Cooking appliance and control knob with integrated display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022010966-A1
Application number	US-202117371469-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 10, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control knob for an appliance deploys a round bezel region that surround a fixed electronic display panel that is touch sensitive. The appliance state or operating condition is modified by the user rotating the bezel and selecting graphic user interface (GUI) icons on the electronic display. The bezel orientation modifies the GUI to display icons that operate the appliance in different modes. In a first mode of power control, the GUI displays power levels and the bezel orientation modifies the power level. In a second mode, the GUI displays temperature settings and the bezel orientation modifies the temperature. The GUI displays icons that when activated switch between the first and second mode as well as turn off the appliance. Another icon may activate a third mode that enables control and display of other settings, such as temperature units, time and date, count down timers and the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An cooking appliance comprising:
a platform for supporting a cooking vessel, at least one heat source disposed below at least a portion of the platform, a controller for modify output of the heat source, a control knob to select the operating condition of the controller that comprises:
a circular electronic display screen that is touch sensitive to provide a graphic user interface (GUI),
a bezel surrounding the circular electronic display, the bezel being configured to rotate freely about the circular electronic display,
a sensor to determine the relative orientation of the bezel,
a display controller in signal communication to obtain the relative orientation of the bezel and in response thereto modulate the GUI, in which the GUI is capable of displaying one or more icons on the GUI wherein the one or more icons are responsive to contact of a user to select an operating condition of the controller such that the heat source provides one of:
a constant power output level in which the relative orientation of the bezel is operative to select the value of the constant power output, or
sufficient power to maintain a predetermined temperature in the cooking vessel that is disposed on the platform in which the relative orientation of the bezel is operative to select the predetermined temperature,
such that when the icon for the constant power level is selected the GUI displays an indication of the potential constant power output value in response to the relative orientation of the bezel, and
when the icon for the controller to maintain a predetermined temperature is selected the GUI displays an indication of the potential constant temperature value in response to the relative orientation of the bezel.

2 . The cooking appliance according to claim 1 in which GUI is further operative to alternate between displaying a predetermined temperature and at least one of a word and abbreviation for a cooking phase associated with the predetermined temperature.

3 . The cooking appliance according to claim 1 in which the cooking vessel has a thermal sensor to measure the temperature and a transmitter to transmit a temperature measured by the thermal sensor in which the controller has or is in signal communication with a receiver that receives the measured temperature from the transmitter.

4 . A cooking appliance comprising:
a heat source configured to heat a cooking vessel or contents of a cooking vessel; a controller operable to control output of the heat source to conform the output to one or more operating conditions; and a control knob operable to select the operating condition of the controller, the control knob comprising:
an electronic display screen, wherein at least a portion of the electronic display screen is touch sensitive to provide a graphic user interface (GUI) to interface a user with one or more of the operations of the control knob, wherein the GUI is configured to display one or more icons on the touch sensitive portion of the electronic display screen to be responsive to contact of the user, and wherein contacting one of the one or more icons by the user selects one of the one or more operating conditions,
a bezel positioned around the electronic display, wherein the bezel is configured to rotate relative to the electronic display when manipulated by the user to control a parameter of the selected operating condition,
a sensor to determine the relative orientation of the bezel, and
a display controller in signal communication with the sensor to obtain the relative orientation of the bezel and modulate the GUI to display a value for the parameter of the selected operating condition that corresponds to the relative orientation of the bezel.

5 . The cooking appliance of claim 4 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprise a constant power output level in which the controller controls the output of the heat source to output a level of constant power, and wherein the relative orientation of the bezel is operative to select a value for the level of constant power output.

6 . The cooking appliance of claim 4 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprise sufficient power to maintain a predetermined temperature in a cooking vessel positioned to be heated by the heat source, and wherein the relative orientation of the bezel is operative to select a value for the predetermined temperature.

7 . The cooking appliance of claim 6 , wherein the GUI is further operative to alternate between displaying the value for the predetermined temperature and at least one of a word or abbreviation for a cooking phase associated with the predetermined temperature.

8 . The cooking appliance of claim 6 , further comprising the cooking vessel, wherein the cooking vessel has a thermal sensor to measure the temperature and a transmitter to transmit a temperature measured by the thermal sensor in which the controller has or is in signal communication with a receiver that receives the measured temperature from the transmitter.

9 . The cooking appliance of claim 4 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprise: a constant power output level in which the controller controls the output of the heat source to output a level of constant power, and sufficient power to maintain a predetermined temperature in a cooking vessel positioned to be heated by the heat source.

10 . The cooking appliance of claim 9 , wherein, when the icon corresponding to the constant power output level is contacted, the relative orientation of the bezel is operative to select a value for the level of constant power output and the GUI displays an indication of the constant power output value in response to the relative orientation of the bezel.

11 . The cooking appliance of claim 9 , wherein, when the icon corresponding to sufficient power to maintain a predetermined temperature is selected, the relative orientation of the bezel is operative to select a value for the predetermined temperature and the GUI displays an indication of the predetermined temperature value in response to the relative orientation of the bezel.

12 . The cooking appliance of claim 11 , wherein the GUI is further operative to alternate between displaying the value for the predetermined temperature and at least one of a word or abbreviation for a cooking phase associated with the predetermined temperature.

13 . The cooking appliance of claim 11 , further comprising the cooking vessel, wherein the cooking vessel has a thermal sensor to measure the temperature and a transmitter to transmit a temperature measured by the thermal sensor in which the controller has or is in signal communication with a receiver that receives the measured temperature from the transmitter.

14 . The cooking appliance of claim 11 , wherein, when the icon corresponding to the constant power output level is contacted, the relative orientation of the bezel is operative to select a value for the level of constant power output and the GUI displays an indication of the constant power output value in response to the relative orientation of the bezel.

15 . The cooking appliance of claim 4 , wherein the GUI further displays an icon for deactivation of the heat source, and wherein contact with the deactivation icon causes the controller to deactivate the heat source.

16 . The cooking appliance of claim 4 , wherein the GUI further displays an icon for activation of the heat source, and wherein contact with the activation icon causes the controller to activate the heat source.

17 . The cooking appliance of claim 4

Assignees

• Hestan Commercial Corp

Inventors

• Nilssen Raymond
• Sloyer Jairad

Classifications

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• F24C7/087

  of electric circuits regulating heat · CPC title

• F24C7/082

  on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination · CPC title

• F24C3/124

  Control panels · CPC title