Glass-ceramic worktop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794600-B2
Application number	US-201515124634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Mar 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to an advantageously interactive item of furniture and/or appliance comprising:
at least one worktop formed from at least one substrate made of a monolithic glazing material and of area larger than 0.7 m 2 , said substrate having a lightness L* higher than 10, a light transmission T L lower than 50%, an opacity indicator higher than 90, and if needs be a haze higher than 15%; at least one heating element; at least one light source, in particular intended to light up one or more zones or one or more elements or displays of the substrate, in particular by projection, this source for example being located plumb with the substrate; and at least one interface for communicating with at least one element of the worktop such as the one or more light sources and/or the one or more heating elements and/or if needs be wirelessly with at least one external element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of furniture and/or appliance, the article comprising:
at least one worktop formed from one substrate made of a monolithic glazing material made of glass-ceramic and having an area larger than 2 m 2 , said substrate having a lightness L* higher than 10, a light transmission T L lower than 50%, an opacity indicator higher than 90, and a haze higher than 15%;
at least one heating element;
at least one light source configured to signal one or more zones or one or more elements or displays of the substrate by projection from above the substrate, said light source being located plumb with the substrate such that the substrate acts as a screen; and
at least one communication interface, which communicates with at least one element of the worktop.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the substrate is at least 2 mm.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a flatness lower than 0.1% of a diagonal of the substrate.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is opaque and/or weakly transmissive and is bulk tinted or colored with white or any color of lightness L* higher than 10, darker colors such as black or dark brown being excluded, and the substrate comprises a glazing material having these properties.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the substrate or the glazing material comprises colorants and/or is equipped with a coating providing it with a different hue.

6. The article of claim 1 , comprising at least one inductive heater.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein at least one cooking location on the worktop or other zone or element or function or decoration is signaled, on activation and/or permanently, by one or more light sources, or by a permanent decoration, or both.

8. The article of claim 7 , wherein at least one cooking location on the worktop or other zone or element or function or decoration is signaled by at least one light source, upon activation of at least one light source, said source being placed above the substrate or on the same side as the visible face of the substrate, and allowing a luminous display to be formed via projection onto this face, which then forms a screen.

9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source is activatable via contact with a surface of the worktop, with an interface, with an external system, or a combination thereof, or by a movement.

10. The article of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of light sources placed so that an angle between each source, or between each element transmitting light to the worktop, and a normal to the worktop is between 5 and 60° in order to minimize effects of shadows projected by a person using the worktop.

11. The article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication interface enables wireless communication.

12. The article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication interface allows various signals initiated via contact or a movement to be transmitted in order to activate various components and/or allow data to be downloaded and/or transmitted.

13. The article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication interface allows one or more elements to be controlled.

14. The article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one worktop comprises one or more functional and/or decorative coatings.

15. The article of claim 1 , wherein the at least worktop is mounted on at least one or more than one supporting element thus forming, with said supporting elements, a table, an unapertured or not unit, or a counter.

16. The article of claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a haze higher than 15%.

17. The article of claim 4 , wherein the substrate is opaque and weakly transmissive.

18. The article of claim 17 , wherein the substrate has a flatness lower than 0.1% of a diagonal of the substrate.

19. The article of claim 1 , wherein the glass-ceramic comprises, by weight percent, the following constituents:
SiO 2 : 55-70%;
Al 2 O 3 : 18-24%;
Li 2 O: 2.5-4.5%;
K 2 O: 0-2.0%;
Na 2 O: 0-2.0%;
ZnO: 1.5-4%;
MgO: 0.20-5%;
CaO: 0-1%;
BaO: 0-3%;
SrO: 0-1.4%;
TiO 2 : 1.8-5%;
ZrO 2 : 0-2.5%;
P 2 O 5 : 0-8%; and
B 2 O 3 : 0-5%.

Assignees

• Eurokera

Inventors

• Charpentier Bertrand
• Fernandez Javier
• Lismonde Michel
• Ravel Michael
• Roux Nicolas
• Vilato Pablo
• Watson Scott Wayne

Classifications

• F24C15/10 Primary

  Tops, e.g. hot plates; Rings (cover lids or splash guards F24C15/12; spillage trays or grooves F24C15/14) · CPC title

• F24C7/083

  on tops, hot plates · CPC title

• C03C10/0054

  containing PbO, SnO2, B2O3 · CPC title

• C03C10/0027

  containing SiO2, Al2O3, Li2O as main constituents · CPC title

• C03C3/097

  containing phosphorus, niobium or tantalum · CPC title