Patent Application
20120138590
The embodiments described herein relate generally to a lighting system for use with a cooktop appliance and, more particularly, to a lighting system for use with an induction cooktop appliance.
At least some known cooktop appliances generate a magnetic field that induces a current within a ferrous cooking utensil, such as a pot or pan. When using such a cooktop appliance, a user positions the ferrous cooking utensil adjacent a magnetic coil and activates the magnetic coil to generate the magnetic field. The current induced in the cooking utensil heats the cooking utensil and the contents of the cooking utensil. A top surface of the cooktop appliance remains substantially at room temperature, unless conductively heated by the utensil on the top surface. Further, and unlike a radiant or gas cooktop, an activated burner assembly does not emit a visual signal to the user that the burner assembly is activated. As such, the user may erroneously believe that a burner assembly is inactive, when the cooking utensil on the burner assembly may be heated.
One known inductive cooktop appliance includes light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a closed loop. A current induced in the closed loop by the existing magnetic field illuminates the LEDs. However, the indirect powering of the LEDs does not provide direct control of the LEDs to provide the user with any indications other than “off” or “on.” As such, when the burner is off and the pan is still heated, the user sees the same visual indication as if the pan is cool.
In one aspect, a lighting system for use with a cooktop appliance is provided. The cooktop appliance includes a plate and a burner assembly positioned beneath the plate. The lighting system includes at least one light source positioned adjacent a light entry portal of the plate. The at least one light source is configured to direct light through the plate via the light entry portal and emit the light from a top surface of the plate adjacent the burner assembly. A controller is communicatively coupled to the burner assembly and the at least one light source. The controller is configured to activate the at least one light source when at least one of the burner assembly is activated and a utensil on the burner assembly is heated.
In another aspect, a cooktop appliance is provided. The cooktop appliance includes a plate having a light entry portal, and a burner assembly positioned beneath the plate. The burner assembly includes an induction coil. The cooktop appliance further includes a lighting system including at least one light source positioned adjacent the light entry portal. The at least one light source is configured to direct light through the plate via the light entry portal and emit the light from a top surface of the plate adjacent the burner assembly.
In yet another aspect, a method for assembling a cooktop appliance is provided. The cooktop appliance includes a burner assembly having an induction coil. The method includes positioning a plate above the burner assembly. The plate includes a first area, which is substantially transparent, defined on a top surface of the plate. The first area is aligned with the burner assembly. The method further includes coupling at least one light source adjacent a light entry portal of the plate. The at least one light source is configured to direct light through the plate via the light entry portal and emit the light from the top surface of the plate at the first area. A controller is communicatively coupled to the burner assembly and the at least one light source.
The embodiments described herein provide an integrated lighting system for induction coils that illuminates when an induction coil is active and/or operating in any other relevant state. The lighting system described herein can give an appearance to an induction coil in a cooktop appliance that is similar to an appearance of a radiant electric cook-top burner, a gas burner, and/or any other suitable heated/energized element. Various colors and/or intensities of light are used to convey various parameters to the user and to enhance aesthetics of the induction coils.
In particular embodiments described herein, the lighting system includes light-emitting diodes and a light-guiding plate; glow wires; glowing paint and/or polymer; glowing liquid, gas, and/or solid; and/or controllable privacy glass. Further, the lighting system can be scaled up or down according to a size of a cooking utensil detected over a burner assembly and/or a size of a burner assembly. All lighting systems described herein can be directly powered by a power source and/or powered by a current induced by a magnetic field. In the figures, red light is indicated by a square dotted line and blue light is indicated by a dashed line. Although red light and blue light are described herein, it should be understood that any colors of light and/or any number of different colors of light can be used with the lighting system described herein.
In an alternative embodiment, plate 12 is positioned below a cooking surface plate 17 of cooktop appliance 10 and does not act as the cooking surface. For example, plate 12 can be positioned between a burner assembly 16 and a cooking surface plate 17 (shown in phantom in
In the exemplary embodiment, patterns 14 formed on the cooking surface of plate 12 identify positions of each burner assembly 16 located directly underneath plate 12 at each pattern 14. Patterns 14 can have any suitable shape, such as, circular, oval, and/or polygonal. When cooking appliance 10 includes cooking surface plate 17, patterns 14 are defined on plate 12 and/or cooking surface plate 17 above each burner assembly 16. In the exemplary embodiment, a bottom surface 18 and/or a top surface 20 of plate 12 is angle-cut, dimpled, etched, and/or patterned for strength, aesthetics, light diffusion, and/or for any other suitable reason. Appliance 10 also includes a control panel 22 that includes input devices, such as knobs and/or touch pads, that allow a user of appliance 10 to control temperatures of burner assemblies 16 individually or in combination via a controller 24.
Referring to
It should be noted that any suitable type of energy source, such as an RF generator, could be used in place of the resistance element and/or induction coil 26. In the exemplary embodiment, induction coil 26 is arranged in an effective heating pattern, such as a concentric coil, and is secured to a base of an insulating liner 28 supported in a support pan 30. Insulating liner 28 includes an annular, upwardly extending portion 32 that serves as an insulating spacer between induction coil 26 and plate 12. Support pan 30 is supported by conventional support means (not shown) for locating burner assembly 16 at a position relative to plate 12. Each burner assembly 16 includes at least one sensing device 34 to detect one or more characteristics relating to appliance 10, such as a temperature of plate 12; a presence or an absence of a utensil on plate 12; a temperature, a size, and/or a type of utensil on plate 12; and/or the properties or state of the utensil contents. Sensing device 34 can be discretely located or distributed across burner assembly 16. In one embodiment, leads from sensing device 34 extend from burner assembly 16 to controller 24.
Controller 24 is configured to control a power level of induction coil 26 in response to the user selected settings entered via control panel 22 and/or to control any other suitable operations of appliance 10. In the exemplary embodiment, controller 24 is communicatively coupled to induction coil 26 via resonant power inverter 36 and a feedback network 38. A power supply and source 40 is also communicatively coupled to induction coil 26 via resonant power inverter 36. Further, power supply and source 40 is communicatively coupled to controller 24 and feedback network 38. As used herein, “communicatively coupled,” or variations thereof, refers to a link, such as a conductor, a wire, and/or a data link, between two or more components of appliance 10 that enables signals, electric currents, voltages, and/or commands to be communicated between the two or more components. The link is configured to enable one component to control an operation of another component of appliance 10 using the communicated signals, electric currents, voltages, and/or commands.
Appliance 10 further includes a lighting system 42 configured to illuminate each burner assembly 16 to provide the user with a visual indication of a status of burner assemblies 16. For example, lighting system 42 illuminates an active burner assembly 16 and maintains a darkened state of a non-active burner assembly 16. Lighting system 42 can additionally or alternatively use colors and/or intensities to indicate a temperature of each burner assembly 16, such as not illuminating a non-active burner assembly 16, illuminating a cool burner assembly 16 with blue light, and/or illuminating a hot burner assembly 16 with red light. Other colors and/or color intensities can be used to indicate ranges of temperatures between cool and hot. In the exemplary embodiment, controller 24 controls lighting system 42 to provide visual indications of a state of a burner assembly 16 to the user. Additional details of lighting system 42 and how it is made and/or operated are provided below with respect to
In alternative embodiments, lighting system 42 includes glow wires (not shown) wrapped in an arrangement around an induction coil within burner assembly 16. The glow wires can be directly powered by a power source (not shown) and/or powered through induction. In another alternative embodiment, lighting system 42 includes a chemical and/or material solid, liquid, and/or gas that glows in the presence of heat, an electrical current, and/or a magnetic field. Additionally, lighting system 42 can include privacy glass having a controllable dimness level. When privacy glass is used with lighting system 42, light can be emitted upward through the privacy glass, and the dimness level of the privacy glass controls an amount of light transmitted through the privacy glass to provide a visual indication of a state of burner assembly 16 to the user.
In the exemplary embodiment, plate 12 includes at least one substantially transparent light entry portal 50 along a side edge 52 of plate 12. In a particular embodiment, plate 12 includes a plurality of light entry portals 50 and each light source 46 and 48 is positioned adjacent a respective light entry portal 50. In the exemplary embodiment, each light entry portal 50 is defined at a surface of plate 12 that is cut, polished, and/or coated to facilitate allowing an optimum amount of light to enter plate 12. The remainder of side edge 52 (the portion of side edge 52 not including light entry portal 50) is configured to reflect light into plate 12 and/or to absorb light. For example, the remainder of side edge 52 is partitioned using, for example, paint, plastic, and/or angle cutting. When angle cutting is used, an angle is selected such that light is unable to be transmitted through the remainder of side edge 52. In the exemplary embodiment, side edges 52 extend between top surface 20 and bottom surface 18 of plate 12. Light sources 46 and 48 are positioned to direct light through plate 12 via light entry portal 50. As such, plate 12 acts as a light guide for the light emitted from light sources 46 and/or 48.
Top surface 20 includes at least one first area 54, which is substantially transparent, and at least one second area 56, which is substantially opaque. Second area 56 is configured to prevent light from being transmitted from plate 12 through top surface 20, and first area 54 is configured to direct light from plate 12 through top surface 20. In the exemplary embodiment, first areas 56 are defined at or within each pattern 14 on plate 12 such that light can be transmitted through plate 12 at each burner assembly 16. In one embodiment, each first area 54 includes a pattern, etching, cuts, and/or any other suitable light directing components that enable light to be directed from light source 46 and/or 48 through top surface 20 of plate 12 and upwards beyond a cooking surface of cooktop appliance 10. The light directing components can be within plate 12 at first area 54, below plate 12, and/or on top surface 20 at first area 54. When cooking surface plate 17 is used, cooking surface plate 17 and/or plate 12 include light directing components and/or are associated with light directing components. In the exemplary embodiment, a remainder of top surface 20, or a portion of top surface 20 surrounding first area(s) 56, is second area 56. Second area 56 can be formed using a coating on top surface 20 and/or any other suitable technique for rendering top surface 20 substantially opaque to prevent transmission of light from plate 12 to the user, while reflecting light back into plate 12. In the exemplary embodiment, first area 54 and second area 56 are defined to emit the light from top surface 20 of plate 12 adjacent burner assembly 16.
When cooktop appliance 10 includes a plurality of burner assemblies 16 as shown in
Referring again to
In another example, when burner assembly 16 has been activated, but no utensil is detected on burner assembly 16, lighting system 42 generates a first ring of light about the activated burner assembly 16. In one embodiment, the first ring of light is a blue ring of light. When burner assembly 16 has been activated and the utensil is detected on burner assembly 16, lighting system 42 generates a second ring of light having a size proportional to a size and/or a position of the utensil. In one embodiment, the second ring of light has a color that is different than a color of the first ring of light, such as a red ring of light. As described herein, “blue light” is produced by electromagnetic waves having a wavelength between about 450 nanometers (nm) and about 500 nm, and “red light” is produced by electromagnetic waves having a wavelength between about 635 nm and about 700 nm. It should be understood that lighting system 42 can emit light having any suitable wavelength within the visible spectrum, such as a wavelength between about 380 nm and about 750 nm.
When burner assembly 16 has been activated and utensil is detected on burner assembly 16, the second ring of light can have an intensity (solid, pulsing, and/or modulating) proportional to a power level setting and/or feedback temperature of burner assembly 16. The first and/or second rings of light can be defined using light directing surfaces on or within plate 12 and/or using a configuration of light sources 46 and/or 48. Additionally, a pulsing, patterned, and/or modulating illumination sequence can be generated about burner assembly 16 by controller 24. To generate rings of light having different sizes, a lighting system 60 as shown in
In another example, when burner assembly 16 is operating in a cooking state with a sufficiently sized cooking utensil (i.e. a cooking pot) thereon, controller 24 continuously activates light sources 46 and/or 48. When burner assembly 16 is operating in a cooking state with an insufficiently sized cooking utensil (i.e. a spoon and/or no utensil) thereon, controller 24 periodically activates light sources 46 and/or 48 to indicate to the user that the utensil is not of a sufficient size. In yet another example, controller 24 controls lighting system 42 to provide pulsating blue light when burner assembly 16 is on but no cooking utensil is detected, a pulsating red light when burner assembly 16 is on and the cooking utensil is detected, and a pulsating color spectrum when burner assembly 16 is heating the cooking utensil at full power. It should be understood that the above examples are not limiting and controller 24 can control lighting system 42 based on any suitable operations of burner assembly 16 and/or cooktop appliance 10.
In the exemplary embodiment, controller 24 activates lighting system 42 based on different types of signals to generate different illumination schemes, as described herein. The types of signals include system on/off signals, temperature setting signals, temperature feedback signals, pan sensing signals, resonant detection signals, efficiency measurement signals, and/or any other suitable signals. In the exemplary embodiment, signals are transmitted from sensing device 34 to controller 24, and controller 24 controls lighting system 42 based on the signals from sensing device 34.
The system on/off signals can be used as a master signal for determining whether or not to activate light sources 46 and/or 48 associated with a burner assembly 16. For example, illumination of burner assembly 16 is not possible when an “off” signal is generated for burner assembly 16. An exception is when plate 12 and/or utensil over burner assembly 16 is still hot after burner assembly 16 has been de-activated. The pan sensing signals indicate a “size” of burner assembly 16 to be illuminated. As discussed above with respect to lighting system 60, although the actual size of burner assembly 16 does not vary, the size of an illuminated area above burner assembly 16 can be varied based on a size of the utensil positioned over burner assembly 16. For example, small, medium, or large pans are illuminated accordingly using the grid arrangement of lighting system 60 shown, in
Referring to
Referring to
In addition, or alternatively to, the above-described automatic control of light sources 46 and/or 48, a user may input instructions into control panel 22 that causes lighting system 42 and/or 60 to display one or more user-selected lighting colors and/or patterns. The input instructions are stored in a memory of controller 24. Based on the input instructions, lighting system 42 emits the selected color and/or pattern of light from plate 12 using light sources 46 and/or 48. For example, when light source 46 and/or 48 is a multi-color LED and the user selects green light, controller 24 provides indications, such as a continuous lighting, pulsing lighting, and/or flashing lighting, by emitting green light from first area 54. The user can also select to turn off lighting system 42, and lighting system 42 will not provide lighting indications to the user; however, controller 24 may provided other indications to user that a utensil over burner assembly 16 may be hot. It should be understood that lighting system 42 can be scaled up or down to account for a size of the cooking utensil detected over burner assembly 16. Further, lighting system 42 is powered directly from power supply and source 40 and/or powered by an induced magnetic field generated by burner assembly 16.
In a particular embodiment, a plurality of light sources 46 and 48 are coupled 308 adjacent at least one light entry portal 50 of plate 12 and each light source 46 and 48 is configured to emit a different color of light. When cooktop appliance 10 includes a plurality of burner assemblies 16 as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, plate 12 is configured to emit the light from top surface 20 at first area 54. As such, plate 12 and/or first area 54 act as light guides that guide light from light sources 46 and/or 48 through plate 12 to a user of cooktop appliance 10. Controller 24 is communicatively coupled 312 to burner assembly 16 and light source 46 and/or 48. In the exemplary embodiment, controller 24 is configured to activate light source 46 and/or 48 when burner assembly 16 is activated and/or a utensil above burner assembly 16 has been heated, as described above. Further, at least one sensing device 34 is communicatively coupled 314 to controller 24. Controller 24 is configured to control light source 46 and/or 48 to produce at least one of a predetermined color of light and a predetermined pattern of light at burner assembly 16 to indicate a characteristic sensed by sensing device 34.
The embodiments described herein provide a user of an induction cooktop appliance with a visual indication of a state, a status, and/or a mode of the induction cooktop appliance. More specifically, the lighting system provides the user visual indications using color, pattern, intensity, and/or duration of lighting to inform the user about the state, the status, and/or the mode. The lighting system is not only informative, but visually appealing to users. Because the lighting system informs the user about the status of the cooktop appliance, the cooktop appliance described herein is safer for the user, as compared to conventional induction cooktop appliances.
A technical effect of the systems and method described herein includes at least one of: (a) activating at least one light source when a burner assembly is activated; (b) operating at least one light source in a first mode when a burner assembly is operating at a first state and operating the at least one light source in a second mode when the burner assembly is operating at a second state; (c) activating at least one light source to emit a first color of light when a burner assembly is operating at a first state and to emit a second color of light when the burner assembly is operating at a second state; (d) gradually changing a color of light emitted from at least one light source from a first color to a second color; (e) receiving a user input of a color of light to emit from at least one light source; and (f) operating at least one light source in a first mode when a burner assembly is operating at a first state and operating the at least one light source in a second mode when the burner assembly is operating at a second state.
Exemplary embodiments of a lighting system for use with a cooktop appliance and a method for assembling the same are described above in detail. The systems and method are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather, components of systems and/or steps of the methods may be utilized independently and separately from other components and/or steps described herein.
Although specific features of various embodiments of the invention may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. In accordance with the principles of the invention, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and/or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
