Console assembly with integrated light reflector cups

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9982866-B2
Application number	US-201615073889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2013
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A console assembly for an appliance has a console shell having a front surface with integrated light reflector cups, and a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted to the console shell and having light emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting light into at least some of the integrated light reflector cups.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A console assembly for a laundry treating appliance, comprising:
a console shell having a front surface with co-molded, integrally formed light reflector cups; and
a printed circuit board having a front side and a rear side, spaced and opposite from the front side, the rear side of the printed circuit board mounted to the console shell and the rear side of the printed circuit board having a set of light emitting diodes operably coupled thereto emitting light into at least some of the integrated light reflector cups and wherein the printed circuit board has a set of openings extending between the front side and the rear side adjacent the light emitting diodes and wherein the openings are aligned with at least some of the light reflector cups such that the light is reflected by the cups through the openings; and
a fascia having a front surface and a rear surface and where the front side of the printed circuit board is mounted to the rear surface of the fascia;
wherein a light reflector cup of the console shell is positioned to enclose one of the set of light emitting diodes and one of the set of openings.

2. The console assembly of claim 1 wherein the fascia includes transparent, translucent, tinting, or filtering portions aligned with at least some of the set of openings.

3. The console assembly of claim 2 , further comprising snap fasteners connecting the fascia to at least one of the printed circuit board or console shell.

4. The console assembly of claim 1 , further comprising snap fasteners connecting the printed circuit board to the console shell.

5. The console assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the light reflector cups includes a multi-faceted cavity.

6. The console assembly of claim 5 wherein the multi-faceted cavity comprises a wall configured to reflect the emitted light toward the one of the set of openings.

7. The console assembly of claim 6 wherein the emitted light passes through the one of the set of openings without being retarded by any light blocking medium.

8. The console assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a console mount operably coupled to a portion of the console shell and configured to couple to a laundry treating appliance.

9. The console assembly of claim 1 wherein the light reflector cups comprises a set of walls extending from the front surface.

10. A household appliance for performing a useful cycle of operation on a physical article comprising:
a cabinet;
a console provided on the cabinet and having a console shell having a front surface with co-molded, integrally formed light reflector cups;
a printed circuit board having a front side and a rear side, spaced and opposite from the front side, the rear side of the printed circuit board mounted to the console shell and rear side of the printed circuit board having a set of light emitting diodes emitting light into at least some of the integrated light reflector cups and wherein the printed circuit board has a set of openings extending between the front side and the rear side adjacent the light emitting diodes and wherein the openings are aligned with at least some of the light reflector cups such that the light is reflected by the cups through the openings; and
a fascia having a front surface and a rear surface, where the front side of the printed circuit board is mounted to the rear surface of the fascia, and with the fascia including transparent, translucent, tinting, or filtering portions aligned with the light reflector cups;
wherein a light reflector cup of the console shell is positioned to enclose one of the set of light emitting diodes and one of the set of openings.

11. The household appliance of claim 10 wherein the printed circuit board has openings aligned with at least some of the integrated light reflector cups such that the emitted light is reflected by the light reflector cups through the openings.

12. The household appliance of claim 11 wherein the transparent, translucent, tinting, or filtering portions align with the openings.

13. The household appliance of claim 12 , further comprising snap fasteners connecting the fascia to at least one of the printed circuit board or console shell.

14. The household appliance of claim 13 wherein the light emitting diode are located on a side of the printed circuit board confronting the front surface of the console shell.

15. The household appliance of claim 10 wherein the console is provided along at least one of a front or rear edge of a top surface of the cabinet.

16. The household appliance of claim 10 wherein the console is provided along a front of the cabinet.

17. The household appliance of claim 10 wherein the cabinet defines a chamber and further comprises a door for selectively closing the chamber.

18. The household appliance of claim 17 wherein the console is provided on the door.

19. The household appliance of claim 10 wherein at least one of the light reflector cups includes a multi-faceted cavity.

20. The household appliance of claim 10 , further comprising a console mount attaching the console shell to the cabinet via one or more fasteners.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Ebrom Matthew P
• Schuh Eric J
• Subramaniyam Sithaarth T
• Venkataraman Sugosh
• Arumugam Udayakumar
• Martinhon Guilherme

Classifications

• G09F9/302

  characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements · CPC title

• F21V7/0008 Primary

  providing for indirect lighting · CPC title

• F21W2131/30

  Lighting for domestic or personal use · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• G09F13/06

  using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs · CPC title