US3318280A

US3318280A - Plural dial range indicator

Info

Publication number: US3318280A
Application number: US356512A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert D Hodgson
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1964-04-01
Filing date: 1964-04-01
Publication date: 1967-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-09

Description

May 9, 1967 R. D. HODGSON 3,318,280 PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR Filed April 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 72 /06 68 68 4 66 7/6 //4 //8 707 21 21 l v I. #7; V IZZ 0 /Z0 INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HODGSON A TT'ORNE Y y 1967 R. o. HODGSON PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1, 1964 I I I I l I I I I l I I I I I I I I I I I I I l I INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HODGSON ATTORNEY y 1967 R. D. HODGSON 3,318,280

PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR Filed April 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Tl I BLTJ Y INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HODGSON ATTORNEY M y 1967 R. D. HODGSON PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR Filed April 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ROBE/PT D. HODGSON BY 6 g ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,318,280 Patented May 9, 1967 3,318,280 PLURAL DIAL RANGE INDICATOR Robert D. Hodgson, Bloomfield Hills, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 356,512 2 Claims. (Cl. 116-124) This invention relates to domestic appliances and more particularly to improvements in illuminated control panels for association with such appliances.

It is desirable in illuminated control panels for domestic appliances that the presettable dial components thereof, or the like, be located in a common field of vision whereby a user of the device can readily determine the operative state thereof.

In arrangements where the component parts of the control panel are arranged in such a common field of Vision, however, it is found that the indicia carrying components of the control panel are overilluminated or washed out, thereby making it difficult to determine whether certain parts of the device are, for example, on or off or at a particular intermediately controlled state between on and off.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve control panels for association with operable devices such as domestic appliances by the provision of a plurality of light-transmittable indicia carrying means arranged in a common field of vision with respect to a common source of illumination and means for directing light from the common source to sharply illuminate individual indicia carrying means without overilluminating other of the indicia carrying means to assure a reliable indication of the operative state of a device associated with the control panel.

A further object of the present invention is to improve compact control panel arrangements for association with domestic appliances having an upper, horizontally disposed surface by the provision of a plurality of indicia carrying control dials arranged in a common viewing field through a horizontally disposed window wherein each of the control dials is illuminated from a common source and is characterized by its ability to selectively indicate a particular condition of a component part of the device operatively associated therewith without confiicting with the indication on a like dial component and wherein means are provided rearwardly of the horizontal viewing window for directing light from the single source of illumination across the horizontal upper surfaceof the domestic appliance.

A further object of the present invention is to improve control panels for association with domestic appliances and the like by the provision of an improved control dial having an outer ring portion made opaque and transparent in a predetermined manner for concentrating light from a source of illumination at an indicia carrying arcu ate peripheral surface thereon and wherein the outer ring is adapted to be supported on a rotatable spindle by means of a central hub and disc integrally formed with the outer ring.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a built-in cooking top and oven arrangement including the control panel of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top elevational view of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view, partially broken away and partially sectioned, of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken substantial-1y along the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of a battle element located interiorly of the control panel.

Referring noW to the drawings, in FIGURE 1, a built-in cooking top and oven combination 10 is illustrated having a horizontal top surface 12 with a plurality of surface cooking units therein representative- -ly illustrated as being spirally coiled, tubular sheathed electrical heating elements 14. At the front of the top surface 12 is located an elongated horizontally disposed viewing window 16 of a suitable transparent material directed across the width of the unit 10 to serve as the viewing field for suitable indicia carrying components in a compact range control panel or assembly 18 constructed in accordance with principles of the present invention.

It should be understood that the improved control panel 18, while being especially suited for association with the built-in cooking top and oven arrangement illustrated, is equally suitable for use in association with other domestic appliances or devices having operative components requiring visual indication of how they are being controlled. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a timer control assembly 22 is located on one side of the assembly 18 which has a front panel 20 located above an oven having an access opening thereto closed by a downwardly swinging door closure 24.

The front panel 20, may for example, be formed as an integral part of a sheet metal outer housing or cabinet 26 including suitable side walls, a front and a rear wall for forming a support for the top cooking surface 12 and to define the oven cavity. An elongated, rectangularly-shaped frame 28 supported across the top of the front panel 20 is secured thereto by suitable means and includes

elongated slots

30, 32 on either side thereof for supportingly receiving the front and rear edges of the window 16 which, along with the front panel 20 and side walls of the sheet metal outer housing 26, serve to define the enclosure for the dial portions of the improved control panel 18.

Across the outer face of the front panel 20 are located a plurality of manually rotatable control knobs 34 of switch means (not shown) for controlling the energization of the illustrated surface units 14 in a desired manner. Each of the control knobs 34, more particularly, is secured to a spindle 36 having one end thereof directed through the front panel 20 and supported thereon !by a sleeve bearing element 38 and having the extending, for example, from the side wall portions of the outer housing 26 at a point located rearwardly of the front panel 20. Each of the spindles 36 has a hub 44 fixedly secured thereto by suitable means, for example, a'set screw 46, and hub 44 includes a radially outwardly directed flange at one end thereof that is fastened to a control dial 48 by suitable means such as a screw 50. 7

Each dial 48 is constructed of a suitable light-transmitting plastic material and includes a centralvhub portion 52 to which the hub 44 is secured by screw 50 and a radially outwardly directed disc portion 54 that supports an outer ring portion 56 for rotation within thev control panel enclosure. A rear face 58 on the control dial 48 passes during the rotation thereof with respect to an opening 60 formed in an opaque plate or bafile 62 extending across the full width of the illustrated appliance so as to separate the plurality of dials 48 from an illuminated space or compartment 63 located immediately rearwardly thereof. The plate 62 includes a suitable opening 64 at each of the dials for receiving the attachment hub 44 on the spindle 36 and each end of the plate is supported by suitable means to a suitable fixed support, for example, the side walls of the outer housing 26.

An elongated horizontally-extending baffle 66 is located between the front panel 20 and rear bafile 62 across the width of the control panel in which the dials 48 are located and, as best illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, the panel 66 is shaped as a plurality of horizontal portions 68 joining a pair of spaced vertically-extending portions 70 to fill the upper space between adjacent control dials 48. The horizontal portions 68 form a plurality of spaced horizontal openings 72 each of which receives a limited arcuate segment 74 of one of the dials 48 directed upwardly for viewing through the window 16. The horizontal and

vertical portions

68, 70 of panel 66, as illustrated, serve to separate the exposed arcuate portions on the individual dials one from the other and also to separate such arcuate portions from the illuminated compartment 63 of the control panel.

The relationship between the dials 48, rear panel or baflle 62 and upper baffle 66 is best illustrated in FIG- URE 3 which is broken away and partially sectioned to bring out these details.

One feature of the present invention is that the 111118? trated dial arrangement is illuminated by a single light source located behind the rear baffle 62 by the transmission of light through the plurality of arcuately-shaped openings 60 in the panel 62 and thence through the transparent rear face 58 of the dials 48 to the exposed arcuate segment 74 thereon included in the field of vision through the window 16.

In accordance with certain principles of the present invention, the transparent plastic dial 48 is coated with a suitable light reflective, opaque material, for example, white paint 75, at the inner peripheral surface 76 of the outer ring 56 and at the rear surface 78 f the disc 54. The rear surface 58 of the ring 56 is clear except where it is desirable to have an off position or the like.

at which, point the face is made opaque by suitable means such as black paint or the like. By virtue of this arrangement, light directed through the plurality of openings 60 will be reflected by the white, opaque surface of paint 75 through the outer periphery so as to sharply illuminate the arcuate segment 74 viewed through the window 16 by concentrating light at this point. The opacity of the paint 75 will additionally prevent undesirable light absorption and transmission from the outer ring 56 of the dial 48 to other parts of the control panel interior.

By virtue of the arrangement of the upper panel 66 above the dial units 48 and the light-directing characteristics of the rear baffie 62, each of the individual dial units 48 is readily distinguishable one from the other and will effectively stand out as a sharply illuminated rectangle in the general field of vision through window 16 whereby suitable indicia painted on the outer periphery of each dial will clearly and distinctly stand out to enable a user of the apparatus to quickly and accurately determine the operative condition of the component parts thereof.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the single source of illumination is representatively illustrated as including an elongated fluorescent tube 80 directed across the width of the apparatus rearwardly of the control panel 18 where terminal ends 82 thereon are electrically connected in suitable electrical outlets 84 fixedly secured to suitable support means, for example, the bracket 42,'by means of depending brackets 86.

Another feature of the improved control panel arrangement 18 is the provision of means therein for directing light from the single source of illumination to the upper surface of the associated appliance, for example, the cooking top 12. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, this means comprises an elongated cover panel 88 for closing an opening 90 in the cooking top 12 extending across the width thereof rearwardly of the plurality of control dials 48. The panel 88 has the front edge thereof fixedly secured to a pivotal bearing element 92 and a rear edge 94 having suitable depressions 96 therein for moving the panel 88 about the pivot defined by element 92 into a raised position, best illustrated in FIGURE 4, where the panel 88 is supported at each end thereof by an arm 98 having the opposite ends thereof pivotally secured to the panel 88 and a suitable fixed bracket 100 on the side walls of outer cabinet 26, respectively. Each arm 98 is retained in the raised position by being snapped in a detent on bracket 100. Across the underside of the rear of the panel 88 depends a window 102 of a suitable transparent plastic or the like held in place at either end thereof by suitable bracket means 104. When the panel 88 is raised, the window 102 serves to transmit light from the fluorescent tube 80 across the cooking top 12 to illuminate articles thereon.

Yet another feature of the illustrated embodiment of the invention is that the single source of illumination also serves to illuminate indicia in the timer mechanism 22 and the indicia are located to be visible through the common field of vision defined by window 16. Accordingly, the present invention presents an unclutered clock face 106 in the timer mechanism 22 serving solely to indicate time. More particularly, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, in the vicinity of the timer mechanism 22, an extension 107 of the rear bafiie or panel 62'has an opening 108 formed therein through which light from the fluorescent tube 80 is directed to be reflected off a reflective surface, for example, a layer of white paint 110 on the rear surface of an extension 112 of front panel 20 to illuminate the face of an hours to cook indicia carrying dial 114, a time for oven shutoff dial 116, and a sixty-minute timer dial 118 having the indicia thereon viewable through spaced quarter moon-shaped openings 120 formed'in the rear baflle extension 107. An image of the indicia on the

spaced dials

114, 116, 118 is reflected upwardly by a mirror 122 representatively illustrated as being inclined at a 45 angle with respect to the illustrated mounting of the dials so as to be clearly visible through the upper horizontal viewing window 16 along with the indicia carrying arcuate surfaces 74 of the control dials 48.

Three control knobs 124 are directed through the front,

panel extension 112 and :a glass face 126 protecting the hands on the clock face 106. Each of the knobs 124 is manually. rotatable and operatively associated with a suitable gear train 128 for effecting a predetermined setti g Of the indiciaicarrying dials 114, 1 16, 118 connected thereto, with it being understood that suitable means can be operatively associated with the linkage 128 for effecting a predetermined setting of the operative parts of a timer control mechanism, the outline of which is illustrated in phantom at 130 in FIGURE 4. Another feature of the illustrated arrangement is that the handcarrying shaft 132 of the clock that is directed through the interior of the control panel is made of a suitable transparent material so that the image from the dial 114- will be completely reflected to the viewing window 16 from mirror 122.

The improved compact control panel assembly set forth above thereby arranges multiple dial carrying indicia such as are found on a domestic appliance or the like to be quickly and distinctly viewed in a common field of vision and also serves to illuminate a top surface of the appliance.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a cooking appliance, an outer cabinet including a horizontal upper cooking surface, enclosure means located at the top front of said outer cabinet, said enclosure means including a front panel and a rear baffle plate, a plurality of light transparent indicator dials, means for rotatably supporting each of said dials in spaced relationship to one another between said front panel and said rear baflle plate of said enclosure means, each of said dials having an outer ring portion thereon forming an outer peripheral surface with indicia thereon, means forming an elongated horizontally disposed window in said enclosure means overlying each of said dials for viewing the indicia on each of the peripheral surfaces thereof, means forming a plurality of spaced openings in said rear bafile plate, each of said dials being located in line and forwardly of one of said rear bafile plate openings, a light source within said outer cabinet and located rearwardly of said rear baffle plate in line with each of said spaced apart baffle plate openings, said outer ring portion of each of said dials including an angular rear surface covering one of said bafile plate openings, each of said rear surfaces on said ring portions receiving light from one of said openings and directing it through said ring portion for illuminating indicia on the outer peripheral portion on each of said dials, and means including a horizontal bafile disposed between said front panel and said rear bafiie including spaced apart upwardly facing openings therein, each of said upwardly facing openings being located about a portion of an upper segment of the outer peripheral portion of one of said dials, said horizontal baffle and said rear baflle shielding said light source from view through said horizontal window and separating each of said dials from one another as viewed through said horizontal window to maintain a clear differentiation between lighted indicia on the outer peripheral portion of each of said indicator dials.

2. In a cooking appliance, an outer cabinet including an upper horizontal work surface, enclosure means located at the top front of said outer cabinet, said enclosure means including an elongated horizontally disposed upper window therein, a plurality of spaced apart indicating dials, means for supporting said indicating dials within said control panel for visual observation through said horizontally disposed upper window, a light source within said outer cabinet located below said horizontal work surface and rearwardly of said viewing Window in line with each of said indicator dials for illuminating said dials, means forming an elongated opening in said horizontal work surface rearwardly of said upper window, said opening overlying said light source, means including an elongated movable panel for closing said opening, means for supporting said panel on said Work surface for movement from a closed position to a raised position above said horizontal work surface, and means on the underside of said movable panel for directing light from the source of light through said work surface opening and across the horizontal work surface of the outer cabinet when said movable panel is raised therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,339,904 1/ 1944 Almquist 2402.1 2,607,316 8/1952 Mayer 116129 2,607,870 8/1952 Sheidler 200-167 2,640,144 5/1953 Levy 2402.1 2,701,541 2/1955 Miller et a1 116124 2,737,146 3/1956 Philipp 1l6-124 2,737,573 3/1956 Olthuis 2402.1 2,742,015 4/1956 Hoyle 116124 2,887,086 5/1959 Boldt et al. 1l6124 2,889,800 6/1959 Schroeder 116124 2,918,555 12/1959 Lindberg 200167 3,083,272 3/1963 Stolle 20038 3,114,824 12/1963 Detterbeck et al. 219-37 3,221,161 11/1965 Hodgson 240-21 LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A COOKING APPLIANCE, AN OUTER CABINET INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL UPPER COOKING SURFACE, ENCLOSURE MEANS LOCATED AT THE TOP FRONT OF SAID OUTER CABINET, SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING A FRONT PANEL AND A REAR BAFFLE PLATE, A PLURALITY OF LIGHT TRANSPARENT INDICATOR DIALS, MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING EACH OF SAID DIALS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER BETWEEN SAID FRONT PANEL AND SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATE OF SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS, EACH OF SAID DIALS HAVING AN OUTER RING PORTION THEREON FORMING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE WITH INDICIA THEREON, MEANS FORMING AN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WINDOW IN SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS OVERLYING EACH OF SAID DIALS FOR VIEWING THE INDICIA ON EACH OF THE PERIPHERAL SURFACES THEREOF, MEANS FORMING A PLURALITY OF SPACED OPENINGS IN SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATE, EACH OF SAID DIALS BEING LOCATED IN LINE AND FORWARDLY OF ONE OF SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATE OPENINGS, A LIGHT SOURCE WITHIN SAID OUTER CABINET AND LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID REAR BAFFLE PLATE IN LINE WITH EACH OF SAID SPACED APART BAFFLE PLATE OPENINGS, SAID OUTER RING PORTION OF EACH OF SAID DIALS INCLUDING AN ANGULAR REAR SURFACE COVERING ONE OF SAID BAFFLE PLATE OPENINGS, EACH OF SAID REAR SURFACES ON SAID RING PORTIONS RECEIVING LIGHT FROM ONE OF SAID OPENINGS AND DIRECTING IT THROUGH SAID RING PORTION FOR ILLUMINATING INDICIA ON THE OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION ON EACH OF SAID DIALS, AND MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL BAFFLE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FRONT PANEL AND SAID REAR BAFFLE INCLUDING SPACED APART UPWARDLY FACING OPENINGS THEREIN, EACH OF SAID UPWARDLY FACING OPENINGS BEING LOCATED ABOUT A PORTION OF AN UPPER SEGMENT OF THE OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION OF ONE OF SAID DIALS, SAID HORIZONTAL BAFFLE AND SAID REAR BAFFLE SHIELDING SAID LIGHT SOURCE FROM VIEW THROUGH SAID HORIZONTAL WINDOW AND SEPARATING EACH OF SAID DIALS FROM ONE ANOTHER AS VIEWED THROUGH SAID HORIZONTAL WINDOW TO MAINTAIN A CLEAR DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN LIGHTED INDICIA ON THE OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION OF EACH OF SAID INDICATOR DIALS.