User interface for a control device of a cooking hob system

Abstract

A user interface (10) for a control device (4) of a cooktop system comprises several light sources (12), at least one touch-sensitive sensor (13), a display mask (21) with several translucent display areas (14) and an opaque masking element (31) limiting the several display areas (14), and a one-piece light guide (20) for guiding light between the several light sources (12) and the several display areas (14), wherein at least two of the display areas (14) connected to the one-piece light guide (20) are independently illuminable and wherein a detection area of ​​the at least one touch-sensitive sensor (13) overlaps at least one of the several display areas (14) in a top view.

Description

[0001] The present patent application claims priority from German patent application DE 10 2018 214 146.0, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The invention relates to a user interface for a control unit of a cooktop system. Furthermore, the invention relates to a glass cover for a control unit of a cooktop system, as well as a corresponding control unit for a cooktop system and a cooktop system itself.

[0003] A user interface for a control unit of a cooktop system is known, for example, from DE 10 2016 205911 A1. Such a user interface can include a touch-sensitive sensor for capturing user input and a screen for visual information output.

[0004] One objective of the invention is to improve a user interface for a control device of a cooktop system.

[0005] This problem is solved by the features of claim 1. The core of the invention consists in designing the user interface with the multiple light sources, the at least one touch-sensitive sensor, the display mask, and the preferably integrally formed light guide such that at least two of the display surfaces connected to the integrally formed light guide can be illuminated independently of one another, and that a detection area of ​​the at least one touch-sensitive sensor overlaps at least one of the display surfaces in a top view. Advantageously, the preferably integral design of the light guide allows for a particularly compact user interface, enabling, in particular, a very dense arrangement of independently illuminated display surfaces in a small installation space.By positioning the at least one touch-sensitive sensor in such a way that it overlaps at least one of the multiple display areas in the top view, the user interface can be operated particularly intuitively. In particular, additional markings to indicate these detection areas can be omitted, which in turn allows for a particularly compact user interface design and thus a particularly appealing user interface layout.

[0006] Preferably, the user interface is designed to provide a context-sensitive display of functions. This means that the user interface can display different, particularly hierarchically structured, menus depending on the activated operating context. The context-sensitive display of functions can also allow different user inputs to be made by activating a specific touch-sensitive sensor, depending on the displayed context, and in particular, different functions of the cooktop system can be controlled. The context-sensitive display of functions will be discussed in detail in connection with the description of the control unit.

[0007] The top view refers to a viewing direction oriented perpendicular to the multiple display areas. The display areas can be round, particularly circular, and / or polygonal, particularly rectangular, and particularly square. According to a preferred embodiment, the display areas are designed in the form of symbols. For example, a symbol-designed display area can be in the shape of an hourglass, a padlock, or a power-on symbol. Designing the multiple display areas as symbols makes the user interface particularly easy to operate.

[0008] Preferably, at least one of the display areas is designed in the form of a cooktop symbol. Furthermore, at least one of the display areas can be designed in the form of a range hood symbol, in particular a fan symbol. The user interface thus ensures intuitive operation of a cooktop system with at least one cooktop and at least one range hood.

[0009] The light sources are preferably designed as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The user interface preferably comprises at least 10, in particular at least 25, in particular at least 50, in particular at least 100, preferably independently switchable, and in particular white, light sources. Preferably at least one, in particular at least 3, in particular at least 5, in particular at least 10, of the light sources are designed to emit red and / or green and / or blue light. The light sources are preferably spaced apart from one another, in particular on a circuit board. The light sources can thus be freely positioned relative to each other. The distance between any two light sources is preferably at least 0.1 mm, in particular at least 0.25 mm, in particular at least 0.5 mm, in particular at least 1 mm, in particular at least 2 mm.Preferably, the distance between two light sources, which are designed to illuminate different display areas, is at least 0.5 mm, particularly at least 1 mm, and particularly at least 2 mm. This advantageously allows the display areas to be illuminated independently of each other, without interference from neighboring light sources. The use of individual light sources allows for particularly flexible arrangement of the display areas. The combination of the light sources with the display mask ensures a particularly sharp representation of the display areas while simultaneously achieving high illumination intensity. In particular, a more intense and sharper representation of the display areas, especially the symbols, is achieved than with known LCD displays.

[0010] The touch-sensitive sensors can be configured as capacitive and / or inductive and / or heat-sensitive and / or pressure-sensitive sensors and / or as distance sensors. Preferably, the user interface comprises at least 5, in particular at least 10, in particular at least 20, and in particular at least 50 touch-sensitive sensors. According to one aspect of the invention, the respective detection range of at least 5, in particular at least 10, in particular at least 20, and in particular at least 50, of the touch-sensitive sensors overlaps at least one of the display surfaces in the top view.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, the light guide element comprises a light guide base and a light guide cover. Preferably, the light guide base has at least one recess, in particular at least one recess for each independently illuminated display area. Preferably, the light guide cover has at least one recess, in particular at least one recess for each independently illuminated display area. The at least one recess and / or the at least one recess in the base can be designed as a material-free recess or as a translucent body. The recesses in the cover can overlap the recesses in the base in a top view. Preferably, the user interface includes a diffuser layer for particularly uniform emission of the light emitted by the multiple light sources.The diffuser layer is preferably arranged between the light guide and the masking element. The diffuser layer can be integral with the masking element and / or the light guide, particularly in the form of a coating. Alternatively, the diffuser layer can be a separate film. The diffuser layer preferably overlaps the cover recesses and the recesses in the base body. The light guide base body and / or the diffuser layer can be made of a plastic, particularly white. Preferably, the light guide cover is opaque.

[0012] According to one aspect of the invention, the user interface comprises a user interface control unit connected to the multiple light sources and the at least one touch-sensitive sensor for switching the multiple light sources and / or for evaluating measurement signals from the at least one touch-sensitive sensor.

[0013] Preferably, the light source and / or the user interface control unit are designed to provide variable illumination intensity. This advantageously allows the display areas to be illuminated with varying brightness. This makes it easy to visually distinguish, for example, between active and inactive areas of the user interface. The illumination of the display areas can be adjusted according to the ambient lighting.

[0014] According to a further aspect of the invention, the user interface includes an acoustic signal generator. The acoustic signal generator can be in signal communication with the user interface control unit.

[0015] According to one aspect of the invention, the touch-sensitive sensors and / or the user interface control unit are configured to simultaneously detect at least two, in particular at least three, and in particular at least four, user inputs. The touch-sensitive sensors and / or the user interface control unit can also be configured to detect only one user input at a time.

[0016] The light sources can include single-color light sources, in particular white, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red light sources, and / or multi-color light sources, in particular RGB light sources. This allows a large amount of information to be provided to the user in a small installation space.

[0017] According to a further aspect of the invention, the display mask, the light guide, and the at least one touch-sensitive sensor are bonded together by a material-bonded connection, in particular by adhesive bonding. The user interface can thus be designed to be particularly robust. In particular, the response behavior of the touch-sensitive sensor can be improved.

[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, at least 10, in particular at least 20, in particular at least 50, in particular at least 100, in particular at least 150, in particular at least 200 of the light sources are arranged in plan view within a continuous area of ​​at most 10 cm². Preferably, at least 10, in particular at least 25, in particular at least 50, in particular at least 100 independently illuminated display areas are arranged within a display field which has an area of ​​at most 10 cm². The display field is understood to be the area enclosed by a smallest convex envelope of the independently illuminated display areas.

[0019] According to a further aspect of the invention, the at least one touch-sensitive sensor is designed as a sensor film. Preferably, all touch-sensitive sensors are designed as sensor films, in particular integrally connected to one another. Preferably, the sensor film is largely transparent, in particular with a light transmittance of at least 70%, and more specifically at least 90%.

[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, the user interface has at least 10, in particular at least 20, in particular at least 50, touch-sensitive sensors.

[0021] The detection areas of the touch-sensitive sensors preferably do not overlap; in particular, they are spaced apart from each other. The touch-sensitive sensors can preferably be read independently of each other.

[0022] According to a further aspect of the invention, the at least one touch-sensitive sensor is arranged, particularly in the direction of light transmission, between the multiple light sources and the display mask. The at least one touch-sensitive sensor can also be arranged on a side of the display mask opposite the multiple light sources. Preferably, the at least one touch-sensitive sensor is arranged between the light guide and the display mask. This reduces, and in particular prevents, any disruptive influence of the touch-sensitive sensor on the illumination of the at least one display area.

[0023] According to a further aspect of the invention, the user interface includes at least one temperature sensor. Preferably, the user interface control unit is configured to read the at least one temperature sensor. The user interface control unit can be configured to compare a temperature value detected by the at least one temperature sensor with a temperature threshold. The temperature threshold is preferably determined by the temperature resistance of the user interface and / or the control unit and / or a glass cover of the user interface. Preferably, the user interface control unit is configured to output a warning signal if the detected temperature value exceeds the temperature threshold.

[0024] According to a further aspect of the invention, the user interface has at least one coverage sensor. Preferably, the at least one coverage sensor is formed integrally with the sensor film, in particular integrated into the sensor film. A measured value corresponding to the correct assembly of the user interface and / or its correct arrangement on the glass cover can be acquired by means of the at least one coverage sensor. Advantageously, this ensures that the at least one touch-sensitive sensor is arranged in sufficient proximity to the glass cover and / or that a thermally conductive connection, in particular an adhesive connection, is reliably established between the at least one temperature sensor and the structure arranged thereon, in particular the glass cover.

[0025] According to a further aspect of the invention, the light guide is penetrated at least partially, particularly in the form of a blind hole, or completely by the at least one recess in the base body, particularly in the direction of a display surface. The at least one recess in the base body can be designed as a light-guiding channel. Preferably, the base body has a largely reflective channel wall opposite the recess designed as a light-guiding channel. The light guidance can thus be particularly low-loss and therefore energy-efficient. The at least one recess in the base body can extend along a straight or curved light guidance path. The light guidance can thus be particularly flexible and / or space-saving, especially geometrically.

[0026] Preferably, the light guide is manufactured using an injection molding process. The light guide can be formed in one piece. Alternatively, the light guide can be formed in multiple parts. In particular, the light guide base and the light guide cover can be formed separately from each other.

[0027] Preferably, the light guide and the lamp board are designed as separate components. Preferably, the light guide and the lamp board are reversibly separable. For this purpose, the light guide and the lamp board can be bonded together by frictional, form-fitting, and / or detachable adhesive. The light guide is preferably not injection-molded onto the lamp board, in particular not by injection molding. The separate design of the light guide from the lamp board ensures particularly high dimensional accuracy of the light guide, especially of the light-guiding channels.

[0028] The light guide can alternatively be injection-molded onto the lamp board. By overmolding at least sections of the lamp board, the light guide can be positively connected to it.

[0029] According to a further aspect of the invention, at least one of the light sources projects into the at least one recess in the base body. Preferably, the light guide overlaps the at least one light source in a direction perpendicular to a main emission direction of the respective light source. This allows for a particularly compact arrangement of the light guide and the light source circuit board. Preferably, the light generation takes place entirely within the at least one recess in the base body, in particular within a smallest convex envelope of the respective recess in the base body, or within a smallest convex envelope of the light guide. This allows for particularly low-loss light transmission.

[0030] Another object of the invention is to improve a glass cover for a control device of a cooktop system.

[0031] This problem is solved by a glass cover with the features of claim 8. Essentially, the glass cover comprises a glass pane with a glass underside on which an opaque barrier coating with at least two light-transmitting coating recesses is applied, wherein a tinting coating is applied in the area of ​​the at least two coating recesses, and wherein the glass cover has a light transmittance of at most 25% in the area of ​​the at least two coating recesses. Advantageously, this achieves the effect that the glass cover is transparent to light in the area of ​​the coating recesses, and that, viewed from a top surface of the glass cover, the coating recesses are optically almost indistinguishable, and in particular not at all, from the opaque barrier coating, especially under weak or deactivated backlighting.This creates the impression of a continuous, particularly deep black, cover. In particular, the glass cover according to the invention exhibits a dead-front effect. The glass cover thus ensures a particularly appealing overall appearance.

[0032] The glass pane preferably comprises an inorganic material, in particular glass, in particular a glass-ceramic, and / or a plastic, in particular Plexiglas. Preferably, the glass pane is thermally and / or chemically tempered glass. The glass pane can be made of tempered safety glass. Preferably, the glass pane has a maximum thickness of 7.5 mm, in particular a maximum of 5 mm, and in particular a maximum of 3 mm.

[0033] Preferably, the barrier coating and / or the tinting coating are made of a dark material, in particular a dark gray and / or black material. The barrier coating and / or the tinting coating can be a ceramic material and / or a plastic material. Preferably, the barrier coating and / or the tinting coating are applied to the underside of the glass using a ceramic printing process and / or a glazing printing process. The ceramic coating and / or the glazing coating can have a deep black color, in particular RAL 9005. Preferably, in a hardening and firing process, the ceramic coating is firmly bonded to the glass pane, and the glass pane is thermally and / or chemically hardened.

[0034] The light transmittance of the glass cover in the area of ​​the at least two coating recesses is preferably at most 20%, in particular at most 15%, in particular at most 10%, in particular at most 5%.

[0035] According to a further aspect of the invention, the glass pane has a tint that limits its light transmittance to a maximum of 60%, particularly 50%, and especially 40%. For this purpose, the glass pane preferably consists of gray glass. The tint is understood to mean a uniform coloration of the glass pane throughout its thickness. Preferably, the tint has a dark, particularly gray or black, hue. The glass cover can thus be designed to be particularly visually appealing. The glass cover, in particular the glass pane, is preferably designed as a transparent glass-ceramic panel.

[0036] The light sources of the user interface preferably have a luminous intensity of at least 100 cd, in particular at least 150 cd, in particular at least 200 cd, in particular at least 250 cd. This advantageously ensures that the glass cover is reliably and clearly illuminated in the area of ​​the at least two coating recesses.

[0037] According to a further aspect of the invention, at least one groove is arranged on the upper surface of the glass pane. The groove can be designed as a depression, particularly a sack-shaped one. Preferably, the groove is round, particularly circular or oval, or polygonal, particularly rectangular, particularly square, when viewed from above. The groove can be designed as a spherical segment-shaped and / or oblong-hole-shaped and / or ring-shaped recess. Other shapes are also conceivable. Advantageously, such a groove provides intuitive, tactile orientation on the glass cover, which particularly facilitates the operation of a user interface arranged beneath the glass cover.

[0038] Another objective of the invention is to improve a control device for a cooktop system.

[0039] This problem is solved by a control device with the features of claim 11. The advantages of the control device according to the invention correspond to the advantages of the user interface already described. Essentially, the control device has at least one interface for connecting a cooktop and at least one interface for connecting a downdraft ventilation system, as well as at least one user interface as described above.

[0040] According to one aspect of the invention, the at least one interface for connecting the cooktop is designed such that different cooktops, in particular cooktops with different energy transfer principles, especially radiant cooktops and / or induction cooktops and / or teppanyaki cooktops and / or gas cooktops, can be connected to it. The interfaces for connecting the cooktop and for connecting the extractor hood can be identical. According to one aspect of the invention, the identification of the devices connected to the respective interface is carried out by software. The signal connection between the control unit and the components connected to it, in particular the connected cooktop and / or the extractor hood, is preferably established via a LIN bus.For example, the various components for automated recognition can be coded via software and / or hardware, particularly using DIP switches. Alternatively, at least two of the interfaces, especially their connections, can have geometric shape coding, particularly according to the Poka-Yoke principle. This reliably prevents incorrect connection of the respective component to an interface and thus damage to the control unit or connected components.

[0041] According to one aspect of the invention, the control device is designed for automatic configuration based on the components connected to it. For example, an output signal transmitted via the respective interface can be adapted according to the component connected to that interface. The user interface, in particular the light sources and / or the touch-sensitive sensors, can be switched, in particular activated or deactivated, based on the component connected to the respective interface.

[0042] According to one aspect of the invention, the control unit and / or the user interface, particularly for context-sensitive display of functions, are configured to display different, especially hierarchically structured, operating menus. These operating menus may include an initialization menu and / or a main menu and / or a timer menu for controlling connected components and / or a cooktop control menu and / or a range hood control menu and / or a maintenance menu and / or an error menu. Such operating menus may differ in the number and / or position and / or brightness and / or color of the illuminated display areas. The control unit may be configured such that actuation of the at least one touch-sensitive sensor in different operating menus enables the control of different functions.Preferably, user input is only possible via those touch-sensitive sensors which overlap at least one of the, in particular strongly, illuminated display surfaces.

[0043] According to one aspect of the invention, the control unit is configured to detect initial commissioning, in particular initial power-up. The control unit and / or the user interface can be configured to display the initialization menu during initial commissioning and / or to ensure the automatic detection of the connected components. The control unit can be configured, particularly for the context-sensitive display of functions, to adapt at least one of the operating menus according to the components connected to the control unit, especially during initialization.

[0044] According to one aspect of the invention, the control unit has at least one additional interface for connecting additional cooktop components. These additional cooktop components can include a filter insert sensor for detecting the correct arrangement of a filter in the cooktop system, a vent grille sensor for detecting the arrangement of a vent grille in the area of ​​the cooking fume inlet, a cooktop temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the food carrier in the area of ​​the respective cooktops, and a pot detection sensor for detecting a pot placed on the respective cooktop.

[0045] According to a further aspect of the invention, the control device has a glass cover as described above. The advantages of the control device according to the invention with the glass cover correspond to the advantages of the glass cover described above. According to another aspect of the invention, the control device has a housing which surrounds the user interface together with the glass cover in a liquid-tight, and in particular fluid-tight, manner. The control device, and in particular the user interface, is thus particularly reliably protected against external influences and is designed to be particularly robust.

[0046] According to one aspect of the invention, the housing comprises a support frame. The support frame can be formed integrally with a negative pressure duct connection of the extractor hood. Preferably, the glass cover has a cooking fume inlet opening that penetrates the glass pane. The control unit, in particular the user interface, is preferably integrally formed with a cooking fume inlet area of ​​the extractor hood. The cooktop system can thus be designed to be particularly compact and visually appealing.

[0047] According to a further aspect of the invention, the distance between the glass cover and the user interface is less than 2 mm, in particular less than 1 mm, in particular less than 0.5 mm, and in particular less than 0.1 mm. Preferably, the glass cover is in direct contact with the user interface. The glass cover can be bonded to the user interface. An insulating gap to prevent heat transfer from the glass cover to the user interface can be avoided by the above-described design of the control device, in particular the user interface. User inputs can be detected particularly sensitively and reliably due to the thus reduced distance between the at least one touch-sensitive sensor and the surface of the glass cover.

[0048] The invention also aims to improve a cooktop system.

[0049] This problem is solved by a cooktop system with the features of claim 14. The advantages of the cooktop system according to the invention correspond to the advantages of the user interface, the glass cover and the control unit already described.

[0050] According to a further aspect of the invention, the glass cover can at least partially, and in particular completely, surround a cooking fume inlet opening of the extractor hood. The glass cover can be integrally formed with a cooking support of the at least one cooking zone. The cooking zone system, in particular the cooking support, can have a continuous glass surface, wherein the glass cover, in particular a transparent glass-ceramic cover, is integrally connected to this glass surface. The cooking support can also include a stainless steel plate. In particular, the cooking support can comprise a combination of a glass-ceramic plate and metallic components, in particular a metallic cast support unit and / or a stainless steel plate. Preferably, the cooking zone system is designed as a mounting unit. Such a cooking zone system can be installed in a kitchen worktop particularly easily, quickly, and cost-effectively.

[0051] Further features, advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a hob system mounted on a kitchen worktop of a kitchen base cabinet with two hobs, a downdraft extractor for extracting cooking fumes and a control unit, Fig. 2 a top view of the control unit in Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 a perspective exploded view of the control unit in Fig. 1 with a housing, a user interface and a glass cover, Fig. 4 a top view of a light source board of the user interface in Fig. 3 with multiple light sources, Fig. 5 a bottom view under a light guide element of the user interface in Fig. 3 , Fig. 6 a top view of the light guide in Fig. 5 , Fig. 7 a top view of a display mask of the user interface in Fig. 3 with several translucent display areas and an opaque masking element, Fig. 8 a bottom view under a touch-sensitive sensor of the user interface in Fig. 3 with multiple detection areas, Fig. 9 a bottom view under the glass cover in Fig. 3 with a barrier coating and a tinting coating and Fig. 10 a schematic representation of the cooktop system in Fig. 1 with a control unit for controlling the cooktop system.

[0052] In the Fig. 1 The basic structure of a cooktop system 1 is shown. The cooktop system 1 comprises two cooktops 2 for heating food, a downdraft extractor 3 for extracting cooking fumes downwards, and a control unit 4 for controlling the cooktop system 1. Each of the cooktops 2 comprises two cooking zones 5 in which the food can be heated. Each of the cooktops 2 includes a food support 6 for holding the food. The food support 6 is designed as a glass-ceramic plate. In the area of ​​the cooking zones 5, each cooktop 2 has an energy transfer unit (not shown) below the food support 6. The energy transfer units are designed as induction coils. The respective cooking zone 5 is accordingly designed as an induction cooktop.

[0053] The extractor hood 3 has a cooking fume inlet 7. An inlet grille 8 is arranged in the area of ​​the cooking fume inlet 7 to laminarize the incoming cooking fumes and to cover the cooking fume inlet 7. The cooking fume inlet 7 is surrounded by a frame element 9. The frame element 9 comprises tempered glass.

[0054] The control unit 4 has a user interface 10 and a glass cover 11. The user interface 10 includes several light sources 12 for outputting optical signals and several touch-sensitive sensors 13 for detecting user input. The light sources 12 are designed as LEDs. The touch-sensitive sensors 13 are designed as capacitive film sensors and are integrally connected to one another. The glass cover 11 is integrally formed with the frame element 9. The touch-sensitive sensors 13 overlap the light sources 12 in a top view.

[0055] In the Fig. 2 The control unit 4 is shown in further detail. In particular, the Fig. 2 Several display areas 14 of the user interface 10, which can be illuminated by means of the light sources 12. Some of the display areas 14 are designed and arranged as display areas 14a to form a seven-segment display. Other display areas 14 are designed in the form of symbols, in particular in the form of an hourglass 14b and in the form of a padlock 14c.

[0056] The display areas 14 are arranged within a display field 15. The display field 15 is defined as the area within a smallest convex envelope in which all of the display areas 14 are arranged. The width xB of the display field 15 is 70 mm and the depth yB of the display field 15 is 125 mm.

[0057] The touch-sensitive sensors 13 each have a detection range 16. In the Fig. 2 The arrangement of three touch-sensitive sensors 13, concealed by the glass cover 11, is shown by marking their associated detection areas 16. The detection area 16 of each of the depicted touch-sensitive sensors 13 overlaps one of the several display surfaces 14 in the top view.

[0058] The glass cover 11 has two grooves 17a and 17b. The grooves 17a and 17b are designed as blind-hole-shaped recesses. The rear groove 17a is designed as a spherical segment-shaped recess. The front groove 17b is formed as a straight, rounded groove.

[0059] In the Fig. 3 The control unit 4 is shown in further detail in the form of an exploded view. The [unclear text] Fig. 3 The further components of the user interface 10 shown include a user interface control unit 18 for switching the multiple light sources 12 and for evaluating measurement signals from the at least one touch-sensitive sensor 13, a light source circuit board 19 for supporting the light sources 12 and for providing a signal connection between the light sources 12 and the user interface control unit 18, a light guide 20 for directing light from the multiple light sources 12 to the multiple display areas 14 along an illumination direction 20a, a display mask 21, and the touch-sensitive sensors 13. The user interface control unit 18 is arranged on the light source circuit board 19. Also connected to the light source circuit board 19 and in signal communication with the user interface control unit 18 is a cooktop system control unit 22 for controlling the cooktops 2 and the extractor hood 3.

[0060] On the light source board 19, 152 of the light sources 12 are arranged and above the light source board 19, in this order, the light guide body 20, the display mask 21, the touch-sensitive sensors 13 and the glass cover 11 are arranged.

[0061] The control unit 4 further comprises a support frame 23, which is integrally formed with a vacuum channel extension 24 for creating the cooking fume inlet opening 7. A housing 25 of the control unit 4 is attached to the support frame 23. The user interface 10 and the cooktop system control unit 22 are surrounded by the vacuum channel extension 24, the housing 25, the cable set 26, and the glass cover 11 in a watertight, in particular fluid-tight, manner. The control unit 4 communicates with the cooktops 2 and the extractor hood 3 via the control lines 26.

[0062] One top side of the light source circuit board 19 is in the Fig. 4 further details are shown below. The light sources 12 are designed as single-color, in particular white, LEDs 12a and in the form of multi-color LEDs 12b, in particular in the form of RGB LEDs. The user interface 10, in particular the light source board 19, has temperature sensors 33 for recording measured values ​​which correlate with a temperature of the glass cover 11.

[0063] In the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 The light guide body 20 is shown in further detail. The light guide body 20 comprises a light guide base body 27 and an opaque light cover 28 attached to one upper surface of the light guide base body 27. The light guide base body 27 is made of a white plastic material. In the area of ​​the light source 12, the light guide base body 27 has recesses 29 that penetrate the base body. The light cover 28 defines several cover recesses 30, which overlap the base body recesses 29 in a top view.

[0064] The light guide body 20 has a diffuser layer 30a. The diffuser layer 30a is arranged on a bottom side of the display mask 21 and overlaps all of the cover recesses 30 in a top view.

[0065] In the Fig. 7 The display mask 21 is shown in further detail. The translucent display areas 14 are surrounded by a masking element 31. The masking element 31 is formed in one piece. Each of the display areas 14 is bounded in plan view by the opaque masking element 31.

[0066] The touch-sensitive sensors 13 are located in the Fig. 8 further details are shown below. All of the touch-sensitive sensors 13 are integrally connected and designed as a single sensor film 32. The sensor film 32 includes cover sensors 33a, which are designed to detect the direct contact of the sensor film 32 with the glass cover 11. The sensor film 32, in particular the touch-sensitive sensors 13 and the cover sensors 33a, is in signal communication with the user interface control unit 18 via a sensor connection 34.

[0067] One underside of the glass cover 11 is in the Fig. 9 The glass cover 11 is shown in further detail below. It comprises a glass pane 35 with a glass underside 36a and a glass top side 36b. An opaque barrier coating 37 is applied to the glass underside 36a. The barrier coating 37 surrounds several coating recesses 38. In a top view, the coating recesses 38 overlap the display areas 14. In the area of ​​the coating recesses 38, the glass cover 11 has a tinting coating 39. The tinting coating 39 has a light transmission of approximately 30%. The grooves 17a and 17b are cut into the glass top side 36b of the glass pane 35.

[0068] The glass pane 35 comprises thermally tempered glass. The glass pane 35 has a light transmittance of approximately 50%. In the area of ​​the coating recesses 38, the glass cover 11 has a total light transmittance of approximately 10%. In the area of ​​the barrier coating 37, the glass cover 11 is opaque to light.

[0069] In the Fig. 10 The cooktop system 1 is shown schematically. Based on the Fig. 10The connection of the cooktops 2 and the extractor hood 3 to the control unit 4 is explained. The control unit 4 has a plurality of interfaces 40. The cooktops 2 and the extractor hood 3 are connected to the interfaces 40 by means of control lines 41. The control unit 4 also has interfaces 40 for connecting further cooktop components 42, in particular extraction components. Such cooktop components 42 can include further sensors, in particular external temperature sensors, and / or actuators, in particular an actuator for actuating a cover for the cooking fume inlet opening 7. Each of the interfaces 40 is designed such that the cooktops 2, in particular with any energy transmitters, as well as the extractor hood 3 or the cooktop components 42 can be connected to it.

[0070] The glass cover 11 rests flush against the user interface 10, particularly against the touch-sensitive sensors 13. The wall thickness tG of the glass cover 11 is 3 mm in the area of ​​the touch-sensitive sensors 13. Due to the flush fit of the glass cover 11 against the touch-sensitive sensors 13 and the thin wall thickness tG of the glass cover 11, user input is detected with exceptional sensitivity and reliability.

[0071] The operation of the cooktop system 1 is as follows: The cooktop system 1 is initially in a switched-off state. A display area 14, which is designed in the form of a power-on symbol 14d, is illuminated by the light source 12 behind it. The other light sources 12, the cooktops 2 and the extractor hood 3 are deactivated.

[0072] To activate the cooktop system 1, a user places a fingertip on the power symbol 14d, which, in a top view, is overlapped by the rear recess 17a. The touch of the fingertip is detected by the touch-sensitive sensor 13, which overlaps the power symbol 14d in a top view. The user interface control unit 18, which is in signal communication with the touch-sensitive sensor 13, transmits a signal to the cooktop system control unit 22 to switch on the cooktop system 1. An initial operating menu is activated, and a specific subset of the lights 12 are switched on. The touch-sensitive sensors 13, which overlap the switched-on lights 12, are read to detect further user input.

[0073] The light emitted by the light sources 12 passes through the light guide base body 27 and the base body recesses 29 to the cover recesses 30.

[0074] The masking element 31, which limits the display areas 14, ensures a particularly sharp representation of symbols. In this way, the display areas 14 can be displayed with exceptional brightness and sharpness. Activation of the display area 14, designed as a fan symbol 14e, is detected by the touch-sensitive sensor 13, which overlaps the fan symbol 14e. The operating menu is then changed, specifically to a range hood control menu, whereby both the subset of activated light sources 12 and the color of the multi-colored light sources 12b are altered.

[0075] The front recess 17b overlaps a touch-sensitive sensor 13 designed as a touch-sensitive sliding bar. The power supplied to the extractor hood 3 can be adjusted according to an actuation position along the groove-shaped front recess 17b. The actuation position is determined by the user interface control unit 18 and transmitted to the cooktop system control unit 22 in the form of a corresponding signal. The cooktop system control unit 22 then adjusts the power supply to the extractor hood 3 accordingly. To control the individual cooking zones 5, the respective cooking zone 5 is first selected by touching the respective seven-segment display 14a. The corresponding operating menu, in particular a cooktop control menu, is activated, whereby a corresponding subset of the light sources 12 is activated and the multi-colored light sources 12b provide light of the corresponding color.In the same way as for adjusting the extractor fan power, the heating power of the selected hob 5 can be adjusted by pressing the touch-sensitive sensor 13 which is overlapped by the front recess 17b.

[0076] The user interface 10 provides input and output of further information. For example, the user can be warned, particularly in an error menu, if the control unit 4, especially the glass cover 11, exceeds a certain temperature limit. For this purpose, the temperature of the glass cover 11 is measured by the temperature sensor 33 and read by the user interface control unit 18. When a certain temperature limit is exceeded, a warning signal is emitted to the user via the light source 12. The control unit can then take further action.

[0077] Furthermore, a timer can be set via the user interface 10, particularly in a timer menu. Using the timer, the cooking zones 5 can be automatically switched off after a specified period of time. Alternatively or additionally, an audible signal can be emitted after the specified period of time has elapsed.

[0078] By pressing the touch-sensitive sensor 13 in the area of ​​the power-on symbol 14d, the extractor hood 3 and the hobs 5 are deactivated again. All of the light sources 12, except for the light source 12 underlying the power-on symbol 14d, are deactivated. The hob system 1 is again in the switched-off state.

[0079] The user interface 10, comprising multiple light sources 12, touch-sensitive sensors 13, display mask 21, and a single-piece light guide 20, wherein at least two of the display areas 14 can be illuminated independently of one another and wherein the detection range 16 of each sensor 13 overlaps at least one of the display areas 14 in a top view, advantageously ensures a particularly high area density of the displayable display areas 14, a particularly high luminous intensity and sharpness of the displayed symbols, and particularly intuitive operation directly in the area of ​​the display areas 14. The glass cover 11, together with the user interface 10, ensures a clear and easily visible display of the illuminated display areas 14 and complete concealment of unilluminated display areas 14.The one-piece design of the glass cover 11 with the frame element 9 creates a particularly visually appealing combination of the user interface 10 and the extractor hood 3. Preferably, the tint of the glass pane 35 is matched to the tint of the cooking supports 6 in such a way that they are hardly distinguishable from one another, resulting in a particularly harmonious overall impression of the cooktop system 1.

Claims

1. User interface (10) for a control unit (4) of a cooktop system (1), comprising 1.

1. several light sources (12), 1.

2. at least one touch-sensitive sensor (13), 1.

3. a display mask (21) with 1.3.

1. several translucent display areas (14) and 1.3.

2. an opaque masking element (31) delimiting the several display areas (14) and 1.

4. a light guide (20) for guiding light between the several light sources (12) and the several display areas (14), 1.

5. wherein at least two of the display areas (14) connected to the light guide (20) are independently illuminable and 1.

6. wherein a detection area (16) of the at least one touch-sensitive sensor (13) overlaps at least one of the several display areas (14) in a top view.

2. User interface (10) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact thatThis is designed for the context-sensitive display of functions, to show different, especially hierarchically structured, operating menus depending on the activated operating context.

3. User interface (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the light guide body (20) has a light guide base body (27) and an opaque light guide cover (28), wherein the light guide cover (28) is penetrated by at least one cover recess (30), in particular at least one cover recess (40) for each independently illuminated display area (14).

4. User interface (10) according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the light guide body (27) is made of a white plastic.

5. User interface (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by the fact thatthe light guide body (27) penetrates at least one recess (29) of the body, wherein at least one of the light sources (12) projects into the at least one recess (29) of the body.

6. User interface (10) according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that that at least one light source (12) projects into the at least one recess (29) of the base body in such a way that the light generation takes place entirely within the at least one recess (29) of the base body.

7. User interface (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a diffuser layer (30a) for particularly uniform emission of the light emitted by the multiple light sources (12).

8. User interface (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the diffuser layer (30a) is formed in one piece with the masking element (31).

9. User interface (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatThe light sources (12) are arranged apart from each other on a light source circuit board (19), wherein the light guide body (2) and the light source circuit board (19) are positively connected to each other and can be reversibly separated from each other.

10. User interface (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the at least one touch-sensitive sensor (13) is arranged along an illumination direction (20a) between the light guide body (2) and the display mask (21).

11. User interface (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by at least one temperature sensor (33) and a user interface control unit (18) designed to output a warning signal if the temperature value detected by the at least one temperature sensor (33) exceeds a temperature threshold.

12. Glass cover (11) for a control device (4) of a cooktop system (1), comprising 12.

1. a glass pane (35) with a glass underside (36a), 12.

2. an opaque barrier coating (37) applied to the glass underside (36a) with at least two light-transmitting coating recesses (38), and 12.

3. a tinting coating (39) applied to the glass underside (36a) in the area of ​​the at least two coating recesses (38), 12.

4. wherein the glass cover (11) has a light transmittance of at most 25% in the area of ​​the at least two coating recesses (38).

13. Control device (4) for cooktop system (1), comprising 13.

1. at least one interface (40) for connecting a cooktop (2), 13.

2. at least one interface (40) for connecting a ventilation device (3) for extracting cooking fumes downwards and 13.

3. at least one user interface (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11.

14. Control device (4) according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the control device (4) has a glass cover (11) according to claim 12, wherein the distance between the glass cover (11) and the user interface (10) is less than 0.5 mm, in particular the glass cover (11) is in direct contact with the user interface (10).

15. Cooktop system (1) comprising 15.

1. a control unit (4) according to one of claims 13 or 14, 15.

2. at least one cooktop (2) in signal communication with the control unit (4) for heating food, 15.

3. at least one extractor hood (3) in signal communication with the control unit (4) for extracting cooking fumes downwards.

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