Laundry treatment device having a control panel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803309-B2
Application number	US-201414911915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Aug 13, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A laundry treatment device ( 100 ) includes a casing ( 2 ) housing a laundry treatment chamber ( 12 ) and including a front wall ( 4 ) defining an outward-facing continuous-wall front surface ( 4 a ), the front wall ( 4 ) having a laundry opening ( 3 a ) to load and/or unload said laundry treatment chamber ( 12 ), a panel aperture ( 15 ) and a drawer aperture ( 60 ). The panel aperture ( 15 ) and the drawer aperture ( 60 ) are separated one from the other by a crosspiece ( 66 ). The crosspiece has an outward-facing crosspiece front surface ( 66 a ). A control panel assembly ( 1 ) is provided for controlling operation of the laundry treatment device ( 100 ). The control panel assembly ( 1 ) includes an outer dashboard ( 11 ) which is structured to be coupled to the front wall ( 4 ) at the panel aperture ( 15 ) and to be operated by a user. A drawer ( 63 ) is provided as well as a drawer seat ( 61 ) to house the drawer ( 63 ). The drawer seat is fixed or fixable to the front wall ( 4 ) at the drawer aperture ( 60 ) so that the drawer ( 63 ) is coupled in a retractable manner to the front wall ( 4 ). Outer dashboard ( 11 ) and/or the drawer seat ( 61 ) includes a cover surface ( 101 a ) located externally to the casing ( 2 ) in front of the crosspiece front surface ( 66 a ), so as to cover the latter when the laundry treatment device ( 100 ) is in an assembled configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment device comprising:
a casing housing a laundry treatment chamber and including a front wall defining an outward-facing continuous-wall front surface, said front wall having a laundry opening to load and/or unload said laundry treatment chamber, a panel aperture and a drawer aperture, said panel aperture and said drawer aperture being separated one from the other by a crosspiece, said crosspiece having an outward-facing crosspiece front surface;
a control panel assembly for controlling operation of the laundry treatment device said control panel assembly including an outer dashboard which is structured to be coupled to said front wall at said panel aperture and to be operated by a user;
a drawer and a drawer seat to house said drawer, the drawer seat being fixed or fixable to said front wall at said drawer aperture so that said drawer is coupled in a retractable manner to said front wall,
wherein said outer dashboard and/or said drawer seat includes a cover surface located externally to said casing in front of said crosspiece front surface, so as to cover the latter when said laundry treatment device is in an assembled configuration.

2. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein all visible portions of said continuous front surface are seamless.

3. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said drawer seat is integral to said outer dashboard forming an outer dashboard assembly.

4. The laundry treatment device according to claim 3 , wherein said outer dashboard assembly includes a bridge element coupling said outer dashboard to said drawer seat, said bridge element comprising said cover surface.

5. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said outer dashboard or an outer dashboard assembly formed by said drawer seat and said outer dashboard, when coupled to said panel aperture in an assembled configuration, is completely surrounded by said front wall.

6. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said crosspiece front surface is a portion of said continuous-wall front surface of said front wall.

7. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said drawer aperture and/or said panel aperture has an edge defining a closed curve.

8. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein, when said laundry treatment device is in an assembled configuration, said cover surface abuts against said crosspiece front surface.

9. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said crosspiece comprises at least part of a first mechanical coupling system to fasten or fastening said drawer seat to said crosspiece and at least part of a second mechanical coupling system to fasten or fastening said outer dashboard to said crosspiece.

10. The laundry treatment device according to claim 9 , wherein said first and/or second mechanical coupling system includes a screw, screw threads on said outer dashboard and/or on said drawer seat and a hole on said crosspiece.

11. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said drawer seat is coupled to an edge of said drawer aperture by means of a drawer seat mechanical coupling.

12. The laundry treatment device according to claim 11 , wherein said drawer seat mechanical coupling includes a screw coupling element.

13. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein a vertical section of said front wall presents a concavity pointed towards the internal of said casing.

14. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said outer dashboard is made of a plastic material and said front wall is made of a metallic material.

15. The laundry treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein said crosspiece is a separated element fixed or fixable to said front wall to separate said panel aperture and said drawing aperture.

Assignees

• Electrolux Appliances AB

Inventors

• De Pellegrin Andrea
• Morandini Stefano

Classifications

• D06F58/20

  General details of domestic laundry dryers  (D06F59/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F2216/00

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F39/005 Primary

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F58/28

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic