| JP59134429 | HEAT COOKING RANGE |
| JP2000171041 | FLAT COOKING APPLIANCE |
| JP56046933 | ELECTRONIC RANGE |
BACK, Felipe Tiago Engelke (Rua Humaitá, n° 352 Bom Retiro,,-13, Joinville SC, 89223, BR)
DALZOCHIO, Rafael Pastorisa (Rua Visconde de Mauá, N° 833 Apto. 503,,América, -50, Joinville SC, 89204, BR)
DA SILVA, Tiago Ghiggi Caetano (Rua Guanabara, n° 765 Bloco A33, Apto. 202,,Guanabara, -30, Joinville SC, 89207, BR)
BACK, Felipe Tiago Engelke (Rua Humaitá, n° 352 Bom Retiro,,-13, Joinville SC, 89223, BR)
DALZOCHIO, Rafael Pastorisa (Rua Visconde de Mauá, N° 833 Apto. 503,,América, -50, Joinville SC, 89204, BR)
| CLAIMS 1. Hot surface indication device for an apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication, CHARACTERIZED wherein: the glass surface (1) comprises at least a transparent region (2) delimitated in a non-transparent region (3); the device also comprising a metallic base substrate (4) painted with thermochromic paint and fixed to the glass surface (1); and the metallic base substrate (4) having a size greater than the size of the transparent region (2) and being fixed to the glass surface (1) so as to coincide with the entire transpar- ent region (2). 2. Device, according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED wherein the difference between the size of the metallic base substrate (4) and the transparent region (2) generates one or more excess portions (5), the excess portions (5) being used to fix the substrate (4) to the glass surface (1). 3. Device, according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED wherein the excess portions (5) receive an adhesive to fix the substrate (4) to the glass surface (1). 4. Device, according to any of claims 1 to 3, CHARACTERIZED wherein the metallic base substrate (4) is an aluminum sheet, one side of which is completely painted with a thermochromic paint. 5. Device, according to any of claims 1 to 4, CHARACTERIZED wherein the apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication comprises a cooking apparatus having an oven cavity, and the glass surface (1) is part of the oven cavity lid. 6. Assembly process of hot surface indication on an apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication CHARACTERIZED by comprising: the provision of a transparent region (2) delimitated in a non-transparent region (3) of the glass surface (1); the painting of a metallic base substrate (4) with a thermochromic paint, the metallic base substrate (4) having a size greater than the size of the transparent region (2); and the fixing of the metallic base substrate (4) on the glass surface, in a position such that the entire transparent region (2) coincides with the metallic base substrate (4). 7. Assembly process, according to claim 6, CHARACTERIZED by comprising the application of an adhesive on at least an excess portion (5) generated by the difference between the size of the metallic base substrate (4) and the size of the transparent region (2), and the compression of the metallic base substrate (4) against the glass surface (1). 8. Assembly process, according to claim 6 or 7, CHARACTERIZED wherein the painting of the metallic base substrate (4) with thermochromic paint comprises painting one side of an aluminum sheet with thermochromic paint. 9. Assembly process, according to any of claims 6 to 9, CHARACTERIZED wherein the apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication comprises a cooking apparatus having an oven cavity, and a glass surface (1) is part of the oven cavity lid. |
Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a hot service indication device and an assembly process of hot surface indication for an apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication. Preferably, the apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication comprises a cooking apparatus having an oven cavity, a glass surface being part of the oven cavity lid.
Background of the Invention and Description of the State of the Art
The use of thermochromic paints to indicate hot surfaces is known in the art.
To apply this kind of paint, serigraphy such as flexography and silkscreen processes are normally used. The major drawback with these processes is the impossibility of obtaining layers high enough to guarantee acceptable durability levels. Accordingly, it is important to opt for processes that guarantee higher layers such as electrostatic painting, for example.
For the electrostatic painting process, the part to be painted is electrostatically charged with a charge opposite that of the paint particles that are present in the paint gun. As the surface of the part and the paint acquire opposite charges, the paint stays adhered to the surface.
However, the electrostatic painting process is not a simple application process for glass. In point of fact, glass is an insulating material and to charge it electrostatically is not an easy process.
This limitation of glass is even starker when the thermochromic paint has to be applied in controlled fashion on a pre-determined area of the glass surface.
This is the case, for example, for glass surfaces used in cooking apparatuses, such as oven windows. In this type of apparatus, a thermochromic paint must be able to withstand high temperatures (requiring thicker layers for durability) and the application has to be on specific areas of the glass surface, having a precise contour, without any paint splashes at all. In this sense, the oven window of a cooking apparatus is largely restricted in terms of the application area of the paint, since the consumer associates the perceived quality to a precisely-delineated contour of the hot surface graphic indication part.
Normally, the application of thermochromic paint to a specific area implies the use of masks designed to avoid paint splashes on the part that does not contain hot surface indication. These masks basically comprise plastic films that are applied to the glass. Thus, in the conventional electrostatic painting process, the compulsory steps are: applying plastic films to the surface of the glass, applying the paint itself, withdrawing the plastic films, and curing the paint from the glass. These compulsory steps render large-scale production of glass with thermochromic paint extremely costly and time-consuming.
Additionally, the use of masks ultimately causes a major waste of paint, since the paint jet from the paint gun tends to have a greater radius than the width of the serigraphy region (that is, in the region where the electrostatic painting will actually be carried out). Since thermo-sensitive pigments are extremely expensive, this waste of raw materials ex- cessively and unnecessarily weighs on the end cost of the product.
Objectives of the Invention
In view of the problem set forth above, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a simplified process for assembling hot surface indication on an apparatus comprising a glass surface.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a hot service indication device for an apparatus having at least a glass surface containing surface indication that is low cost and easy to assemble.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention achieves the above objectives by means of a hot service indi- cation device for an apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication, wherein the glass surface comprises at least a transparent region delimitated in a non- transparent region, the device further comprising a metallic base substrate painted with thermochromic paint and fixed to the glass surface, and the metallic base substrate has a greater size than the size of the transparent region and is fixed to the glass surface so as to coincide with the entire transparent region.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the difference between the size of the metallic base substrate and the transparent region generates one or more excess portions, and said excess portions are used for fixing the substrate to the glass surface. Hence, said excess portions, may, for example, receive an adhesive for fixing the substrate to the glass surface.
Further in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the metallic base substrate is an aluminum sheet with one of the sides completely painted with the thermochromic paint, and the apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication comprises a cooking apparatus with an oven cavity, a glass surface being part of the oven cavity lid.
The present invention also provides an assembly process of hot surface indication on an apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication, which comprises:
the provision of a transparent region delimitated in a non-transparent region of the glass surface;
the painting of a metallic base substrate with a thermochromic paint, the metallic base substrate having a greater size than the size of the transparent region; and
the fixing of the metallic base substrate on the glass surface, in a position such that the entire transparent region coincides with the metallic base substrate.
The process of the present invention may also comprise the application of adhesive on at least an excess portion generated by the difference between the size of the metallic base substrate and the size of the transparent region, and the compression of the metallic base substrate against the glass surface.
In the preferred embodiment of the process of the present invention, the painting of the metallic base substrate with a thermochromic paint comprises the painting of one of the sides of an aluminum sheet with thermochromic paint, and the apparatus having at least a glass surface containing hot surface indication comprises a cooking apparatus having an oven cavity, a glass surface being part of the oven cavity lid. Summary Description of the Drawings
The drawings show:
Figure 1 - Figure 1 illustrates a glass surface used in the device and assembly process of the present invention;
Figure 2a - Figure 2a illustrates a metallic base substrate used in the device and assembly process of the present invention, the substrate being shown in non-hot status;
Figure 2b - Figure 2b illustrates a metallic base substrate used in the device and assembly process of the present invention, the substrate being shown in hot status; and
Figure 3 - Figure 3 illustrates the indication device of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The present invention will now be described in greater detail based on the examples of execution represented in the drawings. Figures 1 to 3 schematically illustrate the assembly process of the present invention, and figure 1 illustrates the metallic base substrate of the thermochromic paint and figure 2 the glass surface through which a thermochromic paint is visualized.
As mentioned previously, some apparatuses comprise glass surfaces that attain high temperatures when the apparatus is in use. This is the case, for example, of cooking apparatuses, where the glass is used in the closing lid of the oven cavity.
To avoid any kind of accident when the apparatus is in use, the glass surface should ideally have a visual indication of its temperature. However, the electrostatic painting process commonly used in the application of thermochromic paint a glass surfaces which will operate at high temperatures is costly and lengthy.
Moreover, the present invention provides an extremely simple assembly process and an easy-to-assemble and low-cost device construction, which efficiently and economi- cally substitutes the electrostatic painting process conventionally used.
The assembly process of the present invention basically provides for the application of the paint pigments on a metallic base substrate which is fixed to the glass that is to have the thermal indication.
Figure 1 illustrates the glass surface 1 which contains thermal indication. In the pre- ferred embodiment of the present invention, this glass surface 1 is the glass surface of an oven cavity lid of a cooking apparatus and has at least a transparent region 2 delimitated in a non-transparent region 3. This non-transparent region 3 may be, for example, in a glass region with dark serigraphy.
Figure 2a illustrates a metallic base substrate 4 which receives the thermochromic paint pigments. In order to optimize the amount of thermochromic pigments used in the process, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the size of the metallic substrate 4 is close to the size of the transparent region 2, exceeding this size only to the extent necessary for the process of adhesive fixing.
Therefore, the metallic base substrate 4 is preferably a little larger than the transparent region 2, so as to generate one or more excess portions 5 where an adhesive is applied to fix the substrate to the glass surface. These excess portions 5 also ensure that the spreading of the adhesive during sticking (post pressing) does not leak to the transparent region 2.
This metallic base substrate is fixed to the glass surface 1 in a position such that it coincides with the transparent region 2. In other words, the fixing is in a position such that the transparent region entirely surrounds the metallic substrate 4 (see figure 3).
The choice of a metallic material for the base substrate 4 is justified by the simplicity of its application in an electrostatic painting process, since metallic materials are good con- ductors. Additionally, the use of a heat-conducting material reduces the response time of the thermochromic pigment during heating of the product (the use of a rapid-heating substrate makes the pigment change color quicker than a pigment applied directly on the glass surface).
Although metallic materials such as carbon steel or stainless steel may equally be used within the concept of the present invention, the metallic base substrate 4 preferably comprises aluminum. This preferred alternative derives from its resistance to corrosion, allowing that just one side of the substrate be painted, with the consequent economy in paint.
As can be seen in figures 2a and 2b, where the figure 2a shows the substrate in hot status, the metallic base substrate 4 is preferably an aluminum sheet, and just one side of the sheet is painted with thermochromic paint.
Figure 3 shows the final arrangement of the indication device of the present invention, where the substrate 4 is in hot status. As can be seen in this figure, when in hot status, the base substrate 4 changes its color, and this change is visible by way of the transparent region 2. The excess portions 5 of the base substrate 3 are hidden by the non-transparent region 3 of the glass.
Hence, the solution proposed by the present invention provides a high temperature indication device that is extremely easy to build, with a process of applying paint which although economical and efficient, guarantees a layer of paint with sufficient thickness (for example, over 70 micrometers) to guarantee the durability of the pigments even when submitted to high temperatures.
It must be understood that the description provided based on the drawings above refers solely to possible embodiments for the present invention, while the real scope of the subject matter of the invention is defined in the accompanying claims.