Embodiments of the invention are described in greater detail hereinafter relative to the attached diagrammatic drawings, wherein show:
This problem is solved by one embodiment by the features of claim 1, a display according to claim 13, and a display method according to claim 22. Advantageous and preferred developments of the invention are given in the further claims and are explained in greater detail hereinafter. Some of the following features are only referred to once. However, independently thereof, they can apply to all the variants. By express reference the wording of the claims is made into part of the content of the description.
Left-handed metamaterials are used as a display or in display means. The latter are in particular useful for a function or information display, for example on an electrical appliance, such as an electrical cooking appliance, such as hobs or ovens. The left-handed metamaterials are present in the form of a coating or at least a thin plate, positioned close or directly on at a housing wall or cover of the display or electrical appliance. According to one embodiment of the invention, a switchable or controllable induction means, or so-called magnetizing means, is provided in the vicinity of said left-handed metamaterials. They are in particular constituted by an induction coil, which can be switched on and off particularly easily. The precise construction of such metamaterials can be gathered from the article “Nonlinear properties of left-handed metamaterials”, Physical Review Letters, volume 91, number 3, 03740-1 to 037401-4 or the article “Magnetic metamaterials at Telecommunication and visible Frequencies”, Physical Review Letters, PRL 95, 203901-1 to 203901-4.
The starting materials for the metamaterials can be, for example, copper and gold, in each case involve structures in a range smaller than 10 μm. It is also possible to use ferroelectrics such as BaxSr1-xTiO3. Further information in this connection is provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,963,259 or 6,859,114, which are incorporated by reference into the present specification by express incorporation by reference. When selecting the materials, it must be borne in mind that no materials may be contained that, as a result of magnetic induction, have a self-heating such that they damage or even destroy themselves or the metamaterials, (e.g., this applies to certain metals, such as nickel).
Such metamaterials make it possible when applying or modifying a magnetic field in whose range of effectiveness they are located, to change the optical properties in such a way that they, for example, change from an opaque state to a transparent state.
Due to the changing magnetic field of the magnetizing means or induction means, the metamaterial is influenced or affected in such a way that its optical properties change. This can either apply to their transmittance properties, i.e. their transmission, or can apply to their reflection properties, i.e. reflection. It can also apply to the colouring properties. In conjunction with the structure of the display in this way said “optical switching” can be visible or made visible for an operator, so as to implement the display function. Reference is made thereto in greater detail hereinafter. Reference will also be made to the precise way in which the magnetic field change can be brought about.
In one embodiment of the invention, the metamaterials are placed on the display in such a way that they are directly visible. Thus, the operator can directly detect the change to the optical properties or the modified optical appearance. One possibility is placing under a cover or panel, which is substantially transparent, for example made from transparent glass or plastic. However, another possibility involves placing the metamaterials on a cover, housing wall or panel. This gives independence of the optical properties of the actual cover, because the metamaterials or their optical appearance change are in any case visible. Thus, it is also possible to use an opaque cover.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the metamaterials can be positioned upstream of lighting means or upstream of an illuminated display and can cover the same. In this case, the metamaterials are looked upon as a type of panel, which for example conventionally covers the lighting means or ensures that they are not visible. On applying the magnetic field or modifying the optical properties thereof, the metamaterial becomes transparent and thus the light source become visible. This makes it possible to implement a display function for an operator.
According to an alternative development of the invention the metamaterials can be positioned behind light source, or a display. Then, use is made of reflecting properties, which can be modified as a function of a magnetic field. It can be possible for a display to be visible to an operator when the metamaterials or a coating comprising the same reflects through the application of a magnetic field.
In a further development of the invention the metamaterials can be positioned in the manner of a coating or the like under a substantially transparent cover. Although they are not necessarily visible, on changing their optical properties towards the reflecting ambient light, they can reflect back through the cover that this can be perceived in clear form as a display by an operator. As in the other cases, the metamaterials can be in the form of symbols or indicia, representing the same as a display.
Coils are advantageously used as induction means or magnetizing means. A particularly advantageous possibility is provided by an induction coil under a cover. This is advantageously could be an induction heating coil in the case of an induction cook top. The metamaterials are then in the range of effectiveness of the induction heating coil, if an object to be heated, particularly a cooking vessel, is placed on the cover. The metamaterials are then particularly advantageously outside the induction heating coil in such a way that expectedly they are outside the object to be heated, so that they are still visible. However, they should not be too far from the induction heating coil, so that the magnetic field, which can be achieved, is still adequately strong for the desired action or change to the optical properties.
A further advantage of these metamaterials is that they have an increased thermal stability compared with displays using LED. They can therefore be positioned closer to a heating device, for example a radiant heater for a hob.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the metamaterials are arranged in ring-like manner around the induction heating coil or along its ring-like contour. Advantageously, they are at a limited distance from the induction heating coil. This limited distance should not exceed a few centimetres so that, as described hereinbefore, the magnetic field is still sufficiently strong. They can form a substantially closed ring. It is advantageously possible here, particularly in the case of use in an induction hob, for the metamaterials to be applied as a ring-like coating to the top or bottom of the hob surface and in this way they are clearly visible in accordance with the previously described embodiments.
As an alternative to induction means or magnetizing means provided in fixed form on the display, it is possible when attaching a magnetic control element, particularly according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,131, for it to produce the magnetic field for modifying the metamaterials. If such a control element is applied at an intended location for the subsequent control or operation of the electrical appliance, its readiness to operate can be indicated by a varying display as a result of the varying optical properties of the metamaterials.
These and further features can be gathered from the claims, description and drawings and the individual features, both singly or in the form of subcombinations, can be implemented in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous, independently protectable constructions for which protection is claimed here. The subdivision of the application into individual sections and the subheadings in no way limit the general validity of the statements made thereunder.
There is also a display 18a or 18b according to the invention. Although they are jointly shown here, in practice only one is present. Display 18a has a coating 19 with a left-handed metamaterial, as described hereinbefore. The lower coating 19 is located on the underside of a hob plate 13, namely somewhat outside or adjacent to the surface corresponding to the extension of the induction heating coil 15 or hotplate 16. It can admittedly also extend further towards the centre of the induction heating coil 15. However, as can be gathered from
Correspondingly display 18b has an upper coating 20 also made from, or incorporating, left-handed metamaterial. As shown, it is also appropriately located outside or adjacent to hotplate 16. Apart from the aforementioned reasons, a part is also played here by the fact that as a function of the mechanical stability of the coating the cooking vessel 17 is then less frequently placed on coating 20 and consequently the latter is less likely to be damaged, scratched or removed.
Coatings 19 and 20 are shown with an exaggerated thickness in
Further details are given hereinafter relative to
In the further variant according to
The displays 18 shown in
In the case of the displays 118 according to
In the operation of the display 218 according to
Further constructions of displays with coatings of left-handed metamaterials can easily be implemented by the expert on the basis of the above information. Moreover, apart from the three types described, further state changes of the metamaterials under the action of a magnetic field can be used for display purposes.
In
A further embodiment is shown in
Facing the fixed magnet 326 is defined a point on which can be applied a removable rotary toggle 329 for operation or inputting instructions. Said rotary toggle 329 contains a central magnet 330 together with the associated upper magnet star 331. If, in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,131, rotary toggle 329 is positioned above the lower magnet 326 for a subsequent rotary operation, the magnetic field produced by it gives rise to the aforementioned changes in coatings 319 or 320. Thus, in much the same way as when putting into operation the induction heating coil in the preceding embodiments, they change their optical properties within the scope of all the aforementioned possibilities and consequently also form a display 318a or 318b.
However, in this embodiment it must be borne in mind that it is not the magnetic field of the lower magnet 326, with lower magnet star 327, which brings about the change to the optical properties in coatings 319 and 320; this is only brought about through the application of rotary toggle 329. However, this can be easily implemented by one skilled in the art, for example by additional shields around the lower magnet 326 or magnet star 327. Additionally, in the outer area of rotary toggle 329, further magnets can be provided, for example for displaying a specific rotary position, similar to an optical marking, at a specific point of the rotary toggle. On a ring passing round the rotary toggle 329 similar to
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102006024097.9 | May 2006 | DE | national |