EP2040004B1 - Cooking apparatus, in particular a cooktop - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance and in particular a hob.

The present invention is particularly aimed at displaying parameters associated with cooking hobs of cooking appliances.

A cooking appliance comprises a portion dedicated to cooking hobs and a portion dedicated to control means for each cooking zone.

Display means are generally located on the control portion to allow the user to check, for example, the start-up of a fireplace, the power set, as well as the residual heat of a fireplace. Cooking.

The use of a cooking appliance thus requires identifying on the control part of the cooking appliance, the display means associated with each cooking zone.

In general, this identification is carried out using a symbolic located on the control part of the cooking appliance.

The document DE 19953100 describes a cooking appliance comprising several cooking hobs on a worktop and a display module mounted at a peripheral wall of the worktop.

This way of identifying the correspondence between a home and its associated display means is not very ergonomic.

Thus, the identification of the display means associated with a home is not necessarily intuitive and may lead to control errors, such as lighting a fireplace different from that on which the cooking vessel is located. .

The document EP 1 213 543 describes a hob having three cooking hobs and associated display means respectively.

The display means are located near each home so that the user easily identifies the fireplace used. These display means represent the power level established for the corresponding cooking zone.

Nevertheless, the display means, being located near the cooking stoves, may be thermally disturbed by the heat generated by the cooking stoves. In addition, in the case of induction heaters, the display means may be disturbed electromagnetically magnetically.

This can lead to malfunction or even failure of the display modules, if the display modules are not properly insulated from the hobs or properly cooled, for example, by ventilation systems.

The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide a cooking appliance having display means which are not disturbed by the use of cooking hobs.

For this purpose, the present invention is directed to a cooking appliance, in particular a hob, comprising at least one cooking hearth in a hob, peripheral walls surrounding said hob, and at least one mounted display module at the level of a peripheral wall.

According to the invention, the center of symmetry of each cooking zone is aligned with the center of symmetry of a display module arranged facing the cooking zone, the straight line joining the centers of symmetry being parallel to a peripheral wall .

Thus, the display module is far enough away from the cooking chamber and is not disturbed by the heat it releases.

With this organized arrangement of display modules in relation to cooking stoves, the user visually identifies the display module associated with each cooking stove in an easy and intuitive manner.

According to a preferred characteristic, the cooking appliance comprising several cooking hobs in a hob comprises several modules. display mounted at the peripheral walls and arranged respectively opposite cooking hobs.

Thus, it is possible to associate a display module with a cooking stove and easily locate the associated cooking.

In practice, at least one peripheral wall comprises an opening and a display module is integrated in the opening.

Therefore, it is possible to install the display module easily, making only an opening on the peripheral walls, without further modification of the cooking appliance.

Preferably, the display module (s) are mounted at the level of the lateral peripheral walls.

Thus, the display modules are located respectively close to the cooking stoves, on the sides of the appliance, leaving room for the control panel to be placed close to a front edge of the cooking appliance in front of which is the user.

In practice, each display module comprises a light guide housing and an electronic card comprising lighting means.

Thus, the propagation of light being limited to a surface determined by the housing of the display module, the visual rendering is clear.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description below.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique illustrant une table de cuisson avec plaque de cuisson ôtée selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention ; et
• la figure 2 est une vue éclatée d'un module d'affichage utilisé dans un appareil de cuisson conforme à l'invention.

In the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples:

• the figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating a hob with a hob removed according to one embodiment of the invention; and
• the figure 2 is an exploded view of a display module used in a cooking appliance according to the invention.

We will first describe with reference to the figure 1 , a hob according to one embodiment of the invention.

The hob 1 comprises for example three cooking hobs 2 in a hob, arranged in a known manner under a glass-ceramic plate (not shown in FIG. figure 1 ).

The fires 3 are constituted here of induction heating means.

Of course, other types of heating means may be employed, such as radiant or halogen heating means.

The hob 1 comprises control means 3 of the hobs 2.

The hob further comprises at least one residual heat indicator (not shown in the figure) placed near the control means 3 of the cooking hobs 2.

The residual heat indicator is formed of a light pad having for example a shape of 'H' (first letter of the English word " hot ").

The hobs 2, the control means 3 and the other conventional elements of the hob necessary for its operation, are arranged on a housing 4.

The hob 1 has four peripheral walls 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d which surround the hob. Here, these peripheral walls 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d are peripheral walls of the casing 4 which extends under the cooking plane.

Thus, the hob 1 comprises a housing 4, under the hob, formed of a bottom and the peripheral walls 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d surrounding the hob 1a.

These peripheral walls 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d are composed of a front peripheral wall 5a, two lateral peripheral walls 5b, 5c and a peripheral wall at the rear 5d.

Here, the casing 4 has a substantially rectangular shape.

In this embodiment, the control module 3 is located near the front peripheral wall 5a. This front peripheral wall 5a is the wall which defines the front edge of the hob 1, in front of which is placed the user of the hob 1.

The hob 1 comprises display modules 6 of the parameters associated with the hobs 2. Here, these display modules 6 are three in number, coinciding with the number of cooking hobs 2.

In this embodiment, the display modules 6 are mounted at the side peripheral walls 5b, 5c.

Thus, since the display modules 6 are arranged at the level of the peripheral walls 5b, 5c, they are not disturbed thermally or electromagnetically in the case of the induction heating means, by the cooking hobs 2.

On the other hand, the control module 3 is positioned close to the front peripheral wall 5a, which is the most ergonomic arrangement for the user.

In addition, the hob 1 is barely modified when one proceeds to the installation of the display modules 6, as they are arranged at the periphery of the hob 1.

Each display module 6 is associated with a cooking zone 2 and thus disposed opposite the associated cooking zone 2.

With this arrangement, the user of the hob 1 can easily identify, for example, the cooking zone 2 activated, or the state of each cooking zone 2 by means of a single look.

This arrangement of the display module 6 near the cooking chamber 2 makes the hob 1 ergonomic.

In addition, the security is improved as soon as we know the cooking stove 2 used, thus avoiding, for example, to turn on a cooking stove 2 that we do not wish to light, or to believe a home 2 off while lit.

In this embodiment, the hob 1 comprises at least one display module 6 adapted to represent the power level of a cooking chamber 2 disposed opposite.

In the same way, the hob 1 comprises at least one display module 6 adapted to represent the residual heat of a cooking chamber 2 disposed opposite.

These features will be described in more detail below.

The figure 1 is an exploded view of a hob 1 according to the invention, the display modules 6 are not mounted.

As will be described in more detail below, each display module includes a light guide housing and an electronic board having illumination means.

When the display modules 6 are mounted at the side peripheral walls 5b, 5c, the housing 10 extends parallel to the peripheral wall at which it is mounted and the electronic card 11 is located parallel to the bottom of the housing 4 in a plane perpendicular to the peripheral wall, the housing 10 forming a light guide towards the hob.

In addition, the center of symmetry of the cooking chamber O1 is aligned with the center of symmetry of the associated display module 02, so that the straight line I joining the two centers of symmetry O1, O2 is parallel to the peripheral wall frontal 5a and thus, perpendicular to the lateral peripheral walls 5b, 5c.

With this arrangement between the cooking chamber 2 and the display module 6, it is easy to visually associate a fireplace and its display module.

Of course, other embodiments are possible, for example two or more display modules 6 may be associated with the same cooking zone 2, or a display module 6 may be associated with several cooking stoves 2 .

The peripheral walls, and in this embodiment, the lateral peripheral walls comprise openings made in the walls, in which the display modules 6 are integrated respectively.

Here, these openings 7 have a rectangular notch shape, and have a size substantially equal to the display modules 6.

The display modules 6 are respectively integrated in the openings 7 made on the lateral peripheral walls 5b, 5c and bear against the bottom of the casing 4.

In this embodiment, the three openings 7 have a similar size and shape.

Nevertheless, it is possible that the openings 7 have different sizes and shapes to each other.

Furthermore, the hob 1 comprises elastic support means 25 arranged between the bottom of the housing 4 and the housing 10 of the display module 6.

Here, these elastic support means 25 are constituted by a silicone spacer.

Thus, when the display modules 6 are mounted under the glass-ceramic plate, it is possible to eliminate the gaps that may appear between the bottom of the casing 4 and the glass-ceramic plate.

We will then describe with reference to the figure 2 a display module 6 according to the invention.

A display module 6 comprises a housing 10 and an electronic card 11.

The housing 10 consists of two parts, a base 10a and a cover 10b.

The base 10a of the housing 10 has an upper inner face 12, a lower inner face 13 and an intermediate inner face 14. The upper 12 and lower 13 inner faces lie in parallel planes in this embodiment. The intermediate inner face 14 is located between the upper inner face 12 and the lower inner face 13, in a plane perpendicular to the planes in which the upper and lower inner faces 12 and 13 are located.

A first longitudinal edge 14a of the intermediate inner face 14 is connected to the lower edge 12a of the upper inner face 12. A second longitudinal edge 14b of the intermediate inner face 14 is connected to the upper edge 13a of the lower inner face 13.

The base 10a of the housing 10 comprises at least one light guide part 15. This light guide piece 15 is formed by two plates 16a, 16b disposed on the upper inner face 12 in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the inner face is located. superior 12.

The lower ends 16a1, 16b1 of the plates 16a, 16b are closer together than the upper ends 16a2, 16b2.

In this embodiment, the number of light guide pieces 15 is three. Of course, this number can be variable.

The housing cover 10b is a part adapted to cooperate with the base 10a of the housing 10, so as to be fixed to the base 10a in order to form the housing 10.

Here, the fixing means of the housing 10 are clips.

The base 10a of the housing 10 has an edge piece 17 positioned on the upper inner face 12. This edge piece 17 has a rectangular shape and regularly has projecting portions 17a located on the upper end 16b2 of the light guide plates 16a. , 16b.

Between two protruding portions 17a consecutive, there is a recess 17b.

Each projecting portion has upper hooks 17c.

The base 10a of the housing 10 further comprises intermediate hooks 18 and lower 19.

The intermediate hooks 18 are positioned on the upper inner face 12 in a plane perpendicular to it and parallel to the intermediate inner face 14.

Here, the intermediate hooks 18 are two in number.

The lower hooks 19 are positioned projecting with respect to the lower inner face 13 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the lower inner face 13.

Each lower hook 19 comprises a first part 19a adapted to cooperate with the housing cover 10b when fixing the cover 10b to the base 10a, and a second part 19b adapted to fix the display module 6 to the housing 4 of the table cooking 1.

In this embodiment, the elastic support means 25 are arranged around the second part 19b of the lower hook 19 located substantially in the middle of the display module 6.

Of course, the elastic support means 25 may also be arranged around the other lower hooks 19.

The housing cover 10 has upper slots 20, intermediate 21 and lower 22, adapted to cooperate respectively with the upper hooks 17c, intermediate 18 and lower 19, when the cover 10b and the base 10a of the housing 10 are fixed together.

Of course, the fastening means between the base 10a and the cover 10b may be different. For example, they can be screwed or glued together.

The display module 6 further comprises an electronic card 11. This electronic card 11 comprises lighting means 23. Here, the lighting means comprise a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

In this embodiment, the number of light-emitting diodes 23 coincides with the number of light guide parts 15.

Thus, in this embodiment, the light-emitting diodes 23 are in number of three. Each diode 23 is of a different color. For example, a first diode 23 is yellow, a second orange and a third red. The yellow diode is the power level of the minimum focus, the orange is the medium level and the red is the maximum level.

Of course, the light emitting diodes 23 may be different in number and have other colors.

Once the display module is mounted, the electronic card 11 is arranged between the base 10a and the cover 10b of the housing 10, in a plane perpendicular to the lateral peripheral walls 5b, 5c, and positioned in extension of the intermediate inner face 14 of the base of the case.

Each light-emitting diode 23 is thus disposed in each light guide piece 15 between its two plates 16a and 16b.

Thus, when the light-emitting diode 23 is lit, the light emitted is guided by the light guide formed by the light guide piece 15, the upper inner face 12 of the base 10b of the casing 10 and the lid 10b of the casing 10.

Finally, the display module comprises at least one lens 24. In this embodiment, the lenses are three in number, coinciding with the number of light-emitting diodes 23 and the number of light-guiding parts 15.

Of course, the number of diodes 23 (and light guide parts 15) is variable. This number may vary for example according to the power levels delivered by the associated cooking zone 2.

The lenses 24 are frosted lenses, the purpose of which is to diffuse the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes 23.

Each lens 24 is located in each recess 17b of the edge piece 17 of the base 10a of the housing 10.

The lid 10b of the casing 10 is thus pressed against the edge piece 17 and the lenses 24.

Thus, in this embodiment, the lens 24 has a shape and size adapted to fill the empty space formed by the recess 17b of the edge piece 17 and the lid 10b of the housing.

In this embodiment, the lens 24, once inserted into the recess 17b, remains locked when the upper hooks 17 are attached to the upper notches 20.

Of course, the lens 24 may have different shapes and sizes.

Of course, ideally, the empty space formed by the recess 17b of the edge piece 17 and the lid 10b of the casing 10 are substantially of the same shape and size as those of the lens, as described above. for this embodiment.

Each electronic card 11 of each display module is connected to a control card (not shown in the figures) of the hob 1.

The control board is also connected to the control module 3 and to each power board adapted to adjust the power level of each cooking zone 2.

This control card comprises, in known manner, a microprocessor adapted to process the information from the control module 3, and thus turn on, turn off or adjust the power level of each cooking zone 2, and therefore the lighting of electroluminescent diodes 23 of the display module 6 associated with the cooking hobs 2, as a function of the control performed by the user of the table.

Thus, when the user controls the ignition of a cooking zone 2, the associated display module 6 represents the power level of this fireplace 2.

The light intensity of the light-emitting diodes 23 varies with the power demanded by the user. In general, the light intensity increases as the power demanded by the user increases.

For example, in this embodiment, the power of a cooking hearth 2 varies from a level 1 to a level 13, the level 1 corresponding to the minimum power and the level 13 to the maximum power.

The yellow LED illuminates with minimum brightness when the user requests a power level 1 and 2, with average brightness when it requires a power level 3 and 4, and with maximum brightness when it requires a level of power 5 and 6.

In the same way, the orange diode illuminates (the yellow diode remains on with the maximum brightness) with a minimum brightness when the user requests a power level 7, with an average brightness when it requires a power level 8 and 9, and with maximum brightness when it requests a power level 10.

Finally, the red LED illuminates (the yellow and orange diodes remain lit with the maximum brightness) with a minimum brightness when the user requests a power level 11, with an average brightness when it requires a power level 12 and with maximum brightness when it requires a power level 13.

This example is in no way limiting.

In another embodiment, the diodes 23 may all be of the same color, for example red. Thus, the power level is indicated by the successive illumination of the diodes 23.

Note that each diode 23 may have several levels of brightness to distinguish successive power levels without having to turn on a second diode 23.

In addition, when the user controls the extinction of a fireplace, the display module 6 associated with this fireplace represents the residual heat of the fireplace.

In this embodiment, when the fireplace 2 is off, but its temperature is greater than or equal to 50 °, the red diode 23 with a maximum brightness flashes and the residual heat indicator located near the control means 3 of the cooking hobs 2 is on. When the temperature of the hearth 2 is lower than 50 °, the diode 23 and the residual heat indicator go out.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control card is located substantially in the center of the hob 1.

Thus, the length of the cables connecting each display module 6 and the control card is optimized. In addition, the length of the cables does not depend on the display module to be connected, thus allowing the use of cables of the same length.

These two characteristics are especially advantageous for the construction of the hob 1.

Thus, thanks to the present invention, it is possible to easily locate the fireplace used, without the display modules are disturbed by the use of cooking stoves.

Furthermore, it is possible to install these display modules easily at the peripheral walls, by means of a simple modification of the peripheral walls and without any other modification of the hob.

In addition, the display modules can be installed in hobs with different heating means, for example, induction, radiant, halogen or gas.

Of course, many modifications can be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, several display modules can be associated with a single cooking zone, or a single display module can be associated with several cooking stoves.

Furthermore, the hob can have different geometric shapes, such as, for example, circular or oval.

Claims (10)

1. A cooking apparatus, in particular a cooktop, comprising at least one hot plate (2) in a cooking surface, peripheral walls (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) surrounding said cooking surface, and at least one display module (6) mounted at the location of a peripheral wall (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d), characterized in that the center of symmetry (O1) of said at least one hot plate is aligned with the center of symmetry (02) of a display module disposed opposite said hot plate (2), the straight line (1) meeting said centers of symmetry being parallel to a peripheral wall (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d).
2. A cooking apparatus in accordance with claim 1 comprising several hot plates (2) in a cooking surface (1a), characterized in that it comprises several display modules (6) mounted at the location of the peripheral walls (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) and respectively disposed opposite the hot plates (2).
3. A cooking apparatus according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one peripheral wall (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) comprises an opening (7) and in that a display module (6) is integrated in said opening (7).
4. A cooking apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display module or modules (6) are mounted at the location of the lateral peripheral walls (5b, 5c).
5. A cooking apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each display module (6) comprises a casing (10) forming a light guide and an electronic card (11) comprising illuminating means (23).
6. A cooking apparatus in accordance with claim 5 comprising a housing (4) under the cooking surface (1a), formed from a bottom and peripheral walls (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) surrounding said cooking surface (1a), characterized in that said casing (10) extends parallel to the peripheral wall (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) at the location of which it is mounted and said electronic card (11) is situated parallel to the bottom of said housing (4), in a plane (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) perpendicular to said peripheral wall, the casing (10) forming a light guide towards the cooking surface (1 a).
7. A cooking apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises elastic support means (25) disposed between the bottom of the housing (4) and said casing (10) of the display module (6).
8. A cooking apparatus according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the illuminating means (23) comprise several light-emitting diodes.
9. A cooking apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said at least one display module (6) is adapted to represent the power level of a hot plate (2) disposed opposite.
10. A cooking apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said at least one display module (6) is adapted to represent the residual heat of a hot plate (2) disposed opposite.

Images