Patent Publication Number: US-2009223255-A1

Title: Drum type washing machine

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the Patent Korean Application No. 10-2008-0022042, filed on Mar. 10, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The present invention relates to drum type washing machines, and, more particularly, to a drum type washing machine having a control panel assembly which can make, not only an exterior of the drum type washing machine beautiful, but also enable the user to operate the drum type washing machine, easily. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     In general, the drum type washing machine washes laundry by using friction between the laundry and a drum which rotates by driving power from a motor in a state detergent, washing water and the laundry are introduced to the drum. The drum type washing machine is advantageous in that almost no laundry damage takes place, and the laundry does not entangle. 
     The drum type washing machine is provided with a cabinet which forms an exterior thereof, and a control panel assembly which enables a user to apply a washing course to the washing machine. 
     The control panel assembly is provided with a rotary switch and buttons mounted thereto for applying the washing course to the drum type washing machine. 
     The control panel assembly of the related art is provided with a control panel which forms an exterior of the control panel assembly, a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) in the control panel having various electric components mounted thereon, and a rotary switch projected forward from the control panel for enabling the user to apply a washing course to the drum type washing machine. 
     The rotary switch has a rotation shaft one side of which is connected to the PCB. 
     The rotary switch also has a step held on a rear of the control panel, and a step guide for bringing the step into close contact with the rear of the control panel. 
     The operation of the related art control panel assembly in the drum type washing machine will be described. 
     When the user turns the rotary switch, the step rotates while keeping surface to surface contact to the rear of the control panel, and as the rotation shaft at the rotary switch rotates, the user can select a washing course. 
     However, the control panel assembly of the related art in the drum type washing machine has problems in that noise is generated at the time of rotation of the rotary switch caused by friction of the surface to surface contact between the step and the rear of the control panel and the rotation of the rotary switch is not smooth. 
     The operation both of the rotary switch along with a plurality of buttons required for the user in selection of the washing course of the drum type washing machine is complicate. 
     The plurality of buttons and the rotary switch mounted to a front of the control panel assembly make the exterior of the drum type washing machine not beautiful. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a drum type washing machine. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which can make an exterior of a control panel assembly on a front of the drum type washing machine beautiful. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which enables a user to operate a control panel assembly easily, and understand a selected washing course easily. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which can eliminate noise generated at the time the user operate the control panel assembly, and improve feeling of touch at the time of operation. 
     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure 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. 
     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a drum type washing machine includes a body which forms an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a front plate secured to a front of the body, having a door mounted thereto, and a touch switch actuated by a user&#39;s contact for inputting a washing course. 
     The touch switch may be plural and mounted to the front plate. 
     The touch switches may be arranged on a line in a width direction of the front plate. 
     Or, alternatively, the touch switches may be arranged in zigzag in a width direction of the front plate. 
     The touch switch may include a name of the washing course which is applicable by using the touch switch displayed thereon. 
     The drum type washing machine may further include a plurality of light emitting units provided matched to the touch switches such that the light emitting unit emits a light when the touch switch matched to the light emitting unit is pressed. 
     In the meantime, the drum type washing machine may further include a display unit for displaying information on the washing course and the detail setting applied to the touch switches. 
     The drum type washing machine may further include a distance from the door to a top edge of the front plate equal to a distance from the door to either side edge of the cabinet. 
     In this case, the door is formed at a position higher than a center of the cabinet. 
     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 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a section of a drum type washing machine in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of a drum type washing machine in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a section of a control panel assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the specific 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. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  illustrates a section of a drum type washing machine in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the drum type washing machine includes a cabinet  110  which forms an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a tub  120  (See  FIG. 2 ) in the cabinet  110  for holding washing water, a drum  130  (See  FIG. 2 ) rotatably mounted in the tub  120 , and a motor  160  (See  FIG. 2 ) for driving the drum  130 . 
     The cabinet  110  includes a body  111  which forms sides, rear and bottom of the drum type washing machine, a front plate  112  which forms a front of the cabinet  110 , and a top plate  113  joined to a top of the body  111  to form a top of the cabinet. 
     The front plate  112  which forms a front of the cabinet  110  has a laundry opening  112   a  formed therein for introduction of laundry, opened/closed by a door  115  rotatably mounted to the cabinet  110 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the tub  120  is positioned in the cabinet by hanging springs  121  and dampers  122  for holding the washing water. 
     The hanging spring  121  has one side connected to the top plate  133 , and the other side connected to a top side of the tub. 
     In the meantime, the damper  122  under the tub  120  attenuates vibration generated at the time the drum rotates at a high speed. 
     The drum  130  has lifters  131  on an inside circumferential surface for lifting the laundry in the drum  130  to a predetermined height. 
     The drum  130  also has a plurality of pass through holes  132  in an inside circumferential surface for discharging the washing water from the laundry to the tub  120  in a process of a washing course, such as spinning. 
     On an upper side of the tub  120 , there is a water supply hose  140  for supplying water to the tub  120  from an outside of the cabinet. 
     The water supply hose  140  may include a water supply valve  141  for controlling water supply, and a detergent supply device  142  for making the water supplied through the water supply hose  140  to be introduced into the tub  120  together with the detergent. 
     In the meantime, it is preferable that a drain hose  150  and a drain pump  151  are provided on a lower side of the tub  120  for draining the water used for the washing course to an outside of the washing machine. 
     On a rear of the tub  120 , there is the motor  160  for rotating the drum, including a rotation shaft  165  passed through the rear of the tub  120 . 
     The motor  160  includes a stator  161  fixedly secured to the rear of the tub  120 , and a rotor  162  rotated by electro-magnetic interaction with the stator  161 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of a drum type washing machine in  FIG. 1 . 
     A control panel assembly  200  will be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     The control panel assembly  200  is mounted to an upper side of the front of the cabinet  110  for enabling the user to input a washing course to the drum type washing machine and notice operation of the washing machine. 
     The control panel assembly  200  may include an operation unit  210  and a display unit  250 . 
     The operation unit  210  may be arranged in a width W direction of the front plate  112  for enabling the user to apply the washing course. 
     The operation unit  210  may include a washing course operation button  211  and a detail setting operation button  212 . 
     The washing course operation button  211  enables the user to apply the washing course to the drum type washing machine, and the detail setting operation button  212  enables the user to apply a temperature of the washing water, a washing time period, and so on to the drum type washing machine additionally once the washing course is set with the washing course setting button. However, the sorting of the buttons into the washing course operation button  211  and the detail setting operation button  212  is only for convenience of description of the drum type washing machine of the present invention, but not for limiting the operation unit to the operation buttons. 
     In the meantime, the washing course operation button  211  and the detail setting operation button  212  may be arranged on a line in the width direction W of the front plate or in zigzag. 
     Or, the washing course operation button  211  may be arranged in zigzag in the width direction W of the front plate and the detail setting operation button  212  may be arranged on a line in the width direction W of the front plate. 
     The washing course operation button  211  and the detail setting operation button  212  may have character portions  213  on surfaces thereof having the washing courses and the detail settings the user can apply represented with characters, and it is preferable that the character portions  213  are formed such that the character portions  213  are not erased even if the user press down the character portions  213 . 
     The washing course operation button  211  and the detail setting operation button  212  may be touch switches  223  (See  FIG. 4 ). 
     The touch switch enables the user to input a signal for the washing course or the detail setting to the drum type washing machine by means of user&#39;s finger touch, finger contact or finger pressure. 
     According to this, the feeling of touch of the user can be improved when the user operates the touch switch. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a section across a line I-I in  FIG. 3  showing a control panel assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     The operation unit  210  and the display unit  250  will be described in more detail with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
     The operation unit  210  includes a PCB  220  having various circuit components mounted thereon, an LED  221  secured to the PCB  220  for emitting a light, an LED supporter  222  for supporting the LED  221 , and a touch switch  223  mounted on a front of the LED supporter  222 . 
     If the touch switches are arranged in zigzag, a transparent window  225  may be provided in space between rows of the touch switches for transmission of the light from the LED  221 . 
     When the user presses the touch switch, the LED  221  for the touch switch is turned on, and the light from the LED transmits through the transparent window  225  to an outside of the control panel assembly. 
     According to this, the user can notice the washing course or the detail setting applied by the user easily by means of the LED. 
     In the meantime, the drum type washing machine of the present invention may include the display unit  250 , additionally. 
     The display unit will be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . The display unit  250  displays information on the washing course or the like the user applies to the touch switch for easy recognition of the information by the user, and may be provided to an additional panel mounted to an upper side of the front plate  112 . 
     It is preferable that the display unit  250  is constructed of a display panel of organic EL (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). 
     The display unit  250  constructed of a display panel of organic EL makes an exterior of the display unit  250  beautiful, and enables to reduce power consumption. 
     Thus, the drum type washing machine of the present invention has, no rotary switch mounted thereto, but only operation buttons  211  and  212  in forms of touch switches. 
     The washing course and the detail setting are progressed following pressing of the washing course operation button  211  and the detail setting operation button  212  provided in forms of touch switches. 
     According to this, user&#39;s application of the washing course or the detail setting is easy, the feeling of touch of the user is good, and the control panel assembly  200  becomes to have a beautiful exterior. 
     The mounting of the touch switch which enables sensing of the finger touch of the user for inputting of the washing course or the detail setting prevents noise from generating. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , it is preferable that a center C 2  of the door  115  formed in the front plate  112  of the drum type washing machine of the present invention are provided at a position higher than a center C 1  of the cabinet  110 . 
     If the door  115  is provided at a position higher than the center of the cabinet  110 , it is advantageous in that the user is permitted to bent her(him)self forward only a little for taking the laundry out of the drum type washing machine. 
     Moreover, it is preferable that the drum type washing machine of the present invention has the door  115  at a position where a distance from the door  115  to a top edge of the front plate  112  is equal to a distance from the door  115  to either side edge of the cabinet  110 , substantially. 
     This is because as the higher the door is positioned than the center of the cabinet, the more beautiful the drum type washing machine appears. 
     As has been described, the drum type washing machine of the present invention has the following advantages. 
     The only mounting of the touch switches arranged in a width direction of the front plate makes an exterior of the drum type washing machine beautiful. 
     Operation of the drum type washing machine only with the touch switches permits easy operation of the drum type washing machine. 
     The exclusion of the rotary switch which is in contact with the control panel assembly permits to prevent noise from taking place at the time the rotary switch is turned. 
     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.