Visual indication of cookware placement within an oven

Abstract

The utility model provides a visual indication structure of the layout position of the cookware in the oven, which comprises a cooking liner, a plurality of mounting parts of different heights for laying the cookware are arranged on the inner side of the cooking liner, at least one side of the cooking liner is provided with a trigger mechanism, the trigger mechanism is electrically connected with at least one display device, the display device comprises a plurality of indication ends corresponding to the mounting parts of different heights, and the trigger mechanism is used for generating a trigger signal to start the corresponding indication end of the display device when the cooking liner is powered on and the cookware is arranged in any mounting part. According to the present application, the corresponding indication end is triggered when the cookware is placed in a specific mounting part, thereby realizing instant display of the layout position of the cookware in the oven. The convenience of operation is improved, the user can quickly and accurately master the cookware level without having to observe the oven interior with great effort, and the safety in use is further enhanced by reducing the need for the user to frequently open and close the high-temperature oven door due to uncertainty about the position of the cookware.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electric oven technology, and in particular to a visual indicator structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven. [Background Technology]

[0002] Electric ovens, as an indispensable cooking appliance in modern kitchens, are typically designed with multiple shelves or mounting positions of varying heights. This allows users to flexibly arrange baking trays, racks, and other cooking utensils according to the type and quantity of ingredients and specific baking needs. By selecting different arrangement levels, users can precisely control the distance between the food and the heating source, thereby affecting the efficiency and evenness of heat transfer and ultimately achieving ideal cooking results.

[0003] However, in existing oven designs, users often face numerous inconveniences when placing or confirming the specific level of cookware. Firstly, most traditional ovens do not offer any active indication of cookware placement levels other than internal lighting. Users typically need to visually inspect the oven interior or rely on memory to determine the cookware's location. Accurately identifying the cookware level becomes particularly difficult when the oven cavity is deep, the internal lighting is insufficient, or the oven door glass is less transparent due to grease or moisture.

[0004] Secondly, when performing multi-layer baking or frequently adjusting the position of cookware, users can easily confuse cookware on different layers, especially when the oven is operating at high temperature. It is inconvenient to keep the oven door open for a long time to carefully observe and confirm, which not only affects the efficiency of operation, but may also cause oven temperature fluctuations due to frequent opening and closing of the oven door, affecting the cooking quality.

[0005] Therefore, existing technologies generally lack an effective mechanism that can proactively, clearly, and instantly provide users with precise feedback on the location of cookware after it has been placed inside the oven. This deficiency not only reduces the convenience and user-friendliness of operation but also indirectly affects the controllability of the cooking process and the stability of the final result. Therefore, providing an intuitive and reliable indicator of cookware placement within the oven has become a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved to improve the user experience and intelligence level of oven products. [Utility Model Content]

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a visual indicator structure for the arrangement of cookware inside an oven, aiming to solve the problems in the prior art where users have difficulty accurately and quickly identifying or confirming the specific layers of cookware arrangement inside the oven, and the resulting poor cooking results and inconvenience in operation.

[0007] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] A visual indication structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a cooking liner. The inner side of the cooking liner has multiple mounting parts of different heights for placing cookware. At least one side of the cooking liner has a trigger mechanism, which is electrically connected to at least one display device. The display device includes multiple indicator ends corresponding to the mounting parts of different heights. When the cooking liner is powered on and cookware is placed on any of the mounting parts, the trigger mechanism generates a trigger signal to activate the corresponding indicator end of the display device.

[0009] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a mounting groove on at least one side of the cooking liner. The mounting groove contains multiple through holes of varying heights. The triggering mechanism includes a connecting block fixed within the mounting groove. A perforated hole in the center of the connecting block communicates with the multiple through holes. A trigger base is connected to the connecting block. A triggering device is mounted on the trigger base. One end of the triggering device passes through the perforated hole and the through holes to the cooking liner. The other end of the triggering device passes through the trigger base. A switch bracket is connected to one side of the trigger base. The switch bracket contains multiple microswitches that cooperate with the triggering device. The multiple microswitches are electrically connected to the display device.

[0010] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a triggering device comprising a rotating shaft located on one side of the triggering base. A plurality of levers corresponding to the through holes are hinged on the rotating shaft. The triggering base is provided with a clearance groove for the levers to rotate. One end of the lever passes through the perforated hole and the through hole to the inner cooking cavity, and the other end of the lever passes through the triggering base and engages with the micro switch.

[0011] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a lever member comprising a power receiving part hinged to the rotating shaft for direct contact with the cookware, and a power output part hinged to the rotating shaft for cooperating with a micro switch. A first elastic member is provided in the power output part and the power receiving part, the first elastic member being hinged to the rotating shaft and its two ends being fixed to the power receiving part and the power output part, respectively.

[0012] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven has a reset part on the trigger base corresponding to the clearance groove, and a second elastic member is provided between the reset part and the lever member.

[0013] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a display substrate fixed to the outside of the cooking liner. The display substrate has a lamp panel, which has an integrated interface electrically connected to a triggering mechanism. One side of the lamp panel has multiple LED beads corresponding to the mounting portions at different heights. Adjacent to the lamp panel is a light guide device fixed to the outside of the cooking liner. One end of the light guide device is adjacent to the multiple LED beads to receive light sources, and the other end of the light guide device has an indicator end extending to the edge of the opening of the cooking liner.

[0014] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a light guide device comprising a light guide substrate fixed to the outside of the cooking liner, a light guide cover connected to the light guide substrate, a plurality of light guide channels corresponding to the plurality of LED beads inside the light guide cover, a light guide column corresponding to the size of the plurality of light guide channels, a limiting plate at the edge of the light guide cover, an indicator end on the limiting plate, one end of the light guide column being connected to the LED beads and the other end being connected to the indicator end on the limiting plate.

[0015] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a light-focusing element disposed between a lamp panel and a display substrate. The light-focusing element has multiple light-focusing sections corresponding to individual lamp beads, and the light-focusing sections are connected to one end of the light guide channel.

[0016] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven is provided with a heat dissipation component adjacent to the display device on the outside of the cooking liner.

[0017] As described above, a visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven includes a heat dissipation assembly comprising a heat-conducting cover that covers the light panel. The heat-conducting cover includes an air inlet that extends along its width and an air outlet that is located at the end. A heat dissipation fan that is fixed to the outside of the cooking liner is provided next to the air inlet.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0019] This invention provides an instant and clear display of the cookware's position within the oven by triggering a corresponding indicator when the cookware is placed on a specific mounting point. This design significantly enhances user convenience, allowing users to quickly and accurately determine the cookware's position without straining their eyes to observe the oven's interior, particularly optimizing the operating experience in high-temperature or low-light conditions. Furthermore, by ensuring that cookware is precisely placed on the designated level according to specific cooking procedures or recipes, it effectively improves cooking accuracy and success rates. Moreover, by reducing the need for users to frequently open and close the high-temperature oven door due to uncertainty about cookware positions, it enhances safety and helps maintain stable oven temperatures, thus saving energy. [Attached Image Description]

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an electric oven that utilizes the visual indication structure in this embodiment;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an internal structural diagram of an electric oven that utilizes the visual indication structure described in this embodiment;

[0023] Figure 3 This is an internal side view of an electric oven that utilizes the visual indication structure in this embodiment;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the visual indication structure proposed in this embodiment;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the visual indication structure proposed in this embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the visual indication structure proposed in this embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the triggering mechanism in this embodiment;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the triggering mechanism in this embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the triggering mechanism in this embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0030] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the triggering mechanism in this embodiment. Figure 3 ;

[0031] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the display device and the heat-conducting cover in this embodiment;

[0032] Figure 12 This is an exploded view of the display device in this embodiment;

[0033] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the heat-conducting shield in this embodiment;

[0034] Figure 14 For the heat-conducting shield in this embodiment Figure 3 A three-dimensional structural diagram when installed near the power module interface.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0035] To make the technical problems solved by this application, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects clearer, this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0036] This embodiment discloses a visual indication structure for the placement of cookware in high-temperature cooking equipment such as electric ovens. The core function of this structure is that when a user places or adjusts cookware in the oven's cooking cavity, it can provide real-time and accurate feedback on the vertical position of the cookware through visual signals, thereby optimizing the user's operating experience and improving the precision control and safety of the cooking process.

[0037] See attached document Figures 1-14 As shown, the visual indicator structure described in this embodiment is primarily based on the cooking inner pot 1. As the core component of the oven, the cooking inner pot 1 typically uses a metal material with good high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and food safety standards, such as SUS304 or SUS430 stainless steel sheets, or low-carbon steel sheets with a high-temperature enamel coating. It is formed by precision die stamping and then welded or riveted. The inner wall of the cooking inner pot 1 has multiple independent mounting sections 11 spaced along the vertical direction (e.g., three or five layers, the specific number depending on the oven specifications). Each mounting section 11 is designed to stably support standard-sized baking trays, grill racks, and other cooking utensils. Its specific structural forms are diverse. It can be a horizontal load-bearing rib or a stepped groove integrally stamped with the inner pot side wall. This structure has good integrity and is easy to clean. It can also be a detachable metal wire mesh grille fixed to the inner pot side wall by spot welding or screws, which is easy to adjust and replace. Alternatively, to improve the user experience, telescopic guide rails with ball bearings or Teflon (PTFE) coating can be used to make it easier and less strenuous to push the cookware in and pull it out.

[0038] One of the key innovations of this embodiment lies in the arrangement of the trigger mechanism 2. The trigger mechanism 2 is located on at least one side of the cooking liner 1; for example, to simplify the structure, it can be located only on the left or right side of the liner; to improve detection redundancy and reliability, it can also be symmetrically arranged on both sides. A pre-defined electrical connection exists between the trigger mechanism 2 and the display device 3. The display device 3 integrates or exposes multiple independent indicator terminals 31, whose arrangement and position outside the oven correspond one-to-one with the vertical layers of each mounting part 11 inside the cooking liner 1. Its working principle is as follows: when the oven's main control unit confirms that the oven is powered on and in a safe standby or working state, if the user places a cookware on any mounting part 11, the weight of the cookware or its physical edge will exert a mechanical action on the trigger mechanism 2 at that layer, such as pressing, flicking, or squeezing. The state of the sensing element inside the trigger mechanism 2 changes accordingly, generating a recognizable level transition or pulse signal, which is the trigger signal. This trigger signal is transmitted to the control circuit of the display device 3 via a shielded wire or flexible flat cable (FPC). After receiving and decoding the trigger signal, the display device 3 will precisely drive the indicator end 31 corresponding to the triggered mounting part 11 to light up, change color, flash, or display specific graphic information, thereby clearly indicating to the user the cooking level currently occupied by the cookware.

[0039] Furthermore, the mechanical structure design of the trigger mechanism 2 is an important aspect of this embodiment. As a preferred and reliable implementation, the inner wall of the cooking liner 1 (e.g., the left and / or right vertical walls) corresponds to the installation area of ​​the trigger mechanism 2. One or two longitudinally extending mounting grooves 12 are formed by a single stamping process using a mold or by subsequent precision machining, depending on the number of trigger mechanisms 2. These mounting grooves 12 provide a stable mounting reference and sufficient accommodating space for the trigger mechanism 2. On the inner wall of the mounting groove 12, corresponding to the precise height position of each mounting section 11 within the cooking liner 1, multiple sets of through holes 121 with optimized dimensions and shapes are provided. These through holes 121 are necessary channels for the sensing component of the trigger mechanism 2 to mechanically interact with the internal space of the cooking liner 1. The main body of the trigger mechanism 2 may include one or two connecting blocks 21 securely fixed within the mounting groove 12 by precision screws, high-temperature resistant clips, or laser spot welding. These connecting blocks 21 may be made of high-temperature resistant, high-strength engineering plastics (such as PEEK, PPS) or metal materials (such as stainless steel). The connecting block 21 has a perforated hole 211 in the middle that is precisely aligned with the through hole 121. This perforated hole 211 provides guidance and limitation for the moving parts of the trigger device 23. The side of the connecting block 21 facing away from the cooking liner 1, i.e., the side facing the outside of the oven, is connected to or integrally constructed into a trigger base 22. The trigger device 23 is precisely mounted on the trigger base 22. The movable part of the trigger device 23, such as the sensing probe at its front end or one end of the lever arm, can precisely pass through the perforated hole 211 of the connecting block 21 and the through hole 121 of the mounting groove 12, and extend into the interior of the cooking liner 1 at an appropriate length, ensuring that any placed cookware can be reliably actuated. The other end of the trigger device 23 passes through the trigger base 22 and is connected to or forms an action relationship with a switch bracket 24 on the outside of the trigger base 22. Multiple high-precision, long-life microswitches 25 are integrated and mounted on the switch bracket 24, each microswitch 25 corresponding to an actuation point of the trigger device 23. When the cookware is placed in position, the pressure it exerts on the part of the trigger device 23 that extends into the inner pot is transmitted through a mechanical structure, causing the other end of the trigger device 23 to precisely activate the corresponding microswitch 25, changing its internal contacts from normally open to closed, or vice versa, thereby outputting a clear switching signal. The signal output terminals of all microswitches 25 are electrically connected to the signal processing unit of the display device 3 via wires or PCB traces to achieve low-voltage DC connection.

[0040] In the specific structural selection of the aforementioned triggering device 23, the lever mechanism is a preferred option due to its ability to amplify displacement or force and its relatively simple and reliable structure. In this case, a precision stainless steel rotating shaft 231, with a pin-shaped structure, can be installed on one side of the triggering base 22, passing through multiple triggering units. Multiple independent lever components 232 are mounted on this rotating shaft 231 in a freely rotatable manner via bearings or wear-resistant bushings. The geometry and installation position of each lever component 232 are designed to precisely correspond to a through hole 121, that is, to the level of a mounting portion 11 inside the cooking inner pot 1. To ensure that the lever component 232 does not interfere with the triggering base 22 when deflected by force, a clearance groove 221 with sufficient space is provided on the triggering base 22 at the expected movement trajectory of each lever component 232. Each lever 232 can be designed as an L-shape or a T-shape, with one end (sensing end) forming a smooth probe or a structure with wear-resistant contacts, extending into the interior of the cooking pot 1 through the perforated hole 211 and the through hole 121 for direct or indirect mechanical contact with the cookware; the other end (acting end) is designed with a precise protrusion or flat surface for precise engagement with the touch button or swing arm of the corresponding micro switch 25.

[0041] To further improve the response sensitivity, smoothness of action, and service life of the lever 232, each lever 232 can be composed of two parts coaxially hinged together by a rotating shaft 231: one part is a power receiving part 2321 that directly interacts with the cookware at the front end, which can be made of wear-resistant and high-temperature-resistant materials such as ceramic or surface-hardened metal; the other part is a power output part 2322 that precisely matches the micro switch 25 at the rear end, which can be made of high-strength engineering plastic or lightweight alloy. Between these two parts, a first elastic element 2323, such as a pre-tensioned precision torsion spring or a small coil spring, is coaxially mounted or connected in parallel. One end of the first elastic element 2323 is connected to the power receiving part 2321, and the other end is connected to the power output part 2322. This structural design allows the slight displacement of the power receiving unit 2321 to be buffered and filtered by the first elastic element 2323 when the cookware is slightly shaken or not fully placed, thus preventing the micro switch 25 from generating false signals due to momentary jitter. At the same time, once the cookware is placed stably, it ensures that sufficient triggering force is reliably transmitted to the power output unit 2322, thereby stably triggering the micro switch 25.

[0042] To ensure that the lever 232 can quickly and reliably return to its initial non-triggered position after the cookware is removed, thus disconnecting the contacts of the microswitch 25 and preventing continuous output of the indicator signal, an independent reset part 222 is provided on the trigger base 22 at the corresponding clearance groove 221 for each lever 232. This reset part 222 can be an integrally formed boss on the trigger base 22 or an additional limiting structure. A second elastic element 223, such as a small stainless steel tension spring, a piano wire compression spring, or a reset spring made of beryllium copper alloy, is installed between the reset part 222 and a specific location on the lever 232, such as the back of its power receiving part 2321 or a specific point on the lever arm. When the pressure of the cookware is removed, the elastic potential energy stored in the second elastic element 223 will drive the lever 232 to rotate in the opposite direction around the rotation axis 231 until it returns to its original static position where it does not interact with the microswitch 25.

[0043] The display device 3 can also be implemented in several ways. A preferred embodiment includes a display substrate 32 fixed to the outer wall of the cooking pot 1 by precision screws, high-temperature resistant double-sided tape, or embedded clips. This substrate can be a PCB board or a metal / plastic support plate. The display substrate 32 supports and connects to the core light-emitting unit—the lamp board 321. The lamp board 321 itself is a specially designed PCB, integrating an integrated interface 3211 for receiving signals from the microswitches 25 of the trigger mechanism 2, such as a Molex or JST brand miniature connector, or an FPC connector. On the user-facing side or a specific edge of the lamp board 321, multiple LED beads 3212 are arrayed or inserted according to a spatial layout precisely corresponding to the vertical planes of the mounting parts 11 within the cooking pot 1. These LED beads 3212 are preferably high-brightness, low-light-decay, and long-life SMD (surface mount device) type LEDs. Their emission color can be selected according to the overall design style of the oven, such as white, warm yellow, or a specific function indicator color, and their brightness can be adjusted via PWM (pulse width modulation). Closely fitted to the light panel 321 and also fixed to the outside of the cooking interior 1 is a precisely designed light guide device 33. The main function of the light guide device 33 is to conduct the light emitted by the specific LED beads 3212 lit on the light panel 321 to the indicator end 31, which is easily visible to the user, with minimal light loss and maximum efficiency. Its light-incident end is precisely aligned with the LED bead 3212 array, tightly fitted, or coupled through transparent optical silicone to improve light collection efficiency; its light-exit end extends to the opening edge of the cooking interior 1, a specific area of ​​the door glass, or a preset position on the control panel, forming a clearly visible indicator end 31 at that location.

[0044] To achieve optimal light guiding effect and uniform indicator brightness, the structure of the light guide device 33 can be further optimized. For example, the light guide device 33 may include a light guide substrate 331 serving as a mounting and positioning reference, on which a light guide cover 332 is fixed or mounted by ultrasonic welding, hot melting, or precision snap-fit. The interior of the light guide cover 332 is then manufactured using precision injection molding or photopolymerization 3D printing processes to create multiple independent light guide channels 3321, each corresponding to the spatial position of the LED beads 3212 and possessing a specific geometric shape (such as circular, rectangular, or irregular cross-section). To reduce light scattering and crosstalk within the channels, the inner walls of each light guide channel 3321 can be highly polished or coated with a high-reflectivity coating. Each light guide channel 3321 may contain or be integrally formed with a precisely sized light guide post 3323. These light guide pillars 3323 are the core components of the light guide and can be made of optical-grade transparent polymer materials with high light transmittance, low dispersion, and good formability, such as PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PC (polycarbonate), or specially modified optical silicone. Their end faces can be precision-machined with diamond tools or laser-polished to achieve a mirror effect. At the edge of the light guide cover 332 facing the user's visible area, there is a limiting plate 3322 with excellent structural strength and aesthetic appeal. This limiting plate 3322 can be made of transparent, translucent, or textured plastic or glass materials, on which the indicator end 31, serving as the final visual indicator unit, is directly formed or embedded. The light-incident end of each light guide pillar 3323 is precisely aligned and tightly fitted with the corresponding LED bead 3212 through a positioning structure such as a concave-convex fitting. Its light-exit end is seamlessly connected to or forms a specific optical coupling with the indicator end 31 on the limiting plate 3322. The indicator end 31 itself can be designed as a miniature convex lens, concave lens, or a frosted surface with specific diffusion characteristics to optimize the angular distribution and visual softness of the emitted light.

[0045] To further improve light energy utilization and ensure sufficient brightness and contrast of the indicator 31, especially in kitchen environments with strong ambient light, the display device 3 can also install a precision light-concentrating element 34 between the lamp board 321 and the display substrate 32, or directly on the light-emitting surface of the LED beads 3212 of the lamp board 321. This light-concentrating element 34 has multiple miniature light-concentrating sections 341 corresponding one-to-one with the LED beads 3212. These light-concentrating sections 341 are made of molded or injection-molded optical-grade plastic, effectively shaping, collimating, and converging the divergent beam emitted by the corresponding LED chip, allowing it to be efficiently coupled into the light entrance aperture of the corresponding light guide channel 3321 in the light guide device 33 with a small divergence angle, thereby significantly improving light transmission efficiency and terminal indicator brightness.

[0046] Considering that the light panel 321 and its high-brightness LED beads 3212 generate considerable heat during continuous operation, improper heat dissipation may lead to LED luminous efficacy decay, color coordinate drift, or even premature failure, thereby affecting the reliability and lifespan of the entire visual indication system. Therefore, this embodiment further proposes to add an active or passive heat dissipation component 4 to the outside of the cooking pot 1, adjacent to the display device 3, especially in the area of ​​its core heat-generating light panel 321.

[0047] An optional active cooling solution is that the heat dissipation assembly 4 includes a heat-conducting cover 41 whose shape matches the contour of the lamp panel 321 or effectively covers its main heat-generating area. This heat-conducting cover 41 can be made of a material with high thermal conductivity and good mechanical strength, such as aluminum alloy, copper alloy, or thermally conductive engineering plastic with an embedded metal heat-conducting skeleton, and can be formed by stamping, die casting, or CNC machining. The geometry of the heat-conducting cover 41 should facilitate the formation of a smooth heat dissipation airflow. To this end, the heat-conducting cover 41 has an air inlet 411 along one of its dimensions (e.g., width or length) and an air outlet 412 at a predetermined end or specific convergence point of its airflow path. Near the air inlet 411, a miniaturized, high-efficiency, low-noise cooling fan 42, such as a thin axial fan with a diameter of 20-40 mm or a small centrifugal blower, is fixed by a shock-absorbing bracket or screws. Its power supply can be linked to the power supply of the oven main power supply or the display device 3. When the cooling fan 42 is working, it forcibly draws in ambient air from outside the oven at room temperature, allowing it to flow through the heat dissipation channel formed by the inside of the heat-conducting cover 41 and the surface of the lamp board 321. Through forced convection heat exchange, it efficiently removes the heat generated by the LED and the driving circuit, and discharges it to the outside of the oven or a designated heat dissipation area through the air outlet 412.

[0048] To further optimize heat dissipation and also to provide auxiliary cooling for other critical components inside the oven that are susceptible to high temperatures, such as the power module interface area located at the rear or bottom of the oven, the air outlet structure of the heat-conducting shroud 41 can be specially designed. For example, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 14 The heat-conducting cover 41 can be designed to include a curved extension 413 with a specific curvature. The end of the curved extension 413 cleverly forms the air outlet 412. By precisely controlling its air outlet direction, the cooled airflow after heat exchange (although the temperature is slightly higher, it is still below the operating limit temperature of the target component) can be precisely directed to the area outside the cooking cavity 1 near the power module interface, so as to perform targeted heat dissipation in this area, thereby synergistically improving the operational stability and component life of the entire oven system.

[0049] Furthermore, to ensure that the installation of the heat dissipation component 4 does not affect the convenience and reliability of the electrical connection of the display device 3, as well as the precise optical alignment with the light guide device 33, the heat conduction cover 41 can be provided with a reserved slot 414 along its width direction, based on the actual lead-out position and direction of the integrated interface 3211, through precision stamping or milling processes. This slot is precisely matched to the physical shape of the integrated interface 3211 on the lamp board 321, ensuring that the connecting cable or FPC can pass through without interference and connect to the external control circuit board. Simultaneously, in the area corresponding to the array of lamp beads 3212, on the side of the heat conduction cover 41 facing the light guide device 33, a mating part 415 that precisely matches the mounting edge contour of the light guide cover 332 can be integrally formed or additionally installed along its width or length direction. This mating part 415 not only serves a mechanical positioning and support function, ensuring the stability of the assembly, but may also achieve a certain degree of dust and water resistance through sealing rings or precision mating surface design. On the docking part 415, there are also multiple reserved holes 4151 with precise geometric shapes and positions corresponding to the light-incident end face of each light guide column 3323, to ensure that the light emitted from the lamp bead 3212 and the light-concentrating element 34 can enter each light guide channel 3323 of the light guide device 33 without obstruction and with high efficiency.

[0050] The visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside the oven, as described in this embodiment, and the preferred and optional configurations of its components, ultimately serve to realize an electric oven integrating this indicator structure. This type of electric oven, possessing the aforementioned innovative visual indicator function, will significantly improve the convenience, accuracy, and safety of users in daily cooking operations, allowing users to focus more on the cooking process itself rather than spending excessive effort on layer switching and position confirmation, thus bringing a better overall smart kitchen appliance user experience.

[0051] It should be understood that, for those skilled in the art, various modifications, combinations, or equivalent substitutions can be made to the specific implementation of this utility model without departing from the principles and core technical solutions of the above embodiments. For example, the mechanical micro switch 25 in the trigger mechanism 2 can be replaced by a non-contact sensing element, such as a small Hall effect sensor combined with a permanent magnet (the cookware presses the lever to move the permanent magnet closer to or away from the Hall sensor), an infrared photoelectric pair (the cookware blocks the light path), or a miniature capacitive / inductive proximity switch, etc. These alternative solutions can all achieve effective detection of the cookware position and output an electrical signal. Similarly, in addition to using LEDs combined with light guides, the indicator end 31 of the display device 3 can also adopt a small segment LCD (liquid crystal display), an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) micro-display unit, or even use electrochromic technology to achieve layer indication in a specific area of ​​the oven glass door, depending on the product design requirements. These are all reasonable extensions that those skilled in the art can make based on the concept of this utility model. These modifications, combinations, or substitutions, as long as they do not deviate in substance from the technical problem to be solved and the technical effect to be achieved by this utility model, shall all fall within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

Claims

1. A visual indicator structure for the placement of cookware inside an oven, comprising a cooking liner (1), wherein the inner side of the cooking liner (1) is provided with a plurality of mounting portions (11) of different heights for placing cookware, characterized in that: The cooking inner pot (1) is provided with a trigger mechanism (2) on at least one side. The trigger mechanism (2) is electrically connected to at least one display device (3). The display device (3) includes a plurality of indicator ends (31) corresponding to the mounting parts (11) at different heights. The trigger mechanism (2) is used to generate a trigger signal to activate the corresponding indicator end (31) of the display device (3) when the cooking inner pot (1) is powered on and any of the mounting parts (11) is equipped with cookware.

2. The visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooking inner pot (1) has a mounting groove (12) on at least one side. The mounting groove (12) has a plurality of through holes (121) of different heights. The triggering mechanism (2) includes a connecting block (21) fixed in the mounting groove (12). The connecting block (21) has a hollow hole (211) in the middle that communicates with the plurality of through holes (121). The connecting block (21) is connected to a trigger base (22). The trigger base (22) is provided with a triggering device (23). One end of the triggering device (23) passes through the hollow hole (211) and the through hole (121) and enters the cooking inner pot (1). The other end of the triggering device (23) passes through the triggering base (22). A switch bracket (24) is connected to one side of the triggering base (22). The switch bracket (24) is provided with a plurality of micro switches (25) that can cooperate with the triggering device (23). The plurality of micro switches (25) are electrically connected to the display device (3).

3. The visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 2, characterized in that, The triggering device (23) includes a rotating shaft (231) located on one side of the triggering base (22). Multiple levers (232) corresponding to the through holes (121) are hinged on the rotating shaft (231). The triggering base (22) is provided with a clearance groove (221) for the levers (232) to rotate. One end of the lever (232) passes through the hollow hole (211) and the through hole (121) and enters the cooking inner pot (1). The other end of the lever (232) passes through the triggering base (22) and cooperates with the micro switch (25).

4. The visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lever (232) includes a power receiving part (2321) hinged to the rotating shaft (231) for direct contact with the cookware, and a power output part (2322) hinged to the rotating shaft (231) for cooperating with a micro switch (25). A first elastic element (2323) is provided on the power output part (2322) and the power receiving part (2321). The first elastic element (2323) is hinged to the rotating shaft (231) and its two ends are respectively fixed to the power receiving part (2321) and the power output part (2322).

5. The visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 3, characterized in that, The trigger base (22) is provided with a reset part (222) corresponding to the clearance groove (221), and a second elastic member (223) is provided between the reset part (222) and the lever (232).

6. A visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The display device (3) includes a display substrate (32) fixed to the outside of the cooking pot (1). The display substrate (32) is provided with a lamp plate (321). The lamp plate (321) is provided with an integrated interface (3211) electrically connected to the trigger mechanism (2). One side of the lamp plate (321) is provided with lamp beads (3212) corresponding to multiple mounting parts (11) of different heights. The lamp plate (321) is adjacent to a light guide device (33) fixed to the outside of the cooking pot (1). One end of the light guide device (33) is adjacent to multiple lamp beads (3212) to receive light sources. The other end of the light guide device (33) is provided with an indicator end (31) extending to the edge of the opening of the cooking pot (1).

7. The visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 6, characterized in that, The light guide device (33) includes a light guide substrate (331) fixed to the outside of the cooking inner pot (1). The light guide substrate (331) is connected to a light guide cover (332). The light guide cover (332) is provided with multiple light guide channels (3321) corresponding to multiple LED beads (3212). Each of the multiple light guide channels (3321) has a light guide column (3323) with a corresponding size inside. The edge of the light guide cover (332) is provided with a limiting plate (3322). The limiting plate (3322) is provided with an indicator end (31). One end of the light guide column (3323) is connected to the LED bead (3212) and the other end is connected to the indicator end (31) on the limiting plate (3322).

8. The visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 7, characterized in that, The display device (3) includes a light-concentrating element (34) disposed between the lamp plate (321) and the display substrate (32). The light-concentrating element (34) is provided with a plurality of light-concentrating parts (341) corresponding one-to-one with the lamp beads (3212). The light-concentrating parts (341) are connected to one end of the light guide channel (3321).

9. A visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 7, characterized in that, A heat dissipation assembly (4) is also provided on the outside of the cooking inner pot (1) adjacent to the display device (3).

10. A visual indication structure for the arrangement of cooking utensils inside an oven according to claim 9, characterized in that, The heat dissipation assembly (4) includes a heat-conducting cover (41) covering the lamp plate (321). The heat-conducting cover (41) includes an air inlet (411) opened along its width direction and an air outlet (412) located at the end. A heat dissipation fan (42) fixed to the outside of the cooking inner pot (1) is provided next to the air inlet (411).

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