# US 2021/0274996 A1 · Dishwashing appliance and door having a built-in display

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- Number: US 2021/0274996 A1
- Document ID: US20210274996A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/812,572
- Filed: 2020-03-09
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09
- Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
- Applicants: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
- Inventors: Kyle James Brewer; Timothy David Kaiser; Brian J. Mormon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274996A1

## CPC

- A47L 15/4265: {Arrangements of door covering/decoration panels or plinths, e.g. for integrated dishwashers}
- A47L 15/4293: {Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels}
- A47L 15/4257: {Details of the loading door}
- A47L 15/4274: {Arrangement of electrical components, e.g. control units or cables (A47L15/4293 takes precedence)}
- F21V 33/0044: {Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners}
- G02F 1/133314: {Back frames}
- G02F 1/13332: {Front frames}
- G02F 1/133331: {Cover glasses}
- G02F 1/133615: {Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side}
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS

## Abstract

A dishwashing appliance, as provided herein, may include door having a frame, an opaque back panel, a light-guide panel, a light source, a transparent liquid crystal display, and an exterior panel. The frame may extend along a transverse direction between a rear internal end and a front external end. The opaque back panel may be mounted to the frame at the front external end. The light-guide panel may be attached to the frame forward from the opaque back panel. The light-guide panel may define a radial edge perpendicular to the transverse direction. The light source may be directed at the radial edge to project a light emission thereto. The transparent liquid crystal display panel may be attached to the frame forward from the light-guide panel. The exterior panel may be attached to the frame forward from the transparent liquid crystal display panel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An appliance door defining a mutually-orthogonal vertical direction, lateral direction, and transverse direction, the appliance door comprising:
a frame extending along the transverse direction between a rear internal end and a front external end;
an opaque back panel mounted to the frame at the front external end;
a light-guide panel attached to the frame forward from the opaque back panel, the light-guide panel defining a radial edge perpendicular to the transverse direction;
a light source directed at the radial edge to project a light emission thereto;
a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) panel attached to the frame forward from the light-guide panel; and p1 an exterior panel attached to the frame forward from the transparent LCD panel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The appliance door of claim 1, wherein the light-guide panel comprises a backlight acrylic.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The appliance door of claim 1, further comprising a transparent substrate panel extending radially about the transparent LCD panel, the transparent substrate defining an internal void within which the transparent LCD panel is received.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The appliance door of claim 1, wherein the light source is radially aligned with the radial edge.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The appliance door of claim 4, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) spaced apart along the radial edge.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The appliance door of claim 4, wherein the light source is radially aligned with the transparent LCD panel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The appliance door of claim 1, further comprising a U-channel trim extending along at least a portion of the radial edge, wherein the light source is received within the U-channel trim.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The appliance door of claim 1, wherein the radial edge defines a first segment and a second segment opposite of the first segment, wherein the light source comprises a first LED directed at the first segment and a second LED directed at the second segment.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The appliance door of claim 8, further comprising a U-channel trim extending along the first segment and the second segment, wherein the first LED and the second LED are received within the U-channel trim.

### Claim 10

A dishwashing appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub housed within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber; and
a door rotatably attached to the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the wash chamber in a closed position, the door comprising
a frame extending between a rear internal end and a front external end,
an opaque back panel mounted to the frame at the front external end,
a light-guide panel attached to the frame forward from the opaque back panel such that a rear face of the light-guide panel is blocked by the opaque back panel and the opaque back panel is visible through a front face of the light-guide panel, the light-guide panel defining a radial edge,
a light source directed at the radial edge to project a light emission thereto,
a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) panel attached to the frame forward from the light-guide panel and the opaque back panel, the transparent LCD comprising a plurality of pixels between two polarizing filters, and
an exterior panel attached to the frame forward from the transparent LCD panel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 10, wherein the light-guide panel comprises a backlight acrylic.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 10, wherein the door further comprises a transparent substrate panel extending radially about the transparent LCD panel, the transparent substrate defining an internal void within which the transparent LCD panel is received.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 10, wherein the light source is radially aligned with the radial edge.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 13, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) spaced apart along the radial edge.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 13, wherein the light source is radially aligned with the transparent LCD panel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 10, wherein the door further comprises a U-channel trim extending along at least a portion of the radial edge, wherein the light source is received within the U-channel trim.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 10, wherein the radial edge defines a first segment and a second segment opposite of the first segment, wherein the light source comprises a first LED directed at the first segment and a second LED directed at the second segment.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 17, further comprising a U-channel trim extending along the first segment and the second segment, wherein the first LED and the second LED are received within the U-channel trim.

### Claim 19

A dishwashing appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub housed within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber; and
a door rotatably attached to the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the wash chamber in a closed position, the door comprising
a frame extending between a rear internal end and a front external end,
an opaque back panel mounted to the frame at the front external end,
a light-guide panel attached to the frame forward from the opaque back panel, the light-guide panel defining a radial edge and being translucent such that the opaque back panel is visible through light-guide panel,
a light source radially aligned with and directed at the radial edge to project a light emission into the light-guide panel through the radial edge,
a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) panel attached to the frame forward from the light-guide panel and the opaque back panel, the transparent LCD comprising a plurality of pixels between two polarizing filters, and
an exterior panel attached to the frame forward from the transparent LCD panel.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The dishwashing appliance of claim 19, wherein the door further comprises
a transparent substrate panel extending radially about the transparent LCD panel, the transparent substrate defining an internal void within which the transparent LCD panel is received, and
a U-channel trim extending along at least a portion of the radial edge, wherein the light source is received within the U-channel trim.