Glass-Ceramic Worktop With Hidden Heating for Large Interactive Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional glass-ceramic cooking surfaces are limited in size and pose challenges in terms of flatness and handling, and are primarily designed for cooking, lacking versatility for other uses due to their design and material properties.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic glass substrate with a surface area greater than 0.7 m², characterized by low luminosity, low light transmission, and low blur, integrated with a heating element and communication interface, allowing for multiple uses such as cooking, reheating, and supporting various objects, while maintaining aesthetic and safety features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If glass-ceramic material is used for cooking surfaces, then thermal resistance and low light transmission are improved, but the surface area is limited and handling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple glass-ceramic plates into a single integrated work surface, combining their thermal resistance properties while achieving a larger overall surface area that would be difficult to handle if made from a single thick plate
Solution Approach 2:
The work surface uses composite glass-ceramic material with specific optical properties (light transmission between 5-20%) combined with heating elements, creating a multi-functional surface that maintains thermal resistance while expanding usable area
2Reliability
If glass-ceramic hobs are designed for cooking only, then cooking performance is improved, but versatility for other uses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The work surface is designed to perform multiple functions: cooking, reheating, and general work surface activities. The glass-ceramic material with controlled light transmission (5-20%) provides both cooking functionality and aesthetic versatility for different settings
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts between different modes of use through the communication interface and heating element control, allowing the same surface to serve as a cooking hob when needed and as a general work surface at other times
3Illumination intensity
If heating elements are integrated under the substrate, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but detection of heating elements in operation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The glass-ceramic substrate's light transmission properties (5-20%) create a visual effect that allows the substrate to appear opaque when heating elements are at rest, masking them aesthetically, while still permitting visual detection when heating elements are active through subtle changes in light interaction
4Area of stationary object
If large glass-ceramic plates are manufactured, then surface area is improved, but flatness and handling become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The large work surface is segmented into multiple glass-ceramic plates that are joined together, allowing each individual plate to maintain manufacturing precision and flatness while achieving a large overall surface area that would be difficult to produce and handle as a single piece
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 provides a versatile, interactive work surface that can be used in various settings, offering a stable, continuous, and safe surface for multiple activities, including cooking, with improved flatness and handling, while maintaining the benefits of glass-ceramic materials like thermal resistance and low light transmission.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heating element (in particular under the substrate and hidden by it when this heating element is not in operation/is at rest)
Implementation Method 2
a substrate having a brightness L* of less than 10, a blur of less than 30%, and a light transmission TL of less than 10%
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The present invention concerns a piece of furniture and/or household equipment, that is advantageously interactive, comprising: - at least one worktop formed from at least one substrate made from monolithic glass material having a surface area greater than 0.7 m2, said substrate having brightness L* less than 10, haze less than 30%, and light transmission TL less than 10%, - at least one heating element, - at least one interface for communication with at least one element of the worktop such as the heating element or elements, and/or if applicable with at least one external element for wireless communication, said equipment being further free of light sources.