Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus for performing a processing operation for laundry, the apparatus including a control panel to input a control signal for the processing operation. The apparatus includes a body to accommodate laundry and a cover to define an exterior of the body. The cover includes a through hole in a front upper end portion. The control panel is installed inside the cover and partially exposed to an exterior of the cover through the through hole. The control panel includes an outer window inserted into the through hole and supported on an inner surface of the cover, an inner window disposed in contact with a rear surface of the outer window, a touch screen coupled to a rear surface of the inner window; and a coating guide to support the inner window and the touch screen on a rear surface of the touch screen and fastened to the inner surface of the cover.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A laundry treating apparatus for performing a processing operation for laundry, the laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a main body configured to accommodate the laundry;   a cover defining an exterior of the main body, the cover including a first through hole in a front upper end portion of the cover; and   a control panel located at an inner surface of the cover, the control panel being partially exposed to an exterior of the cover through the first through hole to allow a user to input a control signal for the processing operation, the control panel including:
 an outer window located in the first through hole, the outer window being supported on the inner surface of the cover; 
 an inner window contacting a rear surface of the outer window; 
 a touch screen located at a rear surface of the inner window; and 
 a coating guide configured to support the inner window and a rear surface of the touch screen, the coating guide being located at the inner surface of the cover. 
   
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the control panel further includes a first sealing member interposed between the inner window and the coating guide. 
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the control panel further includes a board cover located at a rear surface of the coating guide, the board cover including a printed circuit board (PCB) connected to the touch screen. 
     
     
         21 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the control panel further includes a second sealing member interposed between the coating guide and the board cover. 
     
     
         22 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a panel frame configured to press a rear surface of the control panel, the panel frame being located at the inner surface of the cover. 
     
     
         23 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the panel frame includes a frame protrusion protruding from a front surface of the panel frame, the frame protrusion being configured to press a rear surface of the board cover. 
     
     
         24 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the control panel further comprises a third sealing member interposed between the outer window and the inner window. 
     
     
         25 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the cover further includes a locking ledge protruding from an upper circumferential edge of the first through hole, and
 wherein the outer window includes:
 a window rib protruding from a lower end portion of the outer window, the window rib being engaged with the inner surface of the cover; and 
 a locking protrusion protruding from an upper end portion of the outer window, the locking protrusion being engaged with the locking ledge. 
   
     
     
         26 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the cover further includes a second through hole provided lower than a center of the first through hole in the front upper end portion of the cover, and
 a first hook protrusion protruding rearward from a circumferential edge of the second through hole, and   wherein the control panel is coupled to the first hook protrusion.   
     
     
         27 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the hook protrusion includes a first hook hole extending through the first hook protrusion, and
 wherein the coating guide includes a hook provided at a lower end of the coating guide, the hook being inserted into the first hook hole.   
     
     
         28 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising fasteners fastening an upper end portion of the coating guide to the inner surface of the cover. 
     
     
         29 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 26 , further comprising a first control button located inside the cover, the control button being partially exposed to the exterior of the cover through the second through hole, the first control button being configured to be brought into contact with the control panel when pressed by a user. 
     
     
         30 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the cover includes a third through hole,
 wherein the second through hole and the third through hole are arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of the cover, and   wherein the laundry treating apparatus further comprises a second control button located inside the cover, the second control button being partially exposed to the exterior of the cover through the third through hole.   
     
     
         31 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the cover further includes a second hook protrusion protruding rearward from a circumferential edge of the third through hole, and
 wherein the control panel is fastened to the first hook protrusion and the second hook protrusion.   
     
     
         32 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a wireless communicator configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal to and from an outside of the laundry treating apparatus, the wireless communicator being located at the inner surface of the cover, the wireless communicator being coupled to a bottom of the control panel. 
     
     
         33 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 32 , further comprising a controller configured to input/output signals related to controlling the processing operation. 
     
     
         34 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the controller is configured to receive signals for controlling the processing operation from the touch screen through the printed circuit board. 
     
     
         35 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the wireless communicator is configured to transmit and receive the wireless signals for controlling the processing operation from/to the controller. 
     
     
         36 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the control panel further includes:
 a fixed UI section including a first control UI having a fixed display; and   a variable UI section including a second control UI having a variable display.   
     
     
         37 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the inner window includes an area corresponding to the first through hole, a first portion of the area being a transmissive area, a remaining portion of the area being a non-transmissive area, and
 wherein the touch screen is located at a rear surface of the inner window, the touch screen being visible through the transmissive area.