US20140001173A1 - Kitchen appliance - Google Patents
Kitchen appliance Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20140001173A1 US20140001173A1 US13/376,441 US201013376441A US2014001173A1 US 20140001173 A1 US20140001173 A1 US 20140001173A1 US 201013376441 A US201013376441 A US 201013376441A US 2014001173 A1 US2014001173 A1 US 2014001173A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- kitchen appliance
- touch
- lateral surface
- cooking
- electrical
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24C—DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES ; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F24C7/00—Stoves or ranges heated by electric energy
- F24C7/08—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- F24C7/082—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
- F24C7/086—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination touch control
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J36/00—Parts, details or accessories of cooking-vessels
- A47J36/32—Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices
- A47J36/321—Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24C—DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES ; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F24C15/00—Details
- F24C15/20—Removing cooking fumes
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24C—DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES ; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F24C15/00—Details
- F24C15/20—Removing cooking fumes
- F24C15/2021—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety systems
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24C—DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES ; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F24C7/00—Stoves or ranges heated by electric energy
- F24C7/08—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- F24C7/082—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
- F24C7/083—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination on tops, hot plates
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J2202/00—Devices having temperature indicating means
Definitions
- the present invention refers to a kitchen appliance, particularly, but not necessarily, a cooking hob and/or a cooking hood.
- cooking hobs are known, provided with one or more heating elements, comprising for example electrical resistors or halogen lamps, adapted to generate heat and to transfer the latter to a pot or similar receptacle containing foodstuffs to be cooked.
- heating elements comprising for example electrical resistors or halogen lamps, adapted to generate heat and to transfer the latter to a pot or similar receptacle containing foodstuffs to be cooked.
- the heating elements are usually mounted in a casing whose base is formed by an adequate thickness of insulating material having reflective properties for the infrared radiation emitted by the heating elements.
- the heating elements are covered by an upper surface, on which the pots or receptacles containing the foodstuffs can be leaned, adapted for allowing the passage of the heat produced by the heating elements.
- This upper surface may be produced from laminated glass or, more frequently, it is a sheet of vitroceramic or glass-ceramic material.
- Cooking hobs are also known comprising, instead of the heating elements, one or more inductive coils which can generate a variable magnetic field adapted to induce, in a metallic pot or similar receptacle, electrical currents which causes the ohmic heating of such metallic pot or receptacle, so as to cook the foodstuffs therein contained.
- the inductive coils are covered by a sheet of vitroceramic material, which substantially doesn't interfere with the magnetic field produced by the inductive coils, on which the receptacles containing the foodstuffs can be leaned.
- control devices adapted to activate/deactivate/regulate the heating elements/inductive coils.
- EP 0 887 594 discloses a hob comprising a rectangular frame with a sloping front face, three or more hotplates, and rows of display and control devices provided at the sloping front face.
- the sloping face is constructed in one piece from the same glass-ceramic material as the frame; in another embodiment the frame and the sloping face are manufactured separately from either the same material or different materials and assembled together.
- the sloping face can be metallic, and the frame can be made of glass-ceramic material.
- EP 0 831 276 discloses a kitchen cooking assembly comprising a vitroceramic hob lowerly provided with electric heating elements and with an electronic control unit including touch-sensitive controls, arranged on the upper face of the hob, for the heating elements, and an electric built-in oven adjacent to the vitroceramic hob.
- the oven is provided with respective control and adjustment members which are also arranged on the vitroceramic hob and are also consisting of touch-sensitive controls.
- touch-sensitive controls are very near to the electric heating elements, and therefore the user may come into contact with these heating elements while using the touch sensitive controls, with the risk of burning himself.
- a known touch-sensitive control for a kitchen appliance is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,204 which discloses an user input/output device (particularly for controlling a range or the like) comprising a lighted, segmented bar graph type display and an array of light transmitting touch sensitive areas superimposed over the bar graph display.
- a suitable circuit means is responsive to the touch sensitive areas and connected for driving the segments of the bar graph such that when any one of the touch sensitive areas is touched, a corresponding display segment and all display segments to one side are energized and the remaining display elements are de-energized.
- 4,121,204 discloses an electric range including four conventional electric surface heating units and four corresponding input/output devices disposed upon the right hand portion of a vertical range control panel.
- the input/output devices because of this positioning, may however result hardly accessible, in particular if pots of other receptacles are placed on the heating units.
- EP 0 578 600 discloses a system for the remote control of household appliances, to control basically induction-heated or vitroceramic devices, supplied with a transmitter and an infrared ray sensor-receiver or radio, located above or under the ceramic glass so that the controls of the heaters are placed on the front of an apparatus such as the cooker hood, or in an area included in the scope of the infra-red rays or radio waves, using a remote control.
- DE 195 45 942 discloses a hob with a ceramic glass hob surface incorporated in a worktop of a peninsular unit, so that the cooking zones are accessible from either side; an extractor hood is positioned directly above the hob surface. All the operating controls and displays for the cooking hob and the extractor are combined in a single control unit directly associated with the hob surface or the extractor hood.
- control unit isn't very comfortable to use, particularly if the user is very close to the kitchen appliance.
- the aim of the present invention is therefore to obtain a kitchen device, particularly a cooking hob and/or a cooking hood, which may be operated in a comfortable and ergonomic way even by a user placed very close to the kitchen device.
- Another object of the invention is to provide the user with a feedback of his operations of the kitchen appliance.
- Another object of the invention is to obtain a kitchen appliance which allows a user to operate also one or more further kitchen appliances.
- the Applicant has found that by providing on a lateral surface of a kitchen appliance a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices provided on the same kitchen appliance and/or on one or more further kitchen appliances, it is possible to operate the same kitchen appliance and/or another kitchen appliance in a very comfortable and ergonomic way, allowing the user to easily operate the kitchen appliance even if he is placed very close to the latter.
- a kitchen appliance comprising:
- the lateral surface being provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance and/or of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- the lateral surface is arranged in such a way that, once the kitchen appliance is installed, such a lateral surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, so as to facilitate the use of the touch-sensitive control.
- the kitchen appliance comprises a connecting device adapted to allow its touch-sensitive control device to operate one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- the kitchen appliance comprises a selecting device adapted for allowing a user to select which of the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance has to be operated, in a particular moment, by the touch-sensitive control device.
- the touch-sensitive control device comprises a touch-sensitive sensor and an illuminating device operated by the touch-sensitive sensor.
- the touch-sensitive sensor is associated to the lateral surface in such a way that the touch-sensitive sensor is able to detect the sliding of a body in proximity of, or in contact with, the lateral surface.
- the illuminating device is adapted to illuminate the lateral surface in such a way that a region of the lateral surface, if previously not illuminated by the illuminating device, is illuminated during and/or after the sliding on it of a body in a first sliding direction, while a region of the lateral surface, if previously illuminated by the illuminating device, is darkened during and/or after the sliding of a body on it in a second sliding direction.
- the kitchen appliance comprises a further lateral surface, substantially perpendicular to the frontal surface, provided with a further touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance and/or of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- the kitchen appliance comprises a cooking hob, defining the lateral surface and comprising a working surface provided with one or more heating devices, the lateral surface being substantially perpendicular or inclined with respect to the working surface.
- the further kitchen appliance comprises one or more cooking hoods and/or one or more further cooking hobs.
- the kitchen appliance comprises a cooking hood, defining the lateral surface and comprising a working surface provided with suction devices, the lateral surface being substantially perpendicular or inclined with respect to the working surface.
- the further kitchen appliance comprises one or more cooking hobs and/or one or more further cooking hoods.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic prospective view of two kitchen devices according to the invention, particularly a cooking hob and a cooking hood.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic prospective view of the two kitchen devices of FIG. 1 in a different operating condition.
- the present invention regards a kitchen appliance, particularly a kitchen appliance comprising a cooking hob 1 and/or a cooking hood 2 .
- the cooking hob 1 comprises a box-shaped casing 6 a, preferably substantially parallelepiped-shaped, adapted to be positioned on the top surface 8 of a kitchen furniture, for example a kitchen base.
- the box-shaped casing 6 a comprises a frontal surface 14 a adapted, once the cooking hob 1 is installed on the top surface 8 , to be faced by a user, not illustrated; in other words a user, in order to use the cooking hob 1 , has to stay substantially in front of the frontal surface 14 a.
- the box-shaped casing 6 a also comprises a lateral surface 7 a which is substantially perpendicular to the frontal surface 14 a.
- the box-shaped casing 6 a is closed upwards by a working surface 3 a , advantageously substantially horizontal, preferably, but not necessarily, made of laminated glass, or of a vitroceramic or glass-ceramic material.
- the lateral surface 7 a is substantially perpendicular or inclined with respect to the working surface 3 a.
- the working surface 3 a and the lateral surface 7 a are manufactured separately from either the same material or different materials and are subsequently assembled together; in a further embodiment, not illustrated, the working surface 3 a and the lateral wall 7 a are obtained in single-piece construction, for example by a single sheet of glass-ceramic material, opportunely shaped in order to define both the working surface 3 a and the lateral wall 7 a.
- the cooking hob 1 comprises one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices; advantageously these electrical and/or electromechanical devices comprise one or more heating devices 4 (preferably, but not necessarily, four or five) adapted to heat a pot 5 (or similar receptacle) leaning on the working surface 3 a, so as to cook the foodstuff contained in such a pot 5 .
- heating devices 4 preferably, but not necessarily, four or five
- the cooking hob 1 advantageously comprises four heating devices 4 positioned inside the box-shaped casing 6 a, below the working surface 3 a ; in FIGS. 1 and 2 the heating devices 4 are schematically represented by dotted lines since they are covered by the working surface 3 a , and therefore they are not visible from the external.
- the one ore more heating devices 4 could comprise, for example, one or more electrical resistors or halogen lamps positioned below the working surface 3 a and adapted to generate heat and to transfer the latter to an overlaying pot 5 (or similar receptacle) leaning on the working surface 3 a; opportunely in this case the working surface 3 a is adapted to allow the passage of the heat produced by the heating devices 4 .
- the one ore more heating devices 4 advantageously comprise one or more inductive coils positioned below the working surface 3 a and adapted to generate a variable magnetic field which induces, in a metallic pot 5 (or similar metallic receptacle) placed over one of such inductive coils, electrical currents which causes the ohmic heating of such metallic pot 5 , so as to cook the foodstuffs therein contained; in this case the working surface 3 a is made of a material (i.e. a glass-ceramic material) adapted not to interfere with the magnetic field produced by the inductive coils.
- the one or more heating devices comprise one or more gas burners positioned in suitable seats obtained in the working surface 3 a and provided with suitable electrical valves for the delivery of the gas.
- the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices may also comprise one or more lighting device, for example one or more LEDs, not illustrated, associated to the working surface 3 a and/or to the box shaped casing 6 a, and adapted to illuminate the cooking hob 1 and/or the surrounding ambient.
- one or more lighting device for example one or more LEDs, not illustrated, associated to the working surface 3 a and/or to the box shaped casing 6 a, and adapted to illuminate the cooking hob 1 and/or the surrounding ambient.
- the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices advantageously comprise one or more displays, not illustrated, provided on the working surface 3 a and/or on the box-shaped casing 6 a, and adapted to communicate to the user one or more data, for example the time elapsed from the beginning of the cooking procedure.
- the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices may be connected to the electrical means of the building in which the cooking hob 1 is placed by suitable electrical connectors, comprising for example suitable electric cables, not illustrated, exiting from the box shaped casing 6 a.
- the cooking hood 2 comprises a box-shaped casing 6 b, closed downward by a working surface 3 b and provided with a frontal surface 14 b adapted, once installed, for facing a user, not illustrated; in other words a user, in order to use the cooking hood 2 , has to stay substantially in front of the frontal surface 14 b.
- the box-shaped casing 6 b also comprises a lateral surface 7 b which is substantially perpendicular to the frontal surface 14 b.
- the working surface 3 b may be substantially horizontal, as in the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, or, in another embodiment, not illustrated, it may also be inclined.
- the cooking hood 2 comprises one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices; advantageously the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices comprises one or more suction devices, not illustrated, comprising, for example, one or more fans adapted to aspire gases and fumes through the working surface 3 b and to filter and/or to evacuate such gases and fumes via suitable filtering/evacuating means, not illustrated.
- the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices comprises one or more suction devices, not illustrated, comprising, for example, one or more fans adapted to aspire gases and fumes through the working surface 3 b and to filter and/or to evacuate such gases and fumes via suitable filtering/evacuating means, not illustrated.
- the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices may also comprise one or more lighting device, for example one or more LEDs, not illustrated, associated to the working surface 3 b and/or to the box-shaped casing 6 b, and adapted to illuminate the cooking hood 2 and/or the surrounding ambient.
- one or more LEDs for example one or more LEDs, not illustrated, associated to the working surface 3 b and/or to the box-shaped casing 6 b, and adapted to illuminate the cooking hood 2 and/or the surrounding ambient.
- the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices advantageously comprise one or more displays, not illustrated, provided on the working surface 3 b and/or on the box-shaped casing 6 b, and adapted to communicate to the user one or more data, for example the fan speed, etc.
- the lateral surface 7 a, 7 b is provided with a touch-sensitive control device, which will be described in the following, adapted to operate (i.e. to control, to drive) the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance and/or of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- two or more kitchen appliances according to the invention may be reciprocally connected by a suitable connecting device adapted to allow the operating of the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of one of these two or more kitchen appliances by using the touch-sensitive control device present at/on another cooking appliance.
- the connecting devices comprises advantageously one or more electric wires or cables 15 , connecting the cooking hob 1 to the cooking hood 2 ; in a further embodiment, not illustrated, the connecting device may comprise a wireless transmission system, for example a radio wave transmission system, an infrared transmission system, a so-called “Bluetooth” transmission system, etc.
- a wireless transmission system for example a radio wave transmission system, an infrared transmission system, a so-called “Bluetooth” transmission system, etc.
- the cooking hob 1 comprises a lateral surface 7 a provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate (i.e. activate, deactivate, regulate) the one or more heating devices 4 associated to this cooking hob 1 .
- the touch-sensitive control device associated to the lateral surface 7 a of the cooking hob 1 is connected by a connecting device (e.g. electric wires or cables 15 , or a wireless transmission system, not illustrated), to the cooking hood 2 , in order to be able to operate (i.e. activate, deactivate, regulate) also the one or more suction devices of the cooking hood 2 (for example the fans contained in the box-shaped casing 6 b ).
- a connecting device e.g. electric wires or cables 15 , or a wireless transmission system, not illustrated
- the touch-sensitive control device associated to the cooking hob 1 it is therefore possible to activate, deactivate, regulate also the cooking hood 2 .
- the cooking hood 2 comprises a lateral surface 7 b provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate (i.e. activate, deactivate, regulate) the one or more suction devices associated to this cooking hood 2 ; also in this case the touch-sensitive control device associated to the lateral surface 7 b of the cooking hood 2 is connected by a connecting device (e.g. electric wires or cables 15 , or a wireless transmission system, not illustrated), to the cooking hob 1 , in order to be able to operate the one or more heating devices 4 of the cooking hob 1 . From the cooking hood 2 it is therefore possible to operate also the cooking hob 1 .
- a connecting device e.g. electric wires or cables 15 , or a wireless transmission system, not illustrated
- one more connecting devices e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system
- a touch-sensitive control device may be provided only on one among two or more kitchen appliances connected one another by one or more connecting devices (e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system); in this case a kitchen appliance which is not provided with the touch-sensitive control device may be operated by using the touch-sensitive control device provided on another kitchen appliance.
- connecting devices e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system
- three kitchen appliances according to the invention e.g., three kitchen appliances according to the invention (e.g., three kitchen appliances according to the invention (e.g., three kitchen appliances according to the invention).
- two cooking hobs and a cooking hood may be connected by one or more connecting devices (e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system), and their one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices (e.g. the heating devices of the cooking hobs and the fans of the cooking hood) may be operated by one or more touch-sensitive control devices present on one or more of these kitchen appliances.
- connecting devices e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system
- electrical and/or electromechanical devices e.g. the heating devices of the cooking hobs and the fans of the cooking hood
- touch-sensitive control devices present on one or more of these kitchen appliances.
- the touch-sensitive control device could be provided on only one of the cooking hobs, and it could be adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of both the two cooking hobs and also of the cooking hood.
- a touch-sensitive control device could be provided only on the cooking hood, and it could be adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the two cooking hobs and also of the cooking hood.
- two touch-sensitive control devices are provided both on the cooking hood and on one of the cooking hobs, and both these touch-sensitive control devices are adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of all the three kitchen appliances.
- Clearly only one kitchen appliance may be present (for example a cooking hob 1 ) provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of such kitchen appliance.
- the touch-sensitive control device provided on the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b comprises a touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b , which will be better described in the following, and an illuminating device, not illustrated, operated by the touch-sensitive sensor.
- the kitchen appliance comprises an electronic controller, for example an electronic board or an electronic microcontroller, adapted to operatively connect the touch-sensitive sensor, the illuminating device, the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices, and (if present) the connecting device adapted to connect the touch-sensitive control device of a kitchen appliance with one or more further kitchen appliances.
- an electronic controller for example an electronic board or an electronic microcontroller, adapted to operatively connect the touch-sensitive sensor, the illuminating device, the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices, and (if present) the connecting device adapted to connect the touch-sensitive control device of a kitchen appliance with one or more further kitchen appliances.
- the electronic controller may be configured and/or programmed in order to operate (i.e. control, drive) in a particular way the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of a kitchen appliance, depending on a particular action detected by the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b of the same kitchen appliance, or of a further kitchen appliance connected to the latter by a connecting device (e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system).
- a connecting device e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system
- an electronic controller not illustrated, associated to the cooking hob 1 , may be configured and/or programmed in order to activate/deactivate one of the heating devices 4 of the cooking hob 1 depending on a particular action detected by the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b of the cooking hob 1 or of the cooking hood 2 .
- a further electronic controller, not illustrated, associated to the cooking hood 2 may be configured and/or programmed in order to activate/deactivate the suction fan of a cooking hob 1 depending on a particular action detected by the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b of the cooking hood 2 or of the cooking hob 1 .
- the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b is adapted to detect the movement of a body (for example a finger, a hand, etc.) placed close to or in contact with such touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b , in at least two different directions, for example two linear movements of a body in two opposite directions.
- a body for example a finger, a hand, etc.
- the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b could be a capacitive sensor, or an inductive sensor, or an optical sensor, or a piezoelectric sensor, etc.
- the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b is associated to the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b in such a way that it can detect the sliding of a body (i.e. a hand or one or more fingers of a user) in proximity of, or in contact with, the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b ; opportunely the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b may be fixed behind or in front of the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b.
- a touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b is fixed behind each of the lateral surfaces 7 a , 7 b and isn't visible from the external, so it has been schematically represented by dotted lines.
- the illuminating device comprised in the touch-sensitive control device may comprise one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), and/or one ore more light guides, for example optical fibres; clearly the illuminating device may comprise any other electrical or electronic light source (i.e. halogen lamps, light bulbs, etc.).
- LEDs light emitting diodes
- optical fibres for example optical fibres
- the illuminating device may comprise any other electrical or electronic light source (i.e. halogen lamps, light bulbs, etc.).
- the illuminating device is adapted to illuminate the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b in such a way that a region of the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b , if previously dark (i.e. not illuminated by the illuminating device), is illuminated during and/or after the sliding on/over it of a body in a first sliding direction, while a region of the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b , if previously illuminated by the illuminating device, is darkened during and/or after the sliding of a body on/over it in a second sliding direction.
- the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a provided on the lateral surface 7 a detects the sliding of the finger 9 in a prefixed sliding direction, and commands the illuminating device in order to illuminate the first region 10 (in the enclosed Figures, the illumination of a region of the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b has been represented by a series of inclined lines).
- the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a operates (i.e. activates/deactivates/regulates) one or more of the heating devices 4 of the cooking hob 1 , and/or of the suction devices of the cooking hood 2 , depending on the particular programming of the electronic controllers of the cooking hob 1 and of the cooking hood 2 .
- the touch-sensitive sensor 16 b provided on the lateral surface 7 b detects the sliding of the finger 9 in a certain sliding direction, and commands the illuminating device in order to darken the second region 11 (while the rest, numbered 12 in FIG. 2 , of the lateral surface 7 b, previously illuminated by the illuminating device, remains illuminated).
- the touch-sensitive sensor 16 b operates (i.e. activates/deactivates/regulates) one or more of the suction devices of the cooking hood 2 , and/or of the heating devices 4 of the cooking hob 1 , depending on the particular programming of the electronic controllers of the cooking hob 1 and of the cooking hood 2 .
- the electronic controllers of the cooking hob 1 and/or of the cooking hood 2 may be configured/programmed in order to operate also these other electrical and/or electromechanical devices, depending on the particular sliding of the finger 9 on the lateral surface 7 a or 7 b detected by the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a or 16 b.
- the kitchen appliance is advantageously provided with a selecting device, which will be better described in the following, adapted for allowing the user to select which of the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance has to be operated, in a particular moment, by the touch-sensitive control device.
- this selecting device is connected to the electronic controller of the kitchen appliance, so that, by a suitable programming of the latter, it is possible to associate a particular action (for example a pressure, a rotation, a contact, etc.) applied to this selecting device to the selection of one electrical and/or electromechanical device to be operated (i.e. controlled, driven).
- a particular action for example a pressure, a rotation, a contact, etc.
- the selecting device can be placed on the lateral surfaces 7 a , 7 b of the kitchen appliance, and/or on the working surface 3 a , 3 b , and/or on the box-shaped casing 6 a , 6 b and/or on any accessible part of the kitchen appliance; opportunely the selecting device may be provided also externally to the kitchen appliance (e.g. on the surface 8 of a kitchen furniture), and may be operatively connected to the kitchen appliance for example by wires or cables, not illustrated, or by a wireless transmission system, also not illustrated.
- the selecting device comprises one or more buttons 17 a , 17 b (touch- sensitive or not), placed respectively on the lateral surfaces 7 a , 7 b , next to the touch-sensitive sensors 16 a , 16 b , and adapted for selecting, by their pressure, which among the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance has to be operated, in a particular moment, by the touch-sensitive control device.
- the selecting device comprises one or more knobs, placed on the lateral surfaces 7 a , 7 b , and/or on the working surface 3 a , 3 b or/and on the box-shaped casing 6 a , 6 b , and adapted for selecting, by their rotation, which among the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance has to be operated, in a particular moment, by the touch-sensitive control device.
- the selecting device comprises the same touch-sensitive sensor provided on the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b of the kitchen appliance; in this case the electronic controller of the kitchen appliance could be programmed in such a way that a particular action detected by the touch-sensitive sensor, for example two fast touches (i.e.
- the touch-sensitive control device causes the touch-sensitive control device, from then on, to operate one particular among the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance.
- a particular number may be assigned to each heating device 4 of a cooking hob 1 , and the electronic controller of the cooking hob 1 may be programmed in such a way that after a user applies to a particular region of the lateral surface 7 a a particular number of fast (i.e. made one a very few time after the other) touches, from then on, the heating device 4 operated by the touch-sensitive control device is the one whose number corresponds to the number of fast touches detected by the touch-sensitive sensor.
- a similar solution may be used, if more than one cooking hobs 1 and/or cooking hoods 2 are present, in order to select which among the one or more cooking hobs 1 and/or the one or more cooking hoods 2 has to be operated by the touch-sensitive control device of one of these one or more cooking hobs 1 and/or cooking hoods 2 .
- the electronic controller may be programmed in such a way that also other specific actions or movements detected by the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a , 16 b correspond to the selection of one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance.
- the kitchen appliance according to the invention may be provided of a further lateral surface 13 a , 13 b , substantially perpendicular to the frontal surface 14 a , 14 b , opposite to the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b with respect to the working surface 3 a , 3 b , and provided with a touch-sensitive control device analogous to the one described with reference to the lateral surface 7 a , 7 b , adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance and/or of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- the lateral surface 7 a of the cooking hob 1 may be provided with a first touch-sensitive control device for controlling the operations of the cooking hob 1
- the further lateral surface 13 a of the cooking hob 1 may be provided with a second touch-sensitive control device for controlling the operations of the cooking hood 2 .
- the further lateral surface 13 a , 13 b of a kitchen appliance according to the invention is substantially perpendicular or inclined with respect to the working surface 3 a , 3 b of such a kitchen appliance.
- the embodiment in which the lateral surface 7 a (and, if present, also the further lateral surface 13 a ) of the cooking hob 1 is inclined (e.g. of an angle of 45°) with respect to the working surface 3 a , is particularly advantageous, because such inclination makes more ergonomic the access to the touch-sensitive control device and the visualization of the latter.
- the embodiment in which the lateral surface 7 b (and, if present, also the further lateral surface 13 b ) of the cooking hood 2 is inclined (e.g. of an angle of 45°) with respect to the working surface 3 b , is particularly advantageous, because such inclination makes more ergonomic the access to the touch-sensitive control device and the visualization of the latter.
- a kitchen device which, thanks to the particular position of the touch-sensitive control device, allows to user to operate the electrical or electromechanical devices (e.g. the heating devices in the case of a cooking hob, the suction fan in the case of a cooking hood, etc.) of such a kitchen appliance in a very comfortable and ergonomic way.
- the electrical or electromechanical devices e.g. the heating devices in the case of a cooking hob, the suction fan in the case of a cooking hood, etc.
- the user may have a visual feedback of his operations of the kitchen appliance during the usage of the latter.
- the kitchen appliance according to the invention allows a user to operate more than one kitchen appliances from a single kitchen appliance.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention refers to a kitchen appliance, particularly, but not necessarily, a cooking hob and/or a cooking hood.
- Nowadays cooking hobs are known, provided with one or more heating elements, comprising for example electrical resistors or halogen lamps, adapted to generate heat and to transfer the latter to a pot or similar receptacle containing foodstuffs to be cooked.
- The heating elements are usually mounted in a casing whose base is formed by an adequate thickness of insulating material having reflective properties for the infrared radiation emitted by the heating elements.
- The heating elements are covered by an upper surface, on which the pots or receptacles containing the foodstuffs can be leaned, adapted for allowing the passage of the heat produced by the heating elements.
- This upper surface may be produced from laminated glass or, more frequently, it is a sheet of vitroceramic or glass-ceramic material.
- Cooking hobs are also known comprising, instead of the heating elements, one or more inductive coils which can generate a variable magnetic field adapted to induce, in a metallic pot or similar receptacle, electrical currents which causes the ohmic heating of such metallic pot or receptacle, so as to cook the foodstuffs therein contained.
- Also in this case the inductive coils are covered by a sheet of vitroceramic material, which substantially doesn't interfere with the magnetic field produced by the inductive coils, on which the receptacles containing the foodstuffs can be leaned.
- The above described known cooking hobs are provided with control devices adapted to activate/deactivate/regulate the heating elements/inductive coils.
- For example EP 0 887 594 discloses a hob comprising a rectangular frame with a sloping front face, three or more hotplates, and rows of display and control devices provided at the sloping front face. In one embodiment the sloping face is constructed in one piece from the same glass-ceramic material as the frame; in another embodiment the frame and the sloping face are manufactured separately from either the same material or different materials and assembled together. The sloping face can be metallic, and the frame can be made of glass-ceramic material.
- This solution has however the drawback that the display and control devices, being provided at the sloping front face of the rectangular frame, may result uncomfortable to use, in particular if the user is very close to the hob (which often happens, for example, when the user has to stir the food contained in a pot), and may oblige the user to move away from the hob in order to see the display and/or to use the control device.
- EP 0 831 276 discloses a kitchen cooking assembly comprising a vitroceramic hob lowerly provided with electric heating elements and with an electronic control unit including touch-sensitive controls, arranged on the upper face of the hob, for the heating elements, and an electric built-in oven adjacent to the vitroceramic hob. The oven is provided with respective control and adjustment members which are also arranged on the vitroceramic hob and are also consisting of touch-sensitive controls.
- Also this solution has however a drawback; in fact the touch-sensitive controls are arranged on the upper surface of the hob, and therefore there is the risk that they may come into contact with the foodstuff contained in the pots placed on the hob, which might dirty and/or damage such controls.
- Moreover the touch-sensitive controls are very near to the electric heating elements, and therefore the user may come into contact with these heating elements while using the touch sensitive controls, with the risk of burning himself.
- A known touch-sensitive control for a kitchen appliance is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,204 which discloses an user input/output device (particularly for controlling a range or the like) comprising a lighted, segmented bar graph type display and an array of light transmitting touch sensitive areas superimposed over the bar graph display. A suitable circuit means is responsive to the touch sensitive areas and connected for driving the segments of the bar graph such that when any one of the touch sensitive areas is touched, a corresponding display segment and all display segments to one side are energized and the remaining display elements are de-energized. In particular U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,204 discloses an electric range including four conventional electric surface heating units and four corresponding input/output devices disposed upon the right hand portion of a vertical range control panel. The input/output devices, because of this positioning, may however result hardly accessible, in particular if pots of other receptacles are placed on the heating units.
- It is also known using a kitchen appliance in cooperation with other appliances, such as a cooker hood; for example EP 0 578 600 discloses a system for the remote control of household appliances, to control basically induction-heated or vitroceramic devices, supplied with a transmitter and an infrared ray sensor-receiver or radio, located above or under the ceramic glass so that the controls of the heaters are placed on the front of an apparatus such as the cooker hood, or in an area included in the scope of the infra-red rays or radio waves, using a remote control.
- Also this solution has however some drawbacks; in fact, if the controls of the heaters are placed on the front of an apparatus, such as the cooker hood, there are the same problems indicated above with reference to EP 0 887 594, that is the use of these controls may result uncomfortable. On the other hand, the use of a remote control increases the costs of the kitchen appliance.
- Another example of a kitchen appliance cooperating with a cooker hood is illustrated in DE 195 45 942 which discloses a hob with a ceramic glass hob surface incorporated in a worktop of a peninsular unit, so that the cooking zones are accessible from either side; an extractor hood is positioned directly above the hob surface. All the operating controls and displays for the cooking hob and the extractor are combined in a single control unit directly associated with the hob surface or the extractor hood.
- Also in this case, however, the control unit isn't very comfortable to use, particularly if the user is very close to the kitchen appliance.
- The aim of the present invention is therefore to obtain a kitchen device, particularly a cooking hob and/or a cooking hood, which may be operated in a comfortable and ergonomic way even by a user placed very close to the kitchen device.
- Within this aim, another object of the invention is to provide the user with a feedback of his operations of the kitchen appliance.
- Another object of the invention is to obtain a kitchen appliance which allows a user to operate also one or more further kitchen appliances.
- It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above-noted problems, thereby doing away with the drawbacks of the cited prior art.
- The Applicant has found that by providing on a lateral surface of a kitchen appliance a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices provided on the same kitchen appliance and/or on one or more further kitchen appliances, it is possible to operate the same kitchen appliance and/or another kitchen appliance in a very comfortable and ergonomic way, allowing the user to easily operate the kitchen appliance even if he is placed very close to the latter.
- In particular, the above-mentioned aim and objects, as well as others that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a kitchen appliance comprising:
-
- one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices;
- a frontal surface adapted, once the kitchen appliance is installed, to be faced by a user;
- a lateral surface substantially perpendicular to the frontal surface,
- the lateral surface being provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance and/or of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- Opportunely the lateral surface is arranged in such a way that, once the kitchen appliance is installed, such a lateral surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, so as to facilitate the use of the touch-sensitive control.
- Opportunely the kitchen appliance comprises a connecting device adapted to allow its touch-sensitive control device to operate one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- Advantageously the kitchen appliance comprises a selecting device adapted for allowing a user to select which of the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance has to be operated, in a particular moment, by the touch-sensitive control device.
- Advantageously the touch-sensitive control device comprises a touch-sensitive sensor and an illuminating device operated by the touch-sensitive sensor.
- Opportunely the touch-sensitive sensor is associated to the lateral surface in such a way that the touch-sensitive sensor is able to detect the sliding of a body in proximity of, or in contact with, the lateral surface.
- Preferably the illuminating device is adapted to illuminate the lateral surface in such a way that a region of the lateral surface, if previously not illuminated by the illuminating device, is illuminated during and/or after the sliding on it of a body in a first sliding direction, while a region of the lateral surface, if previously illuminated by the illuminating device, is darkened during and/or after the sliding of a body on it in a second sliding direction.
- Opportunely the kitchen appliance comprises a further lateral surface, substantially perpendicular to the frontal surface, provided with a further touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance and/or of one or more further kitchen appliances.
- In a preferred embodiment the kitchen appliance comprises a cooking hob, defining the lateral surface and comprising a working surface provided with one or more heating devices, the lateral surface being substantially perpendicular or inclined with respect to the working surface. In this case the further kitchen appliance comprises one or more cooking hoods and/or one or more further cooking hobs.
- In another embodiment thereof, the kitchen appliance comprises a cooking hood, defining the lateral surface and comprising a working surface provided with suction devices, the lateral surface being substantially perpendicular or inclined with respect to the working surface. In this case the further kitchen appliance comprises one or more cooking hobs and/or one or more further cooking hoods.
- Features and advantages of the present invention will anyway be more readily understood from the description that is given below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic prospective view of two kitchen devices according to the invention, particularly a cooking hob and a cooking hood. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic prospective view of the two kitchen devices ofFIG. 1 in a different operating condition. - The present invention regards a kitchen appliance, particularly a kitchen appliance comprising a
cooking hob 1 and/or acooking hood 2. - With reference to the enclosed Figures, the
cooking hob 1 comprises a box-shaped casing 6 a, preferably substantially parallelepiped-shaped, adapted to be positioned on thetop surface 8 of a kitchen furniture, for example a kitchen base. - The box-
shaped casing 6 a comprises afrontal surface 14 a adapted, once thecooking hob 1 is installed on thetop surface 8, to be faced by a user, not illustrated; in other words a user, in order to use thecooking hob 1, has to stay substantially in front of thefrontal surface 14 a. - The box-
shaped casing 6 a also comprises alateral surface 7 a which is substantially perpendicular to thefrontal surface 14 a. - The box-
shaped casing 6 a is closed upwards by a workingsurface 3 a, advantageously substantially horizontal, preferably, but not necessarily, made of laminated glass, or of a vitroceramic or glass-ceramic material. - Opportunely the
lateral surface 7 a is substantially perpendicular or inclined with respect to the workingsurface 3 a. - In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, the working
surface 3 a and thelateral surface 7 a are manufactured separately from either the same material or different materials and are subsequently assembled together; in a further embodiment, not illustrated, theworking surface 3 a and thelateral wall 7 a are obtained in single-piece construction, for example by a single sheet of glass-ceramic material, opportunely shaped in order to define both theworking surface 3 a and thelateral wall 7 a. - Advantageously the
cooking hob 1 comprises one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices; advantageously these electrical and/or electromechanical devices comprise one or more heating devices 4 (preferably, but not necessarily, four or five) adapted to heat a pot 5 (or similar receptacle) leaning on theworking surface 3 a, so as to cook the foodstuff contained in such apot 5. - In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, the
cooking hob 1 advantageously comprises fourheating devices 4 positioned inside the box-shaped casing 6 a, below theworking surface 3 a; inFIGS. 1 and 2 theheating devices 4 are schematically represented by dotted lines since they are covered by theworking surface 3 a, and therefore they are not visible from the external. - Advantageously, the one ore
more heating devices 4 could comprise, for example, one or more electrical resistors or halogen lamps positioned below the workingsurface 3 a and adapted to generate heat and to transfer the latter to an overlaying pot 5 (or similar receptacle) leaning on theworking surface 3 a; opportunely in this case theworking surface 3 a is adapted to allow the passage of the heat produced by theheating devices 4. - In another embodiment the one ore
more heating devices 4 advantageously comprise one or more inductive coils positioned below the workingsurface 3 a and adapted to generate a variable magnetic field which induces, in a metallic pot 5 (or similar metallic receptacle) placed over one of such inductive coils, electrical currents which causes the ohmic heating of suchmetallic pot 5, so as to cook the foodstuffs therein contained; in this case theworking surface 3 a is made of a material (i.e. a glass-ceramic material) adapted not to interfere with the magnetic field produced by the inductive coils. - In a further embodiment, not illustrated, the one or more heating devices comprise one or more gas burners positioned in suitable seats obtained in the
working surface 3 a and provided with suitable electrical valves for the delivery of the gas. - In another embodiment, not illustrated, the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices may also comprise one or more lighting device, for example one or more LEDs, not illustrated, associated to the working
surface 3 a and/or to the box shapedcasing 6 a, and adapted to illuminate thecooking hob 1 and/or the surrounding ambient. - In a further embodiment, also not illustrated, the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices advantageously comprise one or more displays, not illustrated, provided on the working
surface 3 a and/or on the box-shapedcasing 6 a, and adapted to communicate to the user one or more data, for example the time elapsed from the beginning of the cooking procedure. - Advantageously the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices may be connected to the electrical means of the building in which the
cooking hob 1 is placed by suitable electrical connectors, comprising for example suitable electric cables, not illustrated, exiting from the box shapedcasing 6 a. - The
cooking hood 2 comprises a box-shapedcasing 6 b, closed downward by a workingsurface 3 b and provided with afrontal surface 14 b adapted, once installed, for facing a user, not illustrated; in other words a user, in order to use thecooking hood 2, has to stay substantially in front of thefrontal surface 14 b. - The box-shaped
casing 6 b also comprises alateral surface 7 b which is substantially perpendicular to thefrontal surface 14 b. - Opportunely, the working
surface 3 b may be substantially horizontal, as in the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, or, in another embodiment, not illustrated, it may also be inclined. - The
cooking hood 2 comprises one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices; advantageously the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices comprises one or more suction devices, not illustrated, comprising, for example, one or more fans adapted to aspire gases and fumes through the workingsurface 3 b and to filter and/or to evacuate such gases and fumes via suitable filtering/evacuating means, not illustrated. - In another embodiment, not illustrated, the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices may also comprise one or more lighting device, for example one or more LEDs, not illustrated, associated to the working
surface 3 b and/or to the box-shapedcasing 6 b, and adapted to illuminate thecooking hood 2 and/or the surrounding ambient. - In a further embodiment, also not illustrated, the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices advantageously comprise one or more displays, not illustrated, provided on the working
surface 3 b and/or on the box-shapedcasing 6 b, and adapted to communicate to the user one or more data, for example the fan speed, etc. - Advantageously, in the kitchen appliance according to the invention the
lateral surface - Opportunely, two or more kitchen appliances according to the invention may be reciprocally connected by a suitable connecting device adapted to allow the operating of the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of one of these two or more kitchen appliances by using the touch-sensitive control device present at/on another cooking appliance.
- In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, the connecting devices comprises advantageously one or more electric wires or
cables 15, connecting thecooking hob 1 to thecooking hood 2; in a further embodiment, not illustrated, the connecting device may comprise a wireless transmission system, for example a radio wave transmission system, an infrared transmission system, a so-called “Bluetooth” transmission system, etc. - In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, the
cooking hob 1 comprises alateral surface 7 a provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate (i.e. activate, deactivate, regulate) the one ormore heating devices 4 associated to thiscooking hob 1. In this embodiment the touch-sensitive control device associated to thelateral surface 7 a of thecooking hob 1 is connected by a connecting device (e.g. electric wires orcables 15, or a wireless transmission system, not illustrated), to thecooking hood 2, in order to be able to operate (i.e. activate, deactivate, regulate) also the one or more suction devices of the cooking hood 2 (for example the fans contained in the box-shapedcasing 6 b). In this case, by the touch-sensitive control device associated to thecooking hob 1, it is therefore possible to activate, deactivate, regulate also thecooking hood 2. - In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures also the
cooking hood 2 comprises alateral surface 7 b provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate (i.e. activate, deactivate, regulate) the one or more suction devices associated to thiscooking hood 2; also in this case the touch-sensitive control device associated to thelateral surface 7 b of thecooking hood 2 is connected by a connecting device (e.g. electric wires orcables 15, or a wireless transmission system, not illustrated), to thecooking hob 1, in order to be able to operate the one ormore heating devices 4 of thecooking hob 1. From thecooking hood 2 it is therefore possible to operate also thecooking hob 1. - According to the invention, therefore, there may be two or more kitchen appliances, all of them reciprocally connected by one more connecting devices (e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system) so that the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of one of these two or more kitchen appliances may be operated (i.e. controlled, driven) by one or more touch-sensitive control devices provided on one or more of these two or more kitchen appliances.
- Obviously, a touch-sensitive control device may be provided only on one among two or more kitchen appliances connected one another by one or more connecting devices (e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system); in this case a kitchen appliance which is not provided with the touch-sensitive control device may be operated by using the touch-sensitive control device provided on another kitchen appliance.
- For example, three kitchen appliances according to the invention (e.g.
- two cooking hobs and a cooking hood) may be connected by one or more connecting devices (e.g. electric wires or cables, or a wireless transmission system), and their one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices (e.g. the heating devices of the cooking hobs and the fans of the cooking hood) may be operated by one or more touch-sensitive control devices present on one or more of these kitchen appliances.
- For example, in the case of two cooking hobs and a cooking hood, the touch-sensitive control device could be provided on only one of the cooking hobs, and it could be adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of both the two cooking hobs and also of the cooking hood. In another embodiment a touch-sensitive control device could be provided only on the cooking hood, and it could be adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the two cooking hobs and also of the cooking hood. In another embodiment thereof, two touch-sensitive control devices are provided both on the cooking hood and on one of the cooking hobs, and both these touch-sensitive control devices are adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of all the three kitchen appliances.
- Clearly only one kitchen appliance may be present (for example a cooking hob 1) provided with a touch-sensitive control device adapted to operate the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of such kitchen appliance.
- Any other combination is obviously possible.
- Advantageously, the touch-sensitive control device provided on the
lateral surface sensitive sensor - Advantageously the kitchen appliance according to the invention comprises an electronic controller, for example an electronic board or an electronic microcontroller, adapted to operatively connect the touch-sensitive sensor, the illuminating device, the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices, and (if present) the connecting device adapted to connect the touch-sensitive control device of a kitchen appliance with one or more further kitchen appliances.
- The electronic controller may be configured and/or programmed in order to operate (i.e. control, drive) in a particular way the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of a kitchen appliance, depending on a particular action detected by the touch-
sensitive sensor - For example, with reference to the enclosed Figures, an electronic controller, not illustrated, associated to the
cooking hob 1, may be configured and/or programmed in order to activate/deactivate one of theheating devices 4 of thecooking hob 1 depending on a particular action detected by the touch-sensitive sensor cooking hob 1 or of thecooking hood 2. - A further electronic controller, not illustrated, associated to the
cooking hood 2, may be configured and/or programmed in order to activate/deactivate the suction fan of acooking hob 1 depending on a particular action detected by the touch-sensitive sensor cooking hood 2 or of thecooking hob 1. - Preferably the touch-
sensitive sensor sensitive sensor - For example the touch-
sensitive sensor - Advantageously the touch-
sensitive sensor lateral surface lateral surface sensitive sensor lateral surface - In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, a touch-
sensitive sensor lateral surfaces - Preferably, but not necessarily, the illuminating device comprised in the touch-sensitive control device may comprise one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), and/or one ore more light guides, for example optical fibres; clearly the illuminating device may comprise any other electrical or electronic light source (i.e. halogen lamps, light bulbs, etc.).
- Opportunely the illuminating device is adapted to illuminate the
lateral surface lateral surface lateral surface - This allows user to have a visual feedback (i.e. the illumination or darkening of a region of the
lateral surface - For example, with reference to
FIG. 1 , by sliding afinger 9 on a first region 10 (previously not illuminated by the illuminating device) of thelateral surface 7 a of thecooking hob 1, the touch-sensitive sensor 16 a provided on thelateral surface 7 a detects the sliding of thefinger 9 in a prefixed sliding direction, and commands the illuminating device in order to illuminate the first region 10 (in the enclosed Figures, the illumination of a region of thelateral surface - In the same time the touch-
sensitive sensor 16 a operates (i.e. activates/deactivates/regulates) one or more of theheating devices 4 of thecooking hob 1, and/or of the suction devices of thecooking hood 2, depending on the particular programming of the electronic controllers of thecooking hob 1 and of thecooking hood 2. - With reference to
FIG. 2 , by sliding afinger 9 on asecond region 11, previously lightened, of thelateral surface 7 b of thecooking hood 2, the touch-sensitive sensor 16 b provided on thelateral surface 7 b detects the sliding of thefinger 9 in a certain sliding direction, and commands the illuminating device in order to darken the second region 11 (while the rest, numbered 12 inFIG. 2 , of thelateral surface 7 b, previously illuminated by the illuminating device, remains illuminated). - At the same time the touch-
sensitive sensor 16 b operates (i.e. activates/deactivates/regulates) one or more of the suction devices of thecooking hood 2, and/or of theheating devices 4 of thecooking hob 1, depending on the particular programming of the electronic controllers of thecooking hob 1 and of thecooking hood 2. - Clearly, with reference to both
FIGS. 1 and 2 , if other electrical and/or electromechanical devices, not illustrated, are provided (e.g. other lighting devices, displays, etc.), the electronic controllers of thecooking hob 1 and/or of thecooking hood 2 may be configured/programmed in order to operate also these other electrical and/or electromechanical devices, depending on the particular sliding of thefinger 9 on thelateral surface sensitive sensor - The kitchen appliance is advantageously provided with a selecting device, which will be better described in the following, adapted for allowing the user to select which of the one or more electrical and/or electromechanical devices of the same kitchen appliance or of a further kitchen appliance has to be operated, in a particular moment, by the touch-sensitive control device.
- Advantageously this selecting device is connected to the electronic controller of the kitchen appliance, so that, by a suitable programming of the latter, it is possible to associate a particular action (for example a pressure, a rotation, a contact, etc.) applied to this selecting device to the selection of one electrical and/or electromechanical device to be operated (i.e. controlled, driven).
- Advantageously the selecting device can be placed on the lateral surfaces 7 a, 7 b of the kitchen appliance, and/or on the working
surface casing surface 8 of a kitchen furniture), and may be operatively connected to the kitchen appliance for example by wires or cables, not illustrated, or by a wireless transmission system, also not illustrated. In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed Figures, the selecting device comprises one ormore buttons sensitive sensors - In a further embodiment, not illustrated, the selecting device comprises one or more knobs, placed on the lateral surfaces 7 a, 7 b, and/or on the working
surface casing - In a further embodiment thereof, not illustrated, the selecting device comprises the same touch-sensitive sensor provided on the
lateral surface lateral surface lateral surface - For example, a particular number may be assigned to each
heating device 4 of acooking hob 1, and the electronic controller of thecooking hob 1 may be programmed in such a way that after a user applies to a particular region of thelateral surface 7 a a particular number of fast (i.e. made one a very few time after the other) touches, from then on, theheating device 4 operated by the touch-sensitive control device is the one whose number corresponds to the number of fast touches detected by the touch-sensitive sensor. - A similar solution may be used, if more than one
cooking hobs 1 and/orcooking hoods 2 are present, in order to select which among the one ormore cooking hobs 1 and/or the one ormore cooking hoods 2 has to be operated by the touch-sensitive control device of one of these one ormore cooking hobs 1 and/orcooking hoods 2. - However, this is only an example of how the selection of the one or
more heating devices 4 or of the one or more suction devices can be made; the electronic controller may be programmed in such a way that also other specific actions or movements detected by the touch-sensitive sensor - Advantageously the kitchen appliance according to the invention may be provided of a further
lateral surface frontal surface lateral surface surface lateral surface - For example the
lateral surface 7 a of the cooking hob 1 (on the right in the enclosed Figures) may be provided with a first touch-sensitive control device for controlling the operations of thecooking hob 1, and the furtherlateral surface 13 a of the cooking hob 1 (on the left in the enclosed Figures) may be provided with a second touch-sensitive control device for controlling the operations of thecooking hood 2. - Also the further
lateral surface surface - The embodiment in which the
lateral surface 7 a (and, if present, also the furtherlateral surface 13 a) of thecooking hob 1 is inclined (e.g. of an angle of 45°) with respect to the workingsurface 3 a, is particularly advantageous, because such inclination makes more ergonomic the access to the touch-sensitive control device and the visualization of the latter. - Similarly, the embodiment in which the
lateral surface 7 b (and, if present, also the furtherlateral surface 13 b) of thecooking hood 2 is inclined (e.g. of an angle of 45°) with respect to the workingsurface 3 b, is particularly advantageous, because such inclination makes more ergonomic the access to the touch-sensitive control device and the visualization of the latter. - It is seen therefore how the invention achieves the proposed aim and objects, there being provided a kitchen device which, thanks to the particular position of the touch-sensitive control device, allows to user to operate the electrical or electromechanical devices (e.g. the heating devices in the case of a cooking hob, the suction fan in the case of a cooking hood, etc.) of such a kitchen appliance in a very comfortable and ergonomic way.
- In addition, thanks to the illuminating device comprised in the touch-sensitive control device, the user may have a visual feedback of his operations of the kitchen appliance during the usage of the latter.
- Moreover, the kitchen appliance according to the invention allows a user to operate more than one kitchen appliances from a single kitchen appliance.
Claims (12)
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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EP09007754.6A EP2261568B1 (en) | 2009-06-12 | 2009-06-12 | Control device for kitchen appliance |
EP09007754.6 | 2009-06-12 | ||
PCT/EP2010/057455 WO2010142542A2 (en) | 2009-06-12 | 2010-05-28 | Kitchen appliance |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20140001173A1 true US20140001173A1 (en) | 2014-01-02 |
Family
ID=41497974
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/376,441 Abandoned US20140001173A1 (en) | 2009-06-12 | 2010-05-28 | Kitchen appliance |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20140001173A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2261568B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102803854B (en) |
AU (1) | AU2010257658B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2764945A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010142542A2 (en) |
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USD825734S1 (en) * | 2017-06-20 | 2018-08-14 | BSH Hausgeräte GmbH | Ventilation hood |
CN111336557A (en) * | 2020-03-05 | 2020-06-26 | 宁波方太厨具有限公司 | Range hood and control method thereof |
US20220003421A1 (en) * | 2020-07-01 | 2022-01-06 | E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau Gmbh | Cooktop and method for operating a cooktop and use of a cooktop for illuminating a space |
US11441782B2 (en) | 2020-12-10 | 2022-09-13 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Cooking appliance user control integrated with rate of movement detection |
US11486574B2 (en) | 2020-12-04 | 2022-11-01 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Gas cooking appliance with ignition position indicator |
US11639796B2 (en) | 2020-12-04 | 2023-05-02 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Gas cooking appliance with active igniter indicator |
US11747022B2 (en) | 2021-09-30 | 2023-09-05 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Cooking appliance with unintentional control activation detection |
US11788729B2 (en) | 2020-11-10 | 2023-10-17 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Cooking appliance with integrated touch sensing controls |
WO2023249219A1 (en) * | 2022-06-22 | 2023-12-28 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Light source and ventilation hood having same |
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DE102009028221A1 (en) * | 2009-08-04 | 2011-02-17 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Extractor hood with control unit |
AU2013256025A1 (en) * | 2012-05-03 | 2014-11-20 | Broan-Nutone Llc | Downdraft system |
CN102865605A (en) * | 2012-09-27 | 2013-01-09 | 王琳 | Gas cooker |
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DE102016202786B4 (en) * | 2016-02-23 | 2017-11-02 | BSH Hausgeräte GmbH | Extractor hood with proximity switch and method for controlling an extractor hood |
DE102016205911A1 (en) * | 2016-04-08 | 2017-10-12 | Wilhelm Bruckbauer | Control device for a modular hob system |
IT201800004052A1 (en) * | 2018-03-28 | 2019-09-28 | Faber Spa | VERTICAL MULTIFUNCTION HOOD PERFECTED FOR DOMESTIC EXTRACTION |
WO2022093132A1 (en) * | 2020-10-06 | 2022-05-05 | Mamur Teknoloji Sistemleri San. A.S. | A cooking device with touch sensitive slider |
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US4121204A (en) | 1976-12-14 | 1978-10-17 | General Electric Company | Bar graph type touch switch and display device |
DE4216677A1 (en) * | 1992-05-20 | 1993-11-25 | Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete | Hob |
ES2048106B1 (en) | 1992-07-03 | 1995-06-16 | Balay Sa | SYSTEM FOR REMOTE CONTROL OF APPLIANCES. |
DE19545942C2 (en) | 1995-12-08 | 2003-11-27 | Bsh Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete | Kitchen work area with extractor hood that can be operated from both sides |
IT239811Y1 (en) | 1996-09-17 | 2001-03-13 | Fox Spa Di Renzo Bompani & C | KITCHEN COOKING GROUP |
DE29710746U1 (en) | 1997-06-19 | 1997-08-14 | Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, 81669 München | Glass ceramic cooktop |
DE29804817U1 (en) * | 1998-03-17 | 1999-09-09 | Bsh Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete | Operating or display device, in particular for a dishwasher |
DE202005006474U1 (en) * | 2005-04-22 | 2005-07-21 | Leonhardy, Henning | Cooker arrangement with extractor hood has operating controls for hood set in socket area alongside hob and hob operating unit for easier access |
FR2884903B1 (en) * | 2005-04-25 | 2007-10-05 | Frima Sa Sa | SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING THE OPERATING STATE OF ONE OF A NUMBER OF COOKING MODULES SUCH AS A TANK, A COOK |
FR2887672A1 (en) * | 2005-06-23 | 2006-12-29 | Diehl Ako Stiftung & Co Kg Kom | Electronic appliance e.g. cooking appliance, controlling device for cooking zone, has display element, with luminous bars having different colored LEDs, activating, based on adjusted cooking degrees, bars whose heights correspond to degrees |
GB2435411A (en) * | 2006-02-22 | 2007-08-29 | Kenwood Ltd | Food preparation arrangements |
-
2009
- 2009-06-12 EP EP09007754.6A patent/EP2261568B1/en not_active Not-in-force
-
2010
- 2010-05-28 CN CN201080031516.2A patent/CN102803854B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2010-05-28 AU AU2010257658A patent/AU2010257658B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2010-05-28 WO PCT/EP2010/057455 patent/WO2010142542A2/en active Application Filing
- 2010-05-28 CA CA2764945A patent/CA2764945A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-05-28 US US13/376,441 patent/US20140001173A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (12)
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US20110303653A1 (en) * | 2010-06-14 | 2011-12-15 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Induction heating cooker and control method thereof |
US20170023260A1 (en) * | 2014-03-10 | 2017-01-26 | Eurokera S.N.C. | Glass-ceramic worktop |
US10794600B2 (en) * | 2014-03-10 | 2020-10-06 | Eurokera S.N.C. | Glass-ceramic worktop |
USD825734S1 (en) * | 2017-06-20 | 2018-08-14 | BSH Hausgeräte GmbH | Ventilation hood |
CN111336557A (en) * | 2020-03-05 | 2020-06-26 | 宁波方太厨具有限公司 | Range hood and control method thereof |
US20220003421A1 (en) * | 2020-07-01 | 2022-01-06 | E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau Gmbh | Cooktop and method for operating a cooktop and use of a cooktop for illuminating a space |
US11788729B2 (en) | 2020-11-10 | 2023-10-17 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Cooking appliance with integrated touch sensing controls |
US11486574B2 (en) | 2020-12-04 | 2022-11-01 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Gas cooking appliance with ignition position indicator |
US11639796B2 (en) | 2020-12-04 | 2023-05-02 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Gas cooking appliance with active igniter indicator |
US11441782B2 (en) | 2020-12-10 | 2022-09-13 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Cooking appliance user control integrated with rate of movement detection |
US11747022B2 (en) | 2021-09-30 | 2023-09-05 | Midea Group Co., Ltd. | Cooking appliance with unintentional control activation detection |
WO2023249219A1 (en) * | 2022-06-22 | 2023-12-28 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Light source and ventilation hood having same |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2010257658A1 (en) | 2012-01-12 |
AU2010257658B2 (en) | 2015-03-05 |
CN102803854A (en) | 2012-11-28 |
EP2261568A1 (en) | 2010-12-15 |
EP2261568B1 (en) | 2018-02-21 |
WO2010142542A2 (en) | 2010-12-16 |
CA2764945A1 (en) | 2010-12-16 |
WO2010142542A3 (en) | 2011-03-31 |
CN102803854B (en) | 2015-09-02 |
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