Pivoting Oven Control Panel for Better Viewing and Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking appliances often have complex control panels that make it difficult for users to access and read controls and display devices due to unfavorable viewing angles, leading to confusion and space inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance with a pivotable control panel divided into upper and lower areas, where the lower area can be partially pivoted about a horizontal axis using a motor, allowing for improved viewing angles and space-saving design, with automatic extension and retraction for vapor removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the entire control panel is pivoted to improve viewing angle, then the viewing angle of controls and display is improved, but the space occupied and obstruction in the passage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel is divided into two separate segments: an upper stationary area for hob controls and a lower pivoting area for oven controls. This segmentation allows only the necessary lower portion to move, reducing the overall space required compared to pivoting the entire panel while still achieving improved viewing angles for oven controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivoting function is applied locally only to the lower area of the control panel where oven controls are located, rather than making the entire panel movable. This localized approach provides the viewing angle improvement exactly where needed while minimizing the space and complexity associated with the pivoting mechanism.
2Volume of moving object
If the control panel is made compact to save space, then the space efficiency is improved, but the accessibility and viewing angle of controls deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lower control panel area is designed with dynamic pivoting capability, allowing it to change position from a retracted state (space-saving) to an extended state (improved accessibility). This dynamic feature enables the control panel to adapt between compact storage and user-accessible configurations, resolving the contradiction between space efficiency and accessibility.
3Device complexity
If controls for hob and oven are integrated on the same control panel, then the device complexity is reduced, but the clarity and intuitiveness of control assignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel is segmented into distinct upper and lower areas with clear functional separation. The upper area exclusively controls the hob while the lower area controls the oven, including a pivoting section that can be extended for oven control access. This spatial segmentation creates clear visual and functional separation between different cooking zone controls, improving intuitiveness while maintaining integrated device structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Cooking appliance (1) comprising a hob (3), a cooking space (17) with a door (5) closing the cooking space (17) and a control panel (6) with controls (9, 10) for controlling the cooking appliance (1). An upper area (7) of the control panel (6) is intended for controlling the hob (3). The oven (4) is controlled via a lower area (8) of the control panel (6). The lower area (8) of the control panel (6) is pivotally mounted about an axis (20) in the upper section of this area of the control panel (6). The pivotable area of the control panel (6) can be pivoted using a motor (19).