Control panel assemblies or arrangements of one type or another are commonly found on appliances for housing the various appliance controlling devices and which present control dials, timers, clocks, etc. to the user. In the past, it was customary to form by a press operation, the entire control panel of the control cabinet. However, this approach to manufacture has changed over the years to the provision of a control panel assembly having end caps attached to its ends to complete the assembly. The end caps are usually formed from a die-cast metal which requires substantial labour input to finish the casting to an acceptable degree for exterior use on the appliances. As an example, extensive use is now made of a zinc casting which requires buffing to provide a surface on which a smooth chrome plating can be achieved. A further consideration is that the end caps must be free of any metal barbs or the like which can catch clothing or cut the appliance user, to meet the requirements of consumer regulatory bodies. Therefore all edges on the end caps must be finished to a smooth catch-free surface.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a two-component end cap assembly which is less expensive to manufacture, requires less labour input to provide a finished product, and is readily installed on appliance control panel assembly.
It is another object of the invention to provide an end cap assembly made of inexpensive sheet metal having attached thereto a trim plate to cover all exposed edges of the sheet metal and thereby protect the appliance user. The trim plate has means molded thereon to facilitate location and attachment of control panel components to the end cap assembly.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an end cap assembly wherein the trim plate is provided with an overturned edge to receive and envelop exposed edges of the sheet metal end cap where means is provided to locate the trim plate on the end cap in a manner so as to hold the edges of the sheet metal end cap in the channel.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an end cap assembly which is of such a structural arrangement that the sheet metal end cap provides the structural integrity for the molded plastic trim plate to preclude the trim plate from warping when the end cap assembly is installed on an appliance control panel, particularly on heat generating appliances.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an end cap assembly wherein the molded plastic trim plate is made of a material which may be readily chrome-plated.