Patent ID: 12225338

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Like reference numbers or signs in the various drawings of the application represent parts or components that perform substantially the same functions. In the term including ‘portion’ to be used hereinafter, the ‘portion’ may be implemented as one component or as a plurality of components according to an embodiment.

In the specification, when a part is described as being connected to another part, it may mean a physical connection or an electrical connection according to a part and a different part.

When a part is described as including another part, it does not exclude another part other than the other part unless there is a description to the contrary, and it means that it may further include another part according to the designer's choice.

The terms “first” and “second” are used to distinguish one part from another part, and unless otherwise specified, they do not mean a sequential expression. The term “and/or” includes any combination of a plurality of related items or any one of a plurality of related items. For example, the scope of the expression or phrase “A and/or B” includes the item “A”, the item “B”, and the combination of items “A and B”. In addition, the scope of the expression or phrase “at least one of A and B” is intended to include all of the following: (1) at least one of A, (2) at least one of B, and (3) at least one A and at least one of B. Likewise, the scope of the expression or phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” is intended to include all of the following: (1) at least one of A, (2) at least one of B, (3) at least one of C, (4) at least one of A and at least one of B, (5) at least one of A and at least one of C, (6) at least one of B and at least one of C, and (7) at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.

The singular expressions herein may include plural expressions, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this specification, the terms “front end,” “rear end,” “upper portion,” “lower portion,” “upper end” and “lower end” used in the following description are defined with reference to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The disclosure is applicable to any home appliance that requires an operation of a user. For example, the home appliance may include a washing machine, a refrigerator, an oven, a dishwasher, a robot cleaner, and an air conditioner.

FIGS.1to5illustrate a washing machine as an example of a home appliance.FIG.8illustrates an oven as an example of a home appliance, andFIG.13illustrates an air conditioner as an example of a home appliance. Although not shown in the drawings, various home appliances including a refrigerator may be presented.

FIG.1is a perspective view of a washing machine as a home appliance according to an embodiment of the disclosure.FIG.2is a view illustrating a state in which some components inFIG.1are disassembled.

As illustrated inFIGS.1and2, in an embodiment, a washing machine100may include a main body101forming an outer appearance, and the main body101may include a plurality of washing parts110and120. For example, the washing machine100may include the first washing part110in which a first washing space111is provided, and the second washing part120in which a second washing space121is provided.FIGS.1and2only illustrate an embodiment in which the washing machine100includes two of the washing parts110and120, but this is exemplary. That is, according to a designer's choice, only one washing part or three or more washing parts provided in one of the washing machine100is included in the disclosure.

The first washing part110may include a first housing112forming a side outer appearance, a front housing113forming a front outer appearance, and a first door114rotatably installed on the front housing113to open and close the first washing space111.

The second washing part120may also include a second housing122forming a side outer appearance, and a second door123to open and close the second washing space121.

According to an embodiment, the washing machine100may include a fixing bracket130configured to couple the first housing112and the second housing122so as not to be separated from each other. The fixing bracket130may be coupled to, for example, the front of the first housing112and the front of the second housing122. The fixing bracket130may also be coupled to a side of the first housing112and a side of the second housing122, or to the rear of the first housing112and the rear of the second housing122, depending on the designer's consideration.

The washing machine100may further include a control panel150. The control panel150may be disposed at an upper portion of the front housing140of the washing machine100and coupled to the front housing113and the second housing122, for example, for the convenience of the operation of a user and information confirmation. However, the arrangement position of the control panel150is not limited thereto.

The control panel150may be provided with a user interface151configured to receive various commands related to the operation of the washing machine100, and/or to visually and/or audibly provide information related to the washing machine100.

The user interface151may include at least one input device and/or at least one output device. The input device may be implemented using at least one of, for example, a physical button, a touch pad, a touch screen, a knob, a stick, a trackball, and a trackpad, and may be implemented using various devices that may be considered by the designer. The output device may include a display for visually outputting information, and the display may be implemented using, for example, a cathode ray tube (CRT) or various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display panel, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel, and a quantum dot display panel. A sound output device may be implemented using a speaker device and the like.

FIG.3is a perspective view of a control panel according to an embodiment,FIG.4is an exploded view illustrating a rear surface of the control panel inFIG.3, andFIG.5is an exploded view illustrating a front surface of the control panel inFIG.3.

Referring toFIGS.3to5, the control panel150may include a switch (not shown) constituting an interface, a panel body151to which various electronic components including a display (not shown) are installed, and a front cover152coupled to a front surface of the panel body151.

The panel body151may form a coupling relationship with the front housing113(FIG.2) and the second housing122(FIG.2) described above.

The front cover152may be disposed in the front of the panel body151to cover the front surface of the panel body151in order to prevent moisture and dust from the outside from being introduced into components inside the control panel150.

The front cover152may be provided with a transparent portion through which light emitted from a display element indicating an operation state of a home appliance may be transmitted to the outside, and an operation button for manipulating the operation of the home appliance.

A rear surface of the front cover152may be provided with a plurality of hooks152afor coupling with the panel body151, and the panel body151may be provided with hooking steps151aat positions corresponding to the hooks152ain a state of being coupled with the front cover152to form a coupling relationship with the hooks152a.

The control panel150may be provided with a microphone unit10configured to sense sound in order to recognize a speech of the user.

The microphone unit10may be disposed in a space between the front cover152and the panel body151, and the front cover152may be provided with a microphone hole152bpenetrating the inside and outside of the front cover152so that the speech of the user may be smoothly transmitted to the microphone unit10.

According to an embodiment, the microphone unit10may be disposed at a central portion of the control panel150. However, the arrangement position of the microphone unit10is not limited thereto and may vary depending on a space inside the control panel150.

The microphone unit10may include a printed circuit board11on which a circuit constituting an electric circuit is patterned, and a microphone chip12installed on the printed circuit board11.

The printed circuit board11may be provided with a connector13to which a terminal (not shown) is connected to transmit a speech signal collected from the microphone chip12to the outside of the printed circuit board11.

The microphone chip12may be a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) microphone in which ultra-fine mechanical parts and electronic circuits are integrated at the same time by applying a semiconductor manufacturing process.

A sensing portion12adetecting sound from the microphone chip12may be disposed to direct to the front of the washing machine100, and a pair of the microphone chips12may be provided to configure two channels and may be disposed on opposite sides of the printed circuit board11to be spaced apart from each other.

When the pair of microphone chips12are disposed to be spaced apart from each other as described above, a position of the user may be tracked through loudness of the speech of the user detected by two of the microphone chips12, and through this process, a process of deleting the noise part from the input speech signal is possible by contrasting a speech signal input from the microphone chip12positioned at a close distance from the user's location with a speech signal input from the microphone chip12positioned at a long distance from the user's location, and the sensitivity of the microphone may be improved by amplifying the speech signal input from the microphone chip12positioned at a close distance from the user's location.

Because signal processing may be performed more efficiently as a distance between the pair of microphone chips12increases, the distance between the microphone chips12may be at least 30 mm or more. However, as the distance between the microchips increases, a width of the printed circuit board11may increase, which may adversely affect the placement of the printed circuit board inside the control panel150, and thus the distance may not exceed 100 mm.

According to an embodiment, a pair of the microphone chips12are disposed in the microphone unit10, but the number of the microphone chips12may be one, or three or more.

A fixing protrusion153may be provided at the rear surface of the front cover152to guide and fix the microphone unit10to an installation position so that the microphone unit10may be fixed to the control panel150.

The fixing protrusion153may include a first fixing protrusion153aformed to protrude in a columnar shape rearward from the rear surface of the front cover152at the installation position of the microphone unit10, and a second fixing protrusion153bformed around the installation position of the microphone unit10at the rear surface of the front cover152.

The printed circuit board11of the microphone unit10may be provided with a guide hole11ato allow the first fixing protrusion153ato penetrate therethrough. The fixing protrusion153and the guide hole11amay guide the microphone unit10to the installation position and at the same time provide a restraining force to fix the microphone unit IO to the front cover152.

When the microphone unit IO is installed in the washing machine100, the user may command the operation of the home appliance by a speech, the speech of the user may be transmitted to the microphone unit IO to be converted into a speech signal, and when the speech signal is recognized as a command related to the operation of the home appliance through a process for speech recognition, the corresponding operation may be activated by a speech. The corresponding operation may be performed by communicating with a speech recognition server outside the home appliance in the process of recognizing the speech.

Therefore, the microphone unit IO may be used as an input device among the interfaces for the operation of the washing machine.

The control panel150may be provided with a speaker unit20configured to output sound. The speaker unit20may be configured to output a speech by which a user may confirm an operation state of the home appliance and an operation command recognized by the microphone unit10.

According to an embodiment, the speaker unit20may be installed at one side of the control panel150to be spaced apart from the microphone unit IO installed at a central portion of the control panel150. The reason why the microphone unit10and the speaker unit20are disposed to be separated from each other is to prevent a howling phenomenon in which when the microphone unit IO and the speaker unit20operate simultaneously, sound of the speaker enters the microphone and is amplified and then comes out again through the speaker to form a loop and become in a oscillating state.

The speaker unit20may be installed on a rear surface of the control panel150. The speaker unit20may be received in an inner space of the control panel150when a thickness thereof is sufficiently thin.

The speaker unit20may be coupled to a rear surface of the panel body151, and in this case, the panel body151may be provided with a sound transmission hole151bat a position corresponding to a diaphragm21of the speaker unit20in a state in which the speaker unit20is coupled to the panel body151so that sound output from the speaker unit20may be transmitted toward the front of the washing machine100.

The speaker unit20may have a coupling structure for being coupled to the panel body151. According to an embodiment, a locking protrusion22and a screw hole23may be provided on opposite sides of the speaker unit20, and a locking portion151cto allow the locking protrusion22to be inserted therein and a screw hole151dcorresponding to the screw hole23of the speaker unit20may be provided on the rear surface of the panel body151. Such a coupling method is only one example, and the speaker unit20may be fixed to the panel body151using only a locking structure or using only a screw fastening structure.

A speaker hole152cmay be provided on the front cover152such that sound output from the speaker unit20may be transmitted toward the front of the washing machine100.

The speaker hole152cmay be provided below the speaker unit20while being provided in the front of the speaker unit20, and disposed below the sound transmission hole151b.

This is to prevent moisture from being introduced into the speaker unit20, and even though moisture is introduced into the speaker hole152c, the introduced moisture does not direct to the speaker unit20, but may be induced to flow downward along the space between the front cover152and the panel body151by gravity and to be discharged to the outside.

As the speaker hole152cis disposed below the sound transmission hole151b, a distance between the two becomes large, and thus in order to more smoothly transmit sound, a guide structure for guiding sound may be provided in a space between the speaker unit20and the sound transmission hole151b.

According to an embodiment, the guide structure may include guide ribs151cand152dprovided on the panel body151and the front cover152.

The guide rib151cmay be formed along a periphery of the sound transmission hole151band may have a structure protruding from the front surface of the panel body151.

The guide ribs152dmay be formed in the up-down direction on both sides of a space between the sound transmission hole151band the speaker hole152cand may have a structure protruding from the rear surface of the front cover152.

Such a guide structure of sound is only one example, and may be modified in various shapes, and the guide structure may be provided only at any one of the front cover152and the panel body151.

FIG.6is a view illustrating a state before a microphone unit is installed on a front cover of the washing machine, andFIG.7is a view illustrating a state in which the microphone unit is installed on the front cover of the washing machine.

According to an embodiment with reference toFIG.6, a buffer member14may be disposed around the sensing portion12aof the microphone chip12. The buffer member14may be disposed between the sensing portion12aand the rear surface of the front cover152in order to prevent vibration and noise caused by the operation of the washing machine100from being transmitted from the front cover152to the sensing portion12aand may be made of a material having a foam form for absorbing vibration and noise.

The buffer member14may be formed in a ring shape to surround a periphery of the sensing portion12a.

An adhesive may be applied to both surfaces of the buffer member14such that the buffer member14may be attached to the printed circuit board11and a waterproof sheet15which will be described later.

The waterproof sheet15may be disposed between the buffer member14and the rear surface of the front cover152, and the adhesive may be applied to a front surface of the waterproof sheet15.

The waterproof sheet15may block inflow of moisture from the outside to the microphone unit10and release moisture inside the front cover152to the outside and may be formed of a material that is advantageous for sound transmission.

A double-sided tape16may be disposed between the microphone unit10and the front cover152to fix the microphone unit10.

Referring toFIG.7, the waterproof sheet15may be attached around the microphone hole152bat the rear surface of the front cover152by an adhesive pre-applied on the front surface thereof, and thus the inflow of moisture into the sensing portion12athrough the microphone hole152bmay be blocked.

A front surface of the buffer member14may be bonded to a rear surface of the waterproof sheet15, and a rear surface of the buffer member14may be bonded to surround the sensing portion12a.

Like the buffer member14, the double-sided tape16may be formed of a material having a foam form to prevent the vibration and noise of the front cover152from being transmitted to the microphone unit10and fix the microphone unit10to the rear surface of the front cover152.

FIG.8is a perspective view of an oven as a home appliance according to another embodiment of the disclosure.FIG.9is an enlarged view of a control panel inFIG.8.FIG.10is a view illustrating a state in which a microphone unit and a speaker unit are disassembled from a rear surface of the control panel.FIG.11is a view illustrating a state in which the microphone unit and the speaker unit are assembled.

Referring toFIGS.8to11, the oven200, in one embodiment, an oven200may include a main body201forming an outer appearance and a door210disposed on a front surface of the main body201to open and close a cavity formed in the main body201.

A control panel220provided with a manipulator221for operating a function of the oven200and a display222for indicating an operation state of the oven200may be disposed above the door210.

A cooktop230may be provided on a top portion of the main body210to place and heat a container containing food. However, the oven200having the cooktop230is only an example according to an embodiment, and the cooktop230may not be provided.

The control panel220may be provided with the microphone unit10and the speaker unit20applied to the washing machine100described above.

The microphone unit10and the speaker unit20may have the same or similar structure as those installed in the washing machine100. Functions of the microphone unit10and the speaker unit20may be the same as those applied to the washing machine100described above, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When the microphone unit10and the speaker unit20are installed in the oven200according to an embodiment, because the internal space and configuration of the control panel220are different from those of the control panel150of the washing machine100, the arrangement position and installation structure of the microphone units10and the speaker units20may be different from each other.

For example, the microphone unit10may be disposed to be biased to one side of the control panel220and may be disposed below the manipulator221.

The speaker unit20may be spaced apart from the microphone unit10and disposed adjacent to one side of the display222.

The structure in which the microphone unit10is installed in the control panel220may be the same as the installation structure of the microphone unit10in the washing machine100described above.

Accordingly, a microphone hole223amay be provided on a front cover223of the control panel220, and a front surface of the microphone unit10may be fixed to the rear surface of the control panel220such that the sensing portion12a(FIG.6) of the microphone unit10directs to the front of the oven200.

In addition, the buffer member14(FIG.6) may be similarly attached around the sensing portion12a(FIG.6), and in order to fix the microphone unit10, the double-sided tape16(FIG.6) may also be disposed between the rear surface of the control panel220and the front surface of the microphone unit10.

However, in the case of the waterproof sheet15(FIG.6), the waterproof sheet15(FIG.6) may be omitted in that a large amount of moisture is less likely to flow into the control panel220in a process of using the oven200.

When a space for arranging components inside the control panel220is small, the speaker unit20may be disposed such that the diaphragm21of the speaker unit20directs to a side surface of the oven200as shown in the drawing, and in this case, a fixing structure of the speaker unit20may be the same as the structure applied to the washing machine100.

As the diaphragm21of the speaker unit20is disposed to direct to the side surface of the oven200, a hole24communicating with the diaphragm21may be provided on one side surface of the speaker unit20such that sound output from the speaker unit20may direct to the front.

FIG.12is a view illustrating the arrangement of a speaker unit according to another embodiment.

Referring toFIG.12, the microphone unit10is disposed on one side of the control panel220as in the previous embodiment, but the speaker unit20may be disposed on the other side of the control panel220.

According to an embodiment, the speaker unit20may be disposed to direct to the front of the diaphragm21the same as that applied to the washing machine100. In addition, a speaker hole223bmay be provided on the control panel220below the speaker unit20to prevent the inflow of moisture.

FIG.13is a view illustrating an indoor unit of an air conditioner as a home appliance according to another embodiment of the disclosure,FIG.14is an enlarged view of an upper portion of the indoor unit inFIG.13, andFIG.15is a view illustrating a state in which some components inFIG.14are disassembled.

Referring toFIGS.13to15, an indoor unit300may include a main body301forming an outer appearance, and a plurality of discharge ports302for blowing air may be provided on a front surface of the main body301.

An electrical equipment compartment310may be provided at an upper portion of the main body301such that various electric and electronic elements for performing functions of the air conditioner may be installed.

The electrical equipment compartment310may be provided to be partitioned from a flow path inside the indoor unit300so as not to be affected by airflow inside the indoor unit300.

A substrate311for controlling and the speaker unit20for outputting sound may be disposed in the electrical equipment compartment310. An opened upper portion of the electrical equipment compartment310may be opened and closed by an electrical equipment compartment cover320.

The speaker unit20may be disposed at one side of the electrical equipment compartment310, and a speaker hole323for outputting sound may be provided on the electrical equipment compartment cover320.

The microphone unit10for speech recognition may be disposed in the front of the electrical equipment compartment310to be spaced apart from the speaker unit20and may be disposed on the center of the upper end portion of the indoor unit300as a whole.

The microphone unit10may be installed in the indoor unit100as a box-shaped case330is coupled to an upper surface303of the indoor unit300in a state where the microphone unit10is installed to and received in the case330.

A coupling hook331for coupling with the upper surface303of the indoor unit300may be provided at a lower portion of the case330, and a hooking portion322into which the coupling hook331is detachably inserted may be provided on the electrical equipment compartment cover320forming the upper surface303of the indoor unit300.

Accordingly, the microphone unit10may be detachably coupled to the main body301to facilitate repair or replacement.

The structure in which the microphone unit10is installed in the case330may be the same as the installation structure of the microphone unit10in the washing machine100described above.

Therefore, the microphone hole332may be provided in a front surface of the case330, and the front surface of the microphone unit10may be fixed to a rear surface of the case330such that the sensing portion12a(FIG.6) of the microphone unit10directs to the front of the indoor unit300.

In addition, the buffer member14(FIG.6) may be similarly attached around the sensing portion12a(FIG.6), and in order to fix the microphone unit10, the double-sided tape16(FIG.6) may also be disposed between the rear surface of the case330and the front surface of the microphone unit10.

However, in the case of the waterproof sheet15(FIG.6), the waterproof sheet15(FIG.6) may be omitted in that a large amount of moisture is less likely to flow into the upper surface303in a process of using the indoor unit300.

Functions of the microphone unit10and the speaker unit20may be the same as those applied to the microphone unit10and the speaker unit20of the washing machine100described above, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to example embodiments, it should be understood by those of skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.