Appliance control housing and console construction

A control panel assembly for an appliance control housing having an open front, the combination comprising:

• a relatively rigid support panel for generally closing said open front and including a front portion and rearwardly projecting upper and lower shoulder portions;
• a relatively less rigid decorative panel including a face portion and rearwardly projecting upper and lower flanges;
• means for providing an interlocking pivotal connection between one of said flanges and the corresponding shoulder portion of said support panel, said decorative panel being pivotable about said interlocking connection into engagement with said support panel for an overlapping interference between said flanges and the shoulder portions of said support panel, the fabricated dimension between said support panel shoulder portions across the points of engagement with said decorative panel flanges being greater than the corresponding dimension between said decorative panel flanges to produce said interference for removably retaining said decorative panel on said support panel and for springing apart said decorative panel flanges and bowing the face portion of said decorative panel into at least partial engagement with the front portion of said support panel, said decorative panel face portion having a generally coextensively overlying relationship with the front portion of said support panel in the assembled posture;
• and locating means associated with each of said panels and cooperable for locating said decorative panel upon said support panel.

A control panel assembly for an appliance control housing having an open front, the combination comprising:

• a horizontally elongated relatively rigid support panel for generally closing said open front and including a front portion and rearwardly projecting upper and lower shoulder portions engageable with upper and lower portions of said housing;
• a horizontally elongated relatively less rigid decorative panel including a decorative face portion and rearwardly projecting upper and lower flanges;
• means for providing an interlocking pivotal connection between one of said flanges and the corresponding shoulder portion of said support panel, said decorative panel being pivotable about said interlocking connection into engagement with said support panel for an overlapping interference between said flanges and the shoulder portions of said support panel, the fabricated dimension between said support panel shoulder portions across the points of engagement with said decorative panel flanges being greater than the corresponding dimension between said decorative panel flanges to produce said interference for removably retaining said decorative panel on said support panel and for springing apart said decorative panel flanges and bowing the face portion of said decorative panel into at least partial engagement with the front portion of said support panel, said decorative panel face portion having a generally coextensively overlying relationship with the front portion of said support panel in the assembled posture;
• and a cooperative slot and tab arrangement associated with said support and decorative panels for both horizontally and vertically locating the face of said decorative panel upon the front of said support panel as said decorative panel is sprung and pivoted into engagement with said support panel.

A control panel for an appliance control housing having an open front, the combination comprising:

• horizontally elongated panel means for generally closing said open front, said panel means including a unitary member of sheet material and comprising a generally forwardly facing body portion and an upper frame portion, said upper frame portion including a rearwardly extending flange, a generally forwardly facing fascia section connected to said flange, and a tapered section extending downwardly and rearwardly from said fascia section to said body portion;
• a pair of end cap members for at least partially enclosing the ends of said panel means, each of said end cap members including a rearwardly extending outside flange, a forwardly facing fascia section, and an inwardly and rearwardly extending tapered section, the tapered section of said end cap overlying the end of the body portion of said panel means and having an upper edge formed to mate with and provide a mitered appearance in cooperation with the tapered section of said panel means frame portion, said end cap fascia section and the fascia section of said panel means frame portion being disposed in a common plane and having a butting relationship, said end cap having a top surface formed for alignment with the flange of said panel means frame portion;
• and means for connecting said end caps to said panel means for maintaining alignment of the flange and fascia section of said panel means frame portion with the top surface and fascia section of said end caps respectively whereby a corner construction unbroken by shoulders extending outwardly from the square outline of the frame corner is achieved.