Operating device for an electric cooking appliance, electric cooking appliance with such an operating device and method for operating an electric cooking appliance

Abstract

A control device for an electric cooking appliance, which is built into a worktop on a piece of furniture, wherein the control device is arranged on a front of the furniture, comprises a control unit, a control panel, and at least one operating element projecting beyond the control panel, with a front and a surrounding surface. The operating element has no moving parts, but has an illuminated indicator with display elements in an upwardly directed area visible from above on the surrounding surface. Touch sensors are arranged around the perimeter of the surrounding surface, which are designed to detect touching or swiping with a finger or hand, so that the control unit detects touching or swiping with a finger or hand over the touch sensors and recognizes this as a rotary operation for operating the electric cooking appliance.

Description

SCOPE OF APPLICATION AND STATE OF THE ART

[0001] The invention relates to a control device for an electric cooking appliance, for example a cooktop or an oven. Furthermore, the invention relates to an electric cooking appliance with such a control device and a method for operating such an electric cooking appliance.

[0002] Operating devices are known from DE 102 12 953 A1 and DE 102 12 954 A1, featuring a rotatable, two-part rotary control knob, which may itself contain an indicator light. The rotary control knob is rotatably mounted on a base that does not rotate with it.

[0003] From DE 10 2009 022 339 A1, operating devices are known with a rotatable control knob, in which light can be shone through a control panel into and through the control knob. This allows for an indicator light and / or illumination at the front of the control knob. TASK AND SOLUTION

[0004] The invention is based on the objective of creating a control device mentioned above, an electric cooking appliance equipped therewith, and a method for operation, with which problems of the prior art can be solved and, in particular, it is possible to have a light indicator or a display on a control element that is suitable for practical use.

[0005] This problem is solved by an operating device with the features of claim 1, by an electric cooking appliance with the features of claim 13, and by a method with the features of any one of claims 14 to 16. Advantageous and preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of further claims and are explained in more detail below. Some of the features are mentioned only for the operating device, only for an electric cooking appliance equipped with it, or only for one of the methods of operation. However, they should be able to apply independently and separately to such an operating device, such an electric cooking appliance, and a method of operation. The wording of the claims is made part of the description by express reference.

[0006] The control device for the electric cooking appliance, which is built into a worktop on a piece of furniture or into the furniture itself, has a control panel, the control device being at least partially located on the front of the furniture. The control panel is preferably formed on or by the front of the furniture on which the electric cooking appliance is located. Advantageously, the control panel extends vertically. The control device has at least one control element projecting beyond the control panel, this control element having a front surface and a surrounding surface. Preferably, there are two to four control elements. The surrounding surface can extend around or encircle the front surface. The control device also includes a control unit for the control device and the at least one control element.

[0007] According to the invention, the control element has no moving parts and therefore cannot be twisted or rotated on the control panel. It has an illuminated display with indicator elements on its outer surface in an upwardly directed and / or top-visible area; at least such an illuminated display is provided there. Further displays or illuminated displays may also be provided, particularly on the aforementioned front surface. At least two touch sensors, advantageously more than eight, are arranged on the outer surface, these touch sensors being designed to detect touching or swiping with one or more fingers or a hand. These can be known touch sensors with such a function, in particular capacitive touch sensors.The control system is designed to detect touching or swiping with a finger or hand over these touch sensors, so that this can be recognized as an operating action in order to use it for operating the electric cooking appliance.

[0008] This allows for operation with a finger or hand movement similar to that of rotary controls or knobs, except that the control element itself, and none of its parts, rotate. This eliminates the need for a rotary bearing, preventing wear and tear, gaps, or clearances that would allow for relative movement.

[0009] In one embodiment of the invention, the lateral surface can be rounded, in particular uniformly rounded or circularly curved, and extend around the entire control element. This can preferably be of a constant width. Alternatively, it can be composed of straight sections on the outside, forming a kind of prism. As a further alternative, it can be ribbed, wavy, roughened, or otherwise not smooth and circular. This allows haptic feedback to be generated for the operator.

[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the control element can be a cylinder or have a cylindrical shape, preferably a circular cylinder. However, other cross-sections mentioned above can also be provided.

[0011] In one embodiment of the invention, the front of the control element can be largely flat, possibly flush with a front edge of the rotary ring or slightly recessed. It can also or alternatively run essentially vertically.

[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the touch sensors can be arranged circumferentially and along the entire surface of the casing, so that gaps are avoided as much as possible, in particular gaps wider than 2 mm or 3 mm. The touch sensors can also be located on or above the indicator light, since fingers may move over it and this movement should also be detectable. The touch sensors can preferably be arranged at constant intervals and / or be identical. In particular, eight to sixty-four touch sensors can be provided.

[0013] In a further embodiment of the invention, the touch sensors can be designed as capacitive touch sensors and, in particular, can be transparent, at least in the area of ​​the aforementioned indicator light. This is possible with electrically conductive materials such as ITO.

[0014] In an embodiment of the invention, a further or additional display, preferably even an LED display, can be arranged on the front of the control element. This can be designed similarly to the LED display at the top of the surface, or alternatively, it can be simpler and, for example, consist of only a few LEDs, i.e., not a true display with a large number of pixels.

[0015] In an embodiment of the invention, touch sensors or mechanical push buttons can be arranged on the front of the control element, thus providing an additional operating option. These can optionally be combined with the aforementioned additional display on the front, for example, also as a type of touch display.

[0016] In an embodiment of the invention, the control element can have an internal actuator for generating active feedback, in particular haptic feedback, for the operator. This can signal a successful operation, or alternatively, an unsuccessful or problematic operation. Since the operator has a finger or hand on the control element, they can feel this feedback. Such an actuator can be selected from the group consisting of a vibration element, a loudspeaker, a piezoelectric element, or an electromagnet. Signal tones can also be emitted, either independently or additionally, for example, via a buzzer or a loudspeaker.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention, the light display can be an OLED display, preferably with a large number of pixels or as a pixel display. Advantageously, between 100 and 10,000 pixels can be provided.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the indicator light can occupy or cover an angular range between 30° and 90° on the surface. Preferably, the indicator light can be adapted to the shape of the surface, in particular by being curved. The indicator light is advantageously arranged at the uppermost point of the surface so that it can be seen as clearly as possible from above.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention, the outer surface can be formed by a transparent or translucent material, preferably Plexiglas, wherein, in particular, the translucent material forms a ring-shaped perimeter essentially covering the entire outer surface. This avoids gaps or similar defects at material transitions. The area outside the illuminated display can be made opaque, for example by a coating or paint, or alternatively by an opaque material within it.

[0020] In this embodiment of the invention, the electric cooking appliance can have a housing, wherein the operating device or at least the control element is arranged outside the housing and is connected to the housing by means of electrical conductors. A part of the operating device, and in particular the control unit, can advantageously be arranged inside the housing, so that only the control elements and an electrical supply line extend from it.

[0021] An electric cooking appliance is advantageously a cooktop with a cooking zone, preferably divided into several smaller cooking zones, each with its own heating element. Alternatively, the electric cooking appliance can be an oven, steam cooker, or microwave oven.

[0022] In one embodiment of an operating method for the aforementioned control device, the detection of a finger or hand stroking one area of ​​the surface of the device via touch sensors in one direction and the opposite area in the opposite direction is recognized and interpreted as a corresponding rotation of the control element. This corresponds to a rotation that would occur with the same hand movement on a rotatable control element. This can be used to change a setting on an electric cooking appliance, for example, to increase or decrease the power of a heating element such as a cooking zone on a hob.

[0023] In another embodiment of the invention, an operating method for operating the aforementioned control device can detect and evaluate or determine the movement of a finger or hand across an area of ​​the surface via touch sensors in one direction and across the opposite area of ​​the surface in the same direction, thus treating it as a linear movement rather than a rotation. This can also be used to change a setting on the electric cooking appliance.

[0024] In a further embodiment of the invention, an operating method for operating the aforementioned operating device can be used to evaluate the touching of opposing touch sensors for a duration exceeding a predetermined touch time as a confirmation process for a selected or preselected function. This predetermined touch time can be one second or more.

[0025] These and other features are evident not only from the claims but also from the description and the drawings, whereby the individual features, either alone or in combination, may be implemented in one embodiment of the invention and in other fields, and may represent advantageous and individually protectable embodiments for which protection is claimed here. The division of the application into subheadings and individual sections does not limit the general validity of the statements made therein. Brief description of the drawings

[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown schematically in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. The drawings show: Fig. 1. A front view of a hob arrangement on a piece of furniture with rotary controls on the front of the furniture. Fig. 2. A top view of the front area of ​​the hob showing the rotary controls from above. Fig. 3 an enlarged front view of a rotary control element with additional display, Fig. 4 a simplified sectional view to illustrate individual functional parts of the rotary control element, Fig. 5. A flattened view of a sensor device with touch sensors side by side above an OLED display for the light indicator. Fig. 6 different operating functions for the rotary control element, Fig. 7 a front view of a design of a lateral surface of the rotary control element, which is formed from joined straight pieces, and Fig. 8 a variation of the representation of Fig. 7 with a corrugated surface. Detailed description of the exemplary implementations

[0027] In the Fig. Figure 1 shows an arrangement 10 of a cooktop 11 as an electric cooking appliance mounted on a worktop 14 of a piece of furniture 16. The cooktop 11 has a cooking surface 12 and rotary knobs 13 or other conventional touch switches for various functions arranged on the front of the cooking surface 12. It has a cooktop housing arranged below the cooking surface 12 in a known manner, in which conventional functional units are arranged. The installation on or in the worktop 14 is also known.

[0028] The furniture 16 can be a kitchen front made up of several individual parts. In front of the cooktop 11, the furniture 16 has a front panel 17, for example made of wood or a similar material, especially lacquered. The front panel 17 usually extends over the entire height. However, it can also be divided vertically into an upper fixed section and a lower movable section, for example for a door or a drawer.

[0029] For the cooktop 11, a control device 18 according to the invention is provided, which has an abstract control unit 20 (shown in dashed lines) and four rotary controls 22a to 22d. The control unit 20 is part of the cooktop 11 and can be arranged in the cooktop housing. The rotary controls 22 are electrically connected to it. Furthermore, the rotary controls 22a to 22d are fixed and immovably attached to the front panel. They can have their own additional control panel or, alternatively, be mounted directly onto, for example, a painted front panel of the furniture 16. They can be independent of each other and each be connected separately to the control unit 20.

[0030] From the comparison of the representations of Fig. Figures 2 to 4 show that the rotary control elements 22 can generally be designed as short round cylinders; their diameter can range from 4 cm to 10 cm, and their thickness in the horizontal direction can be from 2 cm to 5 cm. The rotary control elements 22 shown in these figures have a circular and relatively smooth outer surface 31. However, this can also be different, as will be discussed later in connection with the Fig. 7 and Fig. As will be explained in section 8. As explained at the beginning, they have no moving or movable parts and are not themselves rotatable, either wholly or partially. Only their operation can be effected by a movement corresponding to a rotation, as will be explained below. Therefore, they are still referred to here as rotary control elements, even though they cannot be rotated, i.e., because of the rotary operation by an operator.

[0031] The surface 31 is transparent or translucent at least in the area visible from above or facing upwards. Here, an indicator light 26 is generated, which corresponds, for example, to a power level of a cooking zone on the hob 11, which can be set using the rotary control 22, as is known from earlier stoves with rotating knobs. Fig. Figure 2 shows an indicator light 26b on the left rotary control element 22b. Three display elements 27 are visible. These are generated by a curved OLED display 29, which in this case is a display with a large number of displayable pixels, possibly even with different colors. Alternatively, instead of a more complex OLED display 29, three familiar seven-segment displays could be used. This is known to be perfectly adequate for displaying power levels. This display device, as well as the OLED display 29, can be curved, but alternatively also flat or even flush with varying distances from the circular surface 31. Visibility from above is negligibly affected.

[0032] On the rotary control element 22b, the central indicator element 27b is thicker and more clearly illuminated, or rather, it shines brighter than the thinner indicator elements with the numbers "7" and "5" next to it, which shine less brightly. The brightly illuminated number "6" thus clearly indicates that power level 6 is set for a specified heating element on the cooktop 11. By turning the control element or by operating it from right to left in a manner equivalent to turning it, this power level can be reduced from 6 to 5. Conversely, by operating it from left to right in a manner equivalent to turning it, the power level can be increased from 6 to 7. This will be explained below in connection with the Fig. 6 explained in more detail.

[0033] No power setting is selected on the right-hand rotary control 22c. Therefore, the corresponding indicator light 26c may dimly display a "0" on the indicator element 27c. Alternatively, an indicator light may be completely off to clearly indicate that the cooking zone corresponding to this rotary control 22c is not switched on.

[0034] Instead of displaying power levels, the indicator lights 26 can also show other information, such as a countdown timer, a cooking program, or a hot indicator. The indicator lights 26 can be provided in addition to other display elements at the top of the cooktop surface 12 of the hob 11, similar to the aforementioned rotary knobs 13. However, the indicator lights 26 can also be the only controllable display elements of the hob 11. This allows for a reduction in complexity and space on the cooktop surface 12, resulting in a very minimalist design.

[0035] From the Fig. Figure 3, showing the front view of the rotary control element 22, reveals that a circular circumferential surface 31 is formed, advantageously formed by a circumferential circular outer ring 32. This ring should be translucent, at least in its upper region at the illuminated indicator 26, either as clear or transparent as possible, or slightly tinted, for example, translucent or like smoked glass. The outer ring 32 should, however, be firmly connected to the rest of the rotary control element 22.

[0036] The rotary control element 22 has a disc-shaped and advantageously flat, vertically extending front surface 40. This front surface 40 can either be colored in a specific color or, alternatively, it can be at least partially translucent and have functions or functional units, for example, a dotted auxiliary display 41. This can display additional information, which, however, should not be such that it is frequently or permanently needed during a cooking process on the cooktop 11. The auxiliary display 41 can only be seen from a distance from the rotary control element 22, possibly requiring bending down. The major advantage of the illuminated display 26 at the top of the rotary control element 22 according to the invention is that it can be easily seen from above and thus from a position very close to the cooktop 11.

[0037] Additionally or alternatively, an additional button 42, possibly several of them, can also be provided on the front 40. It can also be designed with a capacitive touch sensor or another type of touch sensor, or alternatively as a mechanical button, for example as a push button or a slider. This allows additional functions of the cooktop 11 to be operated, which do not need to be discussed further.

[0038] The sectional view of the Fig. Figure 4 shows again how, in particular, a curved OLED display 29 extends along the outer surface 31 over an angle of approximately 90°. The OLED display 29 should be positioned as close as possible to the inner side of the outer ring 32, which is advantageously opaque outside the OLED display 29.

[0039] Below the OLED display 29 are the auxiliary display 41 and the auxiliary button 42. A single component should be used for the indicator light 26, which can then be a complex display, or alternatively, several LEDs or other light elements on a suitable carrier.

[0040] In the Fig. Figure 5 shows an unfolded representation of the lateral surface 31 with a sensor device 33, which can actually be manufactured as a strip of elastic material, for example, a sufficiently stable film carrier. The sensor device 33 thus has a sensor carrier 34 on which several directly adjacent touch sensors 36 are applied. The sensor carrier 34 is advantageously transparent, at least in the area above the dotted OLED display 29. Here, and advantageously elsewhere as well, the touch sensors 36 are applied as rectangular fields of translucent, electrically conductive material, preferably ITO material. They are each connected to an evaluation system, in particular in the control unit 20, in a manner not shown. Sixteen touch sensors 36 are provided here, which offer a reasonably good resolution for operating the rotary control element 22, corresponding to a rotation.

[0041] To assemble the rotary control element 22, a sensor carrier 34, manufactured as a flexible strip, can be applied to and attached to a cylindrical carrier. The sensor carrier 34 should have a protruding contact section to electrically contact the individual touch sensors 36 and connect them to the control unit 20. A separate outer ring 32 can then be slipped over the sensor carrier 34 as a separate component. The OLED display 29 should also be mounted on the cylindrical carrier.

[0042] Depicted are in Fig. 5 also two fingers 38, namely a thumb 38a on the left and an index finger 38b on the right. For example, on the rotary control element 22 accordingly. Fig. 3. The touch sensors are positioned approximately opposite each other on the outer surface 31 or on the outer ring 32 for operation, advantageously corresponding to a typical gripping position such as for a rotation. When such a rotation is performed, with the outer surface 31 remaining stationary, the thumb 38a and index finger 38b pass over various touch sensors 36 in the same direction of rotation. This can be detected accordingly, for example, as with the operation of a slider on a cooktop for power adjustment, which is well known to those skilled in the art. From the corresponding signals of the touch sensors 36, the distance traveled and thus also a corresponding desired rotation can be recognized. This allows for the appropriate... Fig. 2. A performance level can be changed.

[0043] Various methods for operating the hob 11, which are possible with the control device 18, are described in Fig. Figure 6 is shown. On the far left, it illustrates how a finger placed on the left moves upwards and a finger placed on the right moves downwards on the rotary control element 22, with the fingers always resting against the outer surface 31. This is interpreted as a clockwise rotation.

[0044] With the rotary control element to the right of it, the movements of the fingers placed on the outer surface 31 are exactly the opposite, so that a rotation to the left is recognized counterclockwise and is interpreted as a corresponding operating operation, for example for a reduction of a power level.

[0045] With the central rotary control 22, the two fingers positioned to the left and right are moved upwards along the outer surface 31, respectively, and upwards towards each other. While this is not an instinctive way to operate a rotary control, it can be easily explained to the operator in the operating instructions for the cooktop 11. Thus, this can be interpreted as an overall upward movement and assigned to a specific operating procedure. The rotary control 22 to the right of it shows the exact opposite movement, which can also be assigned to a specific operating procedure.

[0046] At the rotary control element 22 on the far right, a finger is simply placed on the outer surface 31 on the left and right sides, i.e., almost opposite each other, without moving the finger along the outer surface 31. This can be advantageously used to confirm a previously defined operating procedure, as it can be interpreted as a press.

[0047] Furthermore, the rotary control element 22 may also contain functional units that provide acoustic feedback, for example a beeper or a loudspeaker. This can correspond to conventional acoustic feedback.

[0048] In a further possible embodiment, actuators can be provided for generating haptic feedback, for example vibration elements or piezoelectric elements or buzzers, as well as electromagnets. This would allow, for example, for an operating process corresponding to a rotation of the rotary control element 22 according to... Fig. 6. Haptic feedback, similar to that provided by a detent, is conveyed. This allows the operator to actually feel that they are turning a rotary control element with different detents or such detents.

[0049] Another possibility for a type of feedback to an operator can be generated with a lateral surface 131 of a rotary control element 122, as shown in Fig. Figure 7 is shown in front view. This lateral surface 131 is, so to speak, formed from many straight pieces, and the fingers 38 can receive a kind of feedback and also information about a distance traveled when sliding over it.

[0050] A further possibility for the design of a lateral surface 231 is shown on the rotary control element 222 according to the Fig. Figure 8 shows that the lateral surface 231 is, so to speak, ribbed or corrugated, which alters the haptic effect compared to that of the Fig.7 increased again. However, with such knurling in the area above the indicator light 26, a cutout or a smoothed section should be provided in order not to negatively impair the readability or display of the indicator light 26. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 102 12 953 A1

[0002] DE 102 12 954 A1

[0002] DE 10 2009 022 339 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Control device for an electric cooking appliance, wherein the electric cooking appliance is built into a worktop on a piece of furniture or into a piece of furniture and the control device is arranged on a front of the furniture, the control device comprising: - a control panel, preferably formed on or through the front of the furniture on which the electric cooking appliance is arranged, - at least one control element projecting beyond the control panel on the control panel, wherein the control element has a front and a circumferential surface, - a control system for the operating device and the control element, characterized by , that - the control element has no moving parts, - has a light indicator with display elements on the surface of the casing in an upwardly directed and / or top-visible area, - at least two touch sensors are arranged on the lateral surface, wherein the touch sensors are designed to detect touching or stroking with a finger or hand, - the control system is designed to detect touching or stroking with a finger or hand over the touch sensors and to recognize this as an operating action and to use it for operating the electric cooking appliance. [2] Operating device according to claim 1, characterized by that the lateral surface is rounded, in particular uniformly rounded or circularly curved, and extends around the entire operating element, preferably with a constant width. [3] Operating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the control element is a cylinder or has a cylindrical shape, preferably as a circular cylinder. [4] Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the front of the control element is largely flat and / or vertically oriented. [5] Operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the touch sensors are arranged around the entire surface of the casing, in particular also on or above the indicator light, preferably with constant distances to each other, wherein in particular eight to sixty-four touch sensors are provided. [6] Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the touch sensors are designed as capacitive touch sensors and are in particular transparent at least in the area of ​​the light indicator according to claim 5. [7] Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a display is arranged on the front of the control element, preferably a light display. [8] Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that touch sensors or mechanical pressure switches are arranged on the front of the control element. [9] Operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the control element has an internal actuator for generating feedback to an operator, in particular selected from the group: Vibration element, loudspeaker, piezo element, electromagnet. [10] Operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the light display is an OLED display, preferably with a large number of pixels or as a pixel display. [11] Operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the light indicator occupies an angular range between 30° and 90° on the lateral surface, wherein preferably the light indicator is adapted to the shape of the lateral surface, in particular is curved. [12] Operating device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cladding surface is formed by a transparent or translucent material, preferably by Plexiglas, wherein in particular the translucent material forms an annular circumferential ring essentially covering the entire cladding surface. [13] Electric cooking appliance with a control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the electric cooking appliance has an electric cooking appliance housing, wherein the operating device or at least the control element is arranged outside the electric cooking appliance housing and is connected to the electric cooking appliance housing by means of electrical conductors. [14] Method for operating an operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by , that the detection of a finger or hand stroking an area of ​​the surface via the touch sensors in one direction and the opposite area of ​​the surface in the opposite direction is recognized as a corresponding rotation of the control element, preferably for changing a setting value on the electric cooking appliance. [15] Method for operating an operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by , that the detection of a finger or hand stroking an area of ​​the surface via the touch sensors in one direction and on the opposite area of ​​the surface in the same direction is interpreted as a corresponding increase or decrease of a setting value on the electric cooking appliance. [16] Method for operating an operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by, that touching opposite touch sensors for a duration of more than a specified touch time, in particular for more than 1 second, is evaluated as a confirmation process of a selected function.

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