Abstract:
The present invention relates to laundry machines, and more particularly, to a control unit assembly in a laundry machine which enables easy assembly and accurate alignment of an input device of a printed circuit board with a button portion of a control panel. The control unit assembly includes a control panel having various operation buttons and coupling portions, a plurality of coating guides coupled to a rear surface of the control panel having fastening portions corresponding to the coupling portions, a plurality of printed circuit boards respectively mounted on the coating guides, each having an electric circuit mounted thereon, joining portions for joining the coating guides together so as to place the coating guides closer to an inside of the control panel, and holders for preventing the coupling portions and fastening portions from moving with respect to each other when the fastening portions are aligned with the coupling portions, thereby improving assembly work, preventing malfunction of the laundry machine, and permitting easy detection of an operation progress.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of Korean Application Nos. 10-2005-0057821 and 10-2005-0058011 both filed on Jun. 30, 2005, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to laundry machines, and more particularly, to a control unit assembly for controlling a laundry machine.  
         [0004]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In general, the laundry machine is a general term for a washing machine for washing and spinning, a dryer for drying, a dryer and washing machine for washing and drying. In the washing machines, there are a drum type washing machine and a pulsator type washing machine.  
         [0006]     Of the washing machines, the drum type washing machine removes dirt from laundry by friction taken place between washing water and the laundry as the laundry is dropped by a weight of the laundry lifted as a drum coupled to a motor with a shaft rotates in regular/reverse directions by rotation force of the motor, after introduction of the laundry into the drum type washing machine, and supply of the washing water to the drum through a detergent box together with detergent in the detergent box.  
         [0007]     Owing to less entangling of the laundry, and an excellent washing capability compared to the pulsator type washing machine, recently the drum type washing machines spread, rapidly.  
         [0008]     A related art drum type washing machine will be described with reference to  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]     The drum type washing machine is provided with a substantially hexahedral body  1 , having a laundry opening in a front for introduction and taking out the laundry, with a door  2  on one side of the front having the laundry opening for selective opening/closing of the laundry opening.  
         [0010]     At an upper portion of the front of the body  1 , there is a control unit  3  for operation of the drum type washing machine.  
         [0011]     The control unit  3  is provided with a plurality of buttons and a rotary knob for user&#39;s application of washing functions, and a display window for displaying a progress of operation of the drum type washing machine.  
         [0012]     The control unit  3  assembly will be described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 2 .  
         [0013]     The control unit is provided with a control panel  31  which forms an exterior of the control unit  3 , a printed circuit board (PCB)  32  having various electric devices mounted thereon, and a coating guide  33  for mounting the PCB  32 .  
         [0014]     The control panel  31  is provided with fastening portions for coupling the coating guide  33  thereto. The fastening portions are fastening bosses  31   a  projected outwardly from a rear surface of the control panel  31 , respectively.  
         [0015]     Moreover, on the front of the control panel  31 , there are a plurality of pass through holes  31   b,  buttons  31   c,  and transparent windows  31   d,  for user&#39;s easy operation and notice of operation progress.  
         [0016]     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in order to make the exterior of the drum type washing machine elegant, the exterior of the control panel  31  is curved.  
         [0017]     Mounted on the PCB  32 , there are electric devices for controlling operation of the drum type washing machine, input devices  32   a,  such as the knob or switches, and so on for transmission of control signals of the drum type washing machine to the control unit (not shown), and display devices  32   b,  such as LED lamp, for displaying a progress of operation.  
         [0018]     The coating guide  33  receives the PCB  32 , and has fastening portions  331  at an upper portion and a lower portion in correspondence to the fastening bosses  31  a on the control panel  31  for coupling the coating guide  33  to the control panel  31 .  
         [0019]     Each of the fastening portions  331  has a fastening hole  331   a.  At the time of coupling the coating guide  33  to the control panel  31 , the fastening bosses  31   a  and the fastening holes  331   a  are brought into contact respectively, and screws are driven thereto from a rear surface of the fastening portions  331 .  
         [0020]     However, the related art control unit assembly has the following problems.  
         [0021]     First, as can be known from  FIG. 3 , the coupling of the coating guide  33  having the PCB mounted thereon to an inside of the control panel  31  with the curved exterior surface causes to form a large gap T between the input devices  32   a  and the display devices  32   b  on the PCB and the control buttons and so on on the control panel  31 , to cause problems of defective contact between the input device  32   a  and the buttons  31   c,  and poor brightness of the display device  32   b  at the transparent window  31   d  due to the large gap between the display device  32   b  and the transparent window  31   d.    
         [0022]     Second, referring to  FIG. 4 , there have been poor alignments happened between the coating guide  33  having the PCB mounted thereon and the control panel  31  in processes of coupling the coating guide  33  to the control panel  31 , i.e., the input device  32   a  and the display device  32   b  on the PCB  32  are aligned with the buttons and the transparent window on the control panel  31 , inaccurately.  
         [0023]     That is, in the process for coupling the coating guide  33  to the control panel  31 , there can be misalignment between the fastening hole  331   a  in the fastening portion  331  and the screw hole in the fastening boss  31   a.  In this case, it is liable that the worker forcibly fastens a screw through the screw hole in the fastening boss  31   a  and the fastening hole  331   a  in the fastening portion  331 , failing exact contact of the button on the control panel  31  with the input device  32   a  on the PCB  32  and exact match between the LED lamp  32   b  of the PCB  32  and the transparent window  31   d  in the control panel  31 .  
         [0024]     The mismatch between the LED lamps  32   b  with the transparent window  31   d,  causing the LED lamps to illuminate wrong transparent windows, is liable to make the user misunderstand operation of the drum type washing machine.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a laundry machine that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
         [0026]     An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry machine having a control unit assembly of an improved structure which can improve an assembly work of the control unit assembly, and enables exact match between relevant components in the assembly.  
         [0027]     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may. be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.  
         [0028]     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a laundry machine includes a drum, a cabinet which forms an exterior of the laundry machine and protects the drum, a control panel having various operational buttons for operation of the drum, and coupling portions, a plurality of coating guides having fastening portions corresponding to the coupling portions for mounting to a rear surface of the control panel, a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCB) respectively mounted on the coating guides each having an electric circuit mounted thereon, joining portions for joining the coating guides together so as to place the coating guides closer to an inside of the control panel, and holders for preventing the coupling portions and the fastening portions from moving with respect to each other at the time the coupling portions are brought closer to the fastening portions, respectively.  
         [0029]     Preferably, the fastening portion includes walls on an upper portion of the coating guide having fastening hole, and the holder includes at least one rib projected from the wall around the fastening hole.  
         [0030]     Preferably, the holders are formed opposite to each other with respect to the fastening hole.  
         [0031]     Preferably, the coupling portion includes a fastening boss, and the holder has an end sloped for easy placing in of the fastening boss.  
         [0032]     Preferably, the holders opposite to each other with respect to the fastening hole is distanced enough to allow sliding of the fastening boss.  
         [0033]     Preferably, the fastening portion is walls on an upper portion of the coating guide, and the holder is a cylinder projected from the wall around the fastening hole.  
         [0034]     Preferably, the cylinder has an inside diameter with a size enough to allow sliding of the fastening boss.  
         [0035]     Preferably, the fastening portion is walls on an upper portion of the coating guide, and the holder is an arc projected from the wall around the fastening hole.  
         [0036]     The holder may be formed on an upper side and a lower side or a left side and a right side of the fastening hole.  
         [0037]     Preferably, the joining portion is formed on a side of each of the coating guides.  
         [0038]     Preferably, the coating guides joined together form an outside appearance having a curvature at which the PCBs and the operation buttons can be placed closer.  
         [0039]     Preferably, the joining portion includes a hook on one of the coating guide, and a joining surface on the other coating guide having a hook hole for holding the hook.  
         [0040]     Preferably, at least one hook and hook hole are formed, respectively.  
         [0041]     Preferably, a plurality of hooks are formed, and the plurality of hooks have holding directions to be held at the hook holes different from one another.  
         [0042]     Preferably, the joining portion further includes position guide means for guiding the hook to the hook hole for easy fastening of the hook to the hook hole.  
         [0043]     Preferably, the position guide means includes a guide projection from one of the coating guides, and a guide projection receiver at the other coating guide for receiving the guide projection.  
         [0044]     Preferably, the projection is adjacent to the hook.  
         [0045]     Preferably, at least one of the guide projections and the guide projection receivers are formed, respectively.  
         [0046]     In another aspect of the present invention, a control unit assembly includes a control panel having various operation buttons and coupling portions, a plurality of coating guides coupled to a rear surface of the control panel having fastening portions corresponding to the coupling portions, a plurality of printed circuit boards respectively mounted on the coating guides, each having an electric circuit mounted thereon, joining portions for joining the coating guides together so as to place the coating guides closer to an inside of the control panel, and holders for preventing the coupling portions and fastening portions from moving with respect to each other when the fastening portions are aligned with the coupling portions.  
         [0047]     The drum type washing machine of the present invention has the following advantages.  
         [0048]     The placing of the PCB mounted on the coating guide closer to the inside of the control panel, enabling accurate alignment of the buttons and the transparent windows on the control panel with the input devices on the PCB, permits to enhance perfection of the product.  
         [0049]     The placing of the PCB mounted on the coating guide closer to the inside of the control panel, enabling accurate alignment of the buttons and the transparent windows on the control panel with the input devices on the PCB, permits smooth operation of the buttons, and to provide an accurate operation progress to the user.  
         [0050]     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0051]     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings;  
         [0052]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a related art drum type washing machine;  
         [0053]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a control unit of a related art drum type washing machine;  
         [0054]      FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of a control unit of a related art drum type washing machine, schematically;  
         [0055]      FIG. 4  illustrates a transverse section of a control unit of a related art drum type washing machine;  
         [0056]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a control unit of a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0057]      FIG. 6  illustrates a plan view of a control unit of a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, schematically;  
         [0058]      FIG. 7  illustrates an enlarged view of “A” part in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0059]      FIG. 8  illustrates a transverse section of a control unit of a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0060]      FIG. 9  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a control unit of a drum type washing machine in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0061]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0062]     A control unit assembly  3  of a drum type washing machine will be described with reference to  FIG. 5 .  
         [0063]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the control unit  3  assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB)  32  having various electric devices mounted thereon for operation of the drum type washing machine, a control panel  31  which forms an exterior of the control unit, and a coating guide  33  having the PCB  32  mounted thereon and fastening portions  331  for coupling the coating guide  33  to the control panel  31 .  
         [0064]     The PCB  32  has the electric devices mounted thereon for controlling the drum type washing machine.  
         [0065]     The PCB  32  has input devices  32   a,  such as switches and knobs, for user&#39;s direct control of the electric devices, as well as display devices  32   b,  such as LED lamps for displaying a progress of washing of the drum type washing machine.  
         [0066]     In the meantime, after mounting the PCB  32  on the coating guide  33 , coating liquid is applied thereto as an water proof treatment.  
         [0067]     This is because the drum type washing machine  1  has frequent contact with water due to the introduction/taking out of the wet laundry. That is, the coating prevents the electric devices on the PCB  32  from being happened to contact with water.  
         [0068]     On the other hand, the control panel  31  forms an exterior of the control unit and protects the electric devices mounted on the PCB  32 .  
         [0069]     In addition to this, the control panel  31  has button portions  31   c  connected to the input devices  32   a  on the PCB  32  for user&#39;s control of the drum type washing machine from an outside thereof, and transparent windows  31   d  for transmission of a light from the display devices  32   b  on the PCB  32 .  
         [0070]     It is preferable that the button portions  31  c are push buttons for user&#39;s easy operation.  
         [0071]     It is preferable that the control panel  31  has fastening portions for coupling the coating guide  33  to the control panel  31 , preferably formed of a plurality of fastening bosses  31   a.    
         [0072]     The coating guide  33  includes a body  321  of rectangular plates each having a cavity for receiving the PCB  32 , and a plurality of fastening portions  331  at an upper portion and a lower portion of the body  321 .  
         [0073]     It is preferable that the body  321  has individual bodies in correspondence to a number of the PCBs  32 . For reference, though the embodiment shows two bodies  321  and two PCBs  32 , number of the bodies  321  and the PCBs  32  are not limited to two. In the following description of the embodiment, the individual bodies  321   a  and  321   b  will be called as a first body  321   a  and a second body  321   b.    
         [0074]     In the meantime, it is preferable that each of the bodies  321   a  and  321   b  has supporting members  35  formed on an inside for supporting the PCB  32 , more preferably with holding members  34  for preventing the PCB  32  supported thus from falling off to an outside of the body  321   a,  or  321   b.    
         [0075]     The fastening portions  331  at the upper portion and the lower portion of the body  321  are formed matched to the fastening bosses  31   a  on the inside of the control panel  31 .  
         [0076]     In this instance, the fastening portion  331  has at least one face directed upward vertically, and a fastening hole  331   a  in a fastening surface  331   b  opposite to the fastening boss  31   a.    
         [0077]     Also, the fastening portion  331  has opposite walls  331   c,  and a holder  331   d  on an inside of each of the opposite walls and on an upper surface of the body  321  in contact to the inside of the walls  331   c  perpendicular thereto.  
         [0078]     It is preferable that the holder  331   d  is a rib projected outwardly from a fastening surface  331   b,  more preferably three in total around the fastening hole  331   a.  This is for making movement of the fastening boss  31   a  the smallest by supporting the fastening boss  31   a  from three directions at the time the fastening boss  31   a  of the control panel  31  is in contact with the fastening hole  331   a.    
         [0079]     It is preferable that the ribs  331   d  have distances centered on the fastening hole  331   a  which permits the fastening boss  31   a  slide.  
         [0080]     It is preferable that the body  321  has a plurality of wire fastening ribs  36  formed on upper and lower sides of the fastening portion  331  for fastening wires lead from the PCB  32 .  
         [0081]     The body  321  has joining portions  40  for joining the individual bodies  321   a  and  321   b  together. The joining portions  40  are on sides of the bodies  321   a  and  321   b  respectively, for joining the bodies  321   a  and  321   b,  together.  
         [0082]     In this instance, referring to  FIG. 6 , it is preferable that a plan view of an outside appearance of the first body  321   a  and the second body  321   b  joined together with the joining portions  40  is not in straight line, but knuckled at a predetermined angle.  
         [0083]     It is preferable that the curvature the two bodies  321   a  and  321   b  form is the same with the curvature of the exterior of the control panel  31 . This is for placing the input devices  32   a  on the PCB  32  mounted on the coating guide  321  closer to the button portions  31   c,  the transparent windows  31   d  and so on of the control panel  31 .  
         [0084]     That is, this is for enhancing accuracy of alignment of the button portions  31   c  with the input devices  32   a  by placing the input devices  32   a  closer to the button portions  31   c  of the control panel  31  at the time the coating guide  32  is coupled to the control panel  31 .  
         [0085]     The joining portion  40  will be described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 7 .  
         [0086]     The joining portion  40  includes hooks  41  on a side of the second body  321   b  of the plurality of individual bodies  321   a  and  321   b,  and a joining surface  42  having hook holes  42   a  on a side of the first body  321   a  which is to be coupled to the second body  321   b  for holding the hooks  41  on the second body  321   b.    
         [0087]     Though the embodiment shows the hooks  41  on the second body  321   b  and the joining surface  42  on the first body  321   a,  it does not matters even if positions of the hooks  41  and the joining surface  42  are interchanged.  
         [0088]     It is preferable that numbers of the hooks  41  and the joining surfaces  42  are at least one, respectively. It is preferable that at least one hook hole  42   a  is formed in the joining surface  42 , for enabling hooking of a plurality of hooks  41  to the joining surface  42 .  
         [0089]     The embodiment shows three hooks  41  on the side of the second body  321   b.  The joining surface  42  has spaces for receiving the hooks  41  respectively, and sockets each with a hook hole  42   a  in a circumference for holding the hooks  41 .  
         [0090]     It is preferable that the hooks  41  have holding directions different from adjacent one, more preferably, as shown in  FIG. 7 , opposite to adjacent one.  
         [0091]     The socket shape of the joining surface  42  also has a plurality of hook holes  42   a  equal to a number of the hooks  41 , and the hook holes  42   a  are formed in opposite directions of the joining surfaces  42  in order to match to the hooks  41  formed in opposite directions. According to this, a plurality of the joining surface  42  are formed.  
         [0092]     Shapes of the hook  41  and the joining surface  42  are not limited to the embodiment.  
         [0093]     Thus, as the hooks  41  are held at the hook holes  42   a,  the first body  321   a  and the second body  321   b  are coupled, and because the hooks  41  are held at the hook holes  42   a  in opposite directions, even if the coating guide  33  is pressed in one direction, the hooks  41  do not fall off the hook holes  42   a,  to couple the first body  321   a  and the second body  321   b,  more firmly.  
         [0094]     Moreover, the joining portion  40  may further include guide means for guiding joining positions of the hooks  41  and the socket shape of joining surface  42 .  
         [0095]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , it is preferable that the position guiding means holds the first body  321   a  and the second body  321   b  so that the first body  321   a  and the second body  321   b  do not move in addition to a function for guiding joining positions of the hooks  41  and the joining surfaces  42 .  
         [0096]     The position guiding means includes a guide piece  43  projected from a side of the first body  321   a,  and a guide piece receiver  44  on a side of the second body  321   b  for receiving the guide piece  43 .  
         [0097]     It is preferable that at least one guide piece  43  is formed adjacent to each of the hooks  41 .  
         [0098]     It is preferable that the guide piece receiver  44  is formed within a space of the socket shaped joining surface  42  of the first body  321   a.    
         [0099]     It is preferable that the guide piece  43  is formed to fit in the guide piece receiver  44 , for preventing the first body  321   a  and the second body  321   b  coupled together from moving.  
         [0100]     A process for coupling the coating guide having bodies joined together to the control panel will be described.  
         [0101]     The PCB  32  is mounted on the coating guide  33 . Then, the coating guide  33  is fastened to the control panel  31  with screws.  
         [0102]     In this instance, the fastening bosses  31   a  on the inside of the control panel  31  are brought into contact with the plurality of fastening portions  331  on the coating guide  33 , respectively.  
         [0103]     In this instance, the fastening boss  31   a  is guided by the holders  331   d  on the fastening portion  331  until the fastening boss  31   a  is in contact with the fastening surface  331   b  having the fastening hole  331   a,  such that the screw hole in the fastening boss  31   a  is aligned with the fastening hole  331   a  in the fastening portion  331 .  
         [0104]     In this instance, lateral movement of the fastening boss  31   a  is held by the holders  331   d  so that the fastening boss  31   a  is aligned with the fastening surface  441   b  exactly without any lateral movement.  
         [0105]     By this, referring to  FIG. 8 , the coating guide  33  can be easily fastened to the control panel  31  having the fastening boss  31   a  aligned with the fastening surface  441   b,  exactly.  
         [0106]     In the meantime, the wires lead from the PCB  32  are fastened to the wire fastening ribs  36  on the upper portion and the lower portion of the body  321 , to arrange the wires neatly, and to prevent the wires from coming between the body  321  and the control panel  31  to cause inaccurate assembly.  
         [0107]     A coating guide in a drum type washing machine in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 9  attached herein.  
         [0108]     The coating guide in a drum type washing machine in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention is identical to the coating guide in a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, except the holder.  
         [0109]     The holder  50  has a section of an arc around the fastening hole  331   a  of the fastening portion  331  projected from the fastening surface  331   b,  formed on upper and lower sides or right and left sides of the fastening hole  331   a.    
         [0110]     Though not shown, the holder  50  may have, not only a shape of the arc, but also a shape of a cylinder having the same arc.  
         [0111]     If the holder  50  has the shape of a cylinder, it is preferable that an inside diameter of the cylinder has a size to allow the fastening boss slides in/out therethrough.  
         [0112]     A process for assembling the control panel  31  to the coating guide  33  will be described.  
         [0113]     Once an outside circumferential surface of the fastening boss  31   a  of the control panel  31  is placed on an inside circumferential surface of the arc or cylinder shaped holder  50 , the fastening hole  331   a  of the fastening portion  331  having the holder  50  formed thereon is aligned with the screw hole in the fastening boss  31   a.    
         [0114]     In this instance, since the fastening portion, placed in the fastening boss  31   a,  does not move, the control panel  31  can be fastened to the coating guide  33  with screws, easily.  
         [0115]     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.