HEATING COOKER

• US 20100020534A1
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inada, Tsuyoshi, Satou, Chikashi, Nagata, Ryuuji, Isoda, Keiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,772,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/97.100
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/086 touch control

Abstract

Operability of a heating cooker having a heating unit in a top plate is improved. After power-on, a light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element of an operable operation inhibition releasing key to be lit so that only the key is displayed and the other keys are less visible. Thus, the heating cooker is changed into a lock state. When the operation inhibition releasing key is operated in the lock state, at least one electrostatic touch key other than the operation inhibition releasing key is made operable and the operation unit light-emitting element is lit. Alternatively, in the above structure, the operation unit light-emitting element of the operable operation unit is lit in a first light-emission color, and the operation unit light-emitting elements of the inoperable operation units are lit in a second light-emission color different from the first light-emission color. Thus effective operation can be guided.

Claims

1. A heating cooker comprising:

an optically-transparent top plate provided on a top face of the appliance;

a heating unit formed in the top plate;

an electrostatic touch key having an electrode on a rear face of the top plate and used to instruct execution of a function assigned to the electrostatic touch key, the electrode being formed of a light-blocking conductive coating and having an optically-transparent cutting shape by removal of a part of the conductive coating;

an operation detecting unit for applying an alternating current signal to the electrode and detecting a change in capacitance of the electrode with respect to a ground, the change being caused by a contact with a portion of the top plate facing the electrode;

an operation unit light-emitting element for irradiating the electrode with light from a direction opposite to the top plate; and

a light emission control unit for controlling light emission by causing the operation unit light-emitting element to be lit so that a shape of the electrode is visible through the top plate, and causing the operation unit light-emitting element to be unlit so that the shape of the electrode is less visible,

wherein, after the appliance is powered on, the appliance is changed into a lock state in which only an operation inhibition releasing key among the electrostatic touch keys is operable,

in the lock state, the light emission control unit causes only the operation unit light-emitting element of the operation inhibition releasing key to be lit, and

thereafter, operation of the operation inhibition releasing key brings the appliance into a state in which at least one of the electrostatic touch keys other than the operation inhibition releasing key is operable, and the light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element of the operable electrostatic touch key to be lit.

2. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein when the light emission control unit has detected that the operable electrostatic touch key is operated, the light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element of one of the electrostatic touch keys made inoperable to be unlit, and causes the operation unit light-emitting element of one of the electrostatic touch keys made operable to be lit.

3. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein instead of causing only the operation unit light-emitting element of the operable electrostatic touch key to be lit, the light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element of the operable electrostatic touch key to be lit in a predetermined first light-emission color and the operation unit light-emitting elements of other ones of the electrostatic touch keys to be lit in a predetermined second light-emission color.

4. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein the light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element of one of the operable electrostatic touch keys to be guided for operation with highest priority to be lit in a first light-emission color, causes the light-emitting elements of other ones of the operable electrostatic touch keys to be lit in a second light-emission color, and causes the operation unit light-emitting elements of inoperable ones of the electrostatic touch keys to be unlit.

5. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein a glass having low optical transparency is used for the top plate so as to make the shape of the electrode less visible when the operation unit light-emitting element is unlit.

6. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein a half mirror is used for the top plate so as to make the shape of the electrode less visible when the operation unit light-emitting element is unlit.

7. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein the top plate and the electrode in an unlit state have an identical color so that the shape of the electrode is less visible when the operation unit light-emitting element is unlit.

8. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein a thin layer having low optical transparency is formed on the rear face of the top plate so that the shape of the electrode is less visible when the operation unit light-emitting element is unlit.

9. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein a voice generating unit is provided, and the voice generating unit generates information on the operable operation unit and operating method, in addition to light emission of the operation unit light-emitting element caused by the light emission control unit.

10. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein a guiding operation selecting unit for instructing to stop an operation for causing the operation unit light-emitting element to be lit and unlit, according to whether the electrostatic touch key is operable or inoperable, is provided, and

operation of the guiding operation selecting unit causes the light emission control unit to keep the operation unit light-emitting element lit all the time.

12. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein a storage unit for storing an operating procedure is provided, and the light emission control unit controls light emission of the operation unit light-emitting element according to an operating procedure stored in the storage unit.

15. The heating cooker of claim 1,

wherein the light emission control unit includes a lighting failure detecting unit for detecting a disconnection in a light source of the operation unit light-emitting element, and a display unit, and

wherein when the lighting failure detecting unit detects that the operation unit light-emitting element is unlit, the lighting failure detecting unit displays an error on the display unit and informs a user of a lighting failure.

11. A heating cooker comprising:

an optically-transparent top plate provided on a top face of the appliance;

a heating unit formed in the top plate;

an electrostatic touch key having an electrode on a rear face of the top plate and used to instruct execution of a function assigned to the electrostatic touch key, the electrode being formed of a light-blocking conductive coating and having an optically-transparent cutting shape by removal of a part of the conductive coating;

an operation detecting unit for applying an alternating current signal to the electrode and detecting a change in capacitance of the electrode with respect to a ground, the change being caused by a contact with a portion of the top plate facing the electrode;

an operation unit light-emitting element for irradiating the electrode with light from a direction opposite to the top plate; and

a light emission control unit for controlling light emission by causing the operation unit light-emitting element to be lit so that a shape of the electrode is visible through the top plate, and causing the operation unit light-emitting element to be unlit so that the shape of the electrode is less visible,

wherein, upon detection of operation of the electrostatic touch key, the light emission control unit causes the operation unit light-emitting element to be flashed, and the acceptance of the operation is informed to a user.

14. The heating cooker of claim 11,

wherein a storage unit for storing an operating procedure is provided, and the light emission control unit controls light emission of the operation unit light-emitting element according to an operating procedure stored in the storage unit.

16. The heating cooker of claim 11,

wherein the light emission control unit includes a lighting failure detecting unit for detecting a disconnection in a light source of the operation unit light-emitting element, and a display unit, and

wherein when the lighting failure detecting unit detects that the operation unit light-emitting element is unlit, the lighting failure detecting unit displays an error on the display unit and informs a user of a lighting failure.

13. (canceled)