# US 2014/0197150 A1 · Control panel for an appliance and a method for producing a control panel for an appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197150 A1 - Document ID: US20140197150A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/740,530 - Filed: 2013-01-14 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-14 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Raja Gopal Varhabhatla; Sudhaker Rao Veldhi; Derrick Douglas Little - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197150A1 ## CPC - H05K 13/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components - F24C 7/082: {on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination} - H03K 17/9622: {using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard} - Y10T 29/49124: On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc. - Y10T 29/4913: Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc. - Y10T 29/49885: with coating before or during assembling - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A control panel for an appliance is provided. The control panel can be produced by providing a dielectric substrate having a front surface and a back surface, printing a conductive ink onto the back surface of the dielectric substrate, curing the conductive ink such that the conductive ink forms a plurality of capacitive sensors on the back surface of the dielectric substrate, and positioning the dielectric substrate on the appliance such that the front surface of the dielectric substrate faces outwardly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for producing a control panel for an appliance, comprising: providing a dielectric substrate having a front surface and a back surface, the front and back surfaces positioned opposite each other on the dielectric substrate; printing a conductive ink onto the back surface of the dielectric substrate; curing the conductive ink such that the conductive ink forms a plurality of capacitive sensors on the back surface of the dielectric substrate; and positioning the dielectric substrate on the appliance such that the front surface of the dielectric substrate faces outwardly and at least one of the capacitive sensors on the back surface of the dielectric substrate is triggered when a user touches the front surface of the dielectric substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising marking a plurality of appliance function indicators on the dielectric substrate, each one of the appliance function indicators positioned adjacent and corresponding to one of the capacitive sensors, the appliance function indicators being visible on the front surface of the dielectric substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the appliance function indicators are marked directly on the dielectric substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a light emitting diode on the back surface of the dielectric substrate at one of the capacitive sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising soldering a display onto the back surface of the dielectric substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a conformal coating onto the capacitive sensors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein said step of applying further comprises coating exposed portions of the back surface of the dielectric substrate with the conformal coating. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the conformal coating comprises at least one of an acrylic, an epoxy, a polyurethane, silicon, a parylene, and a fluoropolymer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the conductive ink comprises about seventy-five percent silver. ### Claim 11 An appliance comprising: a cabinet; a control panel mounted to said cabinet, said control panel comprising a dielectric substrate having a front surface and a back surface, the front and back surfaces positioned opposite each other on said dielectric substrate; a plurality of capacitive sensors printed onto the back surface of said dielectric substrate; wherein said dielectric substrate is positioned on said cabinet such that the front surface of said dielectric substrate faces outwardly and at least one of said capacitive sensors is triggered when a user touches the front surface of the dielectric substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The appliance of claim 11, wherein said control panel further comprises a plurality of appliance function indicators positioned on said dielectric substrate, each one of said appliance function indicators positioned adjacent and corresponding to one of said capacitive sensors, said appliance function indicators being visible on the front surface of said dielectric substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The appliance of claim 11, wherein said appliance function indicators are positioned directly on said dielectric substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The appliance of claim 11, wherein said control panel further comprises a light emitting diode mounted on the back surface of said dielectric substrate at one of said capacitive sensors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The appliance of claim 11, wherein said control panel further comprises a display soldered onto the back surface of said dielectric substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The appliance of claim 15, wherein said display comprises a liquid crystal display. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The appliance of claim 11, wherein said control panel further comprises a conformal coating disposed over said capacitive sensors on the back surface of said dielectric substrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The appliance of claim 17, wherein said conformal coating is also disposed over exposed portions of the back surface of said dielectric substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The appliance of claim 17, wherein said conformal coating comprises at least one of an acrylic, an epoxy, a polyurethane, silicon, a parylene, and a fluoropolymer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The appliance of claim 11, wherein said capacitive sensors are constructed with a material having about seventy-five percent silver.