Cylindrical control element for setting operating conditions of at least one household appliance and household appliance with a cylindrical control element

Abstract

A cylindrical control element (2) for adjusting operating conditions of at least one household appliance (40) has a circular cover surface (4) with a display area (8) of a screen unit (10) that is circular in shape and aligned concentrically with the cover surface (4). The display area (8) is in the form of a circular segment, on the chord (12) of which a connection area (17) of the screen unit (10) is arranged on a side opposite the display area (8).

Description

The present invention relates to a cylindrical operating element according to the preamble of claim 1.An operating element of this type is known from the publication DE 10 2016 476 223 A1, wherein the latter has a display panel which is designed as a touchscreen and is arranged on the front-side end face of the operating element. The touchscreen in this case occupies practically the entire front-side end face of the operating element.The invention is based on the object of improving the state of the art mentioned.This object is achieved by a cylindrical operating element having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, the object is achieved by a household appliance which has the features of claim 12. Advantageous embodiments can be taken from the dependent claims individually or in combination.The term "household appliance" comprises, with respect to the device according to the invention, a household appliance of the so-called "white goods", such as a cooking appliance, which can be designed, for example, as a cooker or hob, an extractor hood, a cooling or freezer, a washing machine, a dryer, etc. Furthermore, small appliances, such as, for example, a coffee automat, a vacuum cleaner, a water cooker, or similar appliances, are also included.Directional or location information, such as "right", "left", "lateral", "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "horizontal", "vertical", etc., should not be specified in more detail, should be understood from the perspective of a user or observer standing in front of the cylindrical operating element or the household appliance when the cylindrical operating element or the household appliance is used as intended.According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the display area is designed in the form of a circle segment, on the chord of which a connection area of the display screen unit is arranged on a side opposite the display area. By means of such a configuration, it is possible to equip the cylindrical operating element with an inexpensive screen unit or an inexpensive display. Such displays are provided with a connection region which is arranged in the region of the display region missing from the full circle. In this case, the connection region is designed, for example, as a cable outlet for a ribbon cable. Alternatively, contacts for a plug connection can also be provided at the same location. The connection region is arranged close to a rear side of the display, which corresponds to a side of the display facing away from the display region. The ribbon cable is formed from numerous strands arranged side by side. Instead of the flat ribbon cable, alternatively a corresponding conductor track foil with numerous conductor tracks arranged next to one another can also be provided. In conventional circular displays, a connection region is also arranged on the edge side adjacent to the display region, which connection region has a connection line designed as a ribbon cable, or corresponding plug contacts arranged next to one another. This connection region protrudes clearly beyond the circular display region of the screen unit. This construction therefore requires a circumferentially large edge spacing, in particular when mounted concentrically within a circular surface or a circular housing, in order to accommodate the connection region in the housing. It should also be noted that the ribbon cable or the conductor track foil should neither be installed in a tensioned manner nor should it be bent too much during the installation, which requires additional installation space.Such disadvantages of the prior art do not occur in the embodiment according to the invention. The display area in the form of a circular section enables a small edge distance between a lateral surface of the cylindrical operating element and its display area. A smooth cable routing with sufficiently large bending radii is also made possible. A permanent load on the connection region due to a connection line that is too tightly laid or squeezed into a housing is likewise prevented, whereby the prerequisite for a long service life of the cylindrical operating element is provided. The screen unit faces a user when the cylindrical operating element is used as intended and can be designed, for example, as a pixel-based LED display, LCD display, OLED display or E-Ink display. The display is preferably touch-sensitive, that is to say is designed as a touch display, so that particularly comfortable operation is made possible.In a preferred embodiment, above the connection region on the cover surface, at least one switching and / or signal element is arranged. The circular cover surface of the cylindrical operating element is thus optimally utilized and an additional operating element or display element and thus an extended functionality of the cylindrical operating element is provided to the user. The switching and / or signal element is arranged next to the display area of the screen unit, in particular within the circle segment missing from the full circle of the screen unit. In particular, the switching and / or signal element is arranged close to the connection area directly above a connection line outgoing from the connection area. The displayed screen content of the display area is preferably matched in terms of color and brightness to the part of the cover surface which is arranged beyond the circular section of the display area. In particular, the switching and / or signal element is also matched in color and brightness to the representation in the display area. This results in a uniform overall image and, with a skillful design, it is therefore not unambiguously recognizable to a user whether the switching and signal element is a separate component or a part of the display area. In particular in the case of backlit touch switching elements, these can be adapted in shape and color to the representation of the display region.If the switching element is realized by means of a sensor foil, an inexpensive configuration of the switching element is made possible. The sensor foil is in particular designed as a foil conductor track which provides a capacitive touch surface by a corresponding conductor track design in conjunction with an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit can be produced by means of flat SMD components which are likewise arranged on the sensor film, optionally somewhat spaced apart from the touch surface, or are arranged on a separate printed circuit board spaced apart from the sensor film. The region of the sensor film acting as a touch sensor is preferably glued to the underside of a transparent cover, which covers the entire upper side of the cylindrical operating element and forms the circular cover surface. The transparent cover can be made of plastic or of glass. A configuration of the switching element by means of a sensor foil enables a very flat structure, as a result of which, even in the case of a thin screen unit, there is sufficient distance from the connection region of the screen unit arranged below, or from a connection line outgoing therefrom.A preferred development consists in the sensor film also covering the circular segment surface of the screen unit. This has the advantage that the display region is touch-sensitive as a result, as a result of which a touch display for the cylindrical operating element is correspondingly formed. The sensor film must be transparent for this purpose and enable a spatially resolving detection of a touch or approach by a finger of a user. A capacitive touch film is preferably used for this purpose. This makes it possible for the entire cover surface to be designed to be touch-sensitive, and touch gestures, such as, for example, swiping gestures, can also be detected accordingly.If the switching element is designed as a mechanical pushbutton, the user receives haptic feedback of his input. For more complex input requirements, it may be advantageous if the mechanical pushbutton has a plurality of switching positions. In particular, it is then designed as a joystick with at least four switching positions. It can be designed in a flat construction in a cylindrical manner and with a concave top side. The pushbutton preferably dips through an opening in a cover which forms the circular top surface. For protection against splash water, a rubber-like cover cap can also be provided, which is fastened to the opening of the cover and covers a contact surface of the pushbutton.The signal element is preferably formed by an OLED film or by means of light-emitting diodes. This allows energy-saving operation of the signal element. This is advantageous in particular when the cylindrical operating element has its own energy supply. This can be, for example, a rechargeable battery which has to be charged regularly. The OLED film may be adhered to a back surface of a transparent cover forming the circular top surface outside the display area. In the case of a configuration of the signal element by means of LED technology, it is possible, for example, to use one or more SMD LEDs which are arranged on a film conductor track. This can be glued onto the rear side of the transparent cover, or can be pressed mechanically, e.g. by means of spring action. The areas of the transparent cover that are not to be backlighted are accordingly provided with an opaque blocking print. Both embodiments of the signal element have a flat structure, whereby they can be arranged above the connection region of the screen unit without any problem.The area of the circle section of the display area is preferably at least 60% of the corresponding full circle area, in particular at least 75% of the corresponding full circle area. This creates a sufficiently large display area and at the same time sufficient space remains for accommodating the connection area in a housing of the cylindrical operating unit.In order to create the largest possible display area, the radial distance between a lateral surface of the cylindrical operating element and the display area is less than 8 mm, preferably less than 6 mm and particularly preferably less than 4 mm.A preferred development consists in the cylindrical operating element having as its lateral surface a rotating ring for adjusting the operating parameter of the domestic appliance. As a result, a user of the household appliance can easily and intuitively set the operating conditions of the household appliance. The rotating ring preferably extends over an entire height of the cylindrical operating element. For better operability, the rotary ring preferably has a corrugation and, in a particularly preferred embodiment, is provided with a latching mechanism which further improves adjustability. The rotating ring is here formed as thin as possible and can consist, for example, of aluminum.According to a further development, the cylindrical operating element has a communication device for wireless communication with the at least one domestic appliance. As a result, the cylindrical operating element can be used independently of location with respect to the domestic appliance. Furthermore, it can be provided that the operating conditions of the at least one household appliance are adjusted by different adjustment movements of the entire cylindrical operating element, such as, for example, displacement, tilting or rotation. Due to the communication device, there is no cable connection to the household appliance, which would thereby be mechanically loaded. For safety reasons, it can furthermore be provided that a possible scope of operation of the household appliance by the cylindrical operating element is different depending on its distance from the household appliance.A preferred development consists in that the cylindrical operating element can be operated autonomously and can be placed on any desired surfaces. Such a configuration makes it possible for the cylindrical operating element to be designed for controlling a plurality of different domestic appliances. For this purpose, the cylindrical operating element preferably has, in addition to a control unit, a rechargeable energy store, and a communication device by means of which communication with the different household appliances is made possible. Preferably, on a bottom of the cylindrical operating element, support elements are attached which are formed by anti-slip material, such as silicone, for example, and prevent the cylindrical operating element from slipping during the operating process.Furthermore, the invention relates to a household appliance with the aforementioned, cylindrical operating element.It is preferred if the cylindrical operating element can be detachably attached to at least defined position of an operating panel of the household appliance. This makes possible easy cleaning of the control panel. In addition, a child safety device can be realized as a result. In addition, it provides the possibility of placing the cylindrical operating element for different functionalities at different locations of the operating panel. The fixing or positioning of the cylindrical operating element on the operating panel is preferably effected by means of magnetic force.Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the appended figures in a simplified representation. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional representation of the cylindrical operating element; FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional representation of the screen unit; FIG. 3 shows a side view of the cylindrical operating element in a sectional illustration, and FIG. 4 shows the top view of a household appliance with the cylindrical operating element.FIG. 1 shows the cylindrical operating element 2 with its circular top surface 4 designed as the uppermost surface. Laterally, the cylindrical operating element 2 is bounded by a lateral surface 6, which is designed as a rotating ring 16. On the circular top surface 4 a display area 8 is formed, which is formed by a screen unit 10. The display area 8 is circular and aligned concentrically to the cover surface 4 or to the top view of the jacket surface 6. In a plan view, this results in a circumferentially uniform distance a between an outer boundary of the display region 8 and the lateral surface 6. The display region 8 is formed in the form of a circle section which is bounded by a chord 12. On the circular cover surface 4, adjacent to the chord 12 of the display area 8, a circular switching element 13 is arranged, which is designed as a capacitive touch button. The switching element 13 is identified by printing on the circular cover surface 4. The switching element 13 is arranged within a circular ring defined by the display region 8, as a result of which it is at least at the distance a from the lateral surface 6 with its outer boundaries.The display unit 10 is shown in FIG. 2. It is formed in the disk shape with a thickness d and has a substantially D-shape. Specifically, the display area 8 formed by the display unit 10 is configured as a circle section which is bounded by the chord 12. The screen unit 10, which in its shape substantially follows the contour of the display area 8, has a connection area 17 for a connection line 18 centrally to the chord 12 on a side opposite the display area 8 and spaced apart by the distance d. The connecting line 18 is designed as a foil conductor track and has contact surfaces 20 at its end for connection to a plug connector (not shown) fixed to the circuit board. The circle section or the chord 12 is designed in such a way that the installation of the connecting line, including the minimum bending radii required for this, can be observed, wherein the installation of the line, viewed from above, takes place substantially within a solid circle defined by the display region 8 and, viewed laterally, encloses a deflection by 180° according to FIG. 3.A side view of the cylindrical operating element 2 in a sectional illustration is shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the circular cover surface 4 is the upper part of a cover 22, which is formed from transparent plastic, and forms an upper side of the cylindrical operating element 2. The cover 22 has a barrier printing (not shown) on a rear side facing away from the user. Only the display area 8 is excluded from the blocking printing. Thus, the user cannot see into the interior of the cylindrical operating element 2. The cylindrical operating element 2 also has an annular side wall 26 on which the outer rotating ring 16 is mounted (not shown). A bottom 28 forms the termination in the downward direction. The cover 22, the side wall 26 and the bottom 28 together form a closed housing 24, within which the display unit 10, the switching element 13 and a control board 30 are arranged.On the bottom 28, support elements 29 made of a silicone material are also attached, which enable a secure and non-slip position of the cylindrical operating element 2 on different surfaces. In particular, the support elements 29 prevent the housing 24 from turning along when the rotating ring 16 is used by a user.The display unit 10 is fixed to the display portion 8 on the back side of the cover 22 by a transparent adhesive. Above the connecting line 18, in the central alignment with the circle chord 12, the switching element 13 is fastened to the underside of the cover 22 by means of a further adhesive bond. The switching element 13 designed as a capacitive touch button is formed by a film on which specially shaped conductor tracks are arranged. A signal line 38, which is likewise formed using foil technology, leads to a corresponding plug connector (not shown) on the control board 30. the connection line 18 of the screen unit 10 leads in a smooth arc to a further plug connector of the control board 30. the control board 30 additionally has an energy store 36 in the form of an accumulator. This can be charged via a USB connection (not shown) arranged on the bottom 28 of the cylindrical operating element 2. The control board 30 further includes a control unit 32 and a communication device 34. The control unit 32 essentially comprises a microprocessor which is designed for controlling the screen unit 10, for detecting a contact with the switching element 13, and for bidirectional communication with at least one domestic appliance 40 by means of the communication device 34. The communication device may also be designed to exchange data with other mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, by means of Bluetooth, WLAN or other connection types, or also to receive or transmit data via the Internet.A household appliance in the form of a hob 40 is shown in FIG. 4. The hob comprises a glass ceramic plate 41 on which four cooking zones 42, 44, 46 and 48 are arranged, which are each characterized by a circular print on the glass ceramic plate 41. Below the printing or glass ceramic plate 41 corresponding heating elements (not shown) are arranged. An operating device 50 forms a placement point for the cylindrical operating element 2, which is held at a defined placement point and in a defined orientation by means of magnetic force. Four cooking zone indicators 54 are arranged at the same radial distance from the mounted cylindrical operating element 2, which indicators indicate the respective performance of the associated cooking zone 42, 44, 46, 48. A separate main switch 52, which is designed as a touch button, is arranged between the cylindrical operating element 2 and an edge of the glass ceramic plate 41. In the mounted state, the power levels of the cooking zones 42, 44, 46, 48 and various timer options and, in addition, cooking programs stored in a control unit of the hob 40 can be set by means of the cylindrical operating element 2.List of reference numbers:2 Cylindrical control element 4 Circular cover surface 6 Lateral surface 8 Display area 10 Screen unit 12 Chord 13 Switching element; signal element 16 Rotary ring 17 Connection area 18 Connection line 20 Contact surfaces 22 Cover 24 Housing 26 Side wall 28 Base 29 Support element 30 Control board 32 Control unit 34 Communication device 36 Energy store 38 Signal line 40 Hob; household appliance 41 Glass ceramic plate 42 Cooking zone 44 Cooking zone 46 Cooking zone 48 Cooking zone 50 Control device 52 Main switch 54 Cooking zone displays a Distance d ThicknessReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 10 2016 223 476 A1

[0002]

Claims

Cylindrical operating element (2) for setting operating conditions of at least one domestic appliance (40), having a circular top surface (4) which has a display region (8) of a screen unit (10) which is of circular design and is aligned concentrically with the top surface (4), characterized in that the display region (8) is designed in the form of a circular section, on the chord (12) of which a connection region (17) of the screen unit (10) is arranged on a side opposite the display region (8).Cylindrical operating element (2) according to claim 1, characterised in that above the connection region (17) on the cover surface (4) at least one switching and / or signaling element (13) is arranged.Cylindrical operating element (2) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the switching element (13) is formed by a sensor film.Cylindrical operating element (2) according to claim 3, characterised in that the sensor foil also covers the circular segment surface of the screen unit (10).Cylindrical operating element (2) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the switching element (13) is designed as a mechanical pushbutton.Cylindrical operating element (2) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the signal element (13) is formed by an OLED film or by means of light-emitting diodes.Cylindrical operating element (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the area of the circular section amounts to at least 60%, in particular at least 75%, of the corresponding full circular area.Cylindrical operating element (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a radial distance (a) between a lateral surface (6) and the display region (8) is less than 8 mm, preferably less than 6 mm and particularly preferably less than 4 mm.Cylindrical operating element (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylindrical operating element (2) has as its lateral surface (6) a rotary ring (16) for setting the operating parameter of the domestic appliance.Cylindrical operating element (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylindrical operating element (2) has a communication device (34) for wireless communication with the at least one domestic appliance (40).Cylindrical operating element (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylindrical operating element (2) can be operated autonomously and can be placed on any desired surfaces.Domestic appliance (40) with a cylindrical operating element (2) according to one of the preceding claims.Domestic appliance (40) according to claim 12, characterised in that the cylindrical operating element (2) can be detachably attached to at least one defined position of an operating device (50) of the domestic appliance (40).

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