EP2224174A2 - Steam extractor and operating method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The fume extraction hood has a control unit (14), where the control unit is used as separate construction unit in a housing of the fume extraction hood. The control unit has a control panel (15) with multiple touch switches. The touch switches are arranged with a line. The sensor elements are arranged on an optical display. The optical display is directly provided in the sensor elements. An independent claim is also included for a method for controlling the fume extraction hood.

Description

Field of application and state of the art

The invention relates to an extractor hood with an operating device for this and an operating method for such an extractor hood.

From the DE 10 2005 010 984 A1 It is known to set both a fan performance and a lighting performance of a mounted on the hood lighting on a hood. This can advantageously be done with an operating device, which is not specified.

Task and solution

The invention has for its object to provide an aforementioned extractor hood and an operating method for which problems of the prior art can be avoided and in particular the most comfortable operation can be achieved.

This object is achieved by an extractor hood with the features of claim 1 and an operating method with the features of claims 11 or 12. Advantageous and preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of further claims and are explained in more detail below. Some of the features listed below are only described for the cooker hood or just for the operating procedure. However, they should be able to apply regardless of both the hood and the operating method. The wording of the claims is incorporated herein by express reference.

It is envisaged that the operating device is used as a separate, advantageously independent, structural unit in a housing of the extractor hood. The operating device has its own control panel with a plurality of touch switches arranged along a line and having sensor elements which are arranged under the control panel. These sensor elements are designed to recognize a finger applied to the control panel or placed over it. The sensor elements are associated with an optical display having an extension direction that is similar to or parallel to the line of the touch switches. In this case, the optical display is provided within the sensor elements or below and overlapping or directly next to it. As a result, it is very possible to indicate via the optical display at which point an applied finger is currently located and thus to signal to an operator that the operating device has recognized the finger operation. With these touch switches or this control panel, both a fan power of a fan device of the extractor hood can be advantageously operated or switched on, switched off and changed in the power level. Likewise, then a lighting performance can be set very comfortable, either continuously or in some stages.

In an embodiment of the invention, the control panel is formed by a transparent plate, which may advantageously be a glass plate. It has on its underside an opaque coating, which breakthroughs or recesses may be provided in this coating. Among these, in turn, the optical display is advantageously arranged to light up at the openings or recesses through the control panel. Alternatively, a coating can be only slightly transparent, so that although it can not be seen from the outside, which is provided structurally below the control panel. At the same time, however, an optical display can still shine through this coating to produce certain lighting effects or simply to display information.

Advantageously, the control panel of the operating device form the topmost or outermost surface on which a finger is placed for operation. For this purpose, the control panel can be accurately inserted into a corresponding recess in a housing of the extractor hood. This advantageously takes place flush with the surface. Furthermore, transition seals or the like. be provided between the control panel and the housing or edge of the recess in the housing.

In an embodiment of the invention, a lateral shield may be provided around the optical display, either around the entire optical display or around individual display elements. This prevents overshoot of a display element on the area of another display element, for example, if there is no whimsical appearance is desired. Such a shield can be integrated in a housing of the operating device.

Capacitive contact switches which have capacitive sensor elements are advantageously used as touch switches.

These capacitive sensor elements are advantageously flat and are provided or attached to the rear side of the control panel. Either they can be pressed or permanently attached. Alternatively, they can be applied as a coating or printing on the back of the control panel and then contacted electrically in a known manner. Such sensor elements in the form of a coating or printing have the advantage that then no complex mechanical assignment to the back of the panel must be made.

It can be provided that four to ten sensor elements are provided in a row or line and side by side, advantageously at the same distance from each other. Their extension is particularly advantageous linear, so that they can be run over by a simple rectilinear motion with an attached finger one after the other. Thus, a kind of slider, in particular with capacitive sensor elements, are constructed, which is also known as a so-called slider. This is also explicitly on the DE 10 2005 018 298 A1 directed.

It is also possible that fewer, preferably only half as many, sensor elements are provided as power levels for the fan power and / or the illumination power. Then an exact location of the touch or an applied finger can be determined by interpolating between adjacent touch switches or sensor elements, ie between those between which the finger was placed. Thus, the fan power and / or the illumination power can be determined depending on the actuation or the actuation location. This is also explicitly on the DE 10 2005 018 298 A1 directed.

In a development of the invention, the operating device has a printed circuit board or a component carrier. This can be parallel to the control panel run and advantageously have approximately the same length and / or width. The printed circuit board has or makes electrical contact with the sensor elements. Likewise, it can carry the optical display and optionally a control device, in particular an IC.

In a further further embodiment of the invention, a switch can be provided on the operating device, which advantageously also works as the other touch switches, in particular also capacitively. With this switch, the series of touch switches or sensor elements can be switched from input or adjustment of the fan power to input or adjustment of the lighting power. In this case, advantageously, the corresponding display for each input or set power is switched. Thus, for example, first a lighting power can be input to the operating device via the touch switches. Subsequently, with the switch to the setting of a fan power can be switched, which then also takes place at the touch switches of the control panel. The display shows the power to which the device is currently switching.

An operating device according to the invention as a separate structural unit can thus be designed to be installed in a preassembled extractor hood. Then it is connected to a power section of the hood for controlling a fan and / or lighting and controls them.

To set a power, according to a first basic embodiment of an operating method, a finger can be placed on the control panel at a point on the line of touch switches. Then, a power level is set for the fan and / or the lighting, the height of which is the relative position of the location of the laying of the finger within the length of the line of touch switches equivalent. If a finger is thus placed at the beginning of the line, a relatively low power is set, the finger is placed approximately in the middle, an average power is set and the finger is placed in the other end of the line, a large power is set. This advantageously takes place for an adjustment of the power stage from an operating state in which the fan power and / or the lighting power is equal to zero. Thus, therefore, the desired power can be selected or adjusted directly.

According to a further basic embodiment of the invention, it is possible that always starting from zero fan power and / or lighting performance moving a finger that has been placed on the control panel, in one direction, in particular to the right, increasing the power from zero percent to a higher power level causes. It may not matter at which point of the control panel or the line of touch switches the finger has been placed. If an applied finger is moved in the other direction, an existing performance level for the fan power and / or the illumination power is reduced. Again, it may not matter at which point a finger has been placed on the line of touch switches. It only counts the relative movement, so to say the vector of the movement.

In a further further embodiment of the invention can be provided that a finger is placed on any point of the line of touch switches and then moved. Moving in one direction causes the currently set power level for the fan power and / or the lighting power to be increased to a higher power level. Moving in the other direction will reduce the currently set power level.

In a further embodiment of the invention it can be provided that, depending on the speed of movement of the applied finger in one of the two directions, the power level is increased or reduced at different speeds. This can mean that with a quick finger movement the change is stronger or faster. With slow finger movements, this takes place more slowly or in smaller steps or jumps.

In a further further embodiment of the invention can be provided that the fan power is displayed on the optical display in a different color or in a different lighting than the lighting performance. Another lighting example may be flashing instead of continuous lighting.

These and other features will become apparent from the claims but also from the description and drawings, wherein the individual features each alone or more in the form of sub-combination in one embodiment of the invention and in other areas be realized and advantageous and protectable Represent embodiments for which protection is claimed here. The subdivision of the application into individual sections as well as intermediate headings does not restrict the general validity of the statements made thereunder.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1

Ansicht auf eine erfindungsgemäße Dunstabzugshaube von der Seite mit Bedieneinrichtung daran,

Fig. 2

eine Vergrößerung eines Bedienfelds der Bedieneinrichtung in Draufsicht,

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht auf die Rückseite des Bedienfelds gemäß Fig. 2 mit daran aufgebrachten Sensorelementen,

Fig. 4

eine Ansicht der Bedieneinrichtung von der Seite und

Fig. 5

eine Draufsicht auf das Bedienfeld entsprechend Fig. 2 mit angedeuteten Fingerbewegungen zur Veranschaulichung verschiedener Bedienverfahren.

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

Fig. 1

View of an extractor hood according to the invention from the side with operating device thereon,

Fig. 2

an enlargement of a control panel of the operating device in plan view,

Fig. 3

a plan view of the back of the panel according to Fig. 2 with sensor elements applied thereto,

Fig. 4

a view of the control device from the side and

Fig. 5

a plan view of the control panel accordingly Fig. 2 with indicated finger movements to illustrate different operating methods.

Detailed description of the embodiment

In Fig. 1 an extractor hood 11 according to the invention is shown from the side. The hood 11 has a hood 12, usually made of metal or stainless steel. On a front side, an operating device 14 with a control panel 15 is provided or installed. In this case, the operating device 14 with the flat control panel 15 flush with the surface inserted into the hood 12 and can also be color matched to the design of the hood 11.

According to the enlarged view of the operating device 14 according to Fig. 2 in plan view, the elongated, rectangular control panel 15 is provided with various symbols or imprints. For this purpose, the control panel 15 may be formed by a glass plate, alternatively by a plastic plate. On the upper side of the control panel 15, a touch switch in the form of a so-called slider 17 is provided in the left area and illustrated by symbols or imprints in the form of parallel narrow strips. Such a slider of several capacitive sensor elements, for example, from the above DE 10 2005 018298 A1 to which reference is expressly made in this regard.

Furthermore, a plus symbol and a minus symbol may be provided, but this does not necessarily have to be. In the right area of the control panel 15, a ventilation switch 19 and a light switch 20 are provided or corresponding printed on the control panel 15 with arranged underneath, described in more detail below touch switches. The vent switch 19 serves to adjust the fan power or to switch to the fan and the light switch 20 accordingly for lighting on the hood 11.

In the Fig. 2 apparent symbols or imprints can be applied to a front side 16 of the control panel 15. Alternatively, it is possible that they form a kind of masking on the back of the control panel 15, which then consists of opaque and slightly translucent areas. Without activation of a backlight, so for example in the off state of the hood 11, an operator can recognize nothing. If this is switched on, the symbols can be recognized by a backlighting from the front side.

In Fig. 3 is a rear view of the control panel 15 accordingly Fig. 2 shown, which is rotated about its horizontal longitudinal axis. On a rear side 21 of the control panel 15, various sensor elements 22a to e are applied in a grid-like or frame-like configuration. These sensor elements 22a to e are provided just below the printing for the slider 17 or form the slider 17. In addition, a sensor element 23 for the vent switch 19 and a sensor element 24 are provided for the light switch 20, which are designed only as circumferential frame. The sensor elements can be produced in a manner known per se by applying a conductive coating or printing to the rear side 21 and form surfaces for a capacitive touch switch or form capacitive sensor elements. For this purpose, for example, on the EP 1 257 057 A1 to which reference is expressly made, which also describes an electrical contact to the sensor elements 22, 23 and 24.

Due to the grid-like or frame-like design of the sensor elements 22, 23 and 24, these can in the middle sections by the symbols according to Fig. 2 be irradiated with light. This is according to the side view according to Fig. 4 per sensor element 22, 23 and 24, a shield 26 is provided. This shield 26 may be formed as a kind of screen, funnel, wall or open on both sides box or channel and is intended to prevent light from one LED 28 is irradiated in a shield 26 for a sensor element to an adjacent sensor element. It is possible that one or two LED 28 are provided per shield 26, as in Fig. 4 is shown. The LED 28 as well as the shields 26 may be arranged and connected on a printed circuit board 25. This circuit board 25 is connected via lateral holder 30 to the control panel 15, so that the two form a substantially inseparable unit. This unit is then installed in the hood 11.

Instead of individual shields 26 according to Fig. 4 Thus, one per sensor element, it can be provided that they are combined to form a shielding part with a plurality of chambers for each sensor element. It is also conceivable that in the sensor elements 22a to e according to Fig. 3 one LED 28 is provided per central recess, and thus also a shield 26 with two chambers, ie one LED per LED 28. However, this is feasible for the expert on the basis of the explanations given here.

The operating device 14 according to Fig. 4 can still have a microcontroller or an IC on the circuit board 25, which controls and evaluates the sensor elements 22 to 24 takes over and also the LED 28. It can give as a control signal to a power supply for a fan of the hood 11 and lighting.

In Fig. 5 different variants of an operating method according to the invention are shown, which on the control panel 15 and with the operating device 14 according to Fig. 2 can be carried out. The dotted circles should represent Aufsetz- or touch points of a finger.

In an operating method according to the invention, according to the touch point I, a finger can be placed on the ventilation switch 19 in order to either switch on the extractor hood 11 or at least be able to set it so that subsequently a fan power can be set or changed. In a further step according to the contact point II, a finger is placed approximately centrally on the slider 17. Then, the hood 11 or a fan can start either with approximately average power equal or at least an average power can be assumed as the default value. By moving the finger from the contact point II to the right to the contact point III, the fan power is increased. Either the maximum fan power can be adjusted by a single movement to the far right on the slider 17. Alternatively, this movement can be carried out several times from the contact point II to the contact point III and the power is increased each time, so that multiple strokes via the slider 17 are necessary in order to set the full fan power. But can be set relatively fine or accurate by the relatively fine division a desired fan level.

Starting from the contact point II, a finger can be moved to the left to the contact point IV, which then causes a corresponding reduction in the fan power. Also, this movement can once or be provided several times. It can also be provided that, for example, by prolonged persistence on the touch point IV far left on the slider 17, the fan device is turned off, alternatively by renewed or longer pressing the vent switch 19th

Alternatively, after adjusting the power setting on the fan by touching the vent switch 19, a finger can be placed on the touch point IV, so starting at zero power, and moved to the right on the contact point II or even the touch point III. Then either the power can be increased stepwise or the power can be adjusted, which corresponds to the last touched point within the length of the entire slide controller 17.

Claims (16)

Extractor hood with an operating device therefor, wherein the operating device is used as a separate unit in a housing of the hood, wherein the operating device has a control panel with a plurality of touch switches on it, which are arranged along a line and arranged under the control panel sensor elements for detecting a launched or above coated finger, wherein the sensor elements is associated with a visual display with a similar extension direction, wherein the optical display is provided within the sensor elements or directly adjacent thereto. Extractor hood according to claim 1, characterized in that the control panel is formed by a transparent plate, in particular a glass plate having on its underside an opaque coating, wherein apertures or recesses are provided in the coating, under which the optical display is arranged for Illuminated through the control panel. Extractor hood according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control panel of the operating device forms the topmost or outermost surface for placing a finger and to fit accurately inserted into a recess in the housing of the hood, preferably flush with the surface. Extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that around the optical display around, in particular individual display elements of the optical display, a shield is provided to the side, against overshoot on the range of other display elements. Extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the touch switches capacitive touch switches are capacitive sensor elements, preferably the capacitive sensor elements are flat and attached to the back of the panel, are applied in particular as a coating or printing. Extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that four to ten sensor elements are provided in a row and side by side, preferably in a straight extension. Extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that less, preferably only half as many, sensor elements are provided as power levels for the fan power and / or the lighting performance. Extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a printed circuit board or a component carrier which extends parallel to the control panel with approximately the same length and / or width, wherein the circuit board has an electrical contact with the sensor elements and the optical display and optionally carries a control. Extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a switch is provided on the operating device, preferably also with a touch switch, for switching the sensor elements from an input for the fan power to an input for the lighting performance as well as for the corresponding display of the entered service. Extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating device is designed as a separate structural unit for installation in the extractor hood and for connection to a power section of the hood for the control of a fan and / or lighting. Operating method for an extractor hood according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when placing a finger on the control panel to a point of the line of touch switches, a power level for the fan and / or lighting of the hood is set, the height of her relative position of the place of placement within the length of the line of touch switches, in particular for a setting of the power level from an operating condition with 0% fan power and / or lighting performance out. Operating method for an extractor hood according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that always starting from 0% fan power and / or lighting performance moving an applied to the control panel finger in one direction causes an increase in power at 0% starting at a higher power level and moving an on-hook finger in the other direction causes a reduction in an existing power level for the fan power and / or the lighting power. The operating method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that moving a finger placed on any point of the control panel in one direction increases causes the currently set power level for the fan power and / or the lighting power to a higher power level and moving an applied finger in the other direction causes a reduction of a currently set power level. Operating method according to one of Claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, depending on the speed of movement of the applied finger in one direction, the power level is increased or reduced at different speeds, is changed faster or faster, in particular with fast finger movements, and slower or slower with slow finger movements in smaller steps or jumps. Operating method according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that a display for the fan power in a different color or other lighting, such as flashing or the like. takes place as for the lighting performance. Operating method according to one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that less, preferably only half as many sensor elements are provided as power levels for the fan power and / or the illumination power, being interpolated between adjacent touch switches or sensor elements for determining the fan power and / or the lighting power depending on the operation or from the actuation location.

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