Control device for an electrical appliance and electrical appliance

Abstract

An operating device for a hob comprises a control and a capacitive touchscreen for operation by placing a finger on it, which has a display, a user interface, and capacitive sensor elements distributed across the surface below. The operating device comprises an operating element that is movable and removable on the user interface and is designed in two parts with a lower part and an upper part that can be rotated relative to one another about a vertical axis of rotation. The operating element comprises sensor means for detecting rotation between the lower part and the upper part and a radio device for wirelessly transmitting signals to a counter radio device of the operating device. The radio device transmits information for detecting the rotation to the control of the operating device via the counter radio device.The control of the operating device is designed to detect the position of the operating element on the user interface by means of capacitive sensors and to adapt a display around the operating element accordingly and to trigger operating commands.

Description

The invention relates to an operating device for an electrical appliance, which is advantageously a domestic electrical appliance such as a hob, wherein the operating device has, on the one hand, a touch screen for operation with a finger and, on the other hand, a rotatable operating element. Furthermore, the invention relates to an electrical appliance having such an operating device, in particular a domestic electrical appliance.Operating devices with a touch screen are known from the prior art, see for example DE 10 2006 039 235 A1. This allows very comfortable display of very many items of information for an operator and at the same time very many individual and / or detailed operating options.Operating devices with another operating philosophy have removable and rotatable operating elements on an operating surface, see for example DE 102012-213693 A1. By means of a rotatable operating element, an operation similar to a conventional oven can be effected on which mechanically actuatable rotary knobs were present.DE 10 2020 207 367 A1 discloses a domestic appliance with an operating device, wherein the domestic appliance is a hob installed in a work plate. The hob itself has operating elements and display elements in a front region, for example buttons and seven-segment displays. In addition to the hob, a rotatable and removable operating knob is provided on the work plate, with which a setting and thus an operation of the hob can be carried out. For this purpose, it can be rotated or laterally displaced, which can be detected and wirelessly transmitted to a control of the hob in the operating device.DE 10 2014 223 371 A1 discloses a further hob having an operating device and an operating region, wherein the operating region is a relatively large field in the form of a touch screen. A rotary knob can be placed on the latter, wherein a position and a rotation of the rotary knob can be detected for controlling the hob.DE 10 2012 210 563 A1 discloses an operating device for a hob which is designed as a mobile part. It has a touch screen as a touch screen. On this touch screen, a rotatable element can in turn be placed as a rotary knob, and with a rotation the hob can be controlled by radio.DE 10 2011 007 112 A1 discloses a yet further hob with an operating device which has a rotary knob which can be placed on a screen. This can be rotated and displaced laterally, which can be detected as a movement in each case. In this way, different operating commands for operating the hob can be generated.Object and SolutionThe object of the invention is to create an operating device mentioned at the beginning and an electrical appliance provided with it, with which problems of the prior art can be solved and it is possible in particular to configure an operating device suitable for practice and thus to be able to operate an electrical appliance advantageously and comfortably with many options.This object is achieved by an operating device having the features of claim 1 and by an electrical appliance having such an operating device having the features of claim 12. Some of the features are described here only for the operating device or only for the electrical appliance. However, they should be able to apply independently of this both to such an operating device and to such an electrical appliance independently and independently of one another. The wording of the claims is made the content of the description by explicit reference.The operating device for the electrical device has a controller, in particular a microcontroller, and a flat, capacitively operating touch screen. This can be operated, as is known per se, by placing and / or moving a finger thereon. The touch screen has a display or a so-called display, advantageously a TFT display, an operating surface for placing a finger on top of the user, and capacitive sensor elements under this operating surface. They can be provided above the display or the display, so that the control surface can advantageously be formed by a glass pane. The control mentioned can be provided for evaluating the touch screen; under certain circumstances, it can also assume further control functions or all control functions for the electrical device.The operating device has at least one operating element which is arranged movably and detachably on the operating surface. In particular, the operating element can also be placed at any desired location on the operating device or on the operating surface and then be operated there as intended. This operating element is formed in two parts and has a lower part and an upper part which can be rotated with respect to one another or with respect to one another. This takes place about an axis of rotation which runs vertically to the operating surface with the operating element thereon. Such an operating element can thus be used in a similar manner to known rotatable operating elements, wherein the upper part can be rotated. The lower part rests here firmly and without rotation on the operating surface, so that operation depends on a rotation or rotational position between the lower part and the upper part. These can be designed differently, as will be explained in detail later. Furthermore, the operating element has a radio device or other means for wirelessly transmitting signals to the operating device, which has a counter-radio device for this purpose. Thus, the signals detected by the sensor means mentioned for rotation and / or rotational position can be transmitted to the operating device or its controller. This information is then used to operate the electrical appliance provided with the operating device or to bring about functions thereof. The radio device and the counter-radio device can be advantageously designed, as in the prior art and use known methods, for example Bluetooth or BLE, ZigBee or other radio standards.The capacitive sensor elements mentioned are distributed over the surface of the touchscreen, in particular are distributed uniformly. This is appropriate for a manifold and freely configurable operation by means of the touch screen or by means of the operating device. Furthermore, the control of the operating device is designed to recognize the position of the operating element on the operating surface by means of these capacitive sensor elements. This position can either be generally recognized in order to enable operation at all on the basis of corresponding radio signals of the operating element. Thus, it can be provided that a placement of the operating element at a location other than on the operating device or its operating surface is ignored, although the remote radio device receives corresponding signals and information from the radio device of the operating element. This is because there is then a non-regulatory operation. Furthermore, it can thereby be made possible that the specific position of the operating element on the operating surface has a certain effect; for example, in the case of a hob with a plurality of hobs, only one hob can then be controlled as an operation or operating command, the position of which on the hob corresponds to the relative position of the operating element on the operating surface. Furthermore, it is thereby possible that a specific display display is adapted or changed on the operating element or around the operating element. Thus, the display around the operating element can be substantially always the same or formed or constructed according to the same principles, irrespective of the specific location at which the operating element is placed on the operating surface.By using an operating element which can be freely placed on the operating surface and which can be rotated in itself and can advantageously be placed on it for operation at different positions, a very high degree of freedom is provided for the operation and the design of an operating concept. Furthermore, a specific operating function can also be effected or a specific information can be given simply by selecting a specific location at which the operating element is placed on the operating surface.In an advantageous development of the invention, the operating element can have a pivot bearing as a bearing for the upper part on the lower part, wherein the lower part rests on the operating surface. Such a pivot bearing can be of annular design and can absorb vertical and horizontal bearing forces. Thus, a rotation of the upper part relative to the lower part can take place smoothly for a higher operating comfort and a higher operating accuracy. For this purpose, the pivot bearing can be designed, for example, as a ball bearing, reference is made to DE 102012213693 A1. The diameter of the pivot bearing can be between 40% and 90%, in particular between 50% and 75%, of the diameter of the operating element.The sensor means mentioned for detecting a rotation and / or rotational position are advantageously provided between the lower part and the upper part, particularly advantageously closer to the underside of the operating element than to the upper side. They can be provided close to said radio device, so that a route up to said counter-radio device of the operating device is not so long, whereby the radio signals do not have to be so strong in order to be able to reduce the energy consumption. One possible configuration for such sensor means is that they are designed to operate magnetically. For this purpose, at least one magnet and at least one magnetic field sensor can be provided. Because of its electrical connections, the magnetic field sensor is advantageously arranged on the part of the operating element on or in which the mentioned radio device is also arranged. This can be the lower part, but does not have to be. For cost reasons and to reduce the complexity of the evaluation, no more than one or two magnetic field sensors are provided, but a plurality of magnets, namely on the other part which can be rotated relative thereto. The number of magnets can then determine a resolution of the detection of the rotation and / or rotational position. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the sensor means operate optically and have at least one light transmitter and at least one light receiver, so-called optical detection means being arranged on or in a light path between light transmitter and light receiver. These can be, for example, reflective strips or narrow regions which rotate past light emitters and light receivers, which are arranged close to one another or next to one another. The reflective stripes or regions have non-reflective stripes or regions between them, and by moving past the light emitter and the light receiver, light is reflected flat towards the light receiver or not. However, this is also fundamentally known from the prior art.In a development of the invention, an underside of the lower part can be designed to rest on the operating surface and can have or assume between 70% and 100% of the total area of the projection of the operating element onto the operating surface. This is advantageously somewhat less than 100%, preferably 80% to 95%, so that the upper part can protrude all around the lower part, so that substantially only the upper part is visible and graspable for an operator. This enables a more visually pleasing design. Thus, the upper part can project beyond the lower part, for example, by 2% to 20% of the radius of the lower part as a type of projecting or overlapping edge. The contact surface of the underside on the operating surface is then still sufficiently large.In a further development of the invention, a said underside of the base part can be designed to be non-slip or anti-slip, so that although the operating element can easily be removed from the operating surface, it is generally upwards, since it is not fastened thereon. At the same time, however, it can be ensured in this way that the lower part does not rotate at all when the upper part of the operating element is rotated. Furthermore, the operating element should not shift as much as possible, since this would also adversely affect the operating comfort and the operating accuracy. Such a slip-resistant or slip-resistant configuration can be achieved with a layer which has high static friction and / or high sliding friction on the operating surface. A rubber layer or a silicone layer is generally suitable for this purpose, in particular since operator interfaces of such operator control devices are frequently provided with smooth upper sides, for example of smooth plastic sheets or glass sheets. Above all, a silicone layer can also be cleaned very well; furthermore, it is very temperature-resistant. In addition, it can be provided that a type of suction cup is provided on the underside of the lower part or this underside is designed like a suction cup. Thus, the operating element can optionally be pressed onto the operating surface with some pressure, and a holding force can be generated at this location in addition to the aforementioned non-slip or anti-slip properties of the surface of the underside.In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the touch screen is designed without magnets or magnetic holders for the operating element, i.e. neither for its holder nor for detecting its rotation and / or rotational position. Above all, such magnets or magnetic holders should not be provided on the underside of the touch screen and actually not at all on it. The operating device can thus be designed more easily. A rotary bearing between the upper part and the lower part of the operating element is achieved in a different way, for which purpose no magnetic centering is necessary, as is the case, for example, in EP 797227 A2. In this respect, any magnets can also be dispensed with.The touch screen may be provided to have a relatively high resolution in order to be able to display more information than with classic seven-segment displays. Thus, a resolution can be at least 50x50 pixels, preferably at least 100x200 pixels. Thus, for example, when using the operating device in a hob, a specific position of operated cooking zones and a detected position of cooking pots placed thereon can be displayed with relatively high accuracy with respect to the correspondence of relative position of the cooking pot on the upper side for the display thereof on the operating device or on the touch screen.For the mentioned radio device, the operating element can have an energy store. This can be either a rechargeable battery or a battery which, although it cannot be charged, can easily be replaced when it is used up. The above-mentioned efforts to reduce the energy consumption of the radio device also enable a relatively long operating period with a battery. For charging an accumulator, a device can also be provided on the operating element or in the operating element, which device makes this wireless or inductive. Then, no plug contacts or other electrical contacts prone to contamination need to be provided on the rechargeable battery.In a possible further embodiment of the invention, the operating element can have a light-conducting region which extends or runs from an underside of the lower part to a lateral side of the upper part or an upper side of the upper part. This light-conducting region can advantageously be formed at least partially by light-conducting material, i.e. as a light guide which is continuous at least in sections. In this way, in particular non-straight sections can be formed. As a result of the run from the underside of the lower part to the lateral side or upper side of the upper part, which can be rotated with respect to the lower part, at least one transition with air must be provided therebetween. This can have a short air gap between light-conducting regions of 0.5 mm to 5 mm. Thus, light can generally be coupled into the operating element from the touch screen or from special, high-intensity light sources such as LED or power LED, in order to be able to present light phenomena through the operating element and on the operating element itself. These can display specific information regarding a functional state, alternatively to a rotational position.The path which the light travels from a coupling-in region into the operating element to a decoupling region from the operating element can be formed for the most part by light-conducting material, in particular to an extent of more than 80% or even to an extent of more than 90% of the length. Thus, a good light yield with the greatest possible luminous intensity display on the operating element is possible.In yet another embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the lower part of the operating element has a capacitively effective or electrically conductive surface. This should be provided close to the underside, but particularly advantageously not directly on the underside, so that the aforementioned slip-resistant or slip-inhibiting property can be achieved. This capacitively effective or electrically conductive surface can serve to enable the operating device to identify at which point exactly the operating element has been placed on the touch screen or on the operating surface. The entire display or at least a part of the display can then be adapted to this mounted operating element and its position, in particular can be produced at least partially around the operating element with a relatively precise fit. The coupling of light into the operating element is then likewise easily possible, as has been described above.In a further embodiment of the invention, the upper part can have at least one electrically conductive region which has an electrically conductive connection downwards to an electrically conductive region close to a lower side of the lower part. This electrically conductive region close to the underside can correspond to the aforementioned capacitively effective or electrically conductive surface close to the underside. If an electrically conductive connection is present here up to the upper part, in particular to the upper side thereof, the placing of a finger on the upper electrically conductive region can be recognized as a capacitive operation on the touch screen itself. This allows additional functions on the operating device to be triggered by the operating element, which additional functions go beyond a pure turning or turning.An electrical appliance according to the invention has the operating device on a substantially horizontally running surface or side, in particular on an upper side. The risk of the operating element slipping due to gravity is then low. The operating device can be inserted separately into this upper side of the electrical appliance; alternatively, it can be arranged on a surface part which substantially forms the upper side of the electrical appliance. Advantageously, the operating device is arranged directly on the underside of this surface part. An advantageous embodiment of the invention is a hob which has a conventional hob plate with a plurality of heating devices underneath it. The operating device can be arranged on the hob plate and either inserted into a corresponding cutout. Alternatively, it can be arranged under the hob plate, so that the upper side of the hob plate functions as an operating surface of the operating device in this region. Then, however, the hob plate should not, as frequently used, consist of dark red-brown glass ceramic, since it is difficult to achieve a readily recognizable display through it. In this case, a hob plate can advantageously be designed as a transparent and transparent hard glass plate. Alternative electrical appliances are ovens, washing machines or tumble dryers, which can fundamentally also have an operating device on their upper side. Such a top side can also consist of plastic.On the one hand, it is considered to be advantageous if the operating device is provided only for the use of a single operating element. For example, in the case of a hob, a cooking point or heating device can then be selected by first touching a position on the display or operating surface corresponding to its arrangement on the cooking surface, which the touch screen can easily recognize and recognizes as selection of this cooking point, as so-called select. Then, by rotating the operating element, for example, the power level of the heating device can be adjusted. The procedure can be the same for the next or a different cooking point. Alternatively, it can be provided that the operating element is placed on the location on the operating surface at which the cooking location is relatively correspondingly arranged on the cooking surface. This position-true placement is evaluated as a corresponding select, and subsequently a power of the cooking point can be set by turning. In yet another possible embodiment of the invention, the operating element can always be placed in the middle or a central region of the operating device. Then, an operation for the operator is more easily possible.Yet another alternative can be achieved with the aforementioned electrically conductive surfaces on the upper part of the operating element, so that such a conductive surface, which points toward a cooking point to be selected or selected, is touched by the finger. This can be passed on to the touch screen capacitively as a corresponding select for this cooking point. Subsequently, again by rotating on the operating element, for example, a power level of this selected cooking point can be set.In a further development of the invention, it is possible that more than one operating element can also be placed on the operating surface, for example two or even three operating elements. A more rapid operation can then take place, for example for setting the power at a plurality of cooking points, in particular by spatially assigning an operating element to a cooking point, which then does not change by removing and displacing the operating element. For this purpose, it is then precisely necessary to accept the effort to provide a plurality of operating elements.These and further features are evident, apart from from the claims, also from the description and the drawings, wherein the individual features are each realized by themselves or in the form of sub-combinations in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous embodiments which are protectable per se and for which protection is claimed here. The subdivision of the application into intermediate headings and individual sections does not restrict the generality of the statements made under them.Brief Description of the DrawingsExemplary embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. In the drawings, there are shown: FIG. 1 shows a top view of a hob according to the invention as an electric appliance with an operating device according to the invention with a rotatable operating element thereon, FIG. 2 shows the operating device from FIG. 1 in an enlarged illustration with an operating surface and a rotatable operating element mounted thereon, FIG. 3 shows a sectional illustration through the operating device from FIG. 2 with schematic illustration of the inner life of a lower part of the rotatable operating element and structure of the region of the operating device under the operating element, and FIG. 4 shows an enlarged sectional illustration of an alternative or widened configuration of the rotatable operating element with light guide and capacitive transmission.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSFIG. 1 shows a top view of a hob 11 according to the invention, which is an electrical appliance according to the invention. The hob 11 has a hob plate 12, advantageously made of conventional glass ceramic, which has an upper side 13. The hob 11 has a cooking region 15 with four heating devices 16 ato 16 d. These can be of any desired type, for example induction heating coils. A pot T is placed on the heating device 16a at the front left for heating or for cooking food contained therein.In the front central region, the hob 11 has an operating region 18, which is advantageously formed by a cutout in the otherwise rectangular hob plate 12. Thus, the problems mentioned at the beginning can be avoided with the arrangement of an operating device under a hob plate made of glass ceramic, for example. In this case, the control device 20 should be inserted with a control surface 21 on its upper side as flush as possible into the hob plate 12 or to its upper side 13. An adhesive bonding is advantageously effected, which is also watertight.The operating surface 21 of the operating device 20 is formed by a glass plate 22, as the sectional illustration of FIG. 3 shows. This glass plate 22 is advantageously transparent and has sufficient hardness. Their thickness can be a few millimeters, for example 1 mm to 3 mm. The upper side of this glass plate 22 forms the aforementioned operating surface 21. A planar TFT display 26 is provided under the sensor element layer 24, advantageously also over the entire or essential area of the operating device 20. The placing of a finger F on the operating surface 21 of the operating device 20 is detected capacitively via a sensor element of the sensor element layer 24. The TFT display 26 or the touch screen can form a light display 27, for example in order to display a power level for the heating device 16 aon the front left with the pot T thereon, in this case a power level "8". Of course, as is to be illustrated in the enlarged top view of FIG. 2 above this light display 27, further information such as full text, graphical symbols or the like can also be displayed. These are, of course, the known advantages of such a touch screen or TFT display, also called full display.The operating device 20 has a controller 29. This control 29 can either be provided only for the operating device 20; advantageously, it is the control for the entire hob 11.An operating element 30 described at the beginning is placed on the operating direction 20 or its operating surface 21, which is round and can be rotated or rotated in itself. As explained above, it can also be placed at any other location on the operating surface 21. This will be explained in more detail below.It can be seen from the sectional illustration of FIG. 3 that the operating element 30 has a lower part 31 with an underside 32. Thus, the operating element 30 is placed with this lower side 32 on the operating surface 21. Against accidental slipping or displacement, in particular when rotating the operating element 30, this lower side 32 is advantageously formed by a silicone layer or the like. This adheres somewhat to the operating surface 21 so to speak, or adheres very well, thus preventing accidental lateral slipping or displacement. At the same time, the operating element 30 can nevertheless be removed without problems. Furthermore, a microcontroller 34 is arranged in the lower part 31, which microcontroller is connected on the one hand to a rechargeable battery 35 or another energy source and on the other hand to a radio device 37. Furthermore, the microcontroller 34 is connected to a reflected light sensor 39a which is arranged at a somewhat narrower high middle part of the lower part 31. Its direction of action is directed outwards. Its signals are evaluated by the microcontroller 34 and transmitted by means of the radio device 37 to the counter-radio device 23 and thus to the controller 29 for use as a control.On the flat, outwardly extending shoulder of the lower part 31, an annular ball bearing 38 is provided, for example, by injection molding, latching or adhesive bonding. An upper part 41 is mounted on this ball bearing 38, advantageously also fastened, for example clamped, latched or bonded. As a result of this pivot mounting, the upper part 41 can be rotated very well and virtually without friction about an axis of rotation D shown in dash-dot lines relative to the lower part 31. the ball bearing 38 can absorb axial forces and also radial forces, at least to a certain extent of customary operation.The upper part 41, which is also shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 4, has an upper side 42, advantageously substantially planar, and an externally encircling lateral side 43. Here, only a narrow air gap is provided, so that lateral side 43 does not slide on control surface 21. This makes it possible to prevent dirt from entering the inside of the operation member 30. Furthermore, only the upper part 41 can be seen from the outside, and above all not the lower part 31.The upper part 41 has reflex strips 39b on an inner side facing inwards and running substantially parallel to the lateral surface 43, namely preferably circumferential and in a certain pattern. These reflex strips 39 btherefore move past the reflex light sensor 39 awhen the operating element 30 is rotated, whereby a rotation and / or rotational position between upper part 41 and lower part 31 can be detected in a known manner. This can be evaluated and used as a corresponding operation for the hob 11, in the present case for the heating device 16 aaccording to FIG. 1. This aspect, which is known per se from the prior art, does not need to be explained further.Instead of the illustrated detection of a rotation between lower part 31 and upper part 41 by means of reflected light sensor 39 aand reflected strip 39 b, other methods can also be used, for example by means of magnets instead of reflected strips 39 band at least one Hall sensor instead of reflected light sensor 39 a.The top side 42 and the lateral side 43 of the top part 41 can be formed from a robust and optically appealing material, for example metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, alternatively from plastic. The placement of the operating element 30 on a specific location of the operating device 20 or of the operating surface 21 can be recognized in that a metallic surface or a metallic part is provided on the lower part 31, advantageously above an underside 32 made of silicone. These can in turn be detected by the capacitive sensor elements of the operating device 20, in particular by the sensor element position 24. If this metallic surface is clearly larger than the contact surface of the finger F on the operating surface 21, the operating element 30 can have a signature, so to speak, for recognition at the operating device 20, which is characteristic thereof and distinguishes it above all from any other operation by a finger or the like. The operating device 20 then knows, so to speak, not only that the operating element 30 has been placed elsewhere on it, but advantageously also its precise place of placement. On the one hand, it can be provided that the operating element 30 is always placed at the same location, for example centrally and slightly offset forward on the operating surface 21, and thus its relative position within the operating surface 21 corresponds to the relative position of the operating device 20 on the hob plate 12, and on the other hand, if the operating element 30 is placed at another location, advantageously with at least 5 mm or at least 15 mm deviation, this is detected and at the same time no signals or operating commands are used or implemented by the operating element 30.Alternatively, it can be provided that the operating element 30 can be used for operation at essentially any point on the operating device 20 or on its operating surface 21. This provides greater freedom. In this case, in one embodiment of the invention, it can also be provided that this relative position of the operating element 30 within the operating surface 21 is recognized and evaluated as selection of one of the heating devices 16 ato 16 d. For example, to adjust the power of the heating device 16 c, the operating element 30 could be placed on the rear right on the operating surface 21, i.e. at a corresponding relative position. As a result, this heating device 16 cis considered to be selected, so to speak, for a subsequent power setting, which can then be carried out by directly beginning rotation on the operating element 30 or its upper part 41. The operating element 30 can then be displaced in each case to corresponding relative positions on the operating surface 21 for selection and for power setting of the corresponding heating device 16.In FIG. 4, the left side shows how the operating element 30 can be configured even further. The left-hand region shows how an LED 28, preferably a relatively high-brightness LED, is arranged under the TFT display 26, which is transparent in this region. Alternatively, the LED 28 could also be disposed in a cutout therein or above. The LED 28 should emit directional light, vertically upward. Above this, a vertically extending lower light guide 40 is provided in the lower part 31. Adjoining the latter, so to speak, there is provided above it in the upper part 41 an upper light guide 44 which ends flush with the upper side 42 of the upper part 41. Thus, as it were, the light from the LED 28 from the very bottom can cause a lighting appearance at the very top on the top side 42 of the operating element 30. Depending on the arrangement of lower light guide 40 and / or upper light guide 44, this can be at different positions, in particular taking into account a relative rotation of the two with respect to one another. Instead of the LED 28, a particularly strongly illuminated region of the TFT display 26 can possibly also bring about an illumination appearance at the top of the operating element 30 by means of the light guides 40 and 44.An alternative development of an operating element 30 is shown on the right in FIG. 4, which is basically completely independent of the configuration on the left-hand side, which has been described above. Here, a metal surface 45 ais provided on the upper side 42 of the upper part 41 or is let in flush with the surface. The metal surface 45a is electrically conductively connected to a lower metal surface 45a' which is provided on the underside of the upper part 41. Directly opposite it, a further metal surface 45 bis provided on the upper side of the lower part 31. This is in turn electrically conductively connected in a similar form to a lower metal surface 45b'. Thus, the placement of a finger F on the upper metal surface 45a can be evaluated, so to speak, like an actuation at the same point above the touch screen or the sensor element layer 24 with the surface of the metal surface 45b'. Thus, an operation of the operating device 20 is possible not only directly on the operating surface 21 with a finger or by rotating the operating element 30, but also by a corresponding finger touch at a specific point on its upper part 41.As a further alternative, a dashed connection from the metal surface 45a' to a metal surface 45a" arranged on the lateral side 43 of the upper part 41 is shown. This is intended to illustrate that such a region for actuation by means of a finger can be provided not only on the upper side 42 but also on the lateral side 43.In the controller 29 of the operating device 20, it can be stored how large the area of the operating element 30 is or how large the area covered thereby is. It can then also be detected whether or not an actuation of the touch screen by means of electrical through-contacting by a finger to the lower metal surface 45b' is in the region covered by the operating element 30. Depending on the case, a different operating action can be triggered.

Claims

Operator control device for an electrical appliance (11), wherein the operator control device (20) has a controller (29) and a flat, capacitively operating touch screen (26) for operation by placing or moving a finger (F) on the touch screen (26), wherein the touch screen (26) has a display (27), an operator interface (21) and capacitive sensor elements (24) below the operator interface (21), characterized in that: - the operator control device (20) has at least one operator control element (30) which is arranged movably and detachably on the operator interface (21), - the operator control element (30) is formed in two parts with a lower part (31) and an upper part (41), - the lower part (31) and the upper part (41) can be rotated with respect to one another about an axis of rotation (D) which is vertical to the operator interface (21) with the operator control element (30) thereon, the operating element (30) has sensor means (39a, 39b) for detecting a rotation and / or rotational position between the lower part (31) and the upper part (41), the operating element (30) has a radio device (37) for wirelessly transmitting signals to a counter-radio device (23) of the operating device (20), the radio device (37) is designed to transmit information for detecting the rotation and / or rotational position to the controller (29) of the operating device (20) by means of the counter-radio device (23), the capacitive sensor elements (24) are distributed flat on the touch screen (26), in particular are distributed uniformly, the controller (29) of the operating device (20) is designed to transmit information for detecting the rotation and / or rotational position to the controller (29) of the operating device (20), by means of the capacitive sensors (24), the position of the operating element (30) on the operating surface (21) can be recognized and, if appropriate, a display representation around the operating element (30) can be adapted or changed thereto.Operating device according to claim 1, characterised in that the operating element (30) has a pivot bearing (38) for mounting the upper part (41) on the lower part (31) of the operating element (30), wherein the pivot bearing (38) is preferably of annular design and absorbs vertical and horizontal bearing forces, wherein in particular the pivot bearing (38) is of annular design with a diameter between 40% and 90% of the diameter of the operating element (30).Operating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the sensor means (39a, 39b) for detecting a rotation and / or rotational position between upper part (41) and lower part (31) are: - either magnetically working with at least one magnet and at least one magnetic field sensor, - or optically working with at least one light transmitter (39a), at least one light receiver (39a) and optical detection means (39b) in the light path between the two.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower part (31) has an underside (32) for bearing on the operating surface (21), wherein the underside (32) has an area between 70% and 100% of the total area of the projection of the operating element (30) onto the operating surface (21), wherein preferably the upper part (41) projects beyond the lower part (31) all around by 2% to 20% of the radius of the lower part (31).Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an underside (32) of the lower part (31) is designed to be non-slip or anti-slip, in particular with a layer with high static friction and / or sliding friction on the control surface (21), preferably with a rubber layer or with a silicone layer.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the touch screen (26) is designed without magnets or magnetic holders, in particular not on its underside, preferably without any magnets.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the touch screen (26) has a resolution of at least 50 x 50 pixels, preferably of at least 100 x 200 pixels.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating element (30) has an energy store, in particular an accumulator (35) or a replaceable battery.Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating element (30) has a light-conducting region (40, 44) from an underside (32) of the lower part (31) to an upper side (42) of the upper part (41), wherein the light-conducting region (40, 44) is preferably formed at least partially by light-conducting material, in particular to an extent of more than 80% or to an extent of more than 90% of the length from the underside (32) to the upper side (42).Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower part (31) has a capacitively effective or electrically conductive surface (45b'), in particular close to the underside (32).Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper part (41) has at least one electrically conductive region (45a), which has an electrically conductive connection (45a', 45b) downwards to an electrically conductive region close to a lower side (32) of the lower part (31) in such a way that the placing of a finger (F) on the electrically conductive region on the upper part (41) or on the upper side (42) can be seen as a capacitive operation on the touch screen (26).Electrical appliance having an operating device (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical appliance (11) has the operating device (20) on a substantially horizontally running upper side (13), wherein the operating device (20) is preferably inserted separately into the upper side (13) of the electrical appliance (11) or is arranged on a surface part (12) substantially forming the upper side (13) of the electrical appliance (11), in particular is arranged beneath itElectrical appliance according to Claim 12, characterized in that it is a hob (11) having a hob plate (12) and a plurality of heating devices (16) under the hob plate (12), wherein preferably the operating device (20) is arranged on the hob plate (12) and the touch screen (26) is arranged under the hob plate (12) with the upper side (13) of the hob plate (12) in this region as an operating surface (21) of the operating device (20).Electrical appliance according to Claim 12 or 13, characterized byat least two removable and structurally identical operating elements (30) on the operating device (20).

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