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DE-102015200880-B4 - Household appliance with a user interface and a door

DE102015200880B4DE 102015200880 B4DE102015200880 B4DE 102015200880B4DE-102015200880-B4

Abstract

Household appliance (1) with at least one user interface (13) for input and output of information and a door (3) which has an edge (14, 14'), wherein the at least one user interface (13) extends partially or completely around the edge (14, 14'), wherein the at least one user interface (13) has a first surface (15) and a second surface (16), wherein the first surface (15) points in at least a first spatial direction and the second surface (16) points in at least a second spatial direction, and wherein the first and second spatial directions are different, and wherein, when the door (3) is closed, the first surface (15) of the at least one user interface (13) points upwards and the second surface (16) of the at least one user interface (13) points forwards, characterized in that the first surface (15) and the second surface (16) of the at least one user interface (13) each serve for input and output of information.

Inventors

  • Klaus Dukek
  • Tobias Merk

Assignees

  • BSH Hausgeräte GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20150121

Claims (11)

  1. Household appliance (1) with at least one user interface (13) for input and output of information and a door (3) which has an edge (14, 14'), wherein the at least one user interface (13) extends partially or completely around the edge (14, 14'), wherein the at least one user interface (13) has a first surface (15) and a second surface (16), wherein the first surface (15) points in at least a first spatial direction and the second surface (16) points in at least a second spatial direction, and wherein the first and second spatial directions are different, and wherein, when the door (3) is closed, the first surface (15) of the at least one user interface (13) points upwards and the second surface (16) of the at least one user interface (13) points forwards, characterized in that the first surface (15) and the second surface (16) of the at least one user interface (13) each serve for input and output of information.
  2. household appliance after Claim 1 , characterized in that the first spatial direction and the second spatial direction are orthogonal to each other.
  3. household appliance according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that at least one user interface (13) is a screen (24) for displaying information.
  4. household appliance according to one of the Claims 1 - 3 , characterized in that the at least one user interface (13) is a touch-sensitive surface (23) for inputting information.
  5. household appliance according to one of the Claims 1 - 4 , characterized in that at least one user interface (13) is a touchscreen for input and output of information.
  6. household appliance according to one of the Claims 1 - 5 , characterized by a control device (22) which is configured to display the same information on the first and second surfaces (15, 16) of the at least one user interface (13).
  7. household appliance according to one of the Claims 1 - 6 , characterized by at least one further user interface (13') for input and output of information, which is arranged adjacent to the at least one user interface (13).
  8. household appliance after Claim 7 , characterized in that at least one further user interface (13') is arranged in an upper narrow side (3a) of the door (3).
  9. household appliance according to one of the Claims 1 - 8 , characterized by a first surface (3a, 19) and a second surface (3b, 20) which are connected to each other via the edge (14, 14'), wherein the at least one user interface (13) extends continuously from the first surface (3a, 19) to the second surface (3b, 20).
  10. household appliance according to one of the Claims 1 - 9 , characterized in that at least one user interface (13) is integrated into a control panel (18) of the household appliance (1).
  11. household appliance after Claim 10 , characterized in that the control panel (18) has a viewing window (21) behind which at least one user interface (13) is arranged.

Description

The present invention relates to a household appliance, in particular a household dishwasher. Household appliances are designed for various installation types as freestanding, under-counter, built-in, or fully integrated units, and most feature a door that opens upwards or forwards towards the user. This door often includes a user interface for inputting and outputting information. A user interface integrated into a front-opening door is particularly common in household dishwashers. When the door is closed, it is located either on the front or on the upper narrow side (top edge) of the door. In the former case, the user interface is readable and/or operable when the door is closed; in the latter case, it is only accessible when the door is open. Depending on the door's position, readability and/or operation from one direction or the other may be difficult or impossible. Household dishwashers with a user interface located at the top of the door and additional displays on the front of the door are publicly known. The Samsung DW60H9970US/EF is one example of this type of dishwasher. Furthermore, mobile phones and tablets from Samsung are known to have a touch display that wraps around the edges of the casing. Against this background, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved household appliance. According to the invention, a household appliance is proposed with at least one user interface for input and output of information and an edge, wherein the at least one user interface extends partially or completely around the edge. At least one user interface can extend over or under the edge. A user interface that wraps around the edge in one way or another eliminates the door's position as an influencing factor, making it readable and operable from both the front and above. Furthermore, a user interface extending around the edge can replace two flat user interfaces located opposite each other at the edge, thus reducing the number of parts and the assembly effort accordingly. The household appliance could be, for example, an oven, a stove, a steam cooker, a microwave, a refrigerator, a freezer, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a tumble dryer or the like, in particular a dishwasher (household dishwasher). In this context, a user interface is a device through which a user interacts with a machine. The user interface can, for example, display information visually to the user and allow the user to manually input information – via function keys or similar means. For this purpose, the user interface can be linked to a control unit of the household appliance via signal processing. The control unit may contain a microprocessor. The edge is a line or area where two surfaces belonging to the same household appliance meet at an angle, preferably at a right angle. Extending the user interface around the edge results in a curved area. For example, this area can describe an arc of up to 90° where surfaces meet at right angles. The edge can, in particular, be an imaginary edge extending from a broken edge of the household appliance. The edge can have a radius of, for example, 0–20 mm, preferably 2–10 mm. In general, the notion that the "user interface extends partially or completely around the edge" preferably includes two cases: The user interface extends outside around the (imaginary) edge or the user interface extends inside around the (imaginary) edge. “Partially” means that the curved area of the user interface may only cover a portion of the arc that would be the maximum possible due to the angle at which the surfaces meet, and thus the user interface only partially covers the edge. “Complete” means that the curved area of the user interface encompasses the entire arc, thus the user interface covers the entire edge. According to the invention, the at least one user interface has a first surface and a second surface, each for input and output of information. on, wherein the first surface points in at least a first spatial direction and the second surface points in at least a second spatial direction, and wherein the first and second spatial directions are different. Preferably, the angle between the first spatial direction and the second spatial direction includes an angle of 45° or 90°; alternatively, the angle can be adapted to the respective design requirements. According to another embodiment, the first spatial direction and the second spatial direction are orthogonal to each other. For example, a right angle corresponds to the conventional installation situation in which the different surfaces of a household appliance meet at a 90° angle. According to the invention, the household appliance comprises a door having an edge. The edge around which the user interface extends, at least in part, can be an edge of the door. The aforementioned advantages of the user interface are particularly evident with those edges that move towards the user when the door is opened. The outer edge of the door that forms the o