GB2193592A

GB2193592A - Operating and indicating apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2193592A
Application number: GB08714310A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinrich Detterbeck
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-26
Filing date: 1987-06-18
Publication date: 1988-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-18
Also published as: IT8721021A0; GB2193592B; GB8714310D0; FR2605141A1; FR2605141B1; IT1205081B

Abstract

Operating and indicating apparatus comprises a front panel (1), operating elements (4) arranged at the panel, and indicating elements arranged at the panel in a plurality of rows. Associated with each row is a respective row (10, 11 or 12) of optical conductors combined into one constructional unit by integral webs. Within each unit the optical conductors extend divergently from light entry ends (14) thereof to light exit ends (13) at the indicating elements. Light stops (15, 16 and 17) are provided for transmission of light from a light source (8) to selectable light entry ends of the conductors. The apparatus may be incorporated in a cooker, a baking oven, a washing machine or a dishwasher. The operating elements may be switch shafts of rotary switches and serve to control the light stops. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Operating and indicating apparatus The present invention relates to operating and indicating apparatus, especially for a household appliance such as a cooker, a baking oven, a washing machine or a dishwashing machine.

It is known, for the illumination of planar surfaces such as scales or the like, to employ a plate-like body of transparent material (DE PS 905 448), this substantially wedge-shaped body being connected to a light source and serving as an optical conductor. Accordingly, in a known optical switch position indicator for electrical cookers with rotary switches (DE AS 12 52 782), several strip-like optical conductors, bent substantially into L-shape, are connected in common by their one end to a light source, whilst their other ends penetrate a front mask of the switch position indicator and there form row-like indicator scales.

Through resetting of a functionally associated rotary switch, these optical conductors can be individually screened from the light source, for which purpose control light stops are firmly connected with the rotary switch. In this manner, selected indicator scales can be illuminated over a large area, whereby the switched-on or switched-off state of "warming, cooking, roasting" can be signalled. In a variant of this system (DE-GM 17 53 265), a central light source is connected by way of rod-shaped optical conductors with switch position indicators of individual switches of an electrical cooker.In this case, too, the switched-on or switched-off state of the cooker or the corresponding heating element is signalled through illumination of a round luminous field or luminous point, i.e. the user is given an optical signal which, through lightingup or extinction or through geometric setting within an indicating field, informs the user of the switched-on or switched-off state of the appliance or heating element. In all these indicating devices, there is the difficulty that the optical conductor must, during the assembly of the appliance, be mounted individually in the appliance, which requires an appreciable assembly effort. A precise, usually very close, arrangement of the optical conductors is often not possible.

It would thus be desirable to so improve operating and indicating apparatus that an exact geometric arrangement of the optical conductors may be possible even in confined spaces and with a close disposition of the conductors during assembly of a household appliance, whereby the clarity of the apparatus may also be improved.

According to the present invention there is provided operating and indicating apparatus comprising a plurality of operating elements arranged at a panel, a plurality of indicating elements arranged in at least one row and in association with the operating elements, a light source, a plurality of optical conductors extending from the region of the source to the region of the panel to conduct light to the indicating elements, and light stop means positionable between the source and light entry ends of the conductors, the conductors associated with the indicating elements of said at least one row being combined into a constructional unit and extending divergently in direction from their light entry ends to their light exit ends.

Apparatus embodying the present invention may be capable of being set up in separate production as a constructional unit ready for assembly and independently of a household appliance, and be able to be inserted in simple manner into the appliance.

The individual optical conductors can be distributed within a confined space so that only a minimum amount of interior space of the appliance is occupied and so that the clarity, in particular, of the apparatus can beof optimum quality. There is also the advantage that the operating elements, for example rotary knobs, and corresponding setting elements coupled therewith for the indicating means do not require much installation space in that the light entry ends of the optical conductors can be arranged closely together in the manner of a bundle and associated with a control light stop or control light stops working in a narrow space.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of operating and indicating apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional rear view of the apparatus; Figs. 4 and 5 are views of, respectively, two different control light stops of the apparatus according to Figs. 1 to 3; Fig. 6 is a plan view of one form of optical conductor row in apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the conductor row of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the conductor row of Figs. 6 and 7 in conjunction with a carrier; Fig. 9 is a front view of a simplified front panel for covering optical conductors in apparatus embodying the invention;; Fig. 10 is a plan view of a second form of optical conductor row in apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the conductor row of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a plan view of a third form of optical conductor row in apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the conductor row of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a front view of one form of switch panel, provided with optical conductor rows, in apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 15. is a front view of another form of switch panel in apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 16 is a sectional side elevation of the panel of Fig. 15; Fig. 17 is a sectional plan view of apparatus incorporating the panel of Figs. 15 and 16; Fig. 18 is a sectional side view of the apparatus of Fig. 17;; Figs. 19a and 19b are a side view and a plan view, respectively, of one form of optical conductor; Figs. 20a and 20b are a side view and a plan view, respectively, of another form of optical conductor; Figs. 21a and 21b are a side view and a plan view, respectively, of yet another form of optical conductor; Fig. 22 is a schematic view of an alternative form of light stop means in apparatus embodying the invention; and Figs. 23 to 44 are viewscorresponding to Figs. 1 to 22 showing apparatus embodying the invention as a construction unit capable of installation.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 operating and indicating apparatus as constructional unit capable of installation. This unit can be mounted, for example, at the front side of and in the switch space of a household appliance such as a cooker or a baking oven. At the front side it possesses a front panel generally designated by 1 and consisting of a transparent or partially transparent, obliquely arranged glass plate 2, behind which is disposed apparatus as described in the following, as well as an operating region 3, which is disposed in vertical arrangement underneath the glass plate 2 and in which, in the illustrated embodiment, are disposed three operating elements 4 in the form of switch shafts of rotary switches (not shown in further detail).The constructional unit also possesses a housing 5, which is fastened at upper and. lower boundary rails 6 and 7 of the panel 1 by means of, for example, screws or through plugging. For the sake of clarity, the housing 5 is illustrated cut open in Fig. 2. At the rear side, the housing 5 has a concavity 9 forming a reflector for a light source 8. Three optical conductor rows 10, 11 and 12, which are explained more closely in the following, are disposed in slightly inclined arrangement behind the glass plate 2 (not illustrated in Fig. 2) of the panel 1. The optical conductor rows constructed as separate constructional units possess front edges 13 or light exit ends ending obtusely behind the plate 2 as well as light stop edges 14 or light entry ends at the rear, i.e. remote from the indication.Disposed behind the light stop edges of the rows 10, 11 and 12 is a control light stop device consisting of control light stops 15, 16 and 17, which are associated with the individual optical conductor rows and illustrated in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. The control light stops are constructed in the form of substantially L-shaped slides, as shown in Fig.

3. They each possess a respective toothed rack 18 or 18', a carrier part 19 or 19', which is vertical in the figures, and integrally connected therewith a light stop part 20 or 20' obliquely inclined according to the arrangement of the optical conductor rows. The control light stops are guided to be longitudinally displaceable by the toothed racks between elongate guide plates 21, which are fastened to the housing 5 by means of screws 22 and spacer members 23. The guide plates 21 possess appropriate bores for the passage of the switch shafts 4. The control light stops mesh with the toothed racks by toothed wheels 24a, 24b and 24c arranged on the middle switch shaft 4. The wheel 24a meshes with the rack 18 of the control light stop 17, which is associated with the lowermost optical conductor row 12 and constructed similarly to those shown in Figs. 4 and 5.The wheel 24a is fastened, secure against rotation, on the switch shaft 4 and serves for drive of the control light stop 17, the carrier part of which is substantially lower than the carrier parts 19 and 19', staggered in height, of the remaining control light stops 15 and 16. The two remaining wheels 24b and 24c are rotatably mounted on the switch shaft 4. The wheel 24b meshes with an intermediate toothed wheel 25, which is similarly rotatably mounted on a bearing shaft mounted in the guide plates 21 and this intermediate toothed wheel meshes with a drive pinion 26, which is mounted, secure against rotation, on the switch shaft 4 of the lateral operating element. In similar manner, the drive of the control light stop 15 takes place through the opposite outer operating element 4 or the switch shaft thereof. Here, the drive pinion 26' is similarly coupled, in terms of gearing, by way of an intermediate toothed wheel 25' with the toothed wheel 24c. In Fig. 2, the control light stops are, for the sake of clarity, omitted. It is evident from the foregoing explanation that the drive for all control light stops 15, 16 and 17 takes place outwardly from the middle, thus from the switch shaft 4, which is disposed at the height of the middle region of the optical conductor rows 10, 11 and 12. In this manner, a very low overall width of the operating and indicating apparatus is achieved with a very low overall displacement stroke of the control light stops.The light emanating from the light source 8, or from several light sources 8, arranged within the concavity 9 passes, enhanced by the mentioned reflector, directly to the light stop edges 14 at the rear, i.e. remote from the indication, of the optical conductor rows. In order to make this possible, the two rear control light stops 15 and 16 possess cut-outs 27 and 27', respectively, at the height of the light stop edge respectively lying below. The passage of the light rays to the edges 14 of the optical conductor rows is prevented by the light stop parts 20 and 20'. In the case of the control light stop 15' according to Fig. 5, the light stop part 20' is closed completely. On the rotation of the associated operating element, this control light stop 15' is displaced along the guide plates 21 and thereby along the edge 14 of the associated optical conductor row 10.Thus in the case of, for example, the "off" setting of the associated operating element, the light access to the light stop edge 14 can be prevented completely and the light access is made possible contiriuously step-by-step by the rotation of the operating element into "on" settings up to the full "on" setting of the operating element, in which the light stop edge 14 is illuminated in its entire length.

However, according to Fig. 4, one or more windows 28, through which the light rays pass to an individual optical conductor of the optical conductor row, can also be provided in the otherwise closed light stop part 20. The light rays are conducted within the individual optical conductors of the row to the front side and issue at the front edges 13 so as to clearly indicate the respective switch setting of the operating elements 4.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show an individual optical conductor row 10. It consists of a large number of individual optical conductors 29, which diverge in the manner of ray bundles in direction towards the front edge 13 and are closely bundled at the control stop edge 14 remote from the indication. The optical conductors consist of a light-collecting and lightconducting material, preferably with colouring matter capable of fluorescence of high light intensity and colour fastness as component.

Materials of that kind are known as "LISA" (Trade Mark). The individual optical conductors 29 are combined into an integral constructional unit. For this purpose, the optical conductors are connected one with the other or among one another by integral webs 30. The webs 30 are disposed in the region of the substantially rectilinearly extending optical conductor portions, for example 29', and extend substantially perpendicularly to these portions.

In this manner, lateral radiation or absorption of the light rays is prevented so that practically the entire light energy introduced at the light stop edge 14 is transported to the front edge 13. Fastening elements 31 by which the optical conductor row can be mounted in the housing 5 are disposed at both sides of the fan-like constructional unit. As Fig. 7 shows, the optical conductors 29 possess a conductive cross-section which narrows towards the front end, whereby a light bundling is provided and absorption of the light energy in the course of the optical conductors 29 is compensated for. The front ends of the conductors 29 can be constructed as rectangular luminous fields according to Fig. 8.In this case, it is advantageous according to Fig. 9 to provide the front, non-transparent glass plate 2 with window symbols 32, which are applied through printing and are placed directly in front of the front ends of the conductors 29.

The pane 2 in this case represents a light stop mask. As Fig. 8 shows, the optical conductor row 10 is mounted as integral constructional unit in a carrier 33, which consists of two sheet halves 33a and 33b. These sheet halves are connected with each other by integral flanges 34. The sheet halves 33a and 33b possess webs 33c between successive conductors 29, whereby the conductors are completely encapsulated and external light influence or light transference from conductor to conductor is excluded. Moreover, the rigidity of the constructional unit is substantially increased through this carrier 33. This carrier can, for example, consist of a synthetic material of stable shape. As illustrated in Figs.

19, 20 and 21, in departure from the embodiment of Fig. 8 the front ends of the conductors 29, 29' and 29" can themselves be shaped as indicating symbols, such as a round luminous point in the case of Figs. 19a and b, a small rectangular luminous surface in the case of Figs. 20a and b, and a prism in the case of Figs. 21a and b. In this case, a front glass plate can be dispensed with. In place of such a glass plate, a non-transparent front plate can be provided, through which the front ends of the optical conductors project. In this manner, a particularly high brilliance of the illumination of the indicating symbols is provided.

In the embodiment of Figs. 10 and 11, the individual optical conductors 29' are widened into larger luminous fields 35 at their front ends. Disposed on these luminous fields 35 are, for example, printed indicating symbols for different operating functions, for example upper and lower heat, grill, circulating air and the like in the case of an electric cooker. The conductor row 10' is preferably associated with a control light stop according to Fig. 4 with window 28 as individual indication for the selected operating function. Thereagainst, the optical conductor row 10 according to Figs. 6 to 8 can represent a scale, for example a temperature scale with values of 50 to 250 C, wherein the temperature values are stated, for example, below the optical conductor row or within the luminous fields 29.For preference the control light stops according to Fig. 5 are used and the set temperature value is indicated in the form of a luminous band on the displacement of the control light stop.

In the embodiment of Figs. 12 and 13, the optical conductors 29" are likewise widened at the front side into larger luminous fields, on which inscriptions, for example microwave 1, 2 and 3, are applied, for example printed, according to Fig. 13. In order to obtain as complete aspossible an illumination of these large luminous fields, reflector surfaces 36 and 36', which are inclined relative to the light ray di rection, are disposed at the beginning of the widened end portion. In the illustrated embodi ment, these reflector surfaces are formed by a respective cut-out 37 or 37', which is ma chined into the optical conductor 29" and passes through this and at the boundary surfaces of which the light rays are reflected and distributed over the widened optical conductor cross-section.

Fig. 14 shows the front panel of an electri cal cooker in front elevation. The display 38 of a time switch with associated operating elements, an operating and indicating device 39 for the baking oven of the cooker and an operating and indicating device 40 for four cooker plates of the cooker hob mounted at the top of the cooker are to be recognised.

Altogether three optical conductor rows 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 are arranged one above the other in the operating and indicating device 39 and united into one information block. The op tical conductor row 10.1 according to Fig. 14 contains three elongate luminous fields and a smaller functional field with the marking M microwave. Power legends for 100 to 600 watts are applied, for example through print ing, on the elongate luminous fields. The next following optical conductor row 10.2 contains a functional symbol for baking oven functions as well as, according to Fig. 10, several slightly enlarged luminous fields with indicating symbols for different baking oven functions.

The last luminous field row 10.3 again con tains a marking for the function "temperature" as well as, according to Fig. 6, small rectan gular luminous fields in close sequence for ris ing temperature values. The operating ele ments for the three optical conductor rows are arranged underneath this information row.

The operating and indicating device 40 pos sesses two optical conductor rows 10.4 and 10.5 disposed one above the other with lined up luminous fields for the se#tting of the rear left and front left cooker plate, the power of which can be set to different power values 1 to 9 through operating elements disposed thereunder as well as a further information row with optical conductor rows 10.6 and 10.7 for the rear right and front right cooker plate, again with rotatable operating elements arranged thereunder.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 15 and 16, altogether seven optical conductor rows 10.8 to 10.14 are present in vertical arrangement on an obliquely inclined front panel 1 with associated operating elements 4 disposed therebetween and functional symbols such as M = microwave, temperature symbol, time symbol and cooker plate symbols disposed thereabove. As is evident particularly from Fig. 16, a particularly good view from above of the operating and indicating device is provided by such a vertical arrangement of the indicator rows, in particular when the luminous field rows are arranged relatively far down at the front panel 1. In this case, there is concerned the front panel of a built-in baking oven with a work plate arranged above the oven.A control light stop 15, which is displaceable almost vertically, is next to each optical conductor row in the described manner in the region of the light stop edge 14. This is clarified by reference to Figs. 17 and 18. The control light stop 15 is displaceably guided at a guide plate 21 and again possesses a toothed rack 18, which stands in engagement with a drive pinion 26 fastened firmly on the switch axle 4 of the operating element. The switch axle extends rearwardly as far as an electrical switch.

Fig. 22 shows another form of control light stop 42 for an optical conductor row 10.15 in schematic and simplified illustration. The light stop 42 consists of a hollow cylinder with internal toothing 43. In turn, one or more light passage openings are provided at the circumference of the hollow cylinder in correspondence with the window 28 according to Fig.

4. Disposed in the centre of the hollow cylinder 42 is the switch axle 4 of the operating element with drive pinion 26, which indirectly by way of an intermediate toothed wheel 25 and a driving toothed wheel 44 stands in geared connection with the internal toothing 43. The transmission ratio of the toothed wheel gear can be varied through further toothed wheels, for example 45. The light source 8 is also disposed in the interior of the hollow cylinder.

Figs. 23 to 27 show the operating and indicating apparatus as constructional unit capable of installation. This unit can be mounted, for examplg at the front side of and in the switch space of a household appliance such as a cooker or a baking oven. At the front side, it possesses a front panel generally designated by 101 and consisting of a transparent or partially transparent, obliquely arranged glass plate 102, behind which is disposed the apparatus described in the following as well as an operating region 103, in which three operating elements 104 in the form of switch shafts of rotary switches (not shown in further detail) are disposed in vertical arrangement underneath the glass plate 102. The constructional unit also possesses a housing 105, which is fastened at upper and lower boundary rails 106 and 107 of the front panel 101 by means of, for example, screws or through plugging. For the sake of clarity, the housing 105 is illustrated cut open in Fig. 24. At the rear side, the housing 105 has a concavity 109 forming a reflector for a light source 108.

Three optical conductor rows 110, 111 and 112, which are explained more closely in the following, are disposed in slightly inclined arrangement behind the glass plate 102 (not illustratedin Fig. 24) of the front panel 101.

These optical conductor rows constructed as separate constructional units possess front edges 113 or light exit ends ending obtusely behind the glass plate 102 as well as light stop edges 114 or light entry ends at the rear, i.e. remote from the indication. Disposed behind the light stop edges of the optical conductor rows 110, 111 and 112 is a control light stop device consisting of control light stops 115, 116 and 117 associated with individual optical conductor rows and illustrated in detail in Figs. 26 and 27. These control light stops are constructed in the form of substantially L-shaped slides, as Fig. 25 shows. They each possess a toothed rack 118 or 118', a carrier part 119 or 119' and a light stop part 120 or 120' integrally connected therewith and obliquely inclined according to the arrangement of the optical conductor rows.The control light stops are guided to be longitudinally displaceable by the toothed racks between elongate guide plates 121, which are fastened to the housing 105 by means of screws 122 and spacer members 123. These guide plates 121 possess appropriate bores for the passage of the switch shafts 410. The control light stops mesh by the toothed racks with toothed wheels 124a, 124b and 124c arranged on the middle switch shaft 104. The wheel 124a meshes with the rack 118 of the control light stop 117, which is associated with the lowermost optical conductor row 112 and constructed similarly to those shown in Figs. 26 and 27.The wheel 124a is fastened, secure against rotation, on the switch shaft 104 and serves for drive of this control light stop 117, the carrier part of which is substantially lower than the carrier parts 119 and 119', staggered in the height, of the remaining control light stops 115 and 116. The two remaining toothed wheels 124b and 1 24c are rotatably mounted on the switch shaft 4. The wheel 124b meshes with an intermediate toothed wheel 125, which is similarly rotatably mounted on a bearing shaft mounted in the guide plates 121, and this intermediate toothed wheel meshes with a drive pinion 126, which is mounted, secure against rotation, on the switch shaft 104 of the lateral operating element. In similar manner, the drive of the control light stop 115 takes place through the opposite outer operating element 104 or the switch shaft thereof.Here, the drive pinion 126' is similarly coupled, in terms of gearing, by way of an intermediate toothed wheel 125' with the toothed wheel 124c. The control light stops have, for the sake of clarity, been omitted from Fig. 24. It is evident from the foregoing explanation that the drive for all control light stops 115, 116 and 117 takes place outwardly from the middle, thus from the switch shaft 104, which is disposed at the height of the middle region of the optical conductor rows 110, 111 and 112. In this manner, a very low overall width of the operating and indicating apparatus is achieved with a very low overall displacement stroke of the control light stops.The light emanating from the light source 108 or from several light sources 108 arranged within the concavity 109 passes, enhanced by the reflector, directly to the light stop edges 114 at the rear, i.e. remote from the indication, of the optical conductor rows. In order to make this possible, the two rear control light stops 115 and 116 possess cut-outs 127 and 127', respectively, at the height of the light stop edge respectively lying below. The passage of the light rays to the edges 114 of the optical conductor rows is prevented by the light stop parts 120 and 120'. In the case of the control light stop 115' according to Fig. 27, the light stop part 120' is closed completely. By the rotation of the associated operating element 104, this control light stop 115' is displaced along the guide plates 121 and thereby along the edge 114 of the associated optical conductor row 110.Thus, in the case of, for example, the "off" setting of the associated operating element, the light access to the edge 114 can be prevented completely and the light access is made possible step-by-step continuously on the rotation of the operating element into "on" settings as far as the full "on" setting of the operating element, in which the light stop edge 114 is illuminated over its entire length. However, one or more windows 128, through which the light rays pass to an individual optical conductor of the optical conductor row, can also according to Fig. 26 be provided at the otherwise closed light stop part 120.The light rays are conducted within the individual optical conductors of the rows towards the front side and issue at the front edges 113 so as to clearly indicate the respective switch setting of the operating elements 104.

Figs. 28, 29 and 30 show a single optical conductor row 110. It consists of a large number of individual optical conductors 129, which diverge in the manner of ray bundles in direction towards the front edge 113 and are narrowly bundled at the light stop edge 114 remote from the indication. The optical conductors consist of a light-collecting and lightconducting material, preferably with colouring matter capable of fluorescence of high light intensity and light fastness as component. Materials of that kind are known under the term "LISA" (Trade Mark). The individual optical conductors 129 are combined into an integral constructional unit. For this purpose, the opti cal conductors are connected through integral webs 113 one with the other and among one another.These webs 130 are disposed in the region of the substantially rectilinearly extending optical conductor portions, for example 129', and extend substantially perpendicularly to these portions. In this manner, lateral radiation or absorption of the light rays is pre; vented so that practically the entire light energy introduced at the light stop edge 114 is transported towards the front edge 113. Fastening elements 131 by which the optical conductor row can be mounted in the housing 105 are disposed at both sides of the fan-like constructional unit. As Fig. 29 shows, the optical conductors 129 possess a conductive cross-section narrowing towards the front end, whereby a bundling of light is provided and absorption of the light energy in the course of the optical conductors 129 is compensated for.The front ends of the conductors 129 can, according to Fig. 30, be formed as rectangular luminous fields. In this case, it is advantageous according to Fig. 31 to provide the front, non-transparent glass plate 102 with window symbols 132, which are applied through printing and placed directly in front of the front ends of the conductors 129. The pane 102 in this case represents a light stop mask. As Fig. 30 shows, the optical conductor row 110 is mounted as integral constructional unit in a carrier 133, which consists of two sheet halves 133a and 133b. These sheet halves are connected each with the other by integral flanges 134. The sheet halves 133a and 133b possess webs 133c between successive conductors 129, whereby the conductors are completely encapsulated and external light influence or light transference from conductor to conductor is excluded.

Moreover, the rigidity of the constructional unit is increased substantially through this carrier 133. The carrier can, for example, consist of a synthetic material of stable shape. As illustrated in Figs. 41, 42 and 43, the front ends of the optical conductors 129, 129' and 129" can, in departure from the embodiment according to Fig. 20, themselves be shaped as indicating symbols, such as a round luminous point in the case of Figs. 41a and b, a small rectangular luminous surface in the case of Figs. 42a and b and a prism in the case of Figs. 43a and b. In this case, a front glass plate can be dispensed with. Instead of such a glass plate, a nontransparent front plate can be provided, through which the front ends of the optical conductors project. In this manner, a particularly high brilliance of the illumination of the indicating symbols is provided.

In the embodiment of Figs. 32 and 33, the individual optical conductors 129' are widened at their front ends into larger luminous fields 135. Disposed on these luminous fields 135 are, for example, printed indicating symbols for different operational functions, for example upper and lower heat, grill, circulating air and more of the like in the case of an electric cooker. The optical conductor row 110' is preferably associated with a control light stop according to Fig. 26 with windows 128 as individual indication for the selected operational function. Thereagainst, the optical conductor row 110 according to Figs. 28 to 30 can represent a scale, for example a temperature scale with values of 50 to 2500C, wherein the temperature values are, for example, stated underneath the optical conductor row or within the luminous fields 129.

For preference control light stops according to Fig. 27 are used and the set temperature value is indicated in the form of a luminous band on the displacement of the control light stop.

In the embodiment of Figs. 34 and 35, the optical conductors 129" are likewise widened at the front into larger luminous fields, on which inscriptions, for example microwave 1, 2 and 3, are applied, for example printed, according to Fig. 35. Reflector surfaces 136 and 136', which are inclined relative to the light ray direction, are disposed at the beginning of the widened end portion in order to obtain as complete as possible an illumination of these large luminous fields. In the illustrated embodiment, these reflector surfaces are formed by a respective cut-out 137 or 137', which is machined into the optical conductor 129" and passes through this and at the boundary surfaces of which the light rays are reflected and distributed over the widened optical conductor cross-section.

Fig. 36 shows the front panel of an electrical cooker in front elevation. To be recognised are the display 138 of a time switch with associated operating elements, an operating and indicating device 139 for the baking oven of the cooker and an operating and indicating device 140 for four cooker plates of the cooker hob mounted at the top of the cooker.

Altogether three optical conductor rows 110.1, 110.2 and 110.3 are arranged one above the other in the operating and indicating device 139 and united into one information block. The optical conductor row 110.1 according to Fig. 34 contains three elongate luminous fields and a smaller functional field with the marking M = microwave. Power legends for 100 to 600 watts are applied, for example through printing, on the elongate luminous fields. The succeeding optical conductor row 110.2 contains a functional symbol for baking oven functions as well as, according to Fig. 32, several slightly widened luminous fields with indicating symbols for different baking oven functions. The last luminous field row 110.3 again contains a marking for the function "temperature" as well as, according to Fig. 28, small rectangular luminous fields in close sequence for rising temperature values. The operating elements for the three optical conductor rows are arranged underneath this information row. The operating and indicating device 140 possesses two optical conductor rows 110.4 and 110.5 disposed one above the other with lined-up luminous fields for this setting of the rear left and front left cooker plate, the power of which can be set through operating elements disposed thereunder to different power values 1 to 9 as well as a further information row with optical conductor rows 110.6 and 110.7 for the rear right and front right cooker plate, again with rotatable operating elements arranged thereunder.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 37 and 38, altogether seven optical conductor rows 110.8 to 110.14 are present in vertical arrangement on an obliquely inclined front panel 101 with associated operating elements 104 disposed therebetween and functional symbols, such as M = microwave, temperature symbol, time symbol and cooker plate symbols arranged thereabove. As is evident particularly from Fig. 38, a particularly good view from above of the operating and indicating device is provided by such a vertical arrangement of the indicator rows, particularly when the luminous field rows are arranged relatively far below at the front panel 101. In this case, there is concerned a front panel of a built-in baking oven with workplate arranged above the baking oven.A control light stop 115, which is displaceable nearly vertically, is near each optical conductor row in the described manner in the region of the light stop edge 114. This is clarified by reference to Figs. 39 and 40. The control light stop 15 is guided displaceably at a guide plate 121 and again possesses a toothed rack 118, which stands in engagement with a drive pinion 126 firmly fastened on the switch axle 104 of the operating element. The switch axle extends rearwardly as far as an electrical switch.

Fig. 44 shows another form of control light stop 142 for an optical conductor row 110. 15 in schematic and simplified illustration. The control light stop 142 consists of a hollow cylinder with internal toothing 143. One or more light passage openings are again provided at the circumference of the hollow cylinder in correspondence with the window 128 according to Fig. 26. Disposed in the centre of the hollow cylinder 142 is the switch axle 104 of the operating element with drive pinion 126, which indirectly by way of an intermediate toothed wheel 125 and a driving toothed wheel 144 stands in geared connection with the internal toothing 143. The transmission ratio of the toothed wheel gear can be varied through further toothed wheels, for example 145. The light source 108 is also disposed in the interior of the hollow cylinder.

Claims

1. Operating and indicating apparatus comprising a plurality of operating elements arranged at a panel, a plurality of indicating elements arranged in at least one row and in association with the operating elements, a light source, a plurality of optical conductors extending from the region of the source to the region of the panel to conduct light to the indicating elements, and light stop means positionable between the source and light entry ends of the conductors, the conductors associated with the indicating elements of said at least one row being combined into a constructional unit and extending divergently in direction from their light entry ends to their light exit ends.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductors of said unit are interconnected by webs which are formed integrally with the conductors and which are disposed in the regions of and extend substantially perpendicularly to substantially straight length portions of the conductors.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the conductors of said unit are mounted individually or as an integral unit or integral units in a carrier.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the carrier comprises two interconnected members.

5. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the carrier includes light stop portions disposed between the conductors.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the conductors is widened at its light exit end.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the conductors has at least one reflector surface inclined relative to the direction of light transmission in the conductor.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said at least one reflector surface is disposed in the region of the start of a widened light exit end portion of the respective conductor.

9. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 7 or claim 8, wherein said at least one reflector surface is defined by the walls of a cutout which extends through the respective conductor.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indicating elements are provided by symbols disposed on the light exit ends of the conductors.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the symbols are printed on the light exit ends.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the indicating elements are provided by the light exit ends of the conductors, the light exit ends being shaped as symbols.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-section of each of the conductors reduces in direction towards the light exit end thereof.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the light stop means comprising at least one movable light stop member which is guided by guide means between the light source and the entry ends of associated ones of the conductors and which is drivably coupled to a respective one of the operating elements and movable by that operating element past the entry ends of the associated conductors.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said at least one light stop member comprises a slide and is drivably coupled to the respective one of the operating elements by way of toothed gear means.

16. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the indicating elements are arranged in a plurality of rows and the conductors associated with the indicating elements of each such row are combined into a respective constructional unit, the light stop means comprising a plurality of light stop members which are each associated with the conductors of a respective one of the units and which are disposed one closely behind the other.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating elements, the conductors and the light stop means are combined into an assembly unit.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the indicating elements are arranged in a plurality of rows and the conductors are arranged in rows associated with the indicating element rows, each row of indicating elements being associated with at least one respective one of the operating elements.

19. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each row of indicating elements extends vertically at the panel and the operating elements are arranged immediately alongside the row or rows of indicating elements.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the indicating elements are arranged in a plurality of rows combined to form an information unit and at least some of the conductors are arranged in rows associated with the indicating element rows of the information unit, a respective one of the operating elements being associated with each of the conductor rows and the light stop meansscomprising a plurality-of movable light stop members which are arranged one closely behind the other and which are each drivably coupled to a respective one of said associated operating elements to be movable past the entry ends of the conductor elements of the respective row.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein one of said associated operating elements is disposed in the proximity of a middle region of the information unit and the light stop members are drivably coupled to the respective operating elements by gear means providing drive output to the light stop mem- bers from said middle region.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the light stop members comprise slides movably guided in guide tracks and the gear means comprise toothed racks.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the conductor rows extend at spacings parallelly to each other and the light stop members comprise light stop portions which are stepped relative to each other in correspondence with the arrangement of the conductor rows, the or each light stop member except the front one of the members being provided with a cutout in alignment with the light stop portion of the immediately preceding light stop member.

24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the indicating elements are arranged in a plurality of rows combined to form an information unit and a respective one of the operating elements is associated with each row in the information unit and drivably coupled by rack and pinion gear means to respective light stop members of the light stop means, one of said associated operating elements being disposed in the proximity of the middle region of the information unit and the pinion ofthe rack and pinion gear means respective to the or each other one of said associated operating elements being rotatably mounted on a shaft of said one operating element and being drivable by intermediate gear means.

25. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating elements, light conductors and light stop means are combined into a constructional unit.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the light stop means comprising a hollow tylinder which houses the light source and which is rotatable by one of the operating elements, the cylinder being provided in its circumferential wall with light exit openings for the passage of light from the source to the entry ends of the optical conductors.

27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said one operating element comprises a drive shaft extending coaxially with the cylinder and coupled by way of a gear wheel with an internal toothing of the cylinder.

28. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

29. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

30. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 8 of the accompanying drawings.

31. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings.

32. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.

33. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.

34. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 14 of the accompanying drawings.

35. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 15 to 18 of the accompanying drawings.

36. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figs.

19 to 21 of the accompanying drawings.

37. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 22 of the accompanying drawings.

38. A household appliance provided with apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

39. An appliance as claimed in claim 38, the appliance being one of a cooker, a baking oven, a washing machine and a dishwashing machine.