Interface and laundry treating apparatus having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12590396-B2
Application number	US-202218574576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2021
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus for positioning a liquid crystal at the center of a manipulation portion when a display including a liquid crystal is installed inside a rotating manipulation portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet; a drum rotatably disposed inside the cabinet and configured to receive laundry; a manipulation portion rotatably coupled to the cabinet and configured to receive a selection command for selecting one or more courses to be performed by rotating the drum; and a displaying interface fixed inside the manipulation portion and configured to display state information including a state of a selected course that is selected among the one or more courses via the manipulation portion, wherein the displaying interface comprises:
a display configured to change the state information based on rotation of the manipulation portion,
a selection portion configured to receive a determination command for selecting state information that is displayed on the display and requests confirmation of a user, the selection portion including a receiver configured to expand a contact area available for the user to input the determination command, and
a state unit disposed above the display, the state unit comprising a plurality of lamps configured to be turned on to thereby selectively indicate one or more preset states of the laundry treating apparatus.

2 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the displaying interface comprises:
a mounting body that accommodates the display; and a circuit board that is disposed at a rear side of the display, the plurality of lamps being installed on the circuit board, and wherein the mounting body defines:
a seating groove that accommodates the display, and
a lamp hole that exposes one or more of the plurality of lamps to an outside of the displaying interface, the lamp hole being defined above the seating groove and passing through the mounting body.

3 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mounting body defines a plurality of lamp holes including the lamp hole, and
wherein a number of the plurality of lamp holes is equal to a number of the plurality of lamps.

4 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a door configured to open and close an opening defined at the cabinet, wherein the plurality of lamps comprise a door lamp configured to be turned on to thereby indicate whether the door is locked to the cabinet.

5 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication module configured to communicate with an external terminal, the external terminal being configured to remotely control the one or more courses or an option, wherein the plurality of lamps comprise at least one of:
a communication lamp configured to be turned on to thereby indicate whether the communication module is activated, or
a remote lamp configured to be turned on to thereby indicate whether the external terminal remotely controls the one or more courses.

6 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a setting portion configured to receive a lock command for inactivating the manipulation portion from receiving an input of the selection command to the manipulation portion, wherein the plurality of lamps comprise a lock lamp configured to be turned on to thereby indicate whether the manipulation portion is inactivated.

7 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the selection portion is disposed below the display.

8 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a luminous body spaced apart from the display and disposed below the display, the luminous body being configured to emit light to thereby guide touch of the selection portion.

9 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the displaying interface comprises:
a mounting body that accommodates the display; and a circuit board disposed at a rear side of the display, the luminous body being mounted on the circuit board, and wherein the mounting body defines a transmission hole configured to guide light emitted from the luminous body forward.

10 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the displaying interface comprises:
a mounting body that defines a seating groove accommodating the display; and a circuit board that is disposed at a rear side of the display, the plurality of lamps being installed on the circuit board, wherein the display comprises:
a liquid crystal,
a control line that extends from the circuit board and is configured to transmit a signal from the circuit board to the liquid crystal, and
a harness disposed at a surface of the liquid crystal and connected to the control line,
wherein the mounting body defines a connector through-hole that receives the control line passing through the mounting body, and wherein the connector through-hole is defined at a position that is offset toward a left or right side surface of the seating groove, or toward an upper or lower surface of the seating groove.

11 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the connector through-hole is in contact with the left or right side surface of the seating groove.

12 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the liquid crystal is positioned at a center of the mounting body, and
wherein the seating groove is disposed offset toward a direction in which the connector through-hole is offset with respect to the center of the mounting body.

13 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the seating groove comprises:
a first surface that faces an outer surface of the harness; and a second surface that faces an outer surface of the liquid crystal and is disposed opposite to the first surface, and wherein an inner circumferential surface of the mounting body is disposed closer to the first surface than to the second surface.

14 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the inner circumferential surface of the mounting body is disposed closer to a vertex of the first surface than to a vertex of the second surface.

15 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 13 , wherein an interval between a vertex of the first surface and the inner circumferential surface of the mounting body is less than an interval between a vertex of the second surface and the inner circumferential surface of the mounting body.

16 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the displaying interface comprises:
a window that is disposed at a front side of the mounting body and covers a surface of the display from an outside of the laundry treating apparatus; and a support surface that extends along a circumference of the mounting body and accommodates the window, and wherein the support surface is disposed closer to the first surface than to the second surface.

17 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a vertex of the first surface faces the support surface based on the window being inserted into the support surface.

18 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a thickness of a portion of the support surface that faces a vertex of the first surface is less than a thickness of other portions of the support surface.

19 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first surface comprises a curved portion disposed at a vertex of the first surface.

20 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the harness has chamfers that are defined at ends of the harness and engaged with the curved portion.

21 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the second surface

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Hyunseung
• Lee Kyuchul

Classifications

• D06F58/206

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title

• D06F29/005

  the other separate apparatus being a drying appliance · CPC title

• D06F34/30 Primary

  characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials · CPC title

• D06F34/08

  Control circuits or arrangements thereof · CPC title

• D06F34/34

  characterised by mounting or attachment features, e.g. detachable control panels or detachable display panels · CPC title