EP1834507B1 - Cooking hob comprising a light, and method for illuminating a cooking hob - Google Patents

Abstract

A cooking hob has a cooking hob plate made of glass-ceramic and in which several individual heating units are provided that have a regular hexagonal shape and adjoin each other. Elongate illumination segments are disposed on the outer contours of said heating units. When the cooking hob is operated with several adjacent heating units as a connected heating area, the entire outer contour of said heating area is illuminated, thus indicating to the user which heating units are activated together.

Description

Field of application and state of the art

The invention relates to a hob with a hob plate and a plurality of heating units arranged below and a method for illuminating such a hob.

Conventional hobs, for example made of glass ceramic, have well-defined hotplates, under which there are corresponding heaters in the form of radiant heaters or induction heaters. So-called multi-circuit heaters have, for example, in size differently activatable radiant heaters, which can be adapted for different cooking vessel diameter on the heated surface. Nevertheless, also applies to such Mehrkreisheizungen that place and area or maximum heatable area are precisely defined.

From the EP 12 06 164 A2 It is known, so to speak, to dissolve such precisely predefined burners that a plurality of individual heating units are arranged under a glass ceramic plate. Then a cooking vessel can be placed whose position and size can be detected. Depending on this, exactly those heating units are activated which are completely covered by the cooking vessel or at least to a predefined extent. However, for an operator under certain circumstances, the actual operation of individual heating units may be subject to a feeling of uncertainty, since under certain circumstances there is a feeling that they are not exactly knowing which of these heating units are activated or at which points heating is taking place.

Task and solution

The invention is based on the object to provide an aforementioned cooktop and methods with which problems of the prior art can be avoided and in particular for hobs with several individually compiled activatable heating units that form freely determinable cooking, their operation undoubtedly display.

This object is achieved by a hob with the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 5. Advantageous and preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of further claims and are explained in more detail below. The wording of the claims is incorporated herein by express reference. In the following, features that apply independently to both the hob and the process are described in part only once. Nevertheless, they apply independently to both the hob and the process.

Advantageously, the heating units adjoin one another relatively directly and without large gaps and can be activated individually or can be supplied individually with power. They are operated together in certain patterns or in certain areas in such a way that they form a heating surface which can be determined in terms of position and size. This then corresponds to a hitherto known cooking area of a hob on which exactly a cooking vessel is set for heating. The hob has a lighting associated with the heating units. Along the sides or outer contours of the heating units, a plurality of illuminations are arranged or provided which essentially directly adjoin one another or extend along the outer contours of the heating units. Thus, the outer contour of a heating unit can be marked or also displayed through a hob plate, in particular a glass ceramic plate. These lights are arbitrary controllable. They can be controlled by a controller according to the method according to the invention in such a way that only heating units subjected to power are illuminated or displayed by the lighting. In extension of the invention, it should also be understood that a hob can recognize, over which heating units a cooking vessel is. Even before an application of power, these heating units can then be marked in a corresponding manner by illumination, so that before activating the power, an operator knows which heating units or which surface resulting therefrom is affected as heating surface and is heated.

Thus, it is possible by the invention that either directly after the power application or even before it is displayed by setting up a corresponding cooking vessel of an operator, which heating units and thus which resulting heating surface is heated. This makes it possible, even before the power is applied, to show for radiant heaters which surface then actually works as a heating surface. Even more advantageous is the invention in the use of heating units with induction heating, since they are not visible during operation. Thus, an operator in operation does not feel that he can not accurately identify whether the correct heating units covered by the cooking vessel are actually activated, but possibly others as well, which should not be, or less heating units, which also does not conform to the intended operation equivalent.

In operation itself can therefore be recognized which heating units are energized. The fact that the lighting runs along the outer contours, not the entire surface of the heating unit must be illuminated, which makes the lighting easier.

It is possible to divide the lights of a heating unit into segments. A division is advantageously made where a heating unit abuts or borders on one or two adjacent heating units. Likewise, a subdivision can take place at corners of heating units which have the shape of polygons. In particular, illuminations are subdivided at each corner, or there are two separately activatable illumination segments abutting one another.

It is possible to form an illumination along the outer contours of a heating unit oblong, line-like or line-like. Similarly, illumination may have individual spots of light that are arranged along a line and thus also visually create the appearance of a luminous or illuminated line. This line runs along the outer contour or along one side of a heating unit.

For lighting, either individual, point-like lighting elements can be used, for example, temperature-resistant incandescent lamps or cheap spot-type LEDs. Alternatively, LEDs can be used in conjunction with optical fibers and Lichtverteil devices or elongated or beam-like bulbs or LED.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the heating units have a polygonal or even polygonal shape, which is in particular such that a plurality of these heating units composed a surface substantially completely cover. Along each edge or side in such a heating unit is a lighting segment. Each lighting segment is independently controllable from the others.

It may be envisaged not to activate all the lights of all the power heating units, but only those which are contiguous along the outer contour of the whole Run heating surface. Thus, on the one hand, exactly and only the heated total area, ie the heating surface per se, is marked. Furthermore, in most cases, the intermediate lighting segments are covered by a cooking vessel placed thereon and would not be perceived anyway.

It is considered sufficient to provide only a single lighting segment in the region of the adjoining two heating units, which runs along this boundary line. When one of the heating units of this boundary line is activated, the lighting segment is also activated. For this purpose, therefore, it is not necessary to provide two parallel illumination segments in such a way that each heating unit has its own illumination segments. Substantially or in the core, therefore, illumination segments are to be provided along the boundaries or outer contours of heating units.

The illumination of the outer contours of individual heating units or an entire heating surface formed gives further possibilities for different operating modes or for displaying specific information for an operator, which can advantageously be detected intuitively. For example, it is possible that the illuminations are varied in terms of their brightness. Thus, for example, after placing a cooking vessel in a lower lighting level, the resulting entire heating surface can be displayed. If this heating surface is actually powered by the individual heating units, the brightness may be increased to a higher brightness level to indicate actual operation. Furthermore, it is possible to vary the brightness according to a set power or cooking level.

Alternatively or in addition to a variation of the brightness of the illuminations, they can be operated blinking or varying. For example, instead of a lower brightness level, as before has been described, on the one hand a flashing signaling the selection of heating units and a continuous lighting the actual operation of these heating units. Furthermore, for example, a circulating light signal is possible, that is such that in each case one lighting segment after the other is briefly activated and revolves in alternation or circulation on an activated heating surface.

If a cooking vessel is lifted or moved during operation of the hob or a cooking process, this recognizes the hob. The above-described illumination is then adjusted accordingly by the heating surface, so that the lighting actually always indicates in precise detail the respective power-operated heating surface.

If several cooking vessels are set up on a hob according to the invention and thus several heating surfaces are operated, exactly the same applies to their operation or the operation of the two heating surfaces does not interfere with one another. Even in the case in which the heating surfaces directly adjoin one another, outer contours of individual heating units are each distinguishable, since it should be advantageous for the necessary coverage that a heating unit must be at least half covered by the cooking vessel in order to be heated to become.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1

eine Anordnung einer Vielzahl von sechseckigen Heizeinheiten unter einer Kochfeldplatte eines Kochfeldes,

Fig. 2

zwei mögliche Ausbildungen einer sechseckigen Heizeinheit als Induktionsheizung und als Strahlungsheizung mit Beleuch- tungs-Segmenten entlang der Außenkonturen bzw. an Grenz- flächen zu benachbarten Heizeinheiten und

Fig. 3

das Kochfeld aus Fig. 1 mit zwei aufgesetzten Kochgefäßen und durch dieses Aufsetzen jeweils aktivierten Beleuchtungs- Segmenten

Embodiments of the invention are shown schematically in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

an arrangement of a plurality of hexagonal heating units under a cooking plate of a hob,

Fig. 2

Two possible embodiments of a hexagonal heating unit as induction heating and as radiant heating with lighting segments along the outer contours or at interfaces to adjacent heating units and

Fig. 3

the hob off Fig. 1 with two attached cooking vessels and by this setting each activated lighting segments

Detailed description of the embodiments

In Fig.1 a hob 11 is shown, which has a hob plate 12 which is translucent and advantageously consists of glass ceramic or toughened glass. Below the hob plate 12 many heating units 14 are arranged. These are formed hexagonal, in particular substantially uniformly, ie with equal long edges 15, and arranged so that they connect directly to each other similar to a honeycomb-shaped surface. Substantially they cover the surface of the hob 11 and the hob plate 12th

In Fig.2 Two different embodiments of such heating units 14 are shown in magnification. The one heating unit 14a has a support 16a, for example of insulating material such as ceramic. Attached thereto is an induction coil 17a, which, as it were, represents the heating of this heating unit 14a.

A further heating unit 14b is shown, which likewise has a carrier 16b and lighting segments 19. However, this heating unit 14b has a heating conductor band 17b and is designed as a radiant heater, as is known to the person skilled in the art. Regarding the formation of such individual heating units is on the DE 103 14 690 A1 and on the EP 12 06 164 A2 The contents of this description are hereby incorporated by express reference.

Along the outer edge of the heating units 14 lighting segments 19 are arranged. These are each almost as long as one side of a heating unit 14. It can be seen in the combination of several directly juxtaposed heating units 14, that in each case along the boundary lines or between two heating units 14, a lighting segment 19 extends. On the downwardly facing side, which adjoins an edge of the hob 11, although no subsequent heating units are provided on the lower heating units 14. Nevertheless, the illumination segments 19 are also arranged along the sides or edges 15 here.

In Figure 3 is the hob 11 off Fig.1 represented with two attached cooking vessels 21a and 21b, which are shown in the plan view only as a circle. They each cover a few heating units 14 of the hob 11 so far that they are determined by means of a cooking vessel, not shown, which is advantageously integrated in each heating unit 14, as selected for heating operation. The lighting segments 19 of the selected heating units 14 are activated by a control of the hob 11, not shown. They form a luminous border of the selected heating units 14 or by it certain or formed heating surfaces 23a and 23b, which are illustrated by a slight hatching. On the basis of this luminous border through the illuminations 19, an operator can recognize which heating units 14 are intended for operation and may already be operated or be supplied with power.

It can also be seen here that illumination segments 19 are not activated within the heating surfaces 23a, b or at adjoining and activated heating units 14. This has already been described above and serves to actually mark the entire heating surface produced and not the individual heating units 14 that form it. Thus, an operator does not even see how the heating surfaces 23a, b ultimately consist of individual heating units 14, but only perceive them as a whole in correspondence with another hob of a cooking hob.

To control the individual heating units 14 is on the above with respect to the formation of such individual heating units is on the DE 103 14 690 A1 and on the EP 12 06 164 A2 directed. The control of the individual lighting segments 19 can be effected in a particularly simple variant in that they are always operated together with the surrounding heating unit 14, that is, for example, are coupled to the same power supply. However, then it is not possible to illuminate only the outer contours of a generated heating surface 23.

For this purpose, it may be provided to provide a separate supply line for each lighting segment 19. Alternatively, they can be provided with their own control and a control system in the manner of a bus system, which is controlled by a hob control.

Other possibilities resulting from the basic principle of the invention, such as the above-described flashing of individual illumination segments 19 or a circulating light signal or the like, are not explicitly illustrated here individually.

Claims (10)

1. Cooking hob (11) having a cooking hob plate (12) and several heating units (14) arranged underneath which form directly adjacent to one another and by selection one or more arbitrarily positioned heating surfaces (23) determinable in size, where such a heating surface (23) corresponds to a hotplate of a cooking hob (11), the cooking hob having a light assigned to the heating units, characterized in that several substantially directly adjacent lights (19) are arranged along the outer contours of the heating units (14) for marking the sides (15) or outer contour and can be controlled as required and also in parts or segments (19).
2. Cooking hob according to Claim 1, characterized in that the lights (19) are divided into segments or separated from one another, where a heating unit (14) adjoins one or two adjacent heating units or a corner, where the heating units (14) preferably have substantially the form of polygons and two separate light segments (19) are adjacent to one another at the corners of each heating unit.
3. Cooking hob according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a light (19) is elongated or linear or bar-like or has light dots along a line, where it is preferably formed by several and in particular two elongated LEDs in a spread-out arrangement as the light segments (19).
4. Cooking hob according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lights (19) are adjustable in their brightness.
5. Method for illuminating a cooking hob or heating units arranged underneath, in particular a cooking hob according to one of the preceding claims, where during operation of the cooking hob (11) several directly adjacent heating units (14) operable per se independently of one another and underneath a cooking hob plate (12) are jointly supplied with power to form a hotplate or heating surface (23), characterized in that the heating units each have lights (19) arranged along their outer contour, where only the lights of heating units supplied with power are activated.
6. Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that during operation of the heating units (14) only the lights (19) of the heating units supplied with power are activated.
7. Method according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that depending on the mode of operation of the cooking hob (11) with regard to the heating units (14) jointly supplied with power, contiguous and forming a hotplate (23), the lights (19) are activated differently, in particular with regard to varying brightness and/or flashing frequency.
8. Method according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that only the lights (19) forming the outer contour of the entire hotplate (23) are permanently switched on for generating a light signal formed by the lights and surrounding the outer contour of the hotplate.
9. Method according to one of Claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the lights (19) forming the outer contour of the entire hotplate (23) are switched on sequentially and all-round for generating a light signal formed by the lights and surrounding the outer contour of the hotplate.
10. Method according to one of Claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the power supplied to the heating units (14) depends on whether said units are sufficiently covered by a cooking utensil (21) placed on the cooking hob (11), where preferably heating units no longer sufficiently covered after said utensil is moved are switched off and new sufficiently covered heating units are switched on, this being shown by a change in the appropraite lights (19) of the respective heating units (14).

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