Cooking hob device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hob devices with fixed cooking zones and touch-sensitive screens are costly and complex, leading to operator confusion and inefficiencies in selecting and managing cooking zones.
Innovation Solution
A hob device with a variable cooking surface featuring a separate navigation unit, a control unit, and an indication unit, where the navigation unit is designed as a relative navigation unit with a rotary knob, allowing intuitive selection of cooking zones and adaptation of operating parameters, and the indication unit provides visual marking of selected zones through a screen or integrated lighting elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a touch-sensitive screen is used for both indication and navigation, then the device can be integrated compactly, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control interface into two separate units: an indication unit (display screen) and a navigation unit (physical buttons). This segmentation allows each unit to perform its specific function optimally without the complexity of integrating both functions into a single touch-sensitive interface, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a separate navigation unit with physical buttons as an intermediary between the user and the cooking zone selection. This intermediary provides tactile feedback and clear directional control, simplifying the user interaction process compared to a full touch-sensitive screen while still enabling precise zone selection through the display unit.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple operating elements are provided for adjusting all cooking zones, then all zones can be controlled, but operator confusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the navigation function from the general control interface, creating a dedicated navigation unit with physical buttons separate from the indication unit. This extraction allows the display to focus on presenting information clearly while the navigation unit handles zone selection, preventing operator confusion even when multiple cooking zones need to be controlled.
3Ease of operation
If a separate navigation unit is used, then operation is simplified and costs are reduced, but the device requires more components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system into distinct functional units: a navigation unit for input and an indication unit for output. This segmentation simplifies the overall design by assigning specific roles to each component, reducing the need for complex integrated systems while maintaining ease of operation and lowering costs through standardized, separate modules.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces costs, simplifies operation, and enhances user experience by providing an intuitive and cost-effective method for selecting and managing cooking zones, while avoiding confusion from excessive operating elements.
Implementation Method 1
The variable cooking surface is formed by at least one heating element matrix and/or at least one movable heating element
Implementation Method 2
the variable cooking surface has at least one sensor unit, which is formed in particular by the heating elements themselves, which is intended to detect positioned cooking utensils, in particular by measuring at least one inductance and/or at least one capacitance
Implementation Method 3
measuring at least one inductance and/or at least one capacitance
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooktop device (12), in particular an induction cooktop device, with at least one variable cooking surface (14), with at least one indicator unit (16) designed to identify at least one selected cooking zone (20, 22, 24, 26, 28) of the variable cooking surface (14), with at least one navigation unit (30), and with at least one control unit (18) designed to select a cooking zone (20, 22, 24, 26, 28) to be identified, at least depending on inputs made via the navigation unit (30). To achieve low costs, it is proposed that the navigation unit (30) be designed separately from the indicator unit (16).