Patent Application
20070103884
The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing illumination. More particularly, the present invention is directed to lighting systems and methods for providing illumination to a control mechanism, and in particular, to a dial for a barbeque or grill.
Presently, about 80% of families in the United States own and use a barbeque, also known as a grill. While once only a summertime activity confined to the daytime, barbequing is now done throughout the year, in all weather, and even after sunset. So they may be used even when ambient light is low or largely non-existent, many different types of apparatus and system in order to provide illumination to barbeques.
Some of the known lighting systems attach to or around the lids of the barbeque or are intended to be positioned on or around the barbeque. These known systems take up valuable space of the barbeque work surface and are vulnerable to physical damage during use of the barbeque. For example, one such lighting system includes a gooseneck-mounted lamp that is attachable to the barbeque by a clamp.
An important aspect of operating a barbeque grill is modulating the amount of heat generated at one or more cooking surfaces or areas of the barbeque. This is typically accomplished through the adjustment of one or more controls. The control is typically a knob, lever or a suitable hand control mechanism. In a gas grill, the control is attached to a valve that controls the flow of fuel, typically propane, delivered to burners underneath the cooking surface or surfaces. For example, during initial lighting of a gas barbeque grill the one or more control knob is typically turned to a position that permits full flow of fuel to the one or more burners to light them. After lighting, the flow of fuel is typically reduced to heat the grill to and maintain an optimal cooking temperature. After the desired temperature is reached, the flow of fuel may be further reduced to prevent overheating or burning of the food.
Despite the importance of the operation of the controls of a barbeque, the front vertical face of known barbeque grills are poorly illuminated. Known lighting systems throw light above but not generally perpendicular to the control panel. As a result, the controls are only partially lit while portions of the controls and control panel are in the shadow cast by the lights or not illuminated at all.
In a low light condition, it can be difficult to detect the setting of the control knob (or knobs where there are several individually controlled burners) or correlate a setting of the knob to a temperature of the grill.
Accordingly, there is a demand therefore for a simple, safe, and effective assembly that provides illumination to a control knob or control panel of a barbeque grill or any other application where illumination is needed of a control knob. The present invention satisfies the demand.
The present invention has a principal objective of providing illumination to at least one control knob. For purposes of this application, the control knob will mean a single control knob or a plurality control knobs that may be arranged as a control panel. The invention is useful in a variety of applications including to provide illumination to an otherwise conventional barbeque having at least one control knob.
One embodiment of the present invention provides an illuminated control knob or dial which includes a base. The base includes an annular track on an upper base surface of the base. A PC board is disposed in the track. The PC board includes a plurality of light sources disposed on an upper board surface of the board. A light transmitting plate is positioned over the PC board so as to transmit light therethrough from the light sources. A bezel is fitted over the light transmitting plate and includes gradated openings corresponding to different conditions of operation. The openings permit light to pass therethrough from the light transmitting plate and a knob is disposed adjacent the bezel. The knob includes a light pointer configured to receive and transmit light from the light transmitting plate.
These and other advantages, as well as the invention itself, will become apparent in the details of construction and operation as more fully described and claimed below. Moreover, it should be appreciated that several aspects of the invention can be used in other applications where illumination of a work surface or operation area would be desirable.
An illuminated control knob assembly according to the present invention is identified in the accompanying drawings at 20. The assembly 20, in the illustrated embodiments, includes six main parts, which of course, may be combined or rearranged, as is known in the art, to make more or less than six parts. The parts of the illustrated embodiment include a base 22, which is sized and shaped to receive a printed circuit (“PC”) board 24. The base 22 and PC board 24 are sized and shaped to receive a light-transmitting plate 26. The combined base 22, PC board 24 and light-transmitting plate 26 cooperate so that they may fasten to a bezel 28 and thereby form a dial 32. A knob 30, which may include a light-transmitting pointer 34, may be sized and shaped to fit within the dial 32. How each above part is configured, fits with the other parts and how each functions will be shown in more detail in
The base or base plate 22, in the embodiment illustrated in
Interleaved with segments of the outer wall 42 is a plurality of base hooks 46. The base hooks 46 are outward facing hooks which function to fasten the base 22 to the bezel 28. The track 38 also includes a base alignment pin 48, which serves to cooperate with and orient the PC board 24 in a correct configuration. The track 38 further includes an access port 50 that provides access to the interior 32A of the dial 32 when fully assembled, by electrical wiring, a loom or plug, etc. (not shown).
A base alignment opening 56 is formed through the PC board 24. The base alignment opening 56 cooperates with the base alignment pin 48 of the base 22 to position the PC board 24 on the base 22. A pair of spaced cap alignment holes 58 may be formed though the PC board 24 which function to align the light-transmitting plate 26 on the PC board.
The inner or first flange 66 includes at least a central wall 70 that forms a central opening 70A therethrough. The outer or second flange 68 includes a plate top surface 76 including a single protrusion 72 at a first position and a set of graduated protrusions 74. As will be shown below in more detail, the single protrusion 72 can be positioned through the bezel 28 to point to, identify or indicate one position such as an “off” position (that is, gas valve closed). The set of graduated protrusions 74 may be positioned through the bezel 28 at positions corresponding to varying rates of gas flow, i.e., low, medium and high, and so on.
Whilst the above-described assembly is intended, in one embodiment to be used with a barbeque, it is to be realized that the assembly illustrated and described herein could be incorporated in other apparati with similar or equivalent benefits for illuminating any desired operation area.
Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicants claim protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon. While the apparatus and method herein disclosed forms a preferred embodiment of this invention, this invention is not limited to that specific apparatus and method, and changes can be made therein without departing from the scope of this invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
