PROBST SIMONE (DE)
WASINKIEWICZ LUKASZ (DE)
LEIKAM JÜRGEN (DE)
| WO2008012013A1 | 2008-01-31 | |||
| WO2011086504A2 | 2011-07-21 | |||
| WO2010069791A1 | 2010-06-24 |
| US6150636A | 2000-11-21 | |||
| EP2653785A1 | 2013-10-23 | |||
| EP2642821A1 | 2013-09-25 | |||
| EP2587166A2 | 2013-05-01 | |||
| US20030006227A1 | 2003-01-09 |
| Claims 1. A panel (10) for a cooking hob, wherein: the panel (10) includes at least one glass layer (12, 18), and the panel (10) includes at least one reactive layer ( 14 ; 20), wherein the reactive layer (14; 20) is made of at least one re active material, which is responsive to electric, elec tromagnetic and/or thermic parameters. 2. The panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the panel (10) includes at least one coated layer (16) and/or at least one printed layer (22) . 3. The panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the reactive layer (14) is made of at least one reactive ma terial, which is responsive to an electric field generated by an electric heating element, so that the presence of the electric field is indicated by the reactive layer (14) . 4. The panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the reactive layer (14) is made of at least one reactive ma terial, which is responsive to an electromagnetic field gen erated by an induction coil, so that the presence of the electromagnetic field is indicated by the reactive layer (14) . 5. The panel according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the reactive layer (14) is arranged beneath the glass layer (12) . 6. The panel according to any one of the claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the reactive layer (14) is arranged between the glass layer (12) and a further glass layer (18) . 7. The panel according to any one of the claims 3 to 6, characterised in that the coated layer (16) is attached at the lower side of the panel (10). 8. The panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the reactive layer (20) is made of at least one thermo- chromic or thermoluminescent material, which is responsive to a current temperature, so that the colour of said thermo- chromic or thermoluminescent material depends on the temper ature level. 9. The panel according to claim 8, characterised in that the colour of the thermochromic or thermoluminescent mate rial becomes green at a low temperature level. 10. The panel according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the colour of the thermochromic or thermoluminescent mate rial becomes yellow at a medium temperature level. 11. The panel according to any one of the claims 8 to 10, characterised in that the colour of the thermochromic or thermoluminescent mate rial becomes red at a high temperature level. 12. The panel according to any one of the claims 8 to 11, characterised in that the reactive layer (20) made of thermochromic or thermolumi nescent material is arranged beneath the glass layer (12) . 13. The panel according to claim 12, characterised in that the printed layer (22) is arranged beneath the reactive layer (20) made of thermochromic or thermoluminescent mate rial . 14. The panel according to any one of the claims 8 to 11, characterised in that the reactive layer (20) made of thermochromic or thermolumi nescent material is arranged above the printed layer (22), wherein said printed layer (22) in turn is attached above the glass layer (12) . 15. A cooking hob with at least one panel (10), characterised in that the cooking hob comprises at least one panel (10) according to any one the preceding claims. |
Panel for a cooking hob
The present invention relates to a panel for a cooking hob. Fur ther, the present invention relates to a cooking hob.
A panel for a cooking hob usually includes a static pattern for indicating the positions and sizes of the cooking zones. How ever, the static pattern must be adapted to the arrangement of the heating elements. A flexible arrangement of the heating ele ments is not possible with the same static pattern.
Further, the cooking hob may include a display for indicating numerically or graphically the temperatures on the single cook ing zones. However, the display provides only an indirect indi cation and requires a relative complex circuit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a panel for a cooking hob, which allows a direct indication of the cooking zones and/or temperatures by low complexity.
The object is achieved by the panel for a cooking hob according to claim 1.
According to the present invention a panel for a cooking hob is provided, wherein:
the panel includes at least one glass layer, and
the panel includes at least one reactive layer, wherein the reactive layer is made of at least one reactive mate rial, which is responsive to electric, electromagnetic and/or thermic parameters. The core of the present invention is the reactive layer depend ing on electric, electromagnetic and/or thermic parameters. The reactive layer is able to indicate states characterised by said electric, electromagnetic and/or thermic parameters.
Preferably, the panel includes at least one coated layer and/or at least one printed layer.
For example, the reactive layer is made of at least one reactive material, which is responsive to an electric field generated by an electric heating element, so that the presence of the elec tric field is indicated by the reactive layer.
According to another example, the reactive layer is made of at least one reactive material, which is responsive to an electro magnetic field generated by an induction coil, so that the pres ence of the electromagnetic field is indicated by the reactive layer .
Preferably, the reactive layer is arranged beneath the glass layer .
Optionally, the reactive layer is arranged between the glass layer and a further glass layer.
Furthermore, the coated layer may be attached at the lower side of the panel.
According to a further example, the reactive layer is made of at least one thermochromic or thermoluminescent material, which is responsive to a current temperature, so that the colour of said thermochromic or thermoluminescent material depends on the tem perature level. For example, the colour of the thermochromic or thermolumines cent material becomes green at a low temperature level.
Further, the colour of the thermochromic or thermoluminescent material may become yellow at a medium temperature level.
Moreover, the colour of the thermochromic or thermoluminescent material may become red at a high temperature level.
For example, the reactive layer made of thermochromic or thermo luminescent material is arranged beneath the glass layer.
Further, the printed layer may be arranged beneath the reactive layer made of thermochromic or thermoluminescent material.
Alternatively, the reactive layer made of thermochromic or ther moluminescent material is arranged above the printed layer, wherein said printed layer in turn is attached above the glass layer .
Moreover, the present invention relates to a cooking hob with at least one panel, wherein the cooking hob comprises at least one panel according to any one the preceding claims.
Novel and inventive features of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims.
The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings, in which
FIG 1 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of a panel for a cooking hob according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG 2 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of the panel for the cooking hob according to a second embodiment of the present invention,
FIG 3 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of the panel for the cooking hob according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG 4 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of the panel for the cooking hob according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG 1 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of a panel 10 for a cooking hob according to a first embodiment of the present invention .
The panel 10 of the first embodiment includes a glass layer 12, an electric or electromagnetic reactive layer 14 and a coated layer 16. The electric or electromagnetic reactive layer 14 is arranged beneath the glass layer 12. In turn, the coated layer 16 is arranged beneath the electric or electromagnetic reactive layer 14.
The electric reactive layer 14 is responsive to an electric field generated by an electric heating element arranged beneath the panel 10. By this way, the cooking zone is indicated by the electric reactive layer 14, when the corresponding electric heating element is activated.
The electromagnetic reactive layer 14 is responsive to an elec tromagnetic field. For example, said electromagnetic field is generated by an induction coil arranged beneath the panel 10.
The magnetic field lines extend perpendicular to the plane of the electromagnetic reactive layer 14. FIG 2 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of the panel 10 for the cooking hob according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
The panel 10 of the second embodiment includes the glass layer 12, the electric or electromagnetic reactive layer 14, a further glass layer 18 and the coated layer 16. In this embodiment, the electric or electromagnetic reactive layer 14 is arranged be tween the two glass layers 12 and 18.
The electric or electromagnetic reactive layer 14 indicates the cooking zone, when the corresponding heating element is acti vated .
FIG 3 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of the panel 10 for the cooking hob according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
The panel 10 of the third embodiment includes the glass layer 12, a thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20 and a printed layer 22. The thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20 is ar ranged beneath the glass layer 12. In turn, the printed layer 22 is arranged beneath the thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20.
The thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20 changes its col our in dependence of the temperature level. The thermochromic layer 20 changes between different colours or from a coloured to transparent in dependence of the temperature level.
The colour of the thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20 indicates the current temperature of the corresponding cooking zone. For example, a green thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20 indicates a low temperature level, while a yellow ther- mochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20 indicates a medium tem perature level. Preferably, a red thermochromic or thermolumi nescent layer 20 indicates a high temperature level.
FIG 4 illustrates a schematic sectional side view of the panel 10 for the cooking hob according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
The panel 10 of the fourth embodiment includes the glass layer 12, the thermochromic layer 20 and the printed layer 22. The printed layer 22 is arranged above the glass layer 12. In turn, the thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer 20 is arranged above the printed layer 22.
The present invention allows a direct indication of the acti vated cooking zones and the current temperatures by low complex ity.
Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying draw ings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the in vention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the ap pended claims. List of reference numerals
10 panel
12 glass layer
14 electric or electromagnetic reactive layer
16 coated layer
18 further glass layer
20 thermochromic or thermoluminescent layer
22 printed layer