USE OF LEFT-HANDED METAMATERIALS AS A DISPLAY, PARTICULARLY ON A HOB, AS WELL AS DISPLAY AND DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20070267406A1
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Original Assignee: EGO Elektro-Gerã¤Tebau GmbH (EGO Blanc und Fischer & Company GmbH)
• Inventors: THIMM, WOLFGANG
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/622
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/083 on tops, hot plates
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/1218 with arrangements using lights for heating zone state indication

Abstract

Coatings with left-handed metamaterials (which are man-made materials comprising micro-structures having unusual electro-magnetic properties) are provided around an appliance, such as a hotplate or hob, incorporating induction heating coils that functions as an optical display. In one embodiment, operation of induction heating coils in the cook top alters the optical properties of the metamaterial. Thus, if the metamaterials were previously transparent, they can now become opaque. Doing so changes a display, which can be detected by an operator. This makes it possible to create an automatic operating display for an appliance, such as an induction based hob.

Claims

1. The use of left-handed metamaterial as a display having a housing wall, said display being used as a function display or information display on an electrical appliance, wherein said metamaterial are provided in the form of a coating and are positioned close to said housing wall of said display, wherein switchable magnetizing means are located in the vicinity of said metamaterial.

2. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein said metamaterials are located directly on said housing wall of said display.

3. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein an induction coil is provided as said switchable magnetizing means.

4. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein said metamaterials are directly visibly placed on said display, wherein a transparent cover is provided on said housing wall covering said metamaterials.

5. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 4, wherein said metamaterials are placed under said transparent cover to reflect ambient light back through said transparent cover.

6. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein said display has a light source and said metamaterials are positioned upstream of said light source.

7. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein said display has a light source and said metamaterials are positioned behind said light source of said display as reflecting means.

8. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein additional induction means are provided exclusively for influencing said metamaterials.

9. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein said left-handed metamaterials are made only of materials with a thermal resistance greater than 200°

C.

10. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 9, wherein said left-handed metamaterials are made of metals.

11. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 9, wherein said left-handed metamaterials are made of doped ceramics.

12. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein said left-handed metamaterials are so constructed that visual properties of said metamaterials change in a visible manner.

13. The use of left-handed metamaterials as a display according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic field of said magnetizing means is so selected that properties of said metamaterials change in visible manner.

14. A display for use as a function display or information display on an electrical appliance, said display having a housing wall and a display, said display having left-handed metamaterials attached to it wherein said metamaterials are formed as a coating and positioned close to said housing wall, wherein a switchable magnetizing source is provided and positioned close to said metamaterials.

15. A display according to claim 14, wherein said metamaterials are in the form of a thin plate.

16. A display according to claim 14, wherein said switchable magnetizing source is constituted by an induction coil.

17. A display according to claim 14, wherein said housing wall has a transparent cover and said metamaterials are placed in a visible manner on said display under said transparent cover.

18. A display according to claim 17, wherein said metamaterials are placed under said transparent cover as reflecting means for reflecting ambient light back through said cover.

19. A display according to claim 14, wherein said housing wall has a cover and said metamaterials are placed in a visible manner on said display on said cover.

20. A display according to claim 14, wherein said display has a lighting source and said metamaterials are placed upstream of said lighting source and cover said lighting source.

21. A display according to claim 14, wherein said magnetizing source is placed under a cover of said housing wall with a range of effectiveness to detect an object to be heated placed on said cover, said range of effectiveness embracing said metamaterials.

22. A display according to claim 21, wherein said metamaterial are placed in a ring-like manner around said magnetizing source with a spacing of a three of less centimetres.

23. A method for displaying information to a user of an electrical appliance, wherein said display comprises left-hand metamaterials applied to a cover wherein the left-handed metamaterials undergo modification of optical properties by application of a magnetic field, comprising the steps of:

creating a magnetic field adjacent to said metamaterials wherein said magnetic field is adjacent to said metamaterials.

24. A method for displaying information according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

the user moving a magnet to said metamaterials thereby creating the magnetic field.

25. A method for displaying information according to claim 24, wherein said user moving said magnet to said metamaterials takes place by positioning a movable control element comprising said magnet at a position provided for said control element on said electrical appliance.

26. A method for displaying information according to claim 23 wherein the step of creating a magnetic field is accomplished by switching on an induction coil.