METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE PLATE AND HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE PLATE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a household appliance plate according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] From the prior art, raw panels for cooktops are known which have homogeneous optical properties, for example homogeneous transparency and homogeneous color.

[0003] From WO 2015 / 044168 A1, WO 2014 / 170275 A2 and US 3 615 317 A, a process for manufacturing a household appliance plate is known, starting from at least one raw plate which consists at least a large part, in particular completely, of a glass ceramic, wherein in at least one process step an optical property of the raw plate is changed by means of high-energy electromagnetic radiation.

[0004] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a household appliance panel, in particular a cooktop panel, starting from at least one raw panel which consists at least a large part, in particular completely, of a glass ceramic, is known from DE 199 39 787 A1, US 2014 / 238971 A1 and EP 3 040 318 A1, wherein in at least one process step at least one optical property of the raw panel is changed in at least one section of the raw panel by means of at least one thermal treatment using an oven.

[0005] Furthermore, EP 3 067 334 B1 discloses a method for manufacturing a household appliance panel, in particular a cooktop panel, starting from at least one raw panel which consists at least a large part, in particular completely, of a glass ceramic, wherein in at least one process step at least one optical property of a coating applied to the raw panel is changed by means of a thermal treatment.

[0006] The object of the invention is, in particular, to provide a generic device with improved flexibility. This object is achieved by the features of claim 1, while advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0007] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a household appliance panel, in particular a cooktop panel, starting from at least one raw panel which consists at least a large part, in particular entirely, of a glass ceramic, wherein in at least one process step at least one optical property of the raw panel in at least one section of the raw panel is changed by means of at least one thermal treatment using an oven at a temperature of at least 500°C, wherein a duration of the thermal treatment of at least 10 min and at most 1080 min is used, wherein at least one optical property formed as a color is changed, wherein the section corresponds to at most 95% of a total volume of the raw panel.

[0008] It is proposed that an optical property designed as transparency be retained during thermal treatment in at least one section of the raw plate, which is intended to provide a control panel in an assembled state.

[0009] This allows for increased flexibility, particularly in manufacturing, lighting, and / or design of the manufactured product. Furthermore, it can advantageously achieve increased efficiency, especially in manufacturing and / or cost efficiency, and / or simplified production. In addition, it is particularly advantageous to produce a household appliance panel that can be used with a variety of lighting configurations. Moreover, a raw panel available as a mass-produced item and / or purchased component can be advantageously customized.

[0010] In this context, the term "appliance panel" refers in particular to at least one plate-like component, especially a subassembly, of a household appliance. The household appliance may, for example, be a refrigeration appliance, in particular a refrigerator and / or a freezer, or a cleaning appliance. Advantageously, however, the household appliance is configured as a cooking appliance, in particular an oven, a microwave oven, a grill oven, and / or preferably a cooktop. The household appliance may have several appliance panels, which advantageously form a common cooktop.

[0011] A particularly advantageous feature of this household appliance is exactly one appliance plate. Specifically, this appliance plate is designed as a suitably flat and / or one-piece element intended to perform at least one function, particularly one related to the appliance, in at least one operating state. This function can be any function, such as carrying, storage, insulation, protection, soundproofing, lighting, and / or operation. Advantageously, the appliance plate is designed for placing cooking utensils. A particularly advantageous feature of the appliance plate is at least one control panel intended for user operation of the appliance. "Intended" here means specifically programmed, designed, and / or equipped.The term "an object is intended for a specific function" shall be understood to mean, in particular, that the object fulfills and / or performs this specific function in at least one application and / or operating state. Furthermore, a "planar" object shall be understood to mean, in particular, an object in which the largest side face of a smallest, particularly imaginary, cuboid that just completely encloses the object is at least 50%, advantageously at least 100%, preferably at least 200%, and most preferably at least 500% larger than any side face of the cuboid arranged perpendicular to the largest side face. Moreover, "one-piece" shall be understood to mean, in particular, that the objects are at least metallurgically bonded and / or formed together.The material bond can be achieved, for example, by an adhesive bonding process, an injection molding process, a welding process, a soldering process, and / or another process. Advantageously, "one-piece" is understood to mean formed from a single piece and / or molded in one piece. Preferably, this single piece is produced from a single blank, a compound, and / or a casting, such as in an extrusion process, in particular a single- and / or multi-component extrusion process, and / or an injection molding process, in particular a single- and / or multi-component injection molding process.

[0012] The term "raw plate" is understood to mean, in particular, an advantageously planar and / or monolithic element whose shape and optical properties are defined in the same manufacturing process. In particular, the manufacturing process of the raw plate is separate from the process according to the invention. Advantageously, the raw plate is cooled between the manufacturing process and the process according to the invention. The raw plate is particularly advantageously designed as a component that is commercially and / or inexpensively available, especially in mass production, and which is then customized in the process according to the invention. Furthermore, the term "optical property" is understood to mean, in particular, transparency and / or translucency or opacity and / or a color property, especially hue, saturation, and / or brightness.The optical properties can vary, particularly with respect to reflection and / or transmission. Specifically, the optical property is a material property of the raw plate and / or the thermally treated household appliance plate, which differs from a coating on the raw plate and / or the thermally treated household appliance plate. Advantageously, the optical property is defined by an internal structure, particularly an amorphous structure and / or a crystalline structure, of a material, especially a glass-ceramic, of the raw plate and / or the thermally treated household appliance plate. Furthermore, the thermal treatment differs, in particular, from any further thermal treatment in a shaping manufacturing process.In particular, the thermal treatment modifies the section of the raw plate and advantageously at least one internal structure of the material of that section. Advantageously, the thermal treatment differs from a coating process in which the raw plate is coated.

[0013] To achieve a suitably flexible design of a manufactured product, it is further proposed that a raw plate that is at least partially transparent and / or translucent be used. The raw plate can be designed as a black plate, particularly in the absence of background light, which advantageously transmits light through the raw plate. However, it is advantageous for the raw plate to be designed as a colorless plate. In particular, the colorless raw plate exhibits higher transparency and / or higher translucency than the black-appearing raw plate.

[0014] Furthermore, it is proposed that at least one optical property, namely transparency and / or translucency, be modified. This advantageously allows for manufacturing flexibility. In particular, the transparency and / or translucency is reduced by thermal treatment. Furthermore, the opacity is increased by thermal treatment. Advantageously, a change in transparency and / or translucency correlates with a temperature and / or a duration, preferably a heating time, of the thermal treatment.

[0015] In particular, at least one optical property, such as hue, saturation, and / or brightness, is altered. Advantageously, the hue is altered in relation to the material of the raw plate, temperature, and / or duration of the thermal treatment, preferably a heating time.

[0016] Furthermore, it is proposed that at least one optical reflection property of the raw plate be modified independently of any optical transmission property of the raw plate. This can advantageously improve manufacturing flexibility. An "optical reflection property" is understood to be, in particular, an optical property of light reflected from the household appliance plate. Advantageously, the optical reflection property is defined as a reflection color, specifically a reflection hue, a reflection color saturation, and / or a reflection color brightness. Furthermore, an "optical transmission property" is understood to be, in particular, an optical property of light transmitted through the household appliance plate.The optical transmission property is advantageously designed as a transparency, a translucency and / or a transmission color, in particular a transmission hue, a transmission color saturation and / or a transmission color brightness.

[0017] In particular, to achieve a flexible change in the optical properties, a further embodiment of the invention proposes that the section corresponds to at most 95%, more particularly at most 85%, advantageously at most 50%, and most advantageously at most 10% of the total volume of the raw plate. In particular, the section corresponds to at most 95%, more particularly at most 85%, advantageously at most 50%, and most advantageously at most 10% of the total surface area of ​​the raw plate, especially when viewed in a direction perpendicular to a principal plane of extension of the raw plate. The optical properties are particularly advantageously modified to form a marking for at least one cooking zone.

[0018] According to the invention, it is proposed that a temperature of at least 500°C, in particular at least 900°C and advantageously at least 1000°C, be used for thermal treatment. This can advantageously enable manufacturing efficiency and / or cost efficiency.

[0019] According to the invention, it is proposed that a thermal treatment duration, in particular a heating duration, of at least 10 min, in particular at least 20 min and advantageously at least 30 min, and of at most 1080 min, in particular at most 540 min and advantageously at most 360 min, is used. This allows for an advantageous change in the optical properties.

[0020] Furthermore, a household appliance panel, in particular a cooktop panel, is proposed, which is manufactured from a raw panel using the preceding method. A household appliance, in particular a cooktop, with a household appliance panel manufactured in this way is also proposed. This allows for flexibility, especially in manufacturing, lighting, and / or design of the manufactured product. Furthermore, efficiency, especially in manufacturing and / or cost efficiency, and / or ease of manufacture can be advantageously achieved. Moreover, a household appliance panel that can be used with a variety of lighting configurations can be produced with particular advantage. In addition, a raw panel available as a mass-produced item and / or purchased component can be advantageously customized.Furthermore, the household appliance could have at least one additional appliance panel, which is combined with the appliance panel, in particular to form a cooktop. Advantageously, the appliance panel and the additional appliance panel are arranged side by side, especially in a direction perpendicular to a main extension plane of the appliance panel.

[0021] Further advantages will become apparent from the following description of the drawings. The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The drawings, the description, and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will expediently consider the features individually and combine them into meaningful further combinations.

[0022] They show: Fig. 1 is a top view of a household appliance designed as an example of a cooktop with a household appliance plate and Fig. 2 is an example flowchart of a method for manufacturing the household appliance plate.

[0023] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows at least a part of a household appliance 10, designed as an example cooking appliance, in a schematic representation. In the present case, the household appliance 10 is designed as a cooktop.

[0024] The household appliance 10 has a cooktop panel 12. In this case, the cooktop panel 12 is designed as a hob panel. The cooktop panel 12 is formed in one piece. Furthermore, a main extension plane of the cooktop panel 12 is arranged in an installation position perpendicular to the direction of gravity. The cooktop panel 12 includes a control panel 14. The control panel 14 is designed to allow a user to operate the household appliance 10 in at least one operating state.

[0025] Furthermore, the household appliance 10 has a heating unit (not shown). The heating unit is in Figure 1The heating unit is concealed by the appliance cooktop 12. In at least one operating state of the appliance 10, it is designed to heat cooking cookware (not shown) located on the appliance cooktop 12. The appliance 10 also includes a lighting unit (not shown). The lighting unit is in Figure 1 concealed by the household appliance panel 12. The lighting unit is designed to illuminate the household appliance panel 12 in at least one operating state of the household appliance 10.

[0026] Figure 2Figure 1 shows an exemplary flowchart of a process for manufacturing the household appliance panel 12. In process step 100, the process starts with a raw panel 16. The raw panel 16 is a flat surface. Furthermore, the raw panel 16 is formed in one piece. In this case, the raw panel 16 consists entirely of a glass-ceramic. The shape and optical properties of the raw panel 16 are determined by a separate manufacturing process. In this case, the raw panel 16 is a commercially available raw panel 16, for example, from a supplier, in particular a glass supplier.

[0027] In process step 102, the household appliance panel 12 is produced from the raw panel 16. In process step 102, at least one optical property of the raw panel 16 is modified in a section 18 of the raw panel 16 by means of a thermal treatment, wherein the section comprises at most 95% of the total volume of a raw panel. In addition, an optical property of a section of a raw panel could be modified inhomogeneously.

[0028] The optical properties are modified in section 18 using a furnace 20. The furnace 20 is designed as a kiln. For the thermal treatment of section 18, a temperature of at least 800°C, in this case at least 900°C, is used. A thermal treatment duration of at least 10 minutes, in this case at least 30 minutes, is used. Furthermore, a thermal treatment duration of at most 1080 minutes, in this case at most 360 minutes, is used. It is also possible to arrange thermal treatments with staggered initial temperatures of approximately 500°C.

[0029] If a transparent raw plate 16 is used, an optical property manifested as transparency is modified in section 18 of the raw plate 16 during process step 102. In this case, the transparency in section 18 is reduced by means of thermal treatment. Additionally, the opacity in section 18 is increased by means of thermal treatment. The change in transparency is correlated with the temperature and duration of the thermal treatment. Alternatively, a translucent, particularly diffusely scattering, or an opaque raw plate could be used.

[0030] Furthermore, in process step 102, in section 18 of the raw plate 16, another optical property, expressed as a color, is modified. The color change is correlated with the material of the raw plate 16, with a specific temperature, and with the duration of the thermal treatment. Additionally, an optical reflection property of the raw plate 16 is modified independently of its optical transmission property. In this case, the optical reflection property is expressed as the reflection color of light reflected from the raw plate 16. Furthermore, the optical transmission property is expressed as the transmission color of light passing through the raw plate 16. Alternatively, the optical reflection property of a raw plate could be modified depending on its optical transmission property.

[0031] In process step 104, the thermally treated household appliance plate 12 is cooled.

[0032] A compilation of exemplary manufacturing parameters, as well as correlated optical reflection and transmission properties of the raw plate 16 and / or the thermally treated household appliance plate 12, can be found in the following table. Raw plate 16 Thermal treatment Household appliance panel 12 Reflective paint Transmission paint Temperature in °C Duration in minutes Reflective paint Transmission paint colorless (transparent) colorless 900 360 colorless (translucent) yellow-orange colorless (transparent) colorless 1000 30 white orange black orange-brown 900 360 dark grey pink-brown black orange-brown 1000 30 violet pink-orange black orange-brown 1000 >60 light violet-grey orange black pink 1000 30 violet pink-orange black pink 1000 >60 light purple orange black orange 1000 60 light grey orange Reference sign

[0033] 10 Household appliance 12 Household appliance panel 14 Control panel 16 Raw panel 18 Section 20 Oven 100 Process step 102 Process step 104 Process step

Claims

1. Method for producing a household appliance plate (12), in particular a hob plate, starting from at least one raw plate (16), which consists, at least to a large extent, in particular completely, of glass-ceramic, wherein, in at least one method step (102), at least one optical property of the raw plate (16) in at least one section (18) of the raw plate (16) is altered by means of at least one thermal treatment by means of a furnace (20) at a temperature of at least 500 °C, wherein a duration of the thermal treatment lasts for at least 10 min and at most 1080 min, wherein at least one optical property embodied as a colour is altered, wherein the section (18) corresponds at most to 95 % of a total volume of the raw plate (16), characterised in that an optical property embodied as transparency is retained as part of the thermal treatment in at least one section of the raw plate (16), which section, in the assembled state, is intended for providing a control panel (14).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one partially transparent and / or translucent raw plate is used as the raw plate (16).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that at least one optical property embodied as a transparency and / or as a translucency is altered.