Cooking hob including a user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9557064-B2
Application number	US-201314648100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2013
Priority date	Dec 5, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A cooking hob includes a transparent or semi-transparent top panel and a cooking zone with a pot detector. A user interface is below the top panel and includes touch switches and a touch slide. A light source corresponds with the touch switch and the cooking zone. The light source indicates detection of a pot on the cooking zone by a first light signal during a predetermined time interval and indicates an activated state of the cooking zone by a second light signal and indicates the selected cooking zone and the activated state of the touch slide element by the first light signal. The touch slide is for adjusting the power and/or temperature of the indicated cooking zone within the time interval. The touch switch is for selecting the cooking zone and activating the touch slide. The touch slide is for adjusting the power and/or temperature of the selected cooking zone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooking hob comprising:
a transparent or semi-transparent top panel arranged on a top side of said cooking hob;
a user interface arranged below the top panel;
touch sensitive areas formed on the top side of said top panel and above said user interface; and
a plurality of cooking zones each having a corresponding pot detection device;
said user interface comprising:
a plurality of touch switch elements;
a touch slide element; and
at least one light source element,
wherein at least one of the touch switch elements corresponds with one of the plurality of cooking zones, and the at least one light source element corresponds with the at least one touch switch element and the corresponding cooking zone,

wherein when the pot detection device detects a pot in the corresponding cooking zone, the at least one light source element gives off a first light signal for a predetermined first time interval, and the touch slide element is activated during said predetermined first time interval for adjusting the power and/or temperature of the corresponding cooking zone, and
wherein the at least one light source element indicates an activated state of the corresponding cooking zone by a second light signal, and
wherein the at least one touch switch element is configured to activate the touch slide element for a second predetermined time interval, and the at least one light source element gives off the first light signal indicating the corresponding cooking zone and the activated state of the touch slide element during the second predetermined time interval, and
wherein the touch slide element is configured to adjust the power and/or temperature of the corresponding cooking zone within the second predetermined time interval, and
wherein if the touch slide element has not been operated by the user within the first predetermined time interval, and the first light signal disappears, the touch slide element can be touched to activate the first light signal again, and to set the power and/or temperature of a last known cooking zone, and
wherein the last known cooking zone is the later of the cooking zone at which the pot was last detected, or the cooking zone that the corresponding touch switch element last activated.

2. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the first light signal is a flashing.

3. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the second light signal is a continuous light.

4. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined time interval is between three and seven seconds, in particular five seconds.

5. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the second predetermined time interval is between three and seven seconds, in particular five seconds.

6. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein at least one cooking zone display element corresponds with one cooking zone.

7. The cooking hob according to claim 6 , wherein the cooking zone display element includes one or more seven-segment displays.

8. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a timer with at least one timer display element.

9. The cooking hob according to claim 8 , wherein the timer display element includes one or more seven-segment displays.

10. The cooking hob according to claim 8 , wherein the timer is settable for the corresponding cooking zone, if the corresponding cooking zone is selected by touching the corresponding touch switch element and the first light signal is activated.

11. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a minute reminder, wherein said minute reminder can be activated and adjusted by corresponding touch switch elements.

12. The cooking hob according to claim 11 , wherein the minute reminder has a priority for being shown by the timer display element before a display of the duration of the cooking zone activation.

13. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source element includes at least one light emitting diode (LED).

14. The cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the cooking hob is an induction cooking hob.

15. A method of operating a cooking hob having a user interface and a plurality of cooking zones each having a corresponding pot detection device, wherein the user interface has a plurality of touch switch elements, a touch slide element, and at least one light source element, said method comprising steps of:
detecting a pot by the pot detection device on a corresponding cooking zone;
giving off a first light signal at the at least one light source element for a predetermined first time interval;
activating the touch slide element during said predetermined first time interval for adjusting the power and/or temperature of the corresponding cooking zone; and
giving off a second light signal at the at least one light source element to indicate an activated state of the corresponding cooking zone;
wherein if the touch slide element has not been operated by the user within the first predetermined time interval, and the first light signal disappears, then the method further comprises:
touching the at least one touch switch element to activate the touch slide element for a second predetermined time interval,
giving off the first light signal at the at least one light source element to indicate the corresponding cooking zone and the activated state of the touch slide element during the second predetermined time interval, and
touching the touch slide element to adjust the power and/or temperature of the corresponding cooking zone within the second predetermined time interval,

wherein the touch slide element can be touched to activate the first light signal again, and to set the power and/or temperature of a last known cooking zone, and
wherein the last known cooking zone is the later of the cooking zone at which the pot was last detected, or the cooking zone that the corresponding touch switch element last activated.

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Products Corp Nv
• Electrolux Home Products Corp Nv

Inventors

• Christiansen Svend Erik
• Jeanneteau Laurent
• Kessler Martin
• Viroli Alex
• Rigolle Thibaut
• Phillips Bryan Thomas

Classifications

• H05B6/1218

  with arrangements using lights for heating zone state indication · CPC title

• F24C7/086 Primary

  touch control · CPC title

• H05B6/12

  Cooking devices · CPC title

• F24C7/083 Primary

  on tops, hot plates · CPC title