GB2169738A

GB2169738A - Control panel for a cooker

Info

Publication number: GB2169738A
Application number: GB08530027A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinrich Detterbeck; Julius Husslein
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-12-18
Filing date: 1985-12-05
Publication date: 1986-07-16
Also published as: FR2574907B1; FR2574907A1; GB8530027D0; GB2169738B; DE3446195A1; DE3446195C2

Abstract

In a household cooker with a baking oven and hot plates, several setting elements 10, 16, 17 and indicating elements 11, 13, 14, 15 are present on a common panel member 9. To facilitate operation of the setting elements and monitoring of the indicating element, an indicating field neighbouring the corresponding setting element is allocated for each operational function, functional course or setting value and the indicating fields of at least one region are arranged in an information row 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Control panel for a cooker The present invention relates to a control panel for a cooker with a baking oven and hot plates.

In known electrical cookers with a baking oven and with several hot plates arranged above the oven, for example in a cut-out of a kitchen worktop, a switch panel is arranged at, for example, the upper side of the stove and contains operating elements and indicating elements for all functions of the oven and hot plates of the cooker. The operating elements are rotary knobs, push buttons or the like, which are associated with corresponding indicating elements or identification carriers, which are emphasised optically during operation, for example by illumination. Also present in many cases is a time switch with corresponding setting elements and display. It is regarded in practice as a defect that the switch panel is not readily surveyable and usable due to the multiplicity of the operating and indicating elements.In particular, the operator has to make an effort to differentiate the operating and indicating elements and to associate them with the different operational functions particularly when a multiplicity of such functions is present as in the case of modern luxury cookers, for example functions such as air circulation, upper and lower heating, microwave, selfcleaning operation, time-switch operation and the like.

It would thus be desirable to provide a cooker control panel which, with constructional refinement, has improved ease of use and monitoring.

According to the present invention there is provided a control panel for a cooker with a baking oven and hot plates, the panel comprising a panel member, a first plurality of setting and indicating elements for oven control and operation and arranged in a first region of the panel member, the first plurality of elements comprising a respective indicating element for each of a plurality of indicatable oven operating and control parameters and each such indicating element being disposed adjacent to an associated setting element, and a second plurality of setting and indicating elements for hot plate control and operation and arranged in a second region of the panel member visually separated from the first region, the indicating elements of at least one of the first and second pluralities being arranged in a row to provide a linear data display.

Through the special arrangement of the setting and indicating elements within the panel, improved surveyability and ease of recognition may be obtained, in that indicating elements are combined into one information row. This row is preferably divided into several zones according to the different functions. This provides a particularly simple mode of construction. In particular, the indicating elements can be structured to be particularly simple; for example solid pointers, light pointers or the like, which are displaceable along the row, can be provided and can be operated by means of simple constructional elements, for example gear elements.In one preferred embodiment, a strip member, which is mechanically coupled with a rotatable setting element and is displaceable along the row, is provided with an indicating element in the form of a light conductor so as to serve as an indicating element.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a first control panel embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a second control panel embodying the present invention; Fig. 3 is a partly cut-away front elevation of part of the panel of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the panel part of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the panel part of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detail, to an enlarged scale, of the top portion of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a third control panel embodying the present invention; Fig. 8 is a schematic sectional view of the panel of Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view of part of the panel of Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a control panel 2 which is arranged at the upper front end of a cooker, for example built-in stove 1, and which possesses a planar panel surface 3 framed by a frame 4. Fig. 8 shows, in section, a similar such arrangement with panel surface 3 and the frame 4, wherein the frame has limbs 5, 6, 7 and 8, which are arranged in wedge shape one relative to the other and run in eyecatching manner towards the panel surface.

The panel surface 3 is formed by a partially transparent panel member 9 of, for example, plastics material. Arranged on the panel surface 3 are three setting elements 10 in the form of switch knobs, which are associated with immediately adjacent, substantially punctiform indicating elements or indicating fields 11. These setting elements 10 and indicating fields 11, which in the embodiment of Fig. 1 are arranged in the righthand half of the panel member 9, are functionally associated with the three hot plates of a cooker hob, which is arranged above the stove 1 or at the upper side of the stove 1 and not illustrated in the figures. Clearly distinguishable from the mentioned elements 10 and fields 11 is an information row 12 in the lefthand half of the panel member 9, which information row is functionally associated with the baking oven of the stove 1.The row 12 comprises a row of indicating elements or fields, such as the display 13 of, for example, an electronic timer, several rectangular indicating fields 14 (six in the illustrated embodiment) for different operational functions or functional courses of the baking oven such as "upper and lower heat", "automatic roasting", "circulating air operation with grill heater element switched on", "grilling" and the like, and an indicating field 15 for the indication of a set value, for example an operating temperature (200"C).

The row 12 furthermore comprises setting elements 16 in the form of push buttons which are associated with the indicating fields and arranged directly adjacent thereto. Immediately beside the indicating field 15 for a settable temperature, a cooking stock weight or the like, is a further setting element 17 in the form of a rotary knob which is coupled with an indicating disc 18, which is arranged behind the panel member 9 and on the periphery of which are applied markings to be displayed, for example different temperature values.

Through rotation of the setting element 17, the desired marking is disposed in the field 15. As already mentioned, the member 9 can consist of a plastics material plate, which is transparent only in the region of the indicating fields and which has clearly recognisable frames, for example 19, surrounding the indicating fields.

Fig. 2 shows only part of a control panel 2a with a panel member 9a. Here, too, an information row 12a is formed by a clock indicating field 13, several operational function indicating fields 14 and an indicating field 15 for the indication of set values, for example temperatures or weights. As Fig. 2 shows, the information row 12a is in this case clearly subdivided into zones 20, 21 and 22 for operational functions, functional courses or set values which are alike or of like kind. Thus, the zone 20 contains the clock display 13 as well as setting elements 16, arranged immediately thereunder, for this time switch or for the different functions of the time switch.The zone 21, which is arranged at a clear spacing from the zone 20, contains the indicating fields 14 for the different, previously-mentioned operational functions of the baking oven inclusive of a setting element 23 in the form of a rotary knob for these operational functions. The zone 22, again spaced in the row, contains the indicating field 15 for setting values which are variable or selectable by means of the setting element 24 in the form of a rotary knob, such as operating temperatures of the baking oven. By contrast to the embodiment of Fig. 1, the temperature values are not carried by a displaceable disc but are fixedly applied at the indicating field 15, for example through printing on the panel member 9a. As indicated in dashed lines, the setting elements 23 and 24 can also be arranged underneath the associated indicating fields.In like manner, the identifications or symbols for the different operational functions of the baking oven are, in this embodiment, printed on the member 9a within the indicating field 14, thus fixedly arranged. In this case, each setting element 23 and 24, constructed as a rotary knob, is coupled with an indicating element 25 and 26, respectively, in the form of an arrow, a light point or the like, displaceable along the associated zone 21 and 22. For this purpose, each of these indicating elements 25 and 26 is connected with an elongate strip member 27 and 28, respectively, as explained more closely by reference to Figs. 3 to 6.

Each member 27 and 28 is constructed as an elongate, straight toothed rack with toothing 29 and is so guided in a guide element 32 having two guide channels 30 and 31 as to be longitudinally displaceable along the information row or the zones 21 and 22. Fig. 6 shows a detail from the sectional side illustration of Fig. 5. An indicating device 25 or 26, which is, for example, constructed as lightconducting element or lens-like element, is connected by way of an L-shaped arm 33 or 34 with the associated member 27 or 28.

This indicating device is disposed in immediate proximity of the panel member 9a. One, two or several light reflectors 35 with associated light sources 36 is or are disposed along the row 12a. The strip members 27 and 28 constructed as toothed racks are gear-coupled with the associated setting elements 23 and 24, which for this purpose are provided with driving pinions 37 and 38. Each setting element has a shaft 41 or 42 which is connected with an electrical switch element 39 or 40 and on which the driving pinion 37 or 38 is fastened. As the figures show, the members 27 and 28 are arranged and guided parallelly one directly adjacent to the other.

Through rotation of the setting elements 23 and 24, the associated indicating device can, through appropriate displacement of the associated strip members, be reset to the desired operational function or to the corresponding indicating field 14 or to the desired setting value within the indicating field 15. By means of the resetting, the selected operational function or setting value, for example temperature, is set by way of the associated switch elements 39 and 40 and, for example, by way of a control device arranged downstream thereof.

The panel member 9b according to Fig. 7 basically agrees with that of Fig. 1 and reference is therefore made to Fig. 1 and the preceding description. The only significant difference from Fig. 1 is that the setting element 17, constructed as rotary knob, is coupled in terms of gearing by way of a toothed disc 43 at the switch shaft of the setting element 17 and by way of a toothed pinion 44 with an indicating roller 18', which by contrast to Fig.

1 faces the indicating field 15 not by an end face, but by the curved roller envelope surface 45. Setting identifications, for example numbers for temperature values or other symbols, are applied, for example printed, to the circumference of the roller 18', i.e. on the surface 45.

Claims

1. A control panel for a cooker with a baking oven and hot plates, the panel comprising a panel member, a first plurality of setting and indicating elements for oven control and operation and arranged in a first region of the panel member, the first plurality of elements comprising a respective indicating element for each of a plurality of indicatable oven operating and control parameters and each such indicating element being disposed adjacent to an associated setting element, and a second plurality of setting and indicating elements for hot plate control and operation and arranged in a second region of the panel member visually separated from the first region, the indicating elements of at least one of the first and second pluralities being arranged in a row to provide a linear data display.

2. A control panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicating elements of said row are arranged in spaced apart zones in the row, the indicating element or elements in each zone being arranged to provide indications connected with the same operating or control parameter or with similar such parameters.

3. A control panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein setting elements associated with the indicating elements of said row are arranged in the spaces between the zones.

4. A control panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the setting elements is connected by way of electrical or electronic means to electrically actuable indicating means of the associated indicating element.

5. A control panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the indicating elements of said row occupies an elongate region in the row and the setting element associated with the indicating element or elements in that region is drivingly coupled to a marker element movable along the region.

6. A control panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the marker element is carried by a strip member which is mechanically coupled to said associated setting element and displaceable by rotation of the setting element.

7. A control panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the strip member is provided with a rack toothing which is in mesh with a pinion of the rotatable setting element.

8. A control panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one further one of the indicating elements of said row occupies a further such elongate region and the setting element associated with the indicating element or elements in that further region is drivably coupled to a further such marker element movable along the further region, the marker element being carried by a further such strip member which is arranged in a plane adjacent and substantially parallel to a plane containing the first-mentioned strip member and which is provided with a rack toothing in mesh with a pinion of the respective setting element.

9. A control panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the setting elements is connected to a disc with a plurality of markings and is rotatable to selectively dispose the markings in a viewing field of an associated one or associated ones of the indicating elements.

10. A control panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the indicating elements carries a marking denoting an operating or control parameter.

11. A control panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least some of the indicating elements are provided by transparent portions of the panel member and by light-emitting means actuable to illuminate said portions, symbols indicative of oven or hot plate operating functions being disposed on said portions.

12. A control panel as claimed in claim 11, the light-emitting means being movable between said portions.

13. A control panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a frame surrounding the panel member and having surfaces extending obliquely forwardly and outwardly from a front face of the panel member.

14. A control member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A control member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 2 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A control member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A cooker comprising a baking oven, hot plates and a control panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.