EP2026010A2 - Household device operating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (10) has an operating unit (20) comprising an actuating unit (14) that is operated by an operator, where the actuating unit is rotatably supported around two axes (24, 26). A display unit (17) is provided for displaying an operating menu of a household appliance, where the display unit is moved from an inactive operating mode to an active operating mode when pressing the actuating unit. A control unit (22) is provided for operating the menu, and a household appliance front panel limits the operating area of the actuating unit.

Description

The invention relates to a household appliance operating device according to the preamble of claim 1.

There is a household appliance operating device with a display unit for displaying a household appliance operating menu and an actuating element, which is provided in cooperation with a control unit for operating the domestic appliance operating menu known.

The object of the invention is in particular to provide a generic device with improved properties in terms of ease of use.

The object is achieved by the features of claim 1, while advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention can be taken from the dependent claims.

The invention relates to a household appliance operating device with at least one operating unit, which has at least one actuating element for actuation by an operator, which is rotatably mounted about a first axis, with a display unit for displaying a household appliance operating menu and a control unit, in cooperation with the actuating element to an operation of the household appliance operating menu is provided.

It is proposed that the actuating element is rotatably mounted about at least a second axis. Thus, at least one additional degree of freedom of the actuating element can be created, whereby the ease of use and the operating flexibility can be increased. The control unit, which is suitably in operative connection with the actuating element or a sensor means for sensing a movement of the actuating element and the display unit, preferably has a memory unit in which the household appliance operating menu to be displayed is stored.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one rotational movement of the actuating element about the first axis is associated with at least one menu level of the household appliance operating menu and at least one rotational movement of the actuating element about the second axis is associated with at least one further menu level of the household appliance operating menu. Thus, a simple and comfortable selection in the home appliance operation menu can be performed. The "assignment" of a rotary movement of the actuating element about an axis to a menu level should in particular be understood to mean that menu items can be selected by means of a rotation of the actuating element about this axis in this menu level. This assignment is preferably stored in a memory unit of the control unit and / or it is performed by means of operating software of the control unit.

It is also proposed that a domestic appliance operating parameter can be selected by means of a rotary movement of the actuating element about the second axis and a value of the domestic appliance operating parameter can be selected by means of a rotary movement of the actuating element about the first axis. Hereby, a simple and efficient selection and setting of a household appliance operating parameter can be achieved. The assignment of a rotational movement to a selection process of a household appliance operating parameter or a value of the household appliance operating parameter is preferably stored in a memory unit of the control unit and / or it is performed by means of operating software of the control unit. A household appliance operating parameter is intended in particular to mean an operating mode or a physical variable which is assigned to a domestic appliance to be operated. In particular, a home appliance operating parameter may be a heating mode, a heating temperature, a timer operating mode, or a time interval.

In one embodiment of the invention, the household appliance operating menu has at least three menu levels. This can be a high level of functionality of the household appliance operating menu can be achieved.

In an advantageous development of the invention, a displayed menu item of the household appliance operating menu can be replaced by a further menu item by means of a rotary movement of the actuating element. This allows a good clarity of the household appliance operating menu can be achieved. Under a "replace" a displayed Menu item by another menu item is to be understood in particular the display of the other menu item instead of the menu item displayed before the rotation by this menu item is hidden in favor of the other menu item.

Expediently, the household appliance operating device has a household appliance front panel which limits an operating region of the actuating element which can be touched for an operating procedure. Hereby can be defined in a simple and elegant way an operating area, which is formed depending on the position of the actuating element relative to the household front panel of different portions of the actuating element and yet remains fixed in space with a rotation of the actuating element about the first axis relative to the household front panel. The household appliance front panel limits the operating range of the actuating element such that at least a substantial part of the actuating element is invisible to an operator. In this case, a "substantial part of the actuating element" is to be understood in particular as a part of the actuating element which comprises at least sixty percent, in particular at least seventy-five percent and particularly advantageously at least ninety percent of the surface of the actuating element.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second axis is arranged between the first axis and the operating area inclination axis about which the actuating element is tilted relative to the household appliance front panel. This can be achieved with an inclination of the actuating element about the inclination axis, a small lever travel, whereby a particularly precise operation of the household appliance operating menu can be achieved. In addition, due to the small lever travel, the dimensions of a recess of the household appliance front panel, through which the actuating element protrudes, be low, whereby penetration of dirt into the recess can be advantageously avoided. The actuating element can be designed in particular as a disk. By the arrangement of the second axis "between" the first axis and the operating area is meant in particular that there is at least one point of the second axis for each point of the operating area and any point of the first axis, so that the triangle, which of the three points is formed, having only acute angles. Further, an "inclination" is intended in particular to be a rotation about an axis by an angle less than sixty degrees, in particular less than forty Degree and particularly advantageously less than twenty-five degrees. In particular, a "tilting axis" is intended to be an axis about which the actuating element, starting from an equilibrium position, which may in particular be its rest position without the intervention of an operator, can perform rotations which are exclusively inclinations. For this purpose, the household appliance operating device is preferably provided with a means which limits the rotational path of the actuating element such that the actuating element can perform a maximum of a tilt in a rotation about the tilt axis.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is proposed that the household appliance operating device has a guide unit which is provided to guide the actuating element in a depression of the operating device in a recess of the household appliance front panel. Hereby, a controlled pushing-in movement of the actuating element can be achieved.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, when the actuating element is pressed in, the display unit can be displaced from an inactive to an active operating mode. This can reduce energy consumption and protect the display unit. An "active operating mode" of the display unit is to be understood in particular to mean an operating mode which makes it possible to operate the household appliance operating menu. For example, an "inactive mode" may include a wait mode, such as a wait mode. be a power saving mode, which is turned on in particular, when the actuator for a certain time remains unconfirmed.

Further advantages emerge from the following description of the drawing. In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are shown. The drawing, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. The person skilled in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and combine them into meaningful further combinations.

• Fig. 1 eine Frontsicht auf eine Haushaltsgerätebedienvorrichtung,
• Fig. 2 eine Draufsicht der Haushaltsgerätebedienvorrichtung von oben und
• Fig. 3 eine Draufsicht auf ein Haushaltsgerät.

Show it:

• Fig. 1 a front view on a home appliance control device,
• Fig. 2 a top view of the home appliance control device from above and
• Fig. 3 a top view of a household appliance.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a household appliance operating device 10 of an in FIG. 3 shown household appliance 66, which is provided for the operation of a baking oven. The home appliance operating device 10 has a display unit 17 which displays a home appliance operation menu 19. Below the display unit 17, an actuating element 14 is arranged. To the left of the display unit 17 are two touch elements 11, 12. To the right of the display unit 17 are three further touch elements 13, 15, 16. In principle, another number and / or a different arrangement of the touch elements 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 conceivable. Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the touch elements 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 can be embodied as differently functioning switching elements that appear appropriate to the person skilled in the art. The display unit 17, the touch elements 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and the actuator 14 are surrounded by a household front panel 18. The household appliance front panel 18 has the shape of a plate with recesses. The display unit 17 has the front view of FIG. 1 the shape of a rectangle. The touch elements 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 each have the shape of a square and are equal in size compared to each other. The household appliance front panel 18 limits an operating range 38 of the actuating element 14 that can be touched by an operating procedure. For this purpose, the household front panel 18 surrounds a recess 40 through which the actuating element 14 protrudes. The actuator 14 has the shape of a disc and can be rotated about a vertical axis 24 and inclined about a horizontal axis 26. The axis 26 is formed as a tilt axis. Furthermore, the actuating element 14 can be pressed perpendicular to the household front panel 18. With the help of such an indentation, the display unit 17 and / or the household appliance 66 can be activated. In principle, a separate switch is also conceivable with which the household appliance 66 and / or the display unit 17 can be switched on. Both axes 24, 26 are parallel to the household front panel 18 and in the front view of FIG. 1 obscured by the household front panel 18. The home appliance operation menu 19 has four lines 28, 30, 32, 34. In a state in which no device connected to the household appliance operating device 10 is operated and in which no operator is operated performs an operation on the household appliance operating device 10, the display unit 17 shows the menu item "operating mode" in the top line 28, the menu item "temperature" together with a symbol 36 in the line 30 below, the menu item "Timer function" in line 30 below lying line 32 and the menu item "time" in the lying at line 32 line 34. These menu items are home appliance operating parameters. The symbol 36 consists of five adjacent bars, which increase in length from left to right. The symbol 36 indicates a heating progress of the oven, especially in a preceding baking a heating process in that different numbers of bars are displayed. By tilting about the axis 26 or clicking the actuator 14 in the vertical direction up or down the menu items shown in the lines 28, 30, 32, 34 can be selected. This is indicated by the display unit 17 in that the selected line is displayed in a lighter color. In principle, it is also conceivable that the selected line is highlighted in another way that appears appropriate to the person skilled in the art. Thus, for example, a brighter, larger, different-colored, another font using a symbol-using or an inverted representation of the selected line is conceivable. By horizontally rotating the actuator 14 about the axis 24, a value of the selected home appliance operating parameter may be selected. In this case, a value of the household appliance operating parameter forms a menu item. If another value of the domestic appliance operating parameter is selected by turning the actuating element 14 about the axis 24, then this value is displayed in the same line 28, 30, 32 or 34 of the display unit 17 instead of the previous value. Thus, both rotations of the actuating element 14 about the axis 26 and rotations of the actuating element 14 about the axis 24 are each associated with at least one menu level. The display unit 17 has an active and an inactive operating mode. The active mode of operation is characterized in that one of the lines 28, 30, 32, 34 is shown brighter than the other three lines. When the display unit is in the inactive mode of operation, the active mode of operation may be turned on by a depression of the actuator 14. The home appliance operation menu 19 is provided in cooperation of the actuator 14 and a control unit 22 for operation by an operator. Turning, pushing or tilting movements made by an operator on the actuating element 14 are effected by a sensor element 48 or a sensor means 64 (see FIG FIG. 2 ) sensed and passed as electrical signals to the control unit 22. The control unit 22 processes the signals and assigns them selection or selection actions in the home appliance operation menu 19, which are sent as electrical signals to the display unit 17 and are displayed by this. The actuating element 14 is part of an operating unit 20, which in the front view of the household appliance operating device 10 of FIG. 1 is not visible until the actuator 14. Through the touch elements 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 menu items can be selected directly and special functions are also selected. With the help of the touch element 11, the type of heating, with the touch element 12, the timer function and the touch element 15 special functions can be selected. With the touch element 13, a baking process of the oven can be started. The touch element 16 is an information button for displaying information by the display unit 17.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the operating unit 20 in the vertical direction from above. The operating unit 20 has the actuating element 14, which is attached by means of a holding unit 42 to the household front panel 18. The actuating element 14 is formed as a homogeneous disc. The support unit 42 rotatably supports the actuator 14 about the axis 24, which extends through the center of mass of the actuator 14 and extends perpendicular to a flat surface 44 of the disc. The axis 24 is in the plan view of FIG. 1 shown as a dot. The holding unit 42 comprises an upper part 46, which is cuboidal. The upper part 46 is in the plan view of FIG. 1 to be seen as a rectangle. Rotations of the actuator 14 about the axis 24 are sensed by the sensor element 48 which is secured to the top 46. On the holding unit 42, a rotary joint 50 is fixed, which is fixedly connected to a sheet metal stiffeners 52. The pivot 50 supports the support unit 42 rotatably about an axis of rotation 54 which is parallel to the axis 24. The metal strip 52 is fixed by means of a fastening means 56 on the household front panel 18. The two planar surfaces of the household front panel 18, which form the top and bottom of the panel, include straight lines that are parallel and perpendicular to the axis 24. Furthermore, the upper and lower sides are parallel to two parallelepiped sides of the upper part 46. The actuating element 14 protrudes through the recess 40 with a portion which accounts for less than twenty percent of its volume (see FIG FIG. 1 ). This part forms the operating area 38 and faces an operator in an operating situation. At the home appliance front panel 18, a guide member 58 is fixed, which surrounds an opening. In the opening protrudes a rod 60 which is fixed to the holding unit 42. Upon rotation of the actuating element 14 about the axis of rotation 54, the guide element 58 limits the angle of rotation in that the rod 60 to the guide member 58th abuts. Furthermore, the actuating element 14 is thereby guided on a clear path by a guide unit 62, which is formed by the rotary joint 50 and the guide element 58. The axis 26 is located between the axis 24 and the operating area 38.

FIG. 3 shows a household appliance 66 with the household appliance operating device 10, which is attached to the front of the household appliance 66. An operator can operate the home appliance 66 by means of the home appliance control device 10.

With the help of the household appliance operating device 10 a variety of operations can be performed. For example, the oven can be operated at 185 ° C in the operating mode "top / bottom heat". In order to set this operating mode, first the actuating element 14 is pressed in order to activate the display unit 17. In line 28, the heating mode "Circotherm / circulating air" appears. The line 28 is shown brighter and thus highlighted. Now the actuator 14 must be turned to the left or right until the heating mode "top / bottom heat" is displayed. With a click of the actuator 14 down the line 30 is selected. In line 30, a default temperature is displayed. By turning the actuator 14, the desired temperature can be selected in 5 ° C increments. By pressing the touch element 13, the baking process is started. As an indication that the oven is in operation, the touch panel 13 is highlighted. After a certain time without operator commands from a user, the display unit 17 returns to the inactive mode. For example, an operating period of twenty-three minutes may be added subsequently. By pressing the touch element 12, the display unit 17 is activated and the timer function in the line 32 is selected directly. The indication in line 32 changes from a clock symbol of the inactive state to the display of the first timer function of the possible functions. At the same time, a suggestion time is displayed in line 34. To change the timer function, the actuator 14 must be rotated about the axis 24. The timer function "operating time duration" is selected. To set the operating time, the actuator 14 is clicked down once in the vertical direction. This activates line 34. By turning the actuator 14 about the axis 24, twenty-three minutes are set. By pressing the touch element 13, the timer function is activated and the baking process is stopped after twenty-three minutes. The touch element 12 is highlighted in color as an indication that a timer function has been selected. The home appliance operation menu 19 has several menu levels. In a first menu level, a heating mode of the oven can be selected. This can be done by turning the actuator 14 in the horizontal direction. In a second menu level can be selected by means of an inclination of the actuator about the axis 26, either a menu for setting a baking temperature, or a menu for selecting a timer function or a menu for selecting a timer time. If an operator selects the menu for setting a baking temperature, he can select a baking temperature in a third menu level by means of a rotation of the actuating element 14 about the axis 24.

reference numeral

10 Appliances operating device 50 swivel 52 metal strip 11 touch element 54 axis of rotation 12 touch element 56 fastener 13 touch element 58 guide element 14 actuator 60 Rod 15 touch element 62 Guide unit 16 touch element 64 sensor means 17 display unit 66 household appliance 18 Appliances bezel 19 Appliances Business Menu 20 operating unit 22 control unit 24 axis 26 axis 28 row 30 row 32 row 34 row 36 symbol 38 operating area 40 recess 42 holding unit 44 area 46 top 48 sensor element

Claims (10)

Household appliance operating device having at least one operating unit (20) which has at least one actuating element (14) for operation by an operator, which is rotatably mounted about a first axis (24), with a display unit (17) for displaying a household appliance operating menu (19) and a Control unit (22) provided in cooperation with the actuating element (14) for operating the household appliance operating menu (19),
characterized in that
the actuating element (14) is rotatably mounted about at least one second axis (26). Domestic appliance operating device according to claim 1,
characterized in that
at least one rotational movement of the actuating element (14) about the first axis (24) of at least one menu level of the household appliance operating menu (19) is associated with at least one rotational movement of the actuating element (14) about the second axis (26) of at least one further menu level of the domestic appliance operating menu (19). assigned. Domestic appliance operating device according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
by means of a rotary movement of the actuating element (14) about the second axis (26) a domestic appliance operating parameter is selectable and by means of a rotary movement of the actuating element (14) about the first axis (24) a value of the household appliance operating parameter is selectable. Domestic appliance operating device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the home appliance operation menu (19) has at least three menu levels. Domestic appliance operating device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a displayed menu item of the household appliance operating menu (19) can be replaced by a further menu item by means of a rotary movement of the actuating element (14). Domestic appliance operating device according to one of the preceding claims,
marked by
at least one household appliance front panel (18) which limits an operating area (38) of the actuating element (14) which can be touched for an operating procedure. Domestic appliance operating device according to claim 6,
characterized in that
the second axis (26) is an inclination axis disposed between the first axis (24) and the operating area (38) about which the actuator (14) is tiltable relative to the household front panel (18). Domestic appliance operating device according to one of claims 6 or 7,
marked by
a guide unit (62) which is provided to guide the actuating element (14) when the actuating element (14) is pressed into a recess (40) in the household front panel (18). Domestic appliance operating device according to claim 8,
characterized in that
upon depression of the actuating element (14), the display unit (17) is displaceable from an inactive to an active operating mode. Domestic appliance with a domestic appliance operating device according to one of the preceding claims.

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