Patent ID: 7554058

Claim:
A household appliance comprising: a body having a front with a planar outer surface; an appliance port including at least one of a cooling air inlet port and a vapor exhaust port disposed on the body; a door configured to close an access opening of the appliance, the access opening being distinct from the appliance port; and a console-type user control and display unit, the user control and display unit including a control and display element, a housing, and control electronics disposed in the housing, the control electronics being configured for signal communication with the control and display element and with power electronics of the household appliance, at least a first portion of the user control and display unit being disposed on the door so as to be cooled by a flow of ambient air and so as to shield, when the door is in a closed position, the appliance port from view in a direction perpendicular to the planar outer surface of the front of the body.