Monolithic Glass Worktop With Hidden Heating and Projected Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional glass-ceramic cooking surfaces are limited in size and functionality, making it difficult to achieve large, flat, and stable surfaces for domestic use, and they are primarily designed for cooking, lacking versatility for other activities or object support.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic glass material work surface with a surface area greater than 0.7 m², featuring high luminosity, low light transmission, high opacity, and a blur ratio, integrated with hidden heating elements and light sources for zone indication, and wireless communication interfaces to enable multiple uses such as cooking, displaying information, and supporting various objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If glass-ceramic material is used for cooking surfaces, then cooking performance and appearance are improved, but surface area is limited and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The worktop is designed to perform multiple functions beyond cooking, including serving as a general workspace, supporting objects, and providing a stable surface for various activities. This multi-functionality approach allows the use of glass material for a larger surface area without compromising cooking performance, as the same surface can accommodate both cooking and non-cooking activities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If glass-ceramic material is used for cooking surfaces, then cooking performance and appearance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The worktop is designed as a monolithic single-piece glass structure, eliminating the need for complex multi-layered assemblies. This segmentation principle applied in reverse (using a single integrated piece rather than multiple layers) simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the desired cooking performance and aesthetic appearance.
3Area of stationary object
If large glass plates are manufactured, then surface area increases, but flatness and handling become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise optical and physical parameters for the glass material, including brightness L* greater than 10, light transmission TL less than 50%, opacity indicator greater than 90, and blur greater than 15%. By controlling these parameters during manufacturing, the patent achieves both large surface area and acceptable flatness, transforming the manufacturing challenge into a controlled parameter optimization problem.
4Illumination intensity
If glass material with high brightness is used, then visibility and aesthetic appeal are improved, but masking of heating elements decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The glass worktop is designed with specific local optical properties: brightness L* greater than 10 for aesthetic appeal and visibility, combined with light transmission TL less than 50% and opacity indicator greater than 90 to mask heating elements when at rest. The blur parameter greater than 15% further enhances the masking effect. This local quality approach allows different optical characteristics in different aspects of the same material.
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, stable, and aesthetically pleasing surface for various activities, including cooking, displaying information, and supporting objects, while maintaining safety and ease of maintenance, by utilizing a large, flat, and durable glass-ceramic substrate with enhanced optical properties and integrated heating and lighting features.
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
at least one light source, intended to materialize (make visible) one or more areas (such as heating areas) or one or more elements or displays (for example an operating status indicator or a power indicator) of the substrate, by projection
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
An advantageously interactive item of furniture and/or appliance, comprising: at least one worktop (5) formed from at least one substrate (6) made of a monolithic glazing material and of area larger than 0.7 m2, said substrate having a lightness L* higher than 10, a light transmission TL lower than 50%, and an opacity indicator higher than 90 and if relevant a haze higher than 15%; at least one heating element (7); at least one light source (8), in particular intended to light up, in particular by projection, one or more zones or one or more elements or displays of the substrate, this source for example being located plumb with the substrate; and at least one interface (12) for communicating with at least one element of the worktop such as the one or more light sources (8) and/or the one or more heating elements (7) and/or if needs be wirelessly with at least one external element.