Cooking apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking apparatus switch assemblies often fail to uniformly distribute light, leading to reduced visibility and increased costs due to the need for multiple light sources.
Innovation Solution
A switch assembly featuring a light guide with a disk-shaped first portion and a ring-shaped second portion, which disperses and reflects light from a single LED source to provide uniform illumination around the switch, reducing the number of LEDs required and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If multiple LED light sources are used to achieve uniform light distribution around the switch, then the illumination uniformity is improved, but the cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the single LED light source and the switch. The light guide member receives light from the LED and guides/distributes it uniformly around the switch through its optical properties and geometric shape, eliminating the need for multiple LED sources while achieving uniform illumination
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical system of multiple discrete LED sources with a single LED source combined with a light guide member. The light guide member uses optical principles (refraction, reflection, total internal reflection) to achieve uniform light distribution that would otherwise require multiple light sources
2Illumination intensity
If multiple LED light sources are used to achieve uniform light distribution around the switch, then the illumination uniformity is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple LED light sources into a single LED source paired with a light guide member. This merging reduces the bill of materials cost, assembly complexity, and manufacturing steps while maintaining the uniform illumination effect through the integrated optical design
3Ease of manufacture
If a light guide is used to uniformly distribute light from a single LED, then the cost is reduced, but the light distribution uniformity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide member is designed with varying local properties - different refractive indices, surface textures, or geometric characteristics at different locations to optimize light extraction and distribution. This local quality variation ensures uniform light output around the switch while using only a single LED source
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide member employs curved or circular geometric designs to evenly distribute light around the switch. The curved geometry helps in achieving uniform angular distribution of light, ensuring consistent illumination around the entire switch perimeter
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
The solution improves visibility by uniformly distributing light around the switch while reducing costs by using fewer LEDs, enhancing the user experience and economic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide passage to disperse and totally reflect the light emitted from the light source
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a cooking apparatus including a switch assembly configured to uniformly distribute light emitted around a switch. A cooking apparatus includes a main body having a cooking chamber and a switch assembly rotatably mounted on the main body. The switch assembly includes a switch rotatably provided, a switch holder coupled to the switch and a light guide disposed between the switch and the switch holder to uniformly emit light emitted from a light source.