Window assembly for electric home appliance and control panel assembly usingg the same

Abstract

A window assembly for an electric home appliance and a control panel assembly using the same are provided. The window assembly includes a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion. The unifying member has a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and the at least one flexible portion is formed by at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers. The plurality of windows is made up of at least two window groups, each window group having at least one window, adjacent window groups of the at least two window groups being separated by a predetermined distance. The at least one flexible portion has a predetermined length, the predetermined length being greater than the predetermined distance, to compensate for dimensional discrepancies in a control panel assembly resulting from normal manufacturing processes. The control panel assembly includes a panel having a plurality of through holes formed in an exterior surface; and a substrate, disposed behind the panel, having a plurality of display elements. The window assembly is disposed between the panel and the substrate, and the plurality of windows of the window assembly are respectively inserted into the plurality of through holes.

1 . A window assembly for an electric home appliance, comprising: 
 a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and    a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion.    
   
   
       2 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of windows comprises at least two window groups, each window group having at least one window, adjacent window groups of the at least two window groups being separated by a predetermined distance.  
   
   
       3 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one flexible portion has a predetermined length, the predetermined length being greater than the predetermined distance.  
   
   
       4 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible portion has a U-shaped form.  
   
   
       5 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible portion has a V-shaped form.  
   
   
       6 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible portion has a semicircular form.  
   
   
       7 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display elements are light-emitting diodes.  
   
   
       8 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display elements are segmented elements.  
   
   
       9 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the windows are made of a transparent material.  
   
   
       10 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the transparent material is formed as a pane for viewing one of the plurality of display elements.  
   
   
       11 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the transparent material is formed as a bulb for viewing one of the plurality of display elements.  
   
   
       12 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the transparent material is formed as a lens for conducting and magnifying light emitted from one of the plurality of display elements.  
   
   
       13 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the unifying member comprises a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and wherein the at least one flexible portion comprises at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.  
   
   
       14 . A window assembly for an electric home appliance, comprising: 
 a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively;    a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows; and    at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.    
   
   
       15 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one group joining member has a U-shaped form.  
   
   
       16 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one group joining member has a V-shaped form.  
   
   
       17 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one group joining member has a semicircular form.  
   
   
       18 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the display elements are light-emitting diodes.  
   
   
       19 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the display elements are segmented elements.  
   
   
       20 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the window couplers are formed of a rigid material.  
   
   
       21 . The window assembly as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the rigid material has a greater rigidity than the at least one group joining member.  
   
   
       22 . A control panel assembly, comprising: 
 a panel having a plurality of through holes formed in an exterior surface;    a substrate, disposed behind the panel, having a plurality of display elements; and    a window assembly disposed between the panel and the substrate, the window assembly comprising: 
 a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and  
 a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion,  
   wherein the plurality of windows are aligned with the plurality of through holes.    
   
   
       23 . The control panel assembly as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the unifying member of the window assembly comprises a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and wherein the at least one flexible portion comprises at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.  
   
   
       24 . The control panel assembly as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of windows are inserted into the plurality of through holes.  
   
   
       25 . The control panel assembly as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the window assembly has a structure corresponding to the formation of the plurality of through holes in the panel.  
   
   
       26 . The control panel assembly as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of through holes is arranged in a predetermined pattern corresponding to an arrangement of the plurality of display elements, the predetermined pattern of through holes and the arrangement of the plurality of display elements each being formed by a mass-production process.  
   
   
       27 . The control panel assembly as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the panel comprises at least two surfaces occupying the same plane.  
   
   
       28 . The control panel assembly as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the panel comprises at least two surfaces occupying separate planes.  
   
   
       29 . A washing machine, comprising: 
 a cabinet; and    a control panel assembly mounted with respect to the cabinet, the control panel assembly comprising: 
 a control panel having a plurality of through holes formed in an exterior surface;  
 a substrate, disposed behind the control panel, having a plurality of display elements; and  
 a window assembly disposed between the control panel and the substrate, the window assembly comprising: 
 a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and  
 a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion,  
 
 wherein the plurality of windows are aligned with the plurality of through holes.  
   
   
   
       30 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the unifying member of the window assembly comprises a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and wherein the at least one flexible portion comprises at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.