As shown in FIG. 5, the first touch spring 463 and the second touch spring may be provided in the form of a coil, which provides restoring force to the first button 461 and the second button 471. To prevent the first button 461 and the second button 471 from being separated from the button mounting portions 136 and 137, respectively, the first input unit 46 may include a first stopper 462 limiting a motion range of the first button, and the second input unit 47 may include a second stopper (not shown) limiting a motion range of the second button.

The encoder 5 is a device that generates an electrical signal during rotation of the actuator 7 (or generates an electrical signal differently set depending on a rotation angle of the actuator) while pivotably fixing the actuator 7 to the first circuit board 4.

As shown in FIG. 6, the encoder 5 may include a fixing portion 51 that is fixed to the first circuit board 4 and to which the display unit 8 is fixed, a rotating portion 52 that is rotatably fixed to the fixing portion 51 and to which the actuator 7 is fixed, and a signal generator 54 that generates an electrical signal during rotation of the rotating portion 52. The fixing portion 51 may be fixed to the first board, and the signal generator 54 may be fixed to the first fixing portion 51 to be connected to the first circuit.

The fixing portion 51 may include a fixing body 512 fixed to the first circuit board 4, a support body 511 that extends from the fixing body 512 and to which the rotating portion 52 is rotatably fixed, and a body through hole 514 that passes through the fixing body and the support body and is connected to the board through hole 42 (connected to the first boss through hole).

The fixing body 512 may be provided in a cylindrical shape. A substrate fastener 513 may be provided on a circumferential surface of the fixing body 512 or one surface of the fixing body (which faces the first circuit board). In this case, the first circuit board 4 may include an encoder fixing hole 44 (refer to FIG. 5) into which the substrate fastener 513 is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate fastener 513 and the encoder fixing hole 44 may be provided in a plural number, and the encoder fixing hole 44 may be disposed to surround the board through hole 42.

As shown in FIG. 6, a fastening body fixing portion 531 fastening the display unit 8 to the fixing portion 51, and a position setting groove 532 preventing rotation of the display unit 8 (fixing the position of the display) when the display unit 8 is inserted into the body through hole 514 may be provided inside the body through hole 514.

The fastening body fixing portion 531 may include a protrusion that protrudes toward the center of the body through hole 514 from at least one of the support body 511 and the fixing body 512. The diagram shows an example of the case in which the fastening body fixing portion 531 is provided on the support body 511.

The position setting groove 532 may include a groove formed by concavely bending one surface of the fixing portion 51, which defines the body through hole 514. In this case, the position setting groove 532 may be provided in a length direction of the body through hole 514.

The rotating portion 52 may include a rotating body 521 rotatably coupled to the support body 511. The rotating body 521 needs to include a rotating body through hole through which the support body 511 passes.

The rotating body 521 may include a shaft fastener 522 to which the actuator 7 is fastened. The shaft fastener 522 may include a fastening hole formed to pass through the circumferential surface of the rotating body 521, or may include a fastening groove formed by concavely bending the circumferential surface of the rotating body 521.

The signal generator 54 may include a magnet fixed to the rotating body 521, a sensor provided on the fixing body 512 or the support body 511 to detect magnetic force, and a terminal connecting a first circuit provided on the first circuit board 4 to the sensor. The magnet may include a plurality of permanent magnets that are spaced apart from each other along the circumferential surface of the rotating body 521.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first circuit board 4 assembled with the encoder 5 may be coated with an insulating material. This is to minimize the possibility of short circuits by supplying water to the first circuit board 4. To prevent the rotating body 521 from being fixed to the support body 511 by the insulating material when the insulating material is applied to one surface of the first circuit board 4 (which faces the front panel), an encoder cover 6 may be further provided on the interface P.

The encoder cover 6 may be fixed to the first circuit board 4 and may be provided in the form of a pipe surrounding the encoder 5. That is, as shown in the diagram, the encoder cover 6 may include a fixing body cover 61 fixed to the first circuit board 4 (fixed to the first board) to surround the fixing body 512, and a cover through hole 62 that is provided to pass through the fixing body cover 61 and into which the encoder 5 is inserted.

A substrate fastener 611 may be provided on the fixing body cover 61, and an encoder cover fixing hole 45 to which the substrate fastener 611 is fixed may be provided on the first circuit board 4 (the encoder cover fixing hole may be provided in the first board). The substrate fastener 611 and the encoder cover fixing hole 45 may be provided in a plural number, and the encoder cover fixing holes 45 may be arranged to surround the substrate fastener 513.

To discharge water flowing into the fixing body cover 61, a cover outlet 612 may be further provided on the circumferential surface of the fixing body cover 61. The cover outlet 612 may be located at the bottom of the circumferential surface of the fixing body cover 61.

The aforementioned insulating material may be applied to the first circuit board 4 after both the encoder 5 and the encoder cover 6 are coupled thereto, and the insulating material sprayed to a partial region of the first circuit board 4 (external space of the encoder cover) may flow into the encoder cover 6 through the cover outlet 612. In this process, to block supply of the insulating material to the rotating body 521, a distance L1 to the uppermost end of the fixing body 512 from the first circuit board may be set to be equal to or greater than a distance L2 to the uppermost end of the cover outlet 612 from the first circuit board.

The encoder cover 6 may further include a support body cover 63 extending from the fixing body cover 61 and surrounding the rotating body 521 (surrounding the support body). The support body cover 63 may limit movement of the actuator 7 in a diameter direction of the cover through hole 62, and thus may prevent the actuator 7 from being separated from the rotating body 521.

As shown in FIG. 8, the actuator 7 may include a shaft 71 fixed to the rotating body 521 to pass through front panel 13, and a handle 73 fixed to the shaft 71 and located outside the cabinet 1.

The cabinet 1 may include a panel through hole 134 (refer to FIG. 3) formed to pass through the front panel 13, and the shaft 71 may be formed to pass through the panel through hole 134.

As shown in FIG. 9, the shaft 71 may include a pipe provided with a shaft through hole 711 formed therein. The rotating body 521 provided on the encoder may be inserted into the shaft through hole 711, and a rotating body fastener 712 provided on a circumferential surface of the shaft 71 and located inside the shaft through hole 711 may be coupled to a shaft fastener 522 provided on the rotating body. Thus, the shaft 71 may be fixed to the rotating body 521 through the rotating body fastener 712 and the shaft fastener 522.

The handle 73 may be fixed to the shaft 71 to be positioned outside of the cabinet 1, and a user may supply force required for rotation of the rotating body 521 to the shaft 71 through the handle 73.

The handle 73 may include an accommodation space 731 formed inside the handle to communicate with the shaft through hole 711 and a handle through hole 732 formed to pass through one surface of the handle 73 for communication between the accommodation space 731 and the outside.

When a diameter of the handle 73 is set to be greater than a diameter of the shaft 71, a base 713 to which the handle 73 is fixed may be further provided on the shaft 71. The base 713 may include a disk fixed to the circumferential surface of the shaft 71.

The handle 73 and the base 713 may be coupled to each other through a base fastener 734 provided on the handle 73 and a handle fastener 714 provided on the base 713.

As shown in FIG. 10, the base fastener 734 may include a plurality of protrusions fixed to the handle to be located inside the accommodation space 731, and the handle fastener 714 may include a groove that is provided in the base 713 and in which the protrusion is accommodated.

To facilitate coupling between the handle 73 and the base 713, the handle 73 may include a fastening guide 735 located between the base fastener 734 and another base fastener 734, and the base 713 may include the guide groove 715 into which the fastening guide 735 is inserted. The guide groove 715 may include a groove formed by bending the circumferential surface of the base 713 toward the shaft through hole 711.

To discharge water or foreign substances flowing into the handle 73 to the outside of the handle 73, the handle outlet 74 may be provided in any one of the handle 73 and the base 713. As shown in FIG. 10, a depth D1 of the guide groove 715 (a length to a bottom surface of the guide groove from an edge of the base) may be set to be greater than a height D2 of the fastening guide 735 (a length to a free end of the fastening guide from the handle). In this case, the handle outlet 74 may be set as a space formed between the guide groove 715 and the fastening guide 735.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a display unit 8, and the display unit 8 may include a housing 81 fixed to the fixing body 512 of the encoder and located inside the accommodation space 731 of the actuator, a display 84 fixed to the housing and displaying information (information related to control and operating of the laundry treatment apparatus), and a circuit board 82 (a second circuit board and a display unit circuit board) provided on the housing and controlling the display 84.

The housing 81 may include a fastening body 81b fixed to the fixing body 512 by inserting the body through hole 514 through the shaft through hole 711, and an accommodation body 81a fixed to the fastening body 81b and located inside the accommodation space 731.

The accommodation body 81a may be provided in any shape as long as the accommodation body 81a is to be inserted into the accommodation space 731, and FIG. 11 shows an example in which the accommodation body 81a is provided in a cylindrical shape.

A mounting space 811 is formed inside the accommodation body 81a, and the mounting space 811 is provided to communicate with the accommodation space 731 provided in the handle through an accommodation body through hole 812 (the accommodation body through hole is provided to communicate with the handle through hole). That is, the accommodation body through hole 812 is provided in a surface of a space provided by the accommodation body 81a, which faces the handle through hole 732.

The fastening body 81b may be provided in any shape as long as the fastening body 81b is inserted to the shaft through hole 711 and the body through hole 514 of the encoder, and FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the case in which the fastening body 81b is provided in a cylindrical shape. The fastening body 81b includes a fastening body through hole 815 connected to the mounting space 811.

A fixing body fastener 816 may be provided on the circumferential surface of the fastening body 81b. The fixing body fastener 816 is a device that fixes the housing 81 to the fastening body fixing portion 531 provided on the encoder.

A plurality of position setting protrusions 817 may be further provided on the circumferential surface of the fastening body 81b.

The position setting protrusion 817 may be provided in a shape to be inserted into the position setting groove 532 provided in the encoder, and the position setting protrusions 817 may be located at a point corresponding to a position of the position setting groove 532. The position setting protrusions 817 and the position setting groove 532 may be devices that minimize a risk in that the fixing body fastener 816 is not coupled to the fastening body fixing portion 531 when the fastening body 81b is inserted into the body through hole 514 (devices that ensure coupling between the fixing body fastener and the fastening body fixing portion).

As shown in FIG. 11, the second circuit board 82 may be inserted into the mounting space 811, and the wire 822 connected to the second circuit board 82 may be extended out of the housing 81 through the fastening body through hole 815. The second circuit board 82 may include a second board and a second circuit fixed to the second board.

As shown in FIG. 11, the second circuit board 82 may be inserted into the mounting space 811, and the wire 822 connected to the second circuit board 82 may be extended out of the housing 81 through the fastening body through hole 815. The second circuit board 82 may include a second board and a second circuit fixed to the second board.

As shown in FIG. 12, the accommodation body 81a may include a disk-shaped accommodation body base 818 extending in a diameter direction of the fastening body through hole 815 from the circumferential surface of the fastening body 81b, and an accommodation body circumferential surface 819 extending in a length direction of the fastening body 81b from an edge of the accommodation body base. In this case, the mounting space 811 may be formed by the accommodation body base 818 and the accommodation body circumferential surface 819. When the second circuit board 82 is provided in the mounting space 811 as described above, a risk in that the second circuit board 82 is damaged by external force may be minimized.

As shown in FIG. 11, the second circuit board 82 may include a plurality of lamps 821. That is, the display unit may include the plurality of lamps 821 fixed to the second board to be connected to the second circuit.

The second circuit board 82 may control the display 84 to display preset information according to rotation of the handle 73 (according to an electrical signal provided by the signal generator).

To maintain an interval between the second circuit board 82 and the display 84, prevent damage to the lamps 821, and guide light emitted from the lamps 821 to the outside of the mounting space 811, the mounting space 811 may include a mounting portion 83 located between the display 84 and the second circuit board 82.

The mounting portion 83 may include a mounting body 831 fixed to the accommodation body 81a and located inside the mounting space 811. The mounting body 831 may be provided in any shape as long as the mounting body 831 is to be inserted into the mounting space 811, and FIG. 11 shows an example of the case in which the mounting body 831 is provided in an approximate cylindrical shape.

An accommodation groove 832 to which the display 84 is fixed may be provided on one surface of the mounting body 831. The accommodation groove 832 may include a connector through hole 836, and a connector 841 (flexible PCB) provided on the display 84 may be connected to the second circuit board 82 by being inserted into the connector through hole 836.

The mounting body 831 may include lamp through holes 835 into which the lamps 821 is inserted. The number of the lamp through holes 835 may be the same as the number of the lamps 821, and the positions of the lamp through holes 835 need to be set to a space of a mounting body located above the accommodation groove 832 or a space of the mounting body located below the accommodation groove 832. This is to transmit light emitted from the lamps 821 to the outside of the housing 81 through the lamp through holes 835.

The mounting portion 83 may be fixed to the housing 81 through a mounting body fastener 813 provided on the accommodation body 81a and an accommodation body fastener 833 provided on the mounting body 831. The mounting body fastener 813 may include a plurality of protrusions located inside the mounting space 811, and the accommodation body fastener 833 may include grooves that are provided in the circumferential surface of the mounting body 831 (one surface of the mounting body in contact with the accommodation body) and fixed to the mounting body fastener 813.

The number of the mounting body fasteners 813 and the number of the accommodation body fasteners 833 need to be set to be equal to each other, and the positions of the mounting body fasteners 813 and the accommodation body fasteners 833 need to be set to correspond to each other.

To increase the fastening force of the mounting body 831, the accommodation body fastener 833 may include an upper fastener located higher than the accommodation surface 832 and a lower fastener located lower than the accommodation surface 832. Unlike in the diagram, the accommodation body fasteners 833 may be provided in left and right sides of the accommodation surface.

The accommodation body 81a may further include a cover 85 to prevent water and foreign substances from flowing into the display 84 and the second circuit board 82.

The cover 85 may be fixed to at least one of the accommodation body 81a and the mounting body 831 to close the accommodation body through hole 812. The cover 85 needs to include a material with a transparency for externally viewing information displayed on the display 84 and light emitted from the lamps 821.

When the cover 85 is fixed to the mounting body 831, the cover 85 may include a cover fixing protrusion 851 protruding toward the mounting body 831, and the mounting body 831 may include a fixing protrusion fastener 834 to which the cover fixing protrusion 851 is coupled.

As shown in FIG. 12, the second circuit board 82 may also be fixed to the mounting body 831. That is, the mounting portion 83 may include a protrusion 838 protruding toward the second circuit board 82 from the mounting body 831 and the second circuit board 82 may include a protrusion through hole 823 into which the protrusion 838 is inserted.

The cover 85 may further include a cover sheet 853 lowering the transparency of the cover. The transparency of the cover sheet may be set to an extent to which it is difficult to check the inside of the mounting space 811 from the outside (the transparency of the cover sheet is set to be lower than the transparency of the cover). The cover sheet 853 may be fixed to a surface of the cover 85, and a letter or symbol H may be provided in a region of the cover sheet, to which the lamp through holes 835 is projected.

As shown in FIG. 11, the interface P may further include a selection unit 9 that receives a control command to select the control command displayed on the display 84.

The selection unit 9 may be provided to determine whether to select the control command displayed on the display 84 by detecting whether the body of a user is in contact with the cover 85.

In other words, the selection unit 9 may include a sensor 93 provided on the second circuit board 82 (fixed to the second board to be connected to the second circuit) and configured to detect static electricity of the body of the user, and conductors 91 and 92 configured to connect the sensor 93 to the cover 85. The conductor 91 may include a first conductor 91 fixed to the cover 85, and a second conductor 92 having one end connected to the first conductor 91 and the other end connected to the sensor 93. In this case, the mounting body 831 need to include a conductor through hole 837 into which the second conductor 92 is inserted.

The first conductor 91 may be a device that facilitates input of a control command by expanding a region that a user is in contact. As shown in FIG. 1, in the interface P having the structure described above, a display region R1 is formed in an upper space of the cover 85, and an input region R2 is formed in a lower space of the cover 85. Therefore, when an area of the first conductor 91 is widened, an area of the input region R2 is expanded, and thus a user may easily input a control command. The area of the first conductor 91 may be set to ¼ to ½ or less of the cover 85.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the interface P having the structure described above, a diameter of the base 713 may be set to be longer than a diameter of the shaft through hole 711. This maximizes the volume of the acceptance space 731, thereby having a lot of devices inside the acceptance space 731.

When the volume of the accommodation space 731 increases, the volume of the mounting space 811 located in the accommodation space may be increased, and thus the size of the display 84 may also be increased.

The diagram shows the case in which the base 713 is provided in the form of a disk, and the shaft 71 is provided in a cylindrical shape, but the base 713 and the shaft 71 may be provided in various shapes. In this case, a cross-sectional area of the accommodation space 731 may be set to be greater than a cross-sectional area of the shaft 71 (a cross-sectional area of the base may be set with a larger area than a cross-sectional area of the shaft through hole).

The interface P having the aforementioned structure may allow display of a control command, search of the displayed control command, and selection of the displayed control command and minimize a space required for installation. However, the interface P having the structure described above requires a device that blocks flowing of water or foreign substances into the display unit 8 and the actuator 7 or discharges the flowing water or foreign substances to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 13, the actuator 7 may include a device that discharges water or foreign substances flowing into handle through hole 732 to the outside of the accommodation space 731, and the display unit 8 may include a device that blocks flowing of foreign substances (outdoor air, liquid, and dust) into the housing 81.

As described above, the actuator 7 may discharge the water or foreign substances flowing into the accommodation space 731 through the handle outlet 74 provided in the handle.

The display unit 8 may include sealing portions 75 and 76 that blocks flowing of foreign substances into the fastening body through hole 815. That is, the interface P may include a fastening body sealing portion 75 blocking flowing of foreign substances through the fastening body through hole 815 and a cover sealing portion 76 blocking flowing of foreign substances through the accommodation body through hole 812.

The diagram shows the case in which the sealing portion includes both the fastening body sealing portion 75 and the cover sealing portion 76 are provided, but the sealing portion may include only one of the fastening body sealing portion 75 and the cover sealing portion 76.

The cover sealing portion 76 may include an adhesive material that is sprayed to the accommodation body 81a along an edge of the cover 85 to fill a space between the cover 85 and the accommodation body 812 and fixes the cover 85 to the accommodation body 812.

The fastening body sealing portion 75 may be inserted into the fastening body through hole 815 to fix the position of the wire 822 and may also block flowing of foreign substances into the fastening body through hole 815.

FIG. 14 shows an example of the fastening body sealing portion 75. The fastening body sealing portion 75 of FIG. 14 may include a sealing body 751 inserted into the fastening body through hole 815, a sealing body through hole 752 that is provided to pass through the sealing body 751 and into which the wire 822 is inserted, and cut portions 753, 754, and 755 formed by cutting the circumferential surface of the sealing body 751 and connecting the circumferential surface of the sealing body 751 to the sealing body through hole 752.

The sealing body 751 may be provided in any shape as long as the sealing body 751 is to be inserted into fastening body through hole 815, and FIG. 14 shows an example of the case in which the sealing body 751 is provided in a cylindrical shape.

A diameter of the sealing body 751 may be set to be longer than a diameter of the fastening body through hole 815. In this case, a material of the sealing body 751 may be set as a rubber or silicon having a relatively large elasticity to close the fastening body through hole 815 through tight fitting.

The cut portion may include a first cut surface 753 directed toward the center of the sealing body through hole 752 from the circumferential surface of the sealing body 751, a second cut surface 754 directed toward the center of the sealing body through hole 752 from the circumferential surface of the sealing body 751 and spaced apart from the first cut surface 753, and a cut groove 755 formed between the first cut surface 753 and the second cut surface 754. The wire 822 may be inserted into the sealing body through hole 752 through the cut groove 755 or may be extended out of the sealing body through hole 752.

An interval between the first cut surface 753 and the second cut surface 754 may be set to a length by which the two cut surfaces 753 and 754 are in contact with each other to close the cut groove 755 when the sealing body 751 is inserted into the fastening body through hole 815.

To definitely block flowing of foreign substances into a space formed between the circumferential surface of the sealing body 751 and the fastening body through hole 815, a first contact protrusion