Touch control device for kitchen appliance and kitchen appliance

Abstract

The utility model relates to a touch control device for a kitchen appliance and the kitchen appliance. The touch control device comprises a box body; the at least one touch sensing module is arranged in the box body; the first side wall of the box body is provided with at least one touch sensing area corresponding to each touch sensing module, the function selection display module comprises a display panel which extends outwards from the first side wall of the box body and forms an included angle with the first side wall, and the function selection display module is electrically connected with the control unit; the control unit controls the function selection display module to display corresponding function selection information on the display panel according to a signal transmitted by the touch sensing module. When the touch sensing area of the touch device is located in the area which is not easily visible by an operator, the display panel can be obviously observed, that is, whether the finger accurately falls on the operable touch sensing area or not is more clearly sensed by observing information on the display panel, and therefore various functions are more accurately controlled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of kitchen appliance technology, and in particular to a touch control device for kitchen appliances and a kitchen appliance. Background Technology

[0002] Existing kitchen appliances such as range hoods, dishwashers, and steam ovens all have touch controls for function selection and control. However, most kitchen appliances currently use touch buttons and LED backlighting as the primary form of interaction. Structurally, these touch controls consist of a glass panel, a spring-loaded sensor, and an LED light source. The touch area and the backlighting area are on the same plane, or even the same area. The advantage of this design is that operation is intuitive; the touch area serves as the feedback area for changes in the display, making it easy to learn and use.

[0003] However, its use is limited in certain product forms. Take range hoods as an example: lift-up range hoods can be raised into the cabinet when off, achieving a cleaner kitchen look, and are gradually becoming more popular. However, once raised, most of the range hood is hidden inside the cabinet, so conventional front-facing operation methods, such as touch buttons or infrared gesture controls, become unusable due to the cabinet door. There are several solutions to this problem: one is to replace the standard horizontal infrared gesture sensor with one at the bottom of the range hood, pointing downwards towards the countertop. This allows users to control the range hood by waving their hand under the cabinet. However, downward gestures may be misactivated during cooking or in steamy conditions. Another approach is the solution proposed in Chinese invention application CN118242682A, "Control Method and Related Equipment for Range Hoods," which uses a built-in radar sensor to detect hand gestures through the cabinet door. However, there is a probability of misidentification between hand gestures through the cabinet door and the operation of opening and closing the cabinet door, which affects the user experience.

[0004] Therefore, the touch control devices of existing kitchen appliances still need further improvement. Utility Model Content

[0005] The first technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a touch control device for kitchen appliances that can effectively adapt to the limited space installation environment of kitchen appliances, facilitate user operation, and ensure the reliability of touch operation, in light of the current state of the technology.

[0006] The second technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a kitchen appliance that applies the above-mentioned touch control device, in view of the current state of the prior art.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the first technical problem is: a touch control device for kitchen appliances, comprising:

[0008] Touch control panel;

[0009] At least one touch-sensing module is attached to the touch operation panel;

[0010] The control unit is electrically connected to the touch sensing module;

[0011] It also includes a function selection display module. The touch operation panel has at least one touch sensing area corresponding to each of the touch sensing modules. The function selection display module includes a display panel that extends outward from the touch operation panel and is arranged at an angle to the touch operation panel. The function selection display module is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the function selection display module to display the corresponding function selection information on the display panel according to the signal transmitted by the touch sensing module.

[0012] The aforementioned "display panel" can be a conventional display screen used to display patterns or text information. The display method can be flashing or continuous display. However, for cost-saving considerations, in a preferred embodiment, the display panel is a light guide substrate. The light guide substrate has a display surface with function markings. The function selection display module also includes a light source, which is located inside the light guide substrate or on the touch operation panel and is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the light source to turn on or increase its brightness according to the signal transmitted by the touch sensing module, thereby illuminating the function markings on the display surface of the light guide substrate.

[0013] The phrase "lighting up the functional markings on the display surface of the light guide substrate" can be understood as follows: the area where the functional markings are located on the display surface is initially in a natural shadow state, at which time the light source is off. After the light source is turned on, the area where the functional markings are located on the display surface becomes brighter. Alternatively, it can be understood as follows: the area where the functional markings are located on the display surface is initially less bright. At this time, the light source is turned on, and then the area where the functional markings are located on the display surface becomes brighter by increasing the brightness.

[0014] Considering the need for multiple or more function selections or function controls in kitchen appliances, the touch sensing module has at least two components arranged along the first direction, the touch sensing area on the touch control panel also has at least two components arranged sequentially along the first direction, and the function identifiers on the light guide substrate have at least two components arranged sequentially along the first direction. Each function identifier on the light guide substrate corresponds one-to-one with each touch sensing area.

[0015] To better facilitate users in viewing and recognizing function icons, the display surface of the light guide substrate is flat and parallel to the first direction, and the display surface is perpendicular to the touch operation panel or the angle between the display surface and the touch operation panel is an obtuse angle.

[0016] As an improvement, the control unit includes a control board, on which the light source is integrated. Both the control board and the touch-sensing module are located on the side of the touch operation panel opposite to the display panel. The touch operation panel has a light-transmitting hole opposite to the light source. The light source can generally be an LED light source, and can be mounted on the control board as a plug-in or patch. Additionally, the touch operation panel or display panel can be equipped with light-blocking structures, such as adding partitions, to control the angle and direction of the light, thereby improving display brightness and contrast.

[0017] The touch sensing module can be a resistive touch module, a capacitive touch module, an infrared sensing module, or a surface acoustic wave touch module, etc. Preferably, the touch sensing module is a capacitive touch module, which includes a touch sensor and a sensing spring. One end of the sensing spring is electrically connected to the touch sensor, and the other end abuts against the area where the touch sensing area is located on the touch operation panel.

[0018] To better adapt to the light source and more clearly highlight or display the functional identifier, a coating or film is provided on the display surface, and the part not covered by the coating or film forms the functional identifier.

[0019] To better connect with the touchpad and facilitate light guidance, the display panel is wedge-shaped. However, it is conceivable that the display panel could also be a flat plate with uniform thickness.

[0020] To better protect the touch sensing module and control unit, they are housed within a single enclosure, with one side wall of the enclosure serving as the touch control panel. This enclosure allows the touch sensing module and control unit to form a separate unit, which can be easily embedded into the body of a kitchen appliance.

[0021] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the second technical problem is: a kitchen appliance, including a body, and a touch device disposed on the body, wherein the touch device adopts the above-mentioned touch device for kitchen appliances.

[0022] As an improvement, the kitchen appliance is one of the following: range hood, dishwasher, and steam oven.

[0023] In a further improvement, the kitchen appliance is a range hood, and the touch control device is installed on the bottom front side of the unit, with the touch-sensitive area facing downwards and the display panel facing forward. This structural design ensures that when the user is using the range hood from the front, regardless of whether the main body of the range hood is hidden inside a cabinet, the function labels on the display panel are visible. When the user touches the touch-sensitive area corresponding to the function label, the corresponding function selection information is displayed to indicate successful operation.

[0024] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: the touch control panel, where the touch sensing area of ​​the touch device is located, and the display panel used to display function selection information are arranged at an angle. This means that when the touch sensing area is in an area not easily visible to the operator, the display panel can be clearly observed. In other words, by observing the information on the display panel, the operator can more clearly perceive whether their finger has accurately landed on the operable touch sensing area, thus enabling more accurate control of various functions, such as starting and stopping the machine, adjusting the fan speed, and switching the lights on and off. This structural design of the touch device allows kitchen appliances to be reliably and accurately controlled by touch even when the main body is hidden inside the cabinet. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the touch device according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the touch device in Embodiment 1 of this utility model, showing the separation of the housing and the display panel.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the touch device according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a right view of the range hood of Embodiment 1 of this utility model (a top-mounted range hood, hidden inside the cabinet);

[0029] Figure 5 This is a front view of another type of range hood (a near-suction range hood) according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a right view of another type of range hood according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the touch device according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0033] In the specification and claims of this utility model, terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom," are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of this utility model. However, the use of these terms is merely for the purpose of explanation and is based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this utility model can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are for illustrative purposes only and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] Figures 1-6 This invention illustrates a preferred embodiment of a touch control device for kitchen appliances and the kitchen appliance itself. The kitchen appliance of this invention can be a range hood, dishwasher, steam oven, refrigerator, kitchen air conditioner, etc. Specifically, this embodiment uses a range hood as an example to describe the touch control device for kitchen appliances. The touch control device for kitchen appliances includes a housing 10, a control unit, a touch sensing module, and a function selection display module. The control unit and touch sensing module are housed within the housing 10.

[0036] The housing 10 is a flat, rectangular box that can be connected by two interlocking halves. The control unit includes a control board 13, which is located inside the housing 10. There is at least one touch-sensitive module; considering the need for multiple function selections or control functions in the range hood, there are two or more touch-sensitive modules. Each touch-sensitive module is electrically connected to the control unit. One side wall of the housing 10 is a touch operation panel 11. Specifically, the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10 has two or more touch-sensitive areas 111, which correspond to each touch-sensitive module. The touch-sensitive modules inside the housing 10 are arranged sequentially along the first direction A1, and the touch-sensitive areas 111 on the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10 are arranged sequentially along the first direction A1. Figure 1 As shown, each touch sensing area 111 on the touch control panel 11 of the box 10 is indicated by a dashed circle. In the actual product, the touch sensing areas 111 on the touch control panel 11 of the box 10 may not be displayed or clearly identified.

[0037] The touch sensing module in this embodiment can be a resistive touch module, a capacitive touch module, an infrared touch module, or a surface acoustic wave touch module, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the touch sensing module is a capacitive touch module, which includes a touch sensor (not shown) and a sensing spring 12. One end of the sensing spring 12 is electrically connected to the touch sensor, and the other end abuts against the area where the touch sensing area 111 is located on the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10. The specific structure and working principle of the capacitive touch module are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0038] The function selection display module of this embodiment includes a display panel 2 and a light source 21. The display panel 2 is a light guide substrate capable of guiding light. The light guide substrate extends outward from the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10 and is arranged at an angle to the touch operation panel 11. The light guide substrate has a display surface 20, on which function labels 201 are provided. The number of function labels 201 is the same as the number of touch sensing modules. The function labels 201 on the light guide substrate are also arranged sequentially along the first direction A1. The position of each function label 201 on the light guide substrate corresponds one-to-one with the position of each touch sensing module (or each touch sensing area 111 on the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10) on the same plane or in a straight line direction. Specifically, in the range hood of this embodiment, the display surface 20 of the light guide substrate faces forward, and the positions of each function mark 201 on the light guide substrate correspond one-to-one with the positions of each touch sensing module (or each touch sensing area 111 on the touch operation panel 11 of the box 10) in the front-back direction.

[0039] In this embodiment, the light source 21 is integrated on the control board 13 inside the housing 10. A light-transmitting hole 110 opposite to the light source 21 is provided on the touch control panel 11 of the housing 10. Light emitted from the light source 21 can be guided to the light guide substrate through the light-transmitting hole 110. The light source 21 can generally be an LED light source 21, and can be mounted on the control board 13 in the form of a plug-in or a patch. Additionally, the housing 10 can also be equipped with light-blocking structures, such as partitions, to control the angle and direction of light, thereby improving display brightness and contrast.

[0040] Each of the aforementioned light sources 21 is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the corresponding light source 21 to turn on or increase its brightness according to the signals transmitted by each touch sensing module, thereby illuminating the corresponding function mark 201 on the display surface 20 of the light guide substrate.

[0041] The phrase "lighting up the functional markings 201 on the display surface 20 of the light guide substrate" can be understood as follows: the area where the functional markings 201 on the display surface 20 is located is initially in a natural shadow state, at which time the light source 21 is in a closed state. After the light source 21 is turned on, the area where the functional markings 201 on the display surface 20 becomes brighter. Alternatively, it can be understood as follows: the area where the functional markings 201 on the display surface 20 is initially less bright, at which time the light source 21 is in a closed state, and then the area where the functional markings 201 on the display surface 20 becomes brighter by increasing the brightness.

[0042] To better facilitate user viewing and identification of the function identifiers 201, the display surface 20 of the light guide substrate is planar and parallel to the first direction A1, wherein the display surface 20 is perpendicular to the touch operation panel 11. In this embodiment, the light guide substrate is a wedge-shaped structure, that is, the cross-section of the light guide substrate is a right-angled triangle. One right-angled surface of the light guide substrate is attached to the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10, and the other right-angled surface serves as the display surface 20. The display surface 20 is provided with a coating or film, and the portions not covered by the coating or film form the corresponding function identifiers 201, thereby better adapting to the light source 21 to more clearly highlight or display the function identifiers 201. In other embodiments, the display panel 2 can also be a flat plate structure with uniform thickness, wherein one side of the flat plate structure can serve as the display surface 20.

[0043] Figure 4 This illustration shows a top-mounted range hood with its main body concealed within a cabinet. The range hood includes a housing 3 (i.e., the body), which comprises a fan frame 31 and a smoke collection hood 32 located at the bottom of the fan frame 31. An air inlet is located at the top of the smoke collection hood 32. Viewed from the front to the rear, most or all of the fan frame 31 and the smoke collection hood 32 are obscured by the cabinet door 4. A touch control device can be installed at the bottom front of the smoke collection hood 32, with the touch sensing area 111 facing downwards and the display surface 20 of the display panel 2 facing forward. Since the display panel 2 extends downwards from the touch operation panel 11 of the touch control device housing 10, the bottom of the smoke collection hood 32 (i.e., the bottom of the cabinet door 4) is visible when viewed from the front to the rear, allowing for easy viewing by the operator. During operation, users can touch the area on the touch control panel 11 of the housing 10 corresponding to the function label 201 on the display panel 2 with their finger. After a successful touch operation, the function label 201 on the display panel 2 will light up to prompt the user for feedback. This structural design ensures that when the user is using the range hood from the front, the function label 201 on the display panel 2 is visible regardless of whether the main body of the range hood is hidden inside the cabinet. When the user touches the touch sensing area 111 corresponding to the function label 201, the corresponding function selection information will be displayed to indicate that the operation was successful.

[0044] Figure 5 A near-suction range hood is shown, which also includes a housing 3. The housing 3 includes a fan frame 31 and a smoke collection hood 32 located at the bottom of the fan frame 31. The front of the smoke collection hood 32 has an air inlet, and a deflectable smoke baffle is provided at the air inlet. The front of the smoke collection hood 32 also has a forward-extending protrusion 321 (or forehead portion). If the installation environment of the range hood has cabinets, the front forehead portion of the smoke collection hood 32 can easily be blocked. Therefore, a touch control device can be installed at the bottom of the forehead portion of the smoke collection hood 32 by embedding. Similarly, the touch sensing area 111 of the touch control device faces downward, while the display surface 20 of the display panel 2 faces forward. Since the display panel 2 extends downward from the touch operation panel 11 of the touch control device housing 10, the display panel 2 can be seen from the bottom of the cabinet door 4 when viewed from the front, making it easy for the operator to see.

[0045] In this embodiment, the touch control panel 11, where the touch sensing area 111 of the touch device is located, and the display panel 2, used to display function selection information, are arranged at an angle. This allows the display panel 2 to be clearly observed even when the touch sensing area 111 is in an area not easily visible to the operator. By observing the information on the display panel 2, the operator can more clearly perceive whether their finger has accurately landed on the operable touch sensing area 111, thus enabling more accurate control of various functions, such as starting and stopping the machine, adjusting the fan speed, and switching the lights on and off. This structural design of the touch device allows for reliable and accurate touch operation even when the main body of kitchen appliances is hidden inside a cabinet.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] Figure 7 Another preferred embodiment of the touch control device for kitchen appliances of this utility model is shown. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the display surface 20 of the display panel 2 of the touch control device faces forward and downward, that is, the angle between the display surface 20 and the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10 is an obtuse angle. Similarly, the light guide substrate also has a wedge-shaped structure, with a right-angled triangle cross-section. One right-angled surface of the light guide substrate is in contact with the touch operation panel 11 of the housing 10, while the inclined surface serves as the display surface 20.

Claims

1. A touch control device for kitchen appliances, comprising: Touch control panel (11); At least one touch-sensing module is attached to the touch operation panel; The control unit is electrically connected to the touch sensing module; The feature is that it further includes a function selection display module. The touch operation panel has at least one touch sensing area (111) corresponding to each of the touch sensing modules. The function selection display module includes a display panel (2) extending outward from the touch operation panel (11) and arranged at an angle to the touch operation panel (11). The function selection display module is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the function selection display module to display the corresponding function selection information on the display panel (2) according to the signal transmitted by the touch sensing module.

2. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel (2) is a light guide substrate, which has a display surface (20) and a function label (201) on the display surface (20). The function selection display module also includes a light source (21), which is located inside the light guide substrate or on the touch operation panel and is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the light source (21) to turn on or increase its brightness according to the signal transmitted by the touch sensing module, thereby illuminating the function label (201) on the display surface (20) of the light guide substrate.

3. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to claim 2, characterized in that: The touch sensing module has at least two arranged along the first direction (A1), and the touch sensing area (111) on the touch operation panel (11) also has at least two arranged sequentially along the first direction (A1). The function mark (201) on the light guide substrate has at least two arranged sequentially along the first direction (A1), and each of the function marks (201) on the light guide substrate corresponds one-to-one with each of the touch sensing areas (111).

4. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to claim 3, characterized in that: The display surface (20) of the light guide substrate is a plane and parallel to the first direction (A1). The display surface (20) is perpendicular to the touch operation panel (11) or the angle between the display surface (20) and the touch operation panel (11) is an obtuse angle.

5. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit includes a control board (13), and the light source (21) is integrated on the control board (13). The control board and the touch sensing module are both located on the side of the touch operation board away from the display board. The touch operation board (11) has a light-transmitting hole opposite to the light source (21).

6. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to claim 5, characterized in that: The touch sensing module is a capacitive touch module, which includes a touch sensor and a sensing spring (12). One end of the sensing spring (12) is electrically connected to the touch sensor, and the other end is against the area where the touch sensing area (111) is located on the touch operation panel (11).

7. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to claim 2, characterized in that: The display surface (20) is provided with a coating or film, and the part not covered by the coating or film forms the functional identifier (201).

8. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The display panel (2) is wedge-shaped as a whole.

9. The touch control device for kitchen appliances according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The touch sensing module and control unit are both housed in a box (10), and one side wall of the box (10) serves as the touch operation panel (11).

10. A kitchen appliance, comprising a body, characterized in that: It also includes a touch device disposed on the body, wherein the touch device is the touch device for kitchen appliances as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The kitchen appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that: The kitchen appliance mentioned is one of the following: range hood, dishwasher, or steam oven.

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