each process of washing | cleaning, a rinse, spin-drying | dehydration, and drying within a rotating drum.

1, 101, 201, 301, 401 Main body 2, 102, 202, 302, 402 Water tank 3, 103, 203, 303, 403 Rotating drum 4, 104, 204, 304, 404 Clothes doorway 5, 105, 205, 305, 405 Front frame 6, 106, 206, 306, 406 Opening 9, 109, 209, 309, 409 Door 10, 110, 210, 310, 410 Through-hole 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 Water injection line 13 , 113, 213, 313, 413 Drain pipe 14, 114, 214, 314, 414 Water injection valve 15, 115, 215, 315, 415 Drain valve 16, 116, 216, 316, 416, 1050 Operation display panel 17, 117 , 217, 317, 417 Detergent case 18, 118, 218, 318, 41 Top plate 19,119,219,319,419 Transparent resin part 20,120,220,320,420 Film 21,121,221,321,421 Open window 22,122,222,322,422 Transparent glass plate 23,123 , 223, 323, 423 Elastic body 24, 124, 224, 324, 424 Transparent electrode 25, 125, 225, 325, 425, 1051 Liquid crystal panel 26, 126, 226, 326, 426 Liquid crystal mounting base 27, 32, 127, 132, 227, 232, 327, 332, 427, 432 Control board unit 28, 128, 228, 328, 428 Press operation button unit 29, 129, 229, 329, 429 Light emitting display unit 30, 130, 230, 330, 430 Switch 31, 131, 231, 331, 43 Light-emitting element 33,133,233,333,433 Back cover 34,134,234,334,434 Light guide path 35,135,235,335,435 Button part 36,136,236,336,436 Operation member 37,137 , 237, 337, 437 Upper side 38, 138, 238, 338, 438 Lower side 39, 139, 239, 339, 439 Left side 40, 140, 240, 340, 440 Right side 41, 141, 241, 341, 441 Boss 42, 142 , 242 Step 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 Drum-type washing machine 150, 151, 250, 251 Relay line 152, 252 Touch panel unit 153, 253 Operation display unit 154, 155, 254, 255, 256, 257 Engagement Part 156, 162 opening 157,160 relay connector 158 and 164 cover 159 and 161 relay leads 163 connector 316a, 416a standing wall 323a opening 323b grooves 423c, 426d engaging claw 423d engages the hook 426c engaging hole 1052 Course button

Claims

A rotating drum that is driven to rotate;
A washing machine housing for storing the rotating drum;
An operation display panel disposed above the washing machine casing and having an opening window;
A liquid crystal panel attached to the back side of the operation display panel;
A transparent glass plate attached via an elastic body to the back side of the portion of the operation display panel where the opening window is provided;
A transparent electrode mounted on the back surface of the transparent glass plate,
Washing machine.
The open window is substantially rectangular in shape;
The operation display panel and the transparent glass plate, wherein steps (H2) between the operation display panel and the transparent glass plate, which are formed on the left and right sides of the opening window, are formed on the upper and right sides of the opening window. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is configured to be smaller than a step (H1).
A liquid crystal mounting base on which the liquid crystal panel is mounted;
A control board unit for controlling the liquid crystal panel and the transparent electrode;
The transparent glass plate is elastically held between the liquid crystal mounting base and the operation display panel via the elastic body,
The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control board unit is attached to a back surface of the liquid crystal mounting base.
The transparent glass plate, the elastic body, the liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal mounting base, and the control board unit are unitized to constitute a touch panel unit,
The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the touch panel unit is attached to a back cover that covers the operation display panel or the control board unit.
The washing machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the liquid crystal mounting base is fastened to the back surface of the operation display panel by screws in the vicinity of the opening window.
The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the liquid crystal mounting base has a first engaging portion that engages with the operation display panel between the fastening portions by the screws.
A first opening provided in the back cover;
A first lid covering the first opening;
The washing machine according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a relay connector provided at a position corresponding to the first opening of the control board unit.
A second opening provided in the back cover;
A second lid covering the second opening;
The washing machine according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising a control program writing connector provided at a position corresponding to the second opening of the control board unit.
A front frame disposed on the front side of the washing machine casing;
6. The liquid crystal mounting base according to claim 3, wherein the liquid crystal mounting base includes a first engagement portion that engages with the operation display panel, and a second engagement portion that engages with the front frame. The washing machine according to Item 1.
Covering the control board unit, further comprising a back cover attached to the operation display panel,
The washing machine according to claim 9, wherein the back cover has a third engagement portion that engages with the front frame.
The said elastic body is comprised so that the front part of at least one end surface may not be covered among the four end surfaces formed between the said transparent glass plate and the said opening window. The washing machine according to any one of the above.
The washing machine according to claim 11, wherein an opening is provided at a position corresponding to an end surface of the transparent glass plate on a lower side of the elastic body.
The washing machine according to claim 11 or 12, wherein a groove is provided on at least one of left and right sides of the elastic body.
At least one of the upper and lower sides of the operation display panel is provided with a standing wall,
The washing machine according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the standing wall covers an end surface of the elastic body.
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elastic body has a fourth engaging portion that engages with the liquid crystal mounting base.
The washing machine according to claim 15, wherein a notch is provided at a position corresponding to the side surface of the elastic body of the liquid crystal mounting base.
At least one of the upper and lower sides of the operation display panel is provided with a standing wall,
The washing machine according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the standing wall covers the fourth engaging portion of the elastic body.