Patent Publication Number: US-2009217545-A1

Title: Laundry appliance front control panel assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a laundry appliance, such as a clothes dryer or clothes washer having a front control panel assembly for use with a vertically extending front panel and, in particular it relates to the assembly of the control panel to the laundry appliance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Laundry appliance front control panel assemblies typically comprise a control panel which has dials or buttons manipulated by the user to direct the operation of the clothes dryer or washer. Posterior to the control panel is a heat shield to which the control panel may be mounted. Located therebetween is a circuit board or electronic board configured to respond to input from the control panel. The front control panel assembly is mounted to an upper portion of the main cabinet of the appliance. 
     In the past, laundry appliances typically comprised a vertically extending front panel. The control panel is typically secured to the heat shield via a screw received by the control panel from the rear. Other embodiments include screws which pass through the control panel from the front to be received by a support panel or member. Prior to the attachment of the screw, the control panel must be held in place. This is often done manually, which can create difficulty for an assembler trying to secure the panel with a screw. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a laundry appliance having a main cabinet, a support panel secured to an upper portion of the main cabinet and a control panel coupled with the cabinet via the support panel. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a control panel coupled with the main cabinet of the laundry appliance via the support panel. The support panel is secured to an upper portion of the main cabinet. One of the support panel and the control panel has at least two spaced apart cantilever posts each comprising a shaft portion having a first diameter and an axis and an end portion having a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The other one of the support panel and the control panel has at least two spaced apart support brackets depending therefrom. Each of the support brackets receives the end portion of a corresponding one of the cantilever posts in a first radial direction to prevent axial movement of the support bracket along the axis of the corresponding cantilever post. Each support bracket also permits radial movement of the bracket relative to the cantilever post and a second radial direction opposite to the first radial direction. 
     By providing at least two spaced apart corresponding cantilever posts and support brackets in co-operation with each other, the control panel can be readily positioned relative to the support panel. Positioning the end portion of each cantilever post within a support bracket prevents the panel from moving forward and backward relative to the support panel. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the support panel is a heat shield which has a main body and has at least two spaced apart cantilever posts. Each cantilever post may comprise a wheel and a shoulder screw passing therethrough for attachment to the heat shield. The shoulder screw has a first diameter and the wheel has a second diameter greater than the first diameter. In an alternative embodiment, each cantilever post may comprise a shoulder screw having a threaded shaft portion and an end portion. The threaded shaft portion comprises a first diameter and the end portion comprises a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The control panel has at least two spaced apart support brackets comprising a wall surface portion having a slot comprising a width that is less than the first diameter of the wheel. Each of the slots receives the shoulder screw of a corresponding one of the cantilever posts with the surface portion of the slot sandwiched between the heat shield main body and the wheel whereby the cantilever post and support bracket co-operate to prevent axial movement of the support bracket along the axis of the corresponding cantilever post and permit radial movement of the bracket relative to the cantilever post in a first radial direction and a second radial direction opposite the first radial direction. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, each support bracket may comprise a slot having an opening, a trough and a clasp portion for capturing the cantilever post shaft portion. The clasp portion is characterized by two protuberances, with one at each junction of the trough and the guiding portion. The opening of the clasp portion has a distance thereacross slightly less than the first diameter of the shaft portion of the cantilever post. The trough has a diameter the same as the first diameter of the shaft portion of the cantilever post. The clasp portion and the trough provide a means of locking into place the shaft portions of the cantilever posts. This facilitates a more secure engagement between the control panel and the support panel. 
     In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, each support bracket comprises a wall surface portion comprising a slot and is configured to guide into place the shaft portion of the cantilever post by means of a guiding portion having two symmetrically disposed convergent wall portions extending lateral to the slot. The guiding portion of the slot facilitates easier alignment of the support brackets with the cantilever posts. This permits easier assembly of the control panel assembly. 
     In a further embodiment, the control panel is positively fastened to the support panel by a screw which passes through a recessed opening in the control panel and is received by the support panel. The screw and recessed opening are covered by a removable appliance control knob. Front access to the screw renders assembly and disassembly of the control panel assembly much more convenient. The recessed opening provides easy access to the screw, but the control knob gives an aesthetically pleasing look to the appliance when the clothes dryer or washer is in normal use. 
     In another embodiment, the control panel may further comprise rearwardly depending peripheral wall portions each having rear peripheral edges for at least partially supporting the support brackets adjacent thereto. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, the heat shield has four cantilever posts, the control panel has four corresponding spaced apart support brackets comprising two upper support brackets and two lower support brackets. 
     In yet another embodiment of the invention, each support bracket is at least partially supported by the rear peripheral edge adjacent thereto. The upper support brackets further comprise a clasp portion and a side wall opposite the rear peripheral edge and the lower support brackets further comprise a socketed wall portion depending from the wall surface portion. The socketed wall portion comprises a receiving pocket with a third diameter slightly greater than the second diameter of the wheel. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the control panel may comprise at least one locating foot. The locating foot depends from at least one rearwardly depending flange. The laundry appliance comprises a front panel and the front panel comprises a top surface portion comprising at least one foot receiving hole for receiving the at least one locating foot therein. Each of the at least one foot receiving holes receives a corresponding one of the at least one locating feet in the first radial direction. 
     It should be understood that in other embodiments the end portion of the cantilever post may comprise a bulbous prominence or an inturned flange. The end portion of the cantilever post may comprise galvanized steel or plastic. The control panel may comprise plastic and the heat shield may comprise galvanized steel. Further, both the end portion of the cantilever post and the control panel may comprise plastic in order to improve the ability with which the two surfaces can slide past one another. The plastics may comprise, in one embodiment, a hard plastic such as nylon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more thorough understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention reference may be had, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an image of an exemplary laundry appliance that may benefit from the present invention showing the control panel unassembled. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an exemplary laundry appliance that may benefit from the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the control panel of the laundry appliance. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of the control panel of the laundry appliance with the cross-section taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of the control panel of the laundry appliance with the cross-section taken along line B-B of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5   a  is a top view cross-sectional perspective of one embodiment of the engagement between a cantilever post and a support bracket. 
         FIG. 5   b  is a second top view cross-sectional perspective of an alternative embodiment of the engagement between a cantilever post and a support bracket. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective rear view of the control panel. 
         FIG. 6   a  is an enlarged perspective view of a support bracket. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the control panel with the circuit board coupled thereto. 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric front view of the support panel with an exploded view of the cantilever posts. 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded isometric front view of the control panel assembly with the circuit board between the control panel and the heat shield. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5  there is shown an exemplary laundry appliance  10  comprising a main cabinet  12 , a support panel  14  secured to an upper portion of the main cabinet  12 , and a control panel  18  coupled with the main cabinet  12  via the support panel  14 . In this embodiment, the support panel  14  comprises a heat shield made of galvanized steel to prevent excessive heat from escaping the main cabinet  12  and damaging the plastic control panel  18 . The main cabinet  12  comprises side panels  74  and  76 , front panel  80  and top panel  78 . The front panel  80  further comprises a top surface portion  71 . There may be a circuit board  19  ( FIGS. 7 and 9 ) between the support panel  14  and the control panel  18 . The circuit board  19  is coupled with the control panel  18  and responds to the commands inputted by a user via the control panel  18 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , the heat shield  14  is shown to have a main body  72 . Four spaced apart cantilever posts  20  extend from the heat shield  14  and comprise an end portion  26  and a shaft portion  22 . The four spaced apart cantilever posts  20  are mounted to each corner of the heat shield  14 . The shaft portion  22  of the cantilever posts  20  comprises a shoulder screw made of galvanized steel having a first diameter and an axis  24 . The end portion  26  of the cantilever posts  20  comprises a wheel made of nylon having a second diameter greater than the first diameter of the shoulder screw  22 . The shoulder screw  22  passes through the wheel  26  to be threadably received by the heat shield  14  ( FIG. 5   a ). As shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , the cantilever post  20  may comprise a plurality of component parts or a singular component part.  FIG. 5   a  shows that the cantilever post  20  consists of a shoulder screw  22  passing through an end portion or wheel  26  to be received by the heat shield main body  72 . Alternatively, in  FIG. 5   b , it is shown that the entire cantilever post consists of a singular component. In  FIG. 5   b , the wheel like end portion  26  of the cantilever post  20  is continuous of the shaft portion  22 , the shaft portion  22  being received by the heat shield main body  72 . 
     These cantilever posts  20  are engaged by corresponding support brackets  58 ,  60  ( FIGS. 6 and 6   a ) from the control panel  18  to mount the control panel  18  securely to the heat shield  14 . Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 6   a , the control panel  18  is shown to have four spaced apart support brackets  58 ,  60 . Each support bracket  58 ,  60  comprises a wall surface portion  36  having a slot  38  comprising a width that is less than the second diameter of the wheel  26 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the engagement between the cantilever posts  20  and the support brackets  58 ,  60  is shown. Each of the slots  40  receives the shoulder screw  22  of a corresponding one of the cantilever posts  20  with the wall surface portion  36  sandwiched between the heat shield main body  72  and the wheel  26 . The cantilever post  20  and support bracket  58 ,  60  cooperate to prevent axial movement of the support bracket  58 ,  60  along the axis  24  of the corresponding cantilever post  20  and permits radial movement of the support bracket  58 ,  60  relative to the cantilever post  20  in a first radial direction (vertically downward) and a second radial direction (vertically upward) opposite to the first radial direction due to the orientation of the slot opening  38  in the brackets  58 ,  60 . This engagement permits the control panel  18  to be positioned relative to the heat shield  14 . By positioning the end portions  26  of each cantilever posts  20  within the support brackets  58 ,  60 , the control panel  18  is prevented from moving horizontally forward and backward relative to the heat shield  14 . 
     Referring once again to  FIGS. 6 and 6   a , the control panel  18  further comprises a rearwardly depending peripheral wall portion  46  having a rear peripheral edge  102 . The support brackets  58 ,  60  are at least partially supported by the rear peripheral edges  102 . Each of the four support brackets  58 ,  60  comprises a guiding portion  40  and a wall surface portion  36  comprising a slot  38  having a trough  34 . The guiding portion  40  is characterized by two symmetrically disposed convergent wall portions  42  and  44  lateral to the trough  34 . The convergent wall portions  42 ,  44  facilitate guiding of the cantilever posts  20  into the slots  38 . The four spaced apart support brackets  58 ,  60  further comprise two upper support brackets  58  and two lower support brackets  60 . The lower support brackets  60  further comprise a socketed wall portion  64  depending from the wall surface portion  36 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the socketed wall portion  64  comprises a receiving pocket  66  having a third diameter  67  slightly greater than the first diameter of the wheel  26 . The socketed wall portion  64  serves as a means of properly positioning the wheel  26  relative to the wall surface portion  36  during engagement of the cantilever post  20  by the support bracket  58 ,  60 . The upper support brackets  58  further comprise a side wall  106  that is opposite the rear peripheral edge  102 . The side wall  106  serves to better secure the wheel  26  into position while the cantilever post  20  co-operates with the upper support bracket  58 . The slots  40  of the upper support brackets  58  further comprise a clasp portion  30  for capturing the shoulder screw  22  of the cantilever post  20 . The clasp portion is characterized by two protuberances  70 , one at each junction of the guiding portion  40  and the trough  34 . The clasp portion  30  has a distance thereacross slightly less than the first diameter of the shoulder screw  22 . The trough  34  has a diameter that is the same as the first diameter of the shoulder screw  22 . The shaft portion  22  is embraced within the trough  34  by the clasp portion  30  when the cantilever posts  20  co-operate with the lower support brackets  60 . The clasp portion  30  temporarily deflects to permit the cantilever posts  20  to be snapped into place within trough  34 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8  the shoulder screws  22  align with the wheels  26  along an axis  24 . Each shoulder screw  22  passes through the center of one of the wheels  26  and is threadably received by the heat shield  14 . In  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  7  and  9  there is shown that the control panel  18  is positively secured to the heat shield  14  via a screw  48  which passes through the control panel  18  via aperture  51  ( FIGS. 4 and 6 ) in a recessed opening  50 . The screw  48  is threadably received by the heat shield  14 . The screw  48  and the recessed opening  50  are frontally accessible and are covered from view by a removable knob  54 . Once fastened in place, the control panel  18  is inhibited from rotating about an axis created by the screw  48  due to the positioning of the cantilever posts  20  into the support brackets  58 ,  60 . 
     In  FIG. 7  (also shown in  FIG. 3 ) there is shown a pair of spaced apart locating feet  62 . In one embodiment, the locating feet  62  may comprise locating pegs. Each of the locating pegs  62  may depend from a rearwardly depending flange  63 . In one embodiment, each of the locating pegs  62  may depend from a plurality, such as a pair, of flanges  63  that are each coupled with a support  65  extending between each flange  63  of the plurality of flanges  63 , which provides additional support for the locating pegs  62 . The locating pegs  62  serve to provide additional means for locating and securing the front panel  18  relative the heat shield  14 . The locating feet  62  locate and align the front control panel  18  side to side and front to back, for positioning of the front control panel  18  relative to the heat shield  14 . Accordingly, the front panel top surface portion  71  comprises foot receiving holes  69  corresponding to each of the locating feet  62 . During installation of the front control panel assembly, each of the locating feet  62  are positioned relative the foot receiving holes  69 , and with the location of the cantilever post end portions  26  into the receiving pockets  66 , the locating feet  62  are accordingly located within the foot receiving holes  69 . It should be understood that either a singular locating foot  62  or a plurality of locating feet  62  may be used with the present invention. 
     It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the wheels  26  and the shoulder screws  22  may be comprised of galvanized steel. The end portion  26  may comprise a bulbous prominence or an inturned flange. 
     In yet another alternative embodiment, the cantilever posts  20  may be located on the control panel  18  and the support brackets  58 ,  60  may be located on the heat shield  14 . It should be understood that alternative embodiments may comprise at least two corresponding pairs of cantilever posts  20  and support brackets  58 ,  60 . 
     While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the scope of the present invention as disclosed herein.