LED Light Ring Dial Control for Low-Flame Burner Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dial controls for household appliances, such as cooktops, lack the ability to provide a visually appealing and functional electronic display of burner settings beyond the position of the dial, with limited color and shape options for lamps used, which restricts design flexibility and user feedback, especially for low flame settings.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an illuminated dial control with arcuate segments illuminated by LEDs in reflective chambers and light diffusers, powered directly from rectified line voltage, allowing for uniform, colored sector illumination and integrated switch circuitry to indicate burner states, including a gas valve operation and rotary encoder for position sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional incandescent lamps or gas discharge lamps are used for visual indication, then the lamps are rugged and can be powered directly with line voltage, but the colors and shapes of such lamps are limited and constrain design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the light source by transitioning from incandescent/gas discharge lamps to LEDs. This enables access to multiple colors (red, green, blue, yellow) and allows for flexible shape configurations (arcuate segments, circular patterns) while maintaining direct line voltage operation through rectifier circuits and series resistor networks.
2Use of energy by moving object
If multiple discrete components are used for LED control and power conditioning, then the system can operate on line voltage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple discrete power conditioning components (rectifier diodes, series resistors, current limiting elements) into an integrated circuit board assembly. This consolidation reduces the overall device complexity while maintaining the capability to operate directly from line voltage by converting AC to DC and providing appropriate current regulation for the LED segments.
3Illumination intensity
If the chamber height is increased to provide multiple internal reflections, then even illumination is achieved, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs arcuate (curved) chamber geometries that follow the circular pattern of the dial control. This curved configuration naturally guides light through multiple internal reflections along the arcuate path, achieving uniform illumination distribution across the display surface without requiring excessive chamber height or volume.
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 solution provides a visually appealing and functional control that can indicate burner states with arbitrary colors, ensuring user awareness of flame presence, even illumination, and reduced heat generation, while eliminating the need for complex power conditioning circuitry, thus enhancing user experience and appliance design.
Implementation Method 1
Light emitting diodes are positioned at a back surface of the reflective chambers and receive the switched electrical signals to evenly illuminate different sectors of the ring with rotation of the dial operator
Implementation Method 2
Arcuate, internally reflective chambers are positioned concentrically about the axis and around the dial operator
Implementation Method 3
light diffusers are positioned on front surfaces of the reflective chambers so as to, together with the reflective chambers, define sectors of a ring about the axis
Implementation Method 4
The invention may employ at least one rectifier receiving line voltage and a resistance element communicating with the rectifier to provide a reduced voltage that may be switched by the switch circuitry
Data Source
AI summary
An illuminated control for a gas range or the like provides arcuate reflective chambers capped by diffusers to create a substantially continuous glowing circular sector indicating the status of a possibly low visibility gas flames. Line power may be used for direct drive of light emitting diodes illuminating the reflective chambers through the use of discrete series-connected voltage dropping resistors distributed to prevent heat concentration.