[0001] The present invention relates to an operation apparatus for a cooktop, and in particular,
to an operation apparatus for a cooktop having a light-emitting member and gear marks,
and a cooktop having the operation apparatus.
[0002] For knobs capable of emitting light on existing cooktops, light generally only plays
a role of decoration, or an open/closed state of a cooktop is displayed by simply
using ON/OFF of light. Information transmitted by such light-emitting knobs to users
is limited, and a current fire/power state of a cooktop cannot be displayed through
light. Moreover, some knobs may emit light in different colors, so as to display different
fire/power of the cooktop. However, a gas cooktop produces open fire at work, the
burning flame interferes with a user's judgment on the color of a knob to some extent,
and thus the user cannot accurately identify the current fire/power. In addition,
it is worth mentioning that those skilled in the art have formed a deep-rooted understanding
that light sources of the knobs capable of emitting light are all fixedly set and
will not rotate with rotation of the knobs, because line connection of rotating light
sources is a problem.
[0003] Unless supported by sufficient evidences, the prior art described herein does not
mean that it is known to those of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date
of this application.
[0004] An objective of the present invention is to solve the above at least one technical
problem, and therefore, an operation apparatus for a cooktop that displays a relative
size of a current fire/power of a cooktop more directly and accurately, and a cooktop
having the operation apparatus are provided.
[0005] To achieve the above technical objective, the present invention proposes a technical
solution as follows: an operation apparatus for a cooktop, having at least two gears,
the operation apparatus including a panel, a rotation shaft and a knob, where the
panel has at least two light-transmissive gear marks, the rotation shaft is at least
partially located on an inner side of the panel, and the knob is at least partially
located on an outer side of the panel, for driving the rotation shaft to rotate. The
operation apparatus further includes a connecting element located on the inner side
of the panel, connected to the rotation shaft and rotating under the driving of the
rotation shaft when the rotation shaft rotates; and the connecting element is provided
with a light-emitting member, and one gear mark on the panel is lit up by light of
the light-emitting member when the knob rotates to one gear of the operation apparatus.
The gear mark lit up correspondingly displays the current gear of the operation apparatus,
so that users can intuitively and accurately obtain power/fire size information of
the cooktop. Even if in a situation in which a kitchen is dim, the users, when standing,
can clearly see the light-emitting gear mark without frequently bending down to check
the power/fire size of the cooktop. The panel included in the operation apparatus
may be understood as a panel for closing some parts of the operation apparatus inside
the cooktop, so as to protect the parts from contamination by dirt and soup. In one
embodiment, the panel may be a cooktop panel. The present invention has a simple structure,
some technical features can be naturally merged into the structure of the existing
cooktops, for example, light-transmissive gear marks may be disposed on the cooktop
panel, the manufacturing cost is low, and the present invention is less limited by
the number of gears. Moreover, the present invention overcomes technical bias, to
enable the light-emitting member to rotate with the rotation shaft, and light of the
light-emitting member is rotatably irradiated to the light-transmissive gear marks
on the panel directly; in this way, it is unnecessary to dispose an element making
light selectively transmit or irradiate between the light-emitting member and the
panel. It should be noted that, "located on an outer side of the panel" in the present
invention can be understood as being located on one side of the panel facing the outside,
which is a side that often can be seen by the users in a use state of the cooktop.
"Located on an inner side of the panel" can be understood as being located on one
side of the panel facing the interior of the cooktop, which is a side that often cannot
be seen by the users in the use state of the cooktop. The gear marks may be numbers
such as 0-9, symbols or patterns such as different sizes of gas flames. The gear marks
may be formed through printing, coating, laminating or etching.
[0006] In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the connecting element
includes a light-transmissive portion, and the light of the light-emitting member
is evenly emitted to the panel through the light-transmissive portion. Light emitted
from different angles of the light-emitting member is concentrated on the front of
the light-transmissive portion, thereby improving brightness and evenness of the gear
marks.
[0007] In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the light-transmissive
portion includes a light exit surface facing the panel, and a distance (d) from the
light exit surface to the panel is within a range of 0.5 mm≤d≤2 mm. In this way, the
light of the light-emitting member can be gathered in a corresponding position on
the panel, to ensure that the required position has sufficient brightness, which will
not cause that gear marks adjacent to the gear mark lit up are lit up to some extent.
[0008] In order to obtain more ideal light and enable the light of the light-emitting member
to be transmitted more evenly, in one possible implementation manner of the present
invention, the light exit surface is a matte surface.
[0009] In order to make the light-transmissive portion have good light permeability and
light diffusivity, in one possible implementation manner of the present invention,
the light-transmissive portion is made of an acrylic material, or the light-transmissive
portion is made of a polycarbonate material to which a light diffusant is added.
[0010] In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the connecting element
is disk-like. The mold is simple and manufacturing is easy.
[0011] In order to better protect the light-emitting member and prevent failure of the light-emitting
member caused by soup, water vapor or even oil entering from an opening on the panel,
in one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the connecting element
includes a groove that receives the light-emitting member, and the light-transmissive
portion is located at the top of the groove.
[0012] In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the connecting element
is made of an opaque material, and the light-transmissive portion is assembled at
the top of the groove; or the light-transmissive portion is formed integrally by the
connecting element, the connecting element is made of a light-transmissive material,
and an opaque material is coated or an opaque film is pasted on a surface of the connecting
element facing the panel except the top of the groove. That the light-transmissive
portion is formed integrally by the connecting element saves the trouble of manual
assembly of the light-transmissive portion.
[0013] In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the operation apparatus
for a cooktop further includes a circuit board that controls ON/OFF of the light-emitting
member, where the light-emitting member includes a connecting pin, and the connecting
pin rotatably contacts the circuit board when the connecting element rotates. The
technical solution creatively solves the problems of line connection and control of
the rotating light-emitting member, which is a great progress compared with the existing
technologies. Moreover, when the light-emitting member is damaged, the damaged light-emitting
member can be replaced with a light-emitting member individually, but the circuit
board does not need to be replaced, which can save the maintenance cost.
[0014] In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the rotation shaft
is capable of moving axially under the driving of the knob, and the connecting pin
flexibly contacts the circuit board when the connecting element moves along an axial
direction of the rotation shaft. Thus, a feasible solution is provided for the rotation
shaft to move along the axial direction thereof to implement some functions of the
operation apparatus, for example, a children lock function.
[0015] Based on the main objective of the present invention, the present invention further
provides a cooktop, including the operation apparatus for a cooktop as described above.
The gears of the cooktop of the present invention can be intuitively displayed on
the panel, and users can accurately judge relative sizes of fire/power accordingly.
In use, light-emitting gear marks are displayed on the panel, which also adds a sense
of fashion to the appearance of the cooktop.
[0016] In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the cooktop includes
a cooktop panel, the panel being the cooktop panel. It can be seen that, some features
of the present invention can be naturally merged into the structure of the existing
cooktops. In one possible implementation manner of the present invention, the cooktop
is a gas cooktop or an induction cooktop.
[0017] The disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given
herein below for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the disclosure,
and wherein:
- FIG. 1
- is a sectional view of an operation apparatus for a cooktop according to one embodiment
of the present invention;
- FIG. 2
- is a front view of a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention;
- FIG. 3
- is an exploded three-dimensional view of a connecting element and a circuit board
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
- FIG. 4
- is a view of an effect of an operation apparatus for a cooktop in a use state according
to one embodiment of the present invention; and
- FIG. 5 and FIG. 6
- are schematic views of a connecting element according to another embodiment of the
present invention.
[0018] In order to further understand the objective, structure, features and functions of
the present invention, the present invention is described in detail as follows in
combination with embodiments.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an operation apparatus for a cooktop
according to one embodiment of the present invention. The operation apparatus 2 includes
a panel 21, a rotation shaft 22 and a knob 23. The rotation shaft 22 is at least partially
located on an inner side of the panel 21. The operation apparatus 2 has at least two
gears, and rotation of the rotation shaft 21 can regulate the gear of the operation
apparatus 2. The knob 23 is at least partially located on an outer side of the panel
21, for driving the rotation shaft 22 to rotate. The panel 21 has at least two light-transmissive
gear marks 100; as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a front view of a panel according to
one embodiment of the present invention. The gear marks 100 are numbers "0", "1 ",
"2", ..., and "9". The numbers on the panel 21 are light-transmissive, while the other
parts are opaque, and for example, a black material may be coated or a black film
may be pasted thereon. "0" indicates a closed state, "1" indicates Gear 1, "2" indicates
Gear 2, ..., and "9" indicates Gear 9. The panel 21 has an opening 210 that allows
the rotation shaft 22 to pass through, and the gear marks 100 are disposed around
the opening 210. After the operation apparatus 2 is assembled, the gear marks 100
are just disposed around the knob 23.
[0020] In addition, the operation apparatus 2 further includes a disk-like connecting element
20 located on the inner side of the panel 21, and the connecting element 20 is connected
to the rotation shaft 22 and rotates under the driving of the rotation shaft 22 when
the rotation shaft 22 rotates. Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is an exploded three-dimensional
view of a connecting element and a circuit board according to one embodiment of the
present invention. The connecting element 20 includes a groove 201, and the top of
the groove 201 is provided with a light-transmissive portion 25 that can play a role
of optical diffusion. A light-emitting member 24 consisting of LEDs is disposed in
the groove 201, and is fixedly connected to the connecting element 20 through a screw
240. Light of the light-emitting member 24 is emitted to the panel 21 through the
light-transmissive portion 25. The light-transmissive portion 25 is made of a polycarbonate
material to which a light diffusant is added, and has a light exit surface 250 facing
the panel 21, and a distance (d) from the light exit surface 250 to the panel 21 is
within a range of 0.5 mm≤d≤2 mm. In order to make brightness of the light emitted
by the light-emitting member 24 and irradiated to the panel 21 even, the light exit
surface 250 is a matte surface.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a view of an effect of an operation apparatus for
a cooktop in a use state according to one embodiment of the present invention. The
light of the light-emitting member 24, after passing through the light-transmissive
portion 25, becomes a beam of light evenly emitted to the panel 21, and when the knob
23 rotates to one gear of the operation apparatus 2, for example, Gear 9, only one
gear mark on the panel 21, that is, the number "9", is lit up by the light of the
light-emitting member 24, to intuitively display the current gear of the operation
apparatus, so that a user can accurately judge a relative size of the current fire/power
of the cooktop. Moreover, the gear mark lit up is sufficient to let the user see clearly
without bending down in a situation in which a kitchen is dim. FIG. 4 only illustrates
the gear mark lit up, the short lines around the number indicate that the number "9"
is luminous, the user sees that it is luminous, while the other gear marks not lit
up are inconspicuous in the use state, which are indicated by not being displayed
on the panel in FIG. 4.
[0022] The connecting element 20 in this embodiment is made of an opaque material, for example,
usually an opaque plastic material, and has a low cost. The light-transmissive portion
25 is assembled to the top of the groove. Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, FIG. 5 and
FIG. 6 are schematic views of a connecting element according to another embodiment
of the present invention. In another embodiment of the present invention, a light-transmissive
portion 25' is formed integrally by a connecting element 20'. The connecting element
20' is made of a light-transmissive material, and an opaque material is coated or
an opaque film is pasted on a portion 202' on a surface of the connecting element
20' facing the panel 21 except the top of a groove 201'. Further, in order to better
prevent the light of the light-emitting member 24 from leaking to cause that portions
on the panel not needing to be lit up are irradiated, opaque treatment is also carried
out on a side surface 203' of the connecting element 20' adjacent to the surface facing
the panel 21, for example, an opaque material is coated or an opaque film is pasted
thereon.
[0023] Further referring to FIG. 3, the operation apparatus 2 further includes a circuit
board 26 that controls ON/OFF of the light-emitting member 24, and the circuit board
26 is fixedly set relative to the rotation shaft 22, that is, when the rotation shaft
22 rotates, the circuit board 26 is stationary. The light-emitting member 24 includes
two J-shaped connecting pins 241, and the connecting pins 241 rotatably contact the
circuit board 26 when the connecting element 20 rotates, so as to implement electrical
connection to and control over the light-emitting member 24. The operation apparatus
2 in this embodiment can rotate the rotation shaft 22 only after the user presses
down the knob 23, and has a children lock function. The J-shaped connecting pins 241
flexibly contact the circuit board 26 during axial movement of the connecting element
20 along the rotation shaft 22, so that the light-emitting member 24 still can work
normally in the process that the rotation shaft 22 moves along the axial direction
thereof.
[0024] The present invention further provides a cooktop, including the operation apparatus
2 for a cooktop as described above. The cooktop, for example, may be a gas cooktop
or an induction cooktop. The cooktop includes a cooktop panel and a gas valve located
on an inner side of the cooktop panel, and the gas valve includes a valve rod controlling
ON/OFF and flow of gas; in one embodiment, the panel is the cooktop panel, and the
rotation shaft is the valve rod. It can be seen that, applications of the present
invention do not hinder the work of the existing gas valves, and it is unnecessary
to modify the design of the existing gas valves.
[0025] The present invention has been described through the above related embodiments, but
the embodiments are merely examples of implementing the present invention. It should
be pointed out that, the embodiments disclosed do not limit the scope of the present
invention. On the contrary, variations and modifications made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention all fall within the patent protection
scope of the present invention.
Reference numbers
[0026]
- 2
- operation apparatus;
- 20, 20'
- connecting element;
- 21
- panel;
- 22
- rotation shaft;
- 23
- knob;
- 24
- light-emitting member;
- 25, 25'
- light-transmissive portion;
- 26
- circuit board;
- 100
- gear mark;
- 201, 201'
- groove;
- 203'
- side surface;
- 210
- opening;
- 240
- screw;
- 241
- connecting pin;
- 250
- light exit surface
1. An operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop, having at least two gears, the operation
apparatus (2) comprising:
a panel (21), wherein the panel (21) has at least two light-transmissive gear marks,
a rotation shaft (22), at least partially located on an inner side of the panel (21),
and a knob (23) for driving the rotation shaft (22) to rotate, wherein the knob (23)
is at least partially located on an outer side of the panel (21),
characterized in that,
the operation apparatus (2) further comprises a connecting element (20, 20') located
on the inner side of the panel (21), connected to the rotation shaft (22) and rotating
under the driving of the rotation shaft (22) when the rotation shaft (22) rotates;
and
the connecting element (20, 20') is provided with a light-emitting member (24), and
one gear mark on the panel (21) is lit up by light of the light-emitting member (24)
when the knob (23) rotates to one gear of the operation apparatus (2).
2. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 1, characterized in that, the connecting element (20, 20') comprises a light-transmissive portion (25, 25'),
and the light of the light-emitting member (24) is evenly emitted to the panel (21)
through the light-transmissive portion (25, 25').
3. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 2, characterized in that, the light-transmissive portion (25, 25') comprises a light exit surface (250) facing
the panel (21), and a distance (d) from the light exit surface (250) to the panel
(21) is within a range of 0.5 mm≤d≤2 mm.
4. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 3, characterized in that, the light exit surface (250) is a matte surface.
5. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 2, characterized in that, the light-transmissive portion (25, 25') is made of an acrylic material, or the
light-transmissive portion (25, 25') is made of a polycarbonate material to which
a light diffusant is added.
6. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 1, characterized in that, the connecting element (20, 20') is disk-like.
7. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 2, characterized in that, the connecting element (20, 20') comprises a groove (201, 201') that receives the
light-emitting member (24), and the light-transmissive portion (25, 25') is located
at the top of the groove (201, 201').
8. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 7, characterized in that, the connecting element (20, 20') is made of an opaque material, and the light-transmissive
portion (25, 25') is assembled at the top of the groove (201, 201'); or the light-transmissive
portion (25, 25') is formed integrally by the connecting element (20, 20'), the connecting
element (20, 20') is made of a light-transmissive material, and an opaque material
is coated or an opaque film is pasted on a surface of the connecting element (20,
20') facing the panel (21) except the top of the groove (201, 201').
9. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising a circuit board (26) that controls ON/OFF of the light-emitting
member (24), wherein the light-emitting member (24) comprises a connecting pin (241),
and the connecting pin (241) rotatably contacts the circuit board (26) when the connecting
element (20, 20') rotates.
10. The operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to claim 9, characterized in that, the rotation shaft (22) is capable of moving axially under the driving of the knob
(23), and the connecting pin (241) flexibly contacts the circuit board (26) when the
connecting element (20, 20') moves along an axial direction of the rotation shaft
(22).
11. A cooktop, characterized by comprising the operation apparatus (2) for a cooktop according to any one of claims
1 to 10.
12. The cooktop according to claim 11, characterized by comprising a cooktop panel, the panel (21) being the cooktop panel.
13. The cooktop according to claim 11, characterized in that, the cooktop is a gas cooktop or an induction cooktop.