User interface panel for an oven appliance

Abstract

An oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the cooking chamber, and a user interface panel mounted to the cabinet. The user interface panel includes a control board housing, a control board mounted to the control board housing, the control board comprising one or more electronic components, a control board cover positioned over the control board housing and the control board, and a sealing element positioned between the control board housing and the control board or the control board cover.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the oven appliance comprising: 
 a cabinet defining a cooking chamber;   a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the cooking chamber; and    a user interface panel mounted to the cabinet, the user interface panel comprising: 
 a control board housing; 
 a control board mounted to the control board housing, the control board comprising one or more electronic components;  
 a control board cover positioned over the control board housing and the control board; and  
 a sealing element positioned between the control board housing and the control board or the control board cover. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronic components comprise a plurality of capacitive touch sensors. 
     
     
         3 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the control board comprises a plurality of light sources and the control board housing defines a plurality of light guides for reflecting or redirecting light from the plurality of light sources. 
     
     
         4 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the control board cover is formed from ceramic glass and has a masking layer that defines a plurality of control panel indicators or control inputs. 
     
     
         5 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing element is a crush ring that is integrally molded to the control board housing. 
     
     
         6 . The oven appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the crush ring extends from a top of the control board housing and is tapered along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         7 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the control board housing is injection molded from a polymer material and the sealing element is overmolded onto the control board housing. 
     
     
         8 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing element is a silicone, rubber, or fiber gasket. 
     
     
         9 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the control board housing defines a receiving shoulder, the sealing element being positioned at least partially within the receiving shoulder. 
     
     
         10 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the control board housing, the sealing element, and the control board cover form a sealed enclosure. 
     
     
         11 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface panel is mounted at a front, top corner of the cabinet above the door. 
     
     
         12 . A user interface panel for an appliance, the appliance comprising a cabinet defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the user interface panel comprising: 
 a control board housing mounted to the cabinet;   a control board mounted to the control board housing, the control board comprising one or more electronic components;    a control board cover positioned over the control board housing and the control board; and    a sealing element positioned between the control board housing and the control board or the control board cover.   
     
     
         13 . The user interface panel of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more electronic components comprise a plurality of capacitive touch sensors. 
     
     
         14 . The user interface panel of  claim 12 , wherein the control board comprises a plurality of light sources and the control board housing defines a plurality of light guides for reflecting or redirecting light from the plurality of light sources. 
     
     
         15 . The user interface panel of  claim 12 , wherein the control board cover is formed from ceramic glass and has a masking layer that defines a plurality of control panel indicators or control inputs. 
     
     
         16 . The user interface panel of  claim 12 , wherein the sealing element is a crush ring that is integrally molded to the control board housing. 
     
     
         17 . The user interface panel of  claim 16 , wherein the crush ring extends from a top of the control board housing and is tapered along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         18 . The user interface panel of  claim 12 , wherein the control board housing is injection molded from a polymer material and the sealing element is overmolded onto the control board housing. 
     
     
         19 . The user interface panel of  claim 12 , wherein the sealing element is a silicone, rubber, or fiber gasket. 
     
     
         20 . The user interface panel of  claim 12 , wherein the control board housing defines a receiving shoulder, the sealing element being positioned at least partially within the receiving shoulder.