EP0944147B1 - Operating and display unit, particularly for a dish-washer - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an operating or display device, in particular for a dishwasher, according to claim 1; Such control or display devices are particularly suitable for so-called fully integrated devices, especially dishwashers, in which the device is disposed within a loading door and the front operating or display level accessible only in the open position of the loading door in the narrow side of the upper door frame, but otherwise obscured and from the outside is not visible or actuated.

Known control or display devices include a first, substantially perpendicular to the operating or display level built into the device circuit board for receiving electronic components and connected to this via a PCB connector, extending parallel behind the operating or display level circuit board for Recording of operating pushbuttons and illuminated displays.

From the document US 4,454,596 is a freely programmable, modular control device is known in which an operating or display level is arranged perpendicular to the circuit board on which the associated electronic components are mounted.

From the document EP 0 118 389 A1 is an electrical switching device for monitoring and control of interconnections known. In this switching device an operating or display level is also arranged perpendicular to the circuit board on which the associated electronic components are mounted. To enter an actuation, pressure switches are provided. A display is realized by means of lighting elements.

The present invention has for its object to further develop the prior art. The solution of this object succeeds according to the invention by an operating or display device according to claim 1; advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The control or display device according to the invention ensures with only a single both the electronic components and the mechanical button elements and the light receiving printed circuit board compliance with a low, predetermined by the door frame installation height and provides behind the operating or display level one not by a second Printed circuit board disabled installation space available.

As controls according to one embodiment of the invention, hard keys are provided with each integrated into their control surface operation indicator light or function symbolism, so that the largest possible control surface with a correspondingly improved tactile feeling in the manual operation of a hard-button is available; This is further improved by the fact that the hard keys are designed as ergonomically particularly advantageous rocker buttons. The front of the control or display device according to the invention with a covering elastic protective hood, in particular a silicone protective cover, covered, so that an indirect actuation transmission between a jweiligen hard key on the one hand and the associated 90 ° -winkeleltaster on the other hand over the intermediate guard and a indirect light transmissions between the respective light guide from the circuit board on the one hand to the actuation indicator in the hard button on the other hand also via the intermediate protective hood.

The printed circuit board with the electronic and mechanical switching elements received by it is arranged in a preferably two-part housing with a substantially perpendicular to the operating or display level division plane such that the circuit board can be inserted and fixed in a simple manner in the lower housing half and then the upper housing half connectable to the lower housing half, in particular latched, is. The protection Hood overlaps on the front of the housing expediently both housing halves, wherein end-side openings of an end face in at least one half of the housing for the optical fibers and the actuation transmission between the hard buttons and the 90 ° -Winkeltastern are covered moisture protected by the protective hood to the outside.

FIG 1

eine Geschirrspülmaschine mit geöffneter Beschickungstür und dabei in deren oberem Rahmenteil zugänglicher Bedien- bzw. Anzeigeebene einer in die Beschickungstür voll integrierten Bedien- bzw. Anzeigevorrichtung;

FIG 2

einen Teilausschnitt der im Rahmenteil der Beschickungstür zugänglichen Bedien- bzw. Anzeigeebene;

FIG 3

die komplettierte Bedien- bzw. Anzeigevorrichtung im Schnittverlauf senkrecht zu ihrer Bedien- bzw. Anzeigeebene;

FIG 4

in perspektivischer Explosionsdarstellung die wesentlichen Bauteilegruppen der erfindungsgemäß Bedien- bzw. Anzeigevorrichtung vor ihrer gegeneitigen Montage;

FIG 5

in perspektivischer Explosionsdarstellung die komplettierte Bedien- bzw. Anzeigevorrichtung vor ihrer Montage in dem Türrahmen.

The invention and further advantageous embodiments of the invention according to features of the subclaims are explained below with reference to a schematically illustrated embodiment in the drawing; show in it:

FIG. 1

a dishwasher with open loading door and thereby in the upper frame part accessible operating or display level of a fully integrated into the loading door control or display device;

FIG. 2

a partial section of the accessible in the frame part of the loading door control or display level;

FIG. 3

the completed control or display device in the course of the section perpendicular to its operating or display level;

FIG. 4

in perspective exploded view of the essential component groups of the invention control or display device before their gegeneitigen assembly;

FIG. 5

in a perspective exploded view of the completed control or display device before its installation in the door frame.

FIG. 1 shows a dishwasher GS with feed port T brought into the open position. When opening the loading door T, the operating or display level 2 of a fully integrated operating or display device is accessible in the upper transverse part of its door frame TR. FIG. 2 shows in enlarged detail FIG. 1 five hard buttons 4 with integrated control indicator 4.3 as a detail of the operating or display level 2 in the door frame TR of the loading door T.

The operating or display device to be inserted into the loading door T or into the door frame TR will follow below with reference to the sectional view FIG. 3 and the perspective exploded view after FIG. 4 explained in more detail.

A, all electronic and mechanical components receiving single circuit board 1 is housed in the lower housing part 8 of a two-part housing 8, 9 with an operating or display level 2 substantially vertical division plane. The printed circuit board 1 is in the lower housing part 8 in slight deviation from the direction of operation or display level 2 perpendicular direction so inclined to the back rising recorded that in Montagagetechnisch simple and unobstructed way a contact area 1.3 at the rear end face of the circuit board 1 with a harness Plug 10 or a high-current heater plug 1.4 can be contacted; in the middle part of the printed circuit board 1 are e.g. electrical and electronic components 1.1; 1.2 and in the front, the operating or display level 2 facing, part of the circuit board 1 are front 90 ° -winkeleltaster 3 as adjusting means and behind light-emitting diodes held as lights 5 of key presses or contacted.

The operating and display level 2 facing the front of the housing 8, 9 is covered by a protective cover 7, in particular in the form of a silicone protective cover, as protection against the ingress of external moisture.

For the front-side operating release of the 90 ° -Winkeleltaster 3 serve hard keys 4, according to an embodiment of the invention as ergonomically advantageous rocker buttons with preferably integrated in their control surface actuation or function symbol display about an upper pivot axis 4.2 on the guard 7 pivotally are stored and with an im lower part of the back-molded first plunger 4.1 actuate a built-in elastic protective hood 7 second plunger 7.1, the tolerance compensating and adjusting path respectively operated behind the arranged on the circuit board 1 90 ° -Winkeleltaster with functionally reliable, however, against a pressure overload protective pressurization. The first plunger 4.1 of the hard keys 4 are each pressed in the sense of a prefixing of the hard keys 4 on the guard 7 in the corresponding plunger shots the second plunger 7.1 of the guard 7, such that the hard keys 4 with the protective hood 7 as vorfertigbare Component unit are assembled. In an advantageous manner, the protective hood 7 is also formed on its lower side facing away from the joint receptacle of a hard push button 4 with a web 7 which can be prestressed when the hard key 4 is pressed in the sense of a snap switch resetting the respective hard key 4.

The angled on the circuit board 1 behind the 90 ° -Winkeltastern 3 LEDs 5 light emitting diodes for operating or display level 2 extending light guide 6 terminate in a region of the protective hood 7, which is designed as a light diffuser membrane 7.2 and in the Hard key 4 corresponds to a corresponding, with this two-component component integrated light guide as actuation indicator 4.3.

The printed circuit board 1 is in the lower housing part 8 in slight deviation from the direction to the operating or display level 2 direction obliquely so inclined to the back rising recorded that in mounting simple and unobstructed way a contacting 1.3 at the rear end face of the circuit board 1 in a simple manner can be contacted with a harness connector 10 and a high-current heater plug 1.4.

For simple assembly of the housing lower part 8 with the previously completed printed circuit board 1, this can be inserted with its front end edge in an abutment 8.4, 8.4 of the housing base 8 and swiveled around this abutment in the housing base 8, wherein in the lower housing part 8 as a centering spigot 8.5 and as a support in the oblique mounting end position a support 8.6 are provided serve; in the assembly end position, the circuit board 1 is fixed by latching behind a snap hook 8.7 in the lower housing part 8. The lower housing part 8 has a front of the operating or display level 2 parallel wall in which the cover 7 outwardly covered openings 8.8 are provided for the plunger 7.1 of the protective cover 7 and openings 89 for the light guide 6.

For assembly-technically simple connection between the upper housing part 9 on the one hand and the lower housing part 8 after its assembly with the printed circuit board 1 on the other hand serve mutual latching connections, e.g. Detent eyes 9.1 on the upper housing part 9, which snap in the mutual closed position of the upper housing part 9 and lower housing part 8 behind locking lugs 8.1 of the housing base 8. The light guides 6 are expediently combined to form a fiber optic comb which can be inserted by means of comb centering pins 6.1 into corresponding centering openings of the printed circuit board 1.

The advantageous according to an embodiment of the invention fixing or mounting of, as described above, completed control or display device in the door frame TR is described below with reference to the perspective exploded view according to FIG. 5 explained.

With the door frame TR a receiving shaft S is integrated. When forming the door frame TR as a plastic decorative frame of the receiving shaft S is suitably mitangespritzt in one piece. The receiving shaft S serves as a slide-in holder for the completed, recorded in a housing 8, 9 operating or display device; this module can be inserted with housing-side guide webs 8.3 in corresponding guide rails S1 of the receiving shaft S in the insertion direction and in their Einschubendlage by latching housing-side locking lugs 8.2 behind latching webs S2 of the receiving shaft S fixable. The height of the door frame TR adapted front of the control or display device is introduced by pressing the housing halves 8 bzw.9 front spanning elastic guard 7 in the door frame TR or in a corresponding circumferential frame part S3 of the receiving shaft S such that Bridging the assembly tolerances ensures both a good fixation and a secure seal.

The hard keys 4 engage including their protective hood pivotal receptacle through openings O of both the trim frame TR and the front of the receiving shaft S. The openings O have inside circumferential webs S4, so that by the edge pressure in the circumferential protective hood enclosing a hard key 4 a secure seal without disabling a key press is guaranteed.

The elastically deformable protective cover thus advantageously serves not only to seal the operating or indicating device against the ingress of external moisture, but also assumes holding and actuating functions for the hard keys, serves as a light diffuser for optimum light-emitting transmission between the light guides the housing interior lights and the front operating lights and facilitates the mounting bracket of the control or display device in the door frame or in the receiving shaft integrated therewith.

The door frame TR can, in particular in training as a plastic decorative frame, connected to a holding plate part B of the loading door T, in particular latched or locked, his. In the present example serve for frontal connection between the door frame TR and the holding sheet part B frame-side locking hooks TR1 and TR2, which snap behind corresponding locking webs B1 of the holding sheet part B or bent out of the holding sheet part B tabs B2 and B3, under which the receiving shaft S with Klemmenden by wedging is wedged.

Claims (18)

1. Operating and indicating device, particularly for a dishwasher,

   - with a circuitboard (1) receiving the substantially electrical or electronic components (1.1; 1.2) of the device;

   - with an operating and indicating plane (2) provided substantially perpendicularly to the circuitboard (1) in front of the front side thereof;

   - with 90°-angle-buttons (3), which are mounted or contactable on the circuitboard (1) at the front side thereof, with button operating direction substantially perpendicular to the operating and indicating plane (2);

   - with indicator lights (5), particularly light-emitting diodes, mounted or contacted on the circuitboard (1) and associated optical conductors (6) between the indicator lights (5) on the one hand and the indicating plane on the other hand;

   - with hard-buttons (4), which are mounted on the device at the front side of the operating and indicating plane (2), with rearward thruster drive by way of which the respective 90°-angle-button (3) is actuable on pressing a hard-button (4);

   characterised by

   - a resilient protective hood (7), particularly a silicon protective hood, sealingly covering the operating and indicating plane (2) of the device towards the outside;

   - an indirect actuation transmission between the hard-buttons (4) on the one hand and the 90°-angle-buttons (3) on the other hand by way of the interposed protective hood (7); and

   - an indirect indicator light transmission between the optical conductors (6) on the one hand and the actuation indicator lights (4.3) in the hard-buttons (4) on the other hand by way of the interposed protective hood (7).
2. Operating and indicating device according to claim 1,

   - with an elongate narrow operating and control plane (2); and

   - with several 90°-angle-buttons (3) or associated indicator lights (5) and optical conductors (6) arranged in succession substantially in the longitudinal direction of the operating and indicating plane (2).
3. Operating and indicating device according to claim 1 and/or 2, with indicator lights (5) mounted or contacted on the circuitboard (1) remotely from the operating and control plane (2) and behind the mounting or contacting of the 90°-angle-buttons (3).
4. Operating and indicating device according to claim 1 to 3, with hard-buttons (4) in the form of rocker buttons pivotably mounted on the device.
5. Operating and indicating device according to any one of the preceding claims, with actuation indicator lights (4.3), which are integrated in the actuating plane of the hard-buttons (4), of the indicator light (5), which is associated with a hard-button, on the circuitboard (1).
6. Operating and indicating device according to any one of the preceding claims, with a respective second thruster (7.1), which is associated with each rearward first thruster (4.1) of a hard-button (4) and formed in the protective hood (7) in such a manner that the operation of a hard-button (4) is transmissible by way of the second thruster (7.1) in the interposed protective hood (7) to the respective 90°-angle-button (3) in the sense of a functionally secure pressure loading which, however, is free of excess pressure.
7. Operating and indicating device according to claim 6, with a first thruster (4.1) fixable from the front side of the protective hood (7) in the second thruster (7.1) of the protective hood (7) in the sense of a mounting of the hard-button (4).
8. Operating and indicating device according to claim 6 and/or 7, with a construction of the protective hood (7) in the region of the second thruster (7.1) in the sense of a snap switch resetting the hard-button (4).
9. Operating and indicating device according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, with a housing (8, 9), which receives the operating and indicating device, with passages (8.8; 8.9), which are at the front face, for the optical conductors (6) and the actuation of the 90°-angle-buttons (3).
10. Operating and indicating device according to claim 9, with a two-part housing with a lower housing part (8), which receives the circuitboard (1) in an inclined position rising slightly towards the rear side, and an upper housing part (9) connectible, particularly detentable, therewith.
11. Operating and indicating device according to claim 10, with a circuitboard (1) pivotable in the lower housing part (8) by means of a counter-bearing (8.4) therein and fixable, particularly by detenting, in its pivot end position.
12. Operating and indicating device according to claim 10 and/or 11, with a dividing plane of the housing halves (8 and 9) extending substantially perpendicularly to the operating and indicating plane (2).
13. Operating and indicating device according to at least one of claims 9 to 12, with a covering, at least at the front side, of the housing (8; 9) by the protective hood (7), which engages over the housing (8; 9) in the region of the operating and indicating plane (2) and which, in particular, can be snapped on or detented on, preferably as a subassembly with the hard-buttons (4) previously fixed to the front side of the protective hood (7).
14. Appliance, particularly dishwasher (GS), with a loading door (T) and with an operating and indicating device according to at least one of claims 1 to 13, which is so integrated in a loading door (T) of the appliance that when the loading door (T) is open the operating and indicating plane (2) is accessible in an opening of the narrow door frame (TR) of the loading door (T).
15. Appliance according to claim 14, with an operating and indicating plane accessible in the upper door frame transverse member on opening of the loading door (T), which is pivotable for that purpose about a pivot axis into a loading setting.
16. Appliance according to claim 14 or 15, with a receiving shaft (S), which is integrated in the door frame (TR), as push-in mount for the housing (8; 9).
17. Appliance according to claim 16, with a housing (8; 9) which can pushed into the receiving shaft (S) in push-in direction and which is fixable, particularly detentable, therewith in the push-in end setting.
18. Appliance according to at least one of claims 14 to 17, with a housing (8; 9) fixable by way of the resilient protective hood (7) in the door frame (TR) or receiving shaft (S) in a tight press fit.

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