Patent Publication Number: US-7595459-B2

Title: Button display apparatus of refrigerator

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to a button display apparatus of a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a button display apparatus of a refrigerator which can improve an illumination effect of operation buttons by condensing light of lamps for illuminating display characters or contours of the operation buttons on the operation buttons. 
   BACKGROUND ART 
   In general, a refrigerator includes a controller for controlling a temperature, humidity, illumination etc. of storage chambers such as a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber. The controller controls the temperature, etc. of the storage chambers according to the manipulation of the user or the default preset in a built-in storage device. 
   Preferably, the controller is disposed on a front surface of a door installed on the front surface of the refrigerator for easy use. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the controller  20 ′ of the conventional refrigerator  10  is inserted into the front surface of the door  11  covering the front surface of the storage chamber of the refrigerator  10  with its front surface exposed. 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the controller  20 ′ includes a control board  21 ′, a cover  30 ′ and buttons. 
   The control board  21 ′ is a circuit board electrically connected to each device of the refrigerator  10 , for controlling the devices. The control board  21 ′ is fixedly inserted into the front surface of the door  11  of the refrigerator  10 . 
   A liquid crystal screen is a general liquid crystal screen for displaying the control contents of the control board  21 ′ by pictures or characters. Preferably, the liquid crystal screen is installed at the center of the cover  30 ′. 
   The buttons include switches  50 ′, lamps  51 ′ and button printed units  31 ′. 
   The switches  50 ′ are adhered to the front surface of the control board  21 ′. The switches  50 ′ sense static electricity of the user touching contact units adjacent to the switches  50 ′, and transmit input signals to the control board  21 ′, respectively. 
   The switches  50 ′ are installed in multiple points on the whole surface of the control board  21 ′ as many as the buttons of the controller  20 ′. 
   The buttons include the button printed units  31 ′. The button printed units  31 ′ are disposed in multiple points on the front surface of the cover  30 ′ to correspond to the switches  50 ′ in the forward direction. The button printed units  31 ′ are composed of printed marks, pictures or characters for indicating the positions of the switches  50 ′. Each of the button printed units  31 ′ includes a contact unit  32 ′ and a light emitting slit  33 ′. 
   In addition, the button printed units  31 ′ can be composed of transparent or translucent characters or pictures, for externally transmitting the light emitted from the lamps  51 ′ discussed later. 
   The cover  30 ′ covers the front surface of the control board  21 ′ to protect the control board  21 ′ from external shock. Considering that the switches  50 ′ sense static electricity, the cover  30 ′ is preferably made of glass which prevents direct contact between the user and the switches  50 ′ and improves conductivity of the static electricity generated by the user. 
   The cover  30 ′ is formed in a rectangular board shape to correspond to the front surface of the control board  21 ′, for covering the front surface of the control board  21 ′. 
   The cover  30 ′ can also be made of flexible resin, so that the user can easily contact and click the buttons. 
   The contact units  32 ′ are formed as parts of the cover  30 ′, and disposed at the front portions of the switches  50 ′. The operations and names of the switches  50 ′ are printed on the contact units  32 ′. 
   The operation ranges of the switches  50 ′, namely, the ranges of sensing static electricity of the user are marked on the contact units  32 ′. 
   The light emitting slits  33 ′ are composed of marks or characters for indicating the contours of the contact units  32 ′ or the positions of the switches  50 ′, respectively. 
   The lamps  51 ′ are turned on or off by short of the switches  50 ′, and fixedly installed at one side of the switches  50 ′, respectively. 
   The lamps  51 ′ are light emitting diodes each respectively formed by laminating semiconductors, connecting an electrode to the laminated semiconductors, and covering the resulting semiconductor chip with resin or glass. 
   When the user intends to manipulate the controller  20 ′, the user touches the contact unit  32 ′ formed at the part of the cover  30 ′. The switch  50 ′ installed inside the contact unit  32 ′ touched by the user is operated by sensing static electricity generated by the user. An input signal generated by the operation of the switch  50 ′ is transmitted to the control board  21 ′, for operating the circuit of the control board  21 ′. Therefore, the corresponding device of the refrigerator  10  is controlled. 
   In addition, when the switch  50 ′ is operated, power is applied to the lamp  51 ′ connected to the switch  50 ′, for making the lamp  51 ′ emit light. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the light generated by the lamp  51 ′ is emitted from the front surface of the control board  21 ′ to the inner surface of the cover  30 ′. 
   The light of the lamp  51 ′ emitted to the inner surface of the cover  30 ′ is externally emitted from the cover  30 ′ through the light emitting slit  33 ′ including the transparent or translucent portion printed in the button character or picture shape of the button printed unit  31 ′ and the transparent or translucent portion printed in the contour shape of the contact unit  32 ′. 
   The light emitted from the lamp  51 ′ is also irradiated to the other portions, such as the light emitting slits  33 ′ of the other buttons adjacent to the light emitting slit  33 ′, or the contour of the liquid crystal screen, and externally emitted. 
   In the above example, the user operates the pressure switches by clicking. However, the switches can be formed in various ways. For example, when the contact units are pressurized, a pair of terminals installed inside each contact unit are electrically conducted, for transmitting signals to the controller. As another example, when the contact units are pressurized, components such as pressurization rods installed inside the contact units mechanically pressurize the switches. 
   In the buttons of the controller  20 ′ of the conventional refrigerator  10 , the light is transmitted through the light emitting slits  33 ′ corresponding to the buttons adjacent to the button touched by the user. As a result, the user cannot easily distinguish the clicked button from the adjacent buttons. 
   In addition, the light of the lamps  51 ′ is diffused inside the cover  30 ′, partially externally emitted through the light emitting slits  33 ′, and mostly irradiated to the other portions. Accordingly, the intensity of the light irradiated through the light emitting slits  33 ′ is weakened, so that the user cannot easily identify the buttons. 
   DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is achieved to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a button display apparatus of a refrigerator which allows the user to easily recognize buttons of a controller of the refrigerator, by condensing light emitted by clicking the buttons on the buttons, button printed units for displaying regions corresponding to the buttons, contact units or light emitting slits. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a button display apparatus of a refrigerator which prevents the user from being confused about buttons of a controller of the refrigerator, by preventing light of lamps emitted by clicking the buttons from being irradiated to light emitting slits of the other buttons. 
   In order to achieve the above-described objects of the invention, there is provided a button display apparatus of a refrigerator, including: a control board; switches installed on the front surface of the control board, for recognizing external operations; lamps mounted on the front surface of the control board around the switches, for irradiating light according to the recognition operations of the switches; a cover installed to cover the front surface of the control board, and composed of button printed units; contact units for displaying operation ranges of the user on parts of the button printed units; and condensing members for covering the paths from the lamps to the contact units, so that the light generated by the lamps can reach the contact units. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a button display apparatus of a refrigerator, including: a board having switches for recognizing external operations; lamps mounted on the board around the switches, for irradiating light according to the recognition operations of the switches; a cover installed on the front surface of the button display apparatus, and composed of button printed units; contact units for displaying operation ranges of the user on parts of the button printed units; light emitting slits for transmitting the light of the lamps; and condensing members for covering the paths from the lamps to the light emitting slits, so that the light generated by the lamps can be transmitted through the light emitting slits. 
   According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a button display apparatus of a refrigerator, including: a board; switches installed on the front surface of the board, for recognizing external operations; lamps mounted on the board, for irradiating light according to the recognition operations of the switches; a cover installed to cover the front surface of the board, and composed of button printed units; contact units for displaying operation ranges of the user on parts of the button printed units to correspond to the switches; and condensing members for covering the paths from the lamps to the button printed units, so that the light generated by the lamps can reach the button printed units. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given only by way of illustration and thus are not limitative of the present invention, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating a conventional refrigerator; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view illustrating a cover of a controller of the conventional refrigerator; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating assembly/disassembly of the controller of the conventional refrigerator; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating buttons of the controller of the conventional refrigerator; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating assembly/disassembly of a button display apparatus of a refrigerator in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the button display apparatus of the refrigerator in accordance with the present invention; and 
       FIG. 7  is a plane view illustrating lamps in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
   A button display apparatus of a refrigerator in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
   In the following description, same reference numerals are used for the same elements as those of  FIGS. 1 to 4 , and detailed explanations thereof are omitted. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a disassembly state of a controller  20  in accordance with the present invention,  FIG. 6  illustrates a state where light is irradiated from lamps  51  by operations of buttons  70  in accordance with the present invention, and  FIG. 7  illustrates the plurality of lamps  51  installed around switches  50   a  to  50   h  of the buttons  70  in accordance with the present invention. 
   In accordance with the present invention, condensing members  60 ,  62  and  64  are formed to condense light of the lamps  51  emitted by the operation of the button display apparatus  70  of the controller  20  of the refrigerator  10  on button printed units  31 , contact units  32  or light emitting slits  33  formed on a cover  30  of the button display apparatus  70 . 
   The controller  20  of the refrigerator  10  is normally disposed on a front surface of a door  11  installed on the front surface of the refrigerator  10 . A liquid crystal screen  22  and the buttons  70  are externally exposed for the manipulation of the user. 
   The controller  20  is connected to each device of the refrigerator  10  directly or through a main microcomputer (not shown), for controlling a temperature, humidity, illumination, etc. of each storage chamber of the refrigerator  10 . 
   The controller  20  includes a control board  21 , the cover  30 , the liquid crystal screen  22 , and the button display apparatus  70 . 
   The control board  21  is a circuit board connected to each device of the refrigerator  10 , and composed of an arithmetic processing device and a storage device. In this embodiment, the control board  21  is fixedly inserted into a groove inwardly caved on the front surface of the door  11  of the refrigerator  10 . 
   The cover  30  is installed to cover the front surface of the control board  21 , and composed of operation portions for each switch  50   a  to  50   h  of the control board  21 . 
   Preferably, the cover  30  is made of glass or resin to protect the control board  21  from alien substances, moisture, etc. More preferably, the cover  30  is made of a soft resin board for easy use. 
   The liquid crystal screen  22  includes a display device for displaying the control contents of the control board  21 , the operation contents of the refrigerator  10 , and the input contents of the user by characters and pictures. 
   The button display apparatus  70  includes the switches  50   a  to  50   h , the lamps  51 , the button printed units  31 , the contact units  32 , the light emitting slits  33  and the condensing members  60 ,  62  and  64 . 
   The switches  50   a  to  50   h  are adhered to the front surface of the control board  21 , and operated by the user. The switches  50   a  to  50   h  are connected to control circuits and devices of the refrigerator  10 , for operating the control circuits and the devices. 
   In this embodiment, the switches  50   a  to  50   h  are static electricity switches operated by sensing static electricity generated by the user. 
   The lamps  51  are installed around the switches  50   a  to  50   h . In this embodiment, the lamps  51  are light emitting diodes. In addition, the lamps  51  can be installed in region A which does not belong to the peripheral regions of the switches  50   a  to  50   h . The region A faces the partial region of the button printed unit  31 . 
   The light emitting diode lamps  51  include general light emitting diodes each respectively formed by forming a chip by connecting an electrode to laminated semiconductors and covering the chip with transparent glass or resin. When power is applied to the electrode, the semiconductors generate a magnetic field for emitting light. 
   The lamps  51  interwork with the switches  50   a  to  50   h , respectively. When the switches  50   a  to  50   h  are operated, the corresponding lamps  51  are turned on. The interworking of the lamps  51  and the switches  50   a  to  50   h  is performed by connecting the lamps  51  directly to the switches  50   a  to  50   h , or controlled by the controller  20 . Here, the lamps  51  can be turned on during the operations of the corresponding switches  50   a  to  50   h , turned on for a predetermined time after the operations of the corresponding switches  50   a  to  50   h , or continuously turned on after the operations of the corresponding switches  50   a  to  50   h . Especially, the lamps  51  mounted on the region A are turned on according to the operation of the corresponding switch  50   a , for irradiating light to the ‘temperature’ portion which is a button mark of the button printed unit  31 . The button marks of the button display units  31  are transparently or translucently printed, for transmitting light. 
   Preferably, the lamps  51  are installed in a multiple number, for improving the intensity of the light, and uniformly irradiating the light to the button printed units  31 , the contact units  32  and the light emitting slits  33 . In this embodiment, three lamps  51  are installed for a single switch  50 . 
   The contact units  32  are parts of the cover  30  corresponding to the switches  50  in the forward direction. The contact units  32  are distinguished to be operated by the user. 
   Preferably, the contact units  32  are formed by transparently or translucently printing pictures, characters or boundary lines on parts of the cover  30  within the ranges of operating the corresponding switches  50  by contact of the user in the button printed units  31  of the cover  30 . 
   The light emitting slits  33  are formed by transparently or translucently forming the contours of the contact units  32 , for transmitting the light of the lamps  51 . The lines which form characters and pictures for displaying the corresponding buttons  70  can be transparently or translucently formed on the contact units  32 , for transmitting the light of the lamps  51 . For example, in region B of  FIG. 5 , the light emitting slit  33  is not formed, but the button marks of the contact unit  32  and the button printed unit  31  are displayed together. The region B serves as the light emitting slit to transmit the light of the lamps  51 . 
   In addition, in a state where pictures, characters or colors are printed on the whole cover  30  to intercept transmission of light, the light emitting slits  33  can be formed by transparently forming only the contours of the contact units  32 , for transmitting light. That is, the light emitting slits  33  correspond to the contours (boundary lines) of the contact units  32  and the button marks of the button printed units  31 . 
   The condensing members  60  are formed in a hollow tube shape to cover the paths from the lamps  51  to the light emitting slits  33 , so that the light generated by the lamps  51  can be condensed on the light emitting slits  33 . 
   Here, the condensing members  60  correspond in shape to the light emitting slits  33 , and also correspond in installation shape to the lamps  51 . In this embodiment, since the lamps  51  are arranged in a circular shape around the switches  50  and the contact units  32  and the light emitting slits  33  are formed in a circular shape, the condensing members  60  are formed in a circular tube shape to cover the circularly-arranged lamps  51  and also cover the circular light emitting slits  33  forming the contours of the contact units  32 . That is, the condensing members  60  are the circular tubes extended from the lamps  51  to the light emitting slits  33 . The condensing members  60  are fixedly mounted on the rear surface of the cover  30  or the front surface of the control board  21 . 
   In the case that the plurality of switches  50   d  to  50   h  are collectively installed and the plurality of lamps  51  are installed around each switch  50   d  to  50   h , the condensing member  62  is installed to house all the switches  50   d  to  50   h  and the lamps  51 . The condensing member  62  includes an inner condensing member  62   a  for covering the switch  50   d  and the peripheral lamps  51 , an outer condensing member  62   b  for covering the switches  50   e  to  50   h  and the peripheral lamps  51 , respectively, and connection members  62   c  for connecting the inner condensing member  62   a  to the outer condensing member  62   b , and partitioning off the outer condensing member  62   b  according to the positions of the switches  50   e  to  50   h.    
   The condensing member  64  can be formed in a tube shape to cover the lamps  51  mounted on the region A, regardless of the switches  50 . However, the lamps  51  mounted on the region A are turned on according to the operation of the switch  50   a  in the same button printed unit  31 . 
   Preferably, the inner surfaces of the condensing members  60 ,  62  and  64  are made of a light reflecting material or coated with the light reflecting material, for reflecting the light generated by the lamps  51  to the button printed units  31 , the contact units  32  and the light emitting slits  33 . That is, the light of the lamps  51  is not externally leaked from the condensing members  60 ,  62  and  64 . 
   In this embodiment, the condensing members  60 ,  62  and  64  are preferably made of resin with high light reflectance and low light transmittance. 
   The condensing members  60 ,  62  and  64  can have different cylindrical shapes at the lamp sides  51  and the light emitting slit sides  33 . 
   In this embodiment, the user operates the pressure switches  50   a  to  50   h  by clicking. However, the switches can be formed in various ways. For example, when the contact units are pressurized, a pair of terminals installed inside each contact unit are electrically conducted, for transmitting signals to the controller. As another example, when static electricity of the user is electrically conducted to terminals installed in the contact units, static electricity switches sense the static electricity and transmit signals to the controller. As yet another example, when the contact units are pressurized, components such as pressurization rods installed inside the contact units mechanically pressurize the switches. 
   The light emitting operation of the lamps of the buttons of the controller of the refrigerator in accordance with the present invention will now be explained. In this embodiment, the switch  50   a  is exemplified. 
   When the user touches the contact unit  32  of the cover  30  installed on the front surface of the controller  20  of the refrigerator  10  generally with his/her finger to manipulate the controller  20 , the switch  50   a  installed inside the contact unit  32  is operated by sensing static electricity electrically conducted in the finger of the user. 
   As the switch  50   a  is operated, the control board  21  corresponding to the switch  50   a  or the device of the refrigerator  10  connected to the switch  50   a  is controlled, and the lamps  51  connected to the switch  50   a  are turned on. 
   The lamps  51  are installed around the switch  50   a  in a multiple number, and turned on at the same time. The light generated by the lamps  51  is irradiated to the light emitting slit  33  formed at the contour or center of the contact unit  32  at the front portions of the lamps  51 . 
   The light generated by the lamps  51  and irradiated to the light emitting slit  33  is externally emitted through the transparent light emitting slit  33 . Therefore, the light emission of the light emitting slit  33  is observed outside the cover  30 . 
   In addition, the light emitted from the lamps  51  is irradiated to the inner surface of the condensing member  60  covering and communicating with the peripheral regions of the lamps  51  and the light emitting slit  33 . The light irradiated to the inner surface of the condensing member  60  is reflected and partially externally emitted through the light emitting slit  33 . 
   Since the condensing member  60  is connected from the lamps  51  to the light emitting slit  33  and externally sealed up, the light irradiated to the inner surface of the condensing member  60  is transmitted merely through the light emitting slit  33  inside the condensing member  60 . As a result, most of the light irradiated to the inner surface of the condensing member  60  is externally emitted through the light emitting slit  33 . 
   That is, the light irradiated directly by the lamps  51  is transmitted through the light emitting slit  33 , and most of the light reflected by the condensing member  60  is externally transmitted through the light emitting slit  33 . Accordingly, the amount of the light transmitted through the light emitting slit  33  increases, so that the light emitting slit  33  can be illuminated more bright. 
   The light generated by the lamps  51  around the switch  50   a  is transmitted merely through the light emitting slit  33  corresponding to the switch  50   a  by the condensing member  60 , but not transmitted through the light emitting slits  33  adjacent to the light emitting slit  33 . That is, only the light emitting slit  33  corresponding to the contact unit  32  touched by the user is illuminated. The light emitting slit  33  corresponding to the contour of the contact unit  32  operated by the user distinguishes itself, so that the user can easily recognize the light emitting slit  33  and the contact unit  32 . 
   The lamps  51  in the region A emit light with the other lamps  51  according to the operation of the switch  50   a , and intensively irradiate the light to the button mark of the button printed unit  31  by the condensing member  64 . 
   The plurality of lamps  51  are installed around the switch  50   a , for increasing the intensity of the light, so that the user can easily recognize the light emitting slit  33  and the button mark. 
   In this embodiment, the plurality of lamps  51  are installed around the switches  50   a  to  50   h  to improve the luminous intensity of the light on the light emitting slits  33 . The light generated by the lamps  51  is not lost by using the condensing members  60 ,  62  and  64 , and is efficiently transmitted through the button printed units  31 , the contact units  32  and the light emitting slits  33 . Therefore, a single lamp  51  can be preferably installed for a single switch  50 . In the case that the plurality of lamps  51  are installed around the single switch  50 , the luminous intensity is more improved on the button printed units  31 , the contact units  32  and the light emitting slits  33 . 
   In this embodiment, the switches  50   a  to  50   h  are operated by clicking of the user. However, it is obvious that switches operated by a wire or wireless external controller such as a remote controller, mechanical switches or pressure switches can also be used as the switches  50   a  to  50   h .    
   As discussed earlier, in accordance with the present invention, when the user operates the buttons of the controller of the refrigerator, the button printed units, the contact units and the light emitting slits which correspond to the buttons are illuminated more bright. As a result, the user can easily recognize the buttons. 
   In addition, among the buttons of the controller of the refrigerator, only the button operated by the user emits light, and the other buttons do not transmit the light. Accordingly, the user can easily recognize the operated button. 
   Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is understood that the present invention should not be limited to these preferred embodiments but various changes and modifications can be made by one skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present invention as hereinafter claimed.