Glass touch cooktop dual element and bridge burner control

Details Glass touch cooktop dual element and bridge burner control Glass touch cooktop dual element and bridge burner control

1999-08-05

2001-03-06

Paschall, Mark (Department: 3742)

Electric heating

Heating devices

With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...

C219S483000, C219S486000, C219S412000, C219S414000, C219S453130, C219S445100, C219S508000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06198080

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to controls for cooking appliances and, more particularly, to a touch control for electric range surface heating elements.
Electric ranges typically include a plurality of surface heating elements. Typically, a user controls the operation of these surface heating elements by mechanically selecting power settings for the surface heating elements via dials or knobs located on a panel near the surface heating elements. The dials or knobs are connected to mechanical switches that control the individual heating elements.
Glass touch control systems typically include a plurality of touch toggle control areas responsive to a touch by a user. Each touch control area electronically controls a corresponding surface heating element. Some touch control systems are confusing to new users, such as systems that incorporate a lock feature that disables the touch controls for safety. Often, it is neither apparent to the uninitiated whether the controls are locked nor evident how to unlock them to operate the range.
Moreover, user-friendly touch controls for combination heating elements, such as dual element burners and bridge heating elements, are needed.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a touch control system that designates the status of the system as locked or unlocked, attracts attention to the lock control, and facilitates the control of dual element burners and bridge elements.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a control system for a glass touch cooktop includes a control panel including a plurality of touch control areas with touch toggle controls that correspond to a plurality of surface heater elements, and a toggle lock control that disables the touch control areas when activated. The toggle lock control is separated from the touch control and is identified with a conspicuous icon for unlocking the touch controls. The toggle lock control further includes an integral indicator to readily alert a user that the system is locked.
Each control area includes on/off touch controls, up and down power controls, and power level displays for intuitive operation by a user. Further, touch controls with graphical icons and integral indicators are incorporated for user-friendly operation of a dual element burner and a bridge element. The indicators are lit in response to the energization of the elements so that a user may see at a glance the status of the elements.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3974472 (1976-08-01), Gould, Jr.
patent: 4511781 (1985-04-01), Tucker et al.
patent: 5717189 (1998-02-01), Goetz et al.

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