Oven Door Glass Lighting Interface With Heat-Managed Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oven door user interfaces are limited in their ability to provide information effectively, particularly in terms of visibility and heat management, as they often rely on character-based displays that may not be easily readable from a distance and can be affected by heat buildup.
Innovation Solution
The oven door incorporates lighting means, including light sources and optical fibers, arranged between inner and outer glass elements to provide visual information through light intensity, color, and patterns, with cooling mechanisms to manage heat and enhance visibility, using side-emitting fibers and grooves in the glass for efficient light guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting means are arranged between inner and outer glass panels to illuminate the cavity, then visibility is improved, but the lighting means are subjected to excessive heat
Solution Approach 1:
A cooling airflow is introduced as an intermediary element between the lighting means and the hot cavity environment. The airflow acts as a thermal mediator that absorbs heat from the lighting means and transports it away, allowing the lighting to function effectively while protecting it from excessive temperature exposure
Solution Approach 2:
A forced convection cooling system using pneumatic principles is implemented. A fan or blower generates a controlled airflow that passes through or around the lighting means, actively removing heat through convective heat transfer. This pneumatic cooling mechanism allows the lighting to maintain operational temperature despite the high-temperature cavity environment
2Loss of information
If user interface is located above the oven door on the base body, then information can be provided, but the information cannot be recognized from a large distance
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface is relocated from a two-dimensional position above the door to a three-dimensional integration within the door structure itself. By embedding lights, LEDs, or displays directly into the glass panels or door frame, the interface elements are distributed across multiple spatial dimensions, increasing their apparent size and visibility from a distance while maintaining information provision capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The glass door panels serve multiple functions: they provide structural closure, maintain thermal insulation, enable visual observation of the cavity, and now also serve as the substrate for the user interface. This multi-functionality allows the door to display information directly on its surface, making the interface visible from a large distance without requiring separate display components
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 enables clear and readable visual information from a distance, improves heat management for the lighting system, and provides a robust and efficient user interface that is resistant to temperature variations and humidity.
Implementation Method 1
The lighting means comprise one or more light guides arranged at or in proximity to the glass portion... Said light guides may be used to guide the light in a predefined way... According to embodiments, the light guides are optical fibres
Implementation Method 2
Said light sources may be bulbs or light emitting diodes which are attached to the glass portion such that the light emitted by the light source can be recognized by the user in front of the glass portion
Implementation Method 3
In these documents the lighting means are provided with a cooling airflow to avoid overheating of the lighting means
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an oven door (10) for closing a cavity (2) of an oven (1) comprising a glass portion (11) being at least partially transparent for enabling a user to look into the oven cavity (2), wherein the oven door (10) comprises lighting means (12) implementing an optical user interface for displaying optical information at the glass portion (11).