Cooktop with light emitting indicators

• US 8,772,678 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shigeoka, Takehiko, Kataoka, Akira, Matsui, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, John J
• Application Number:
  US13/386,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20120118870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 219/443.1, 219/460.1, 219/461.1, 219/465.1, 219/452.11, 219/220, 219620-622, 219/462.1, 219/466.1, 219/467.1, 219/468.41, 219/640, 219/649, 219/720, 219/445, 219/445.1, 99D/IG.14
• US Class Current: 219/445.1
• 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

A heating cooker of the present invention is structured such that, an indicator sheet of a light emitting indicator unit has a light transmitting portion that transmits light of a light emission source and a light blocking portion that is provided away from a heating unit than the light transmitting portion is and that blocks the light of the light emission source, and that the light emission source is disposed below the light blocking portion. Thus, uneven shining of the indicator sheet can be suppressed, and the effect of heat from a heating target cooking vessel to the light emission source can be suppressed, whereby a further reduction in thickness of the heating cooker can be realized.

Claims

1. A heating cooker comprising:

a box-like body having an opening at a top portion thereof;

a top board closing the opening of the body;

a heating unit inside the body that heats a heating target cooking vessel on the top board; and

a light emitting indicator unit beside the heating unit, wherein

the light emitting indicator unit includes;

a case having an opening at an upper portion of the case facing the top board;

a light emission source in the case; and

an indicator sheet closing the opening of the case, wherein the indicator sheet includes;

a light transmitting portion in proximity to the heating unit that passes light from the light emission source; and

a light blocking portion having a main portion farther away from the heating unit than the light transmitting portion, the light blocking portion blocking the light of the light emission source, wherein

the heating unit has a substantially circular outer circumferential portion,

the case has a bottom surface in a substantially isosceles triangular shape, the case being disposed such that a base side of the substantially isosceles triangular shape faces the outer circumferential portion of the heating unit,

the light emission source is disposed below the main portion of the light blocking portion, and is disposed near an apex away from the base side of the bottom surface of the case, and

the base side of the bottom surface of the case is arc-shaped so as to conform to the outer circumferential portion of the heating unit, the case has a base wall that extends from the base side and the light transmitting portion is adjacent to the base wall.

2. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting indicator unit further comprises a light blocking wall that partially blocks the light from the light emission source between the light transmitting portion of the indicator sheet and the light emission source.

3. The heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein the light blocking wall stands on the bottom surface of the case, and provides a clearance between a top of the light blocking wall and the indicator sheet that passes the light from the light emission source between the light blocking wall and the indicator sheet.

4. The heating cooker according to claim 3, wherein the clearance becomes greater as a distance from the light emission source becomes greater, and a height of the light blocking wall from the bottom surface becomes smaller as the distance from the light emission source becomes greater.

5. The heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein the light blocking wall further comprises a bypass portion in a lower or central portion of the light blocking wall that passes the light from the light emission source.

6. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the indicator sheet is removably attached to the case.

7. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the light emission source comprises a surface mount LED.

8. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portion of the indicator sheet is arc-shaped between opposite ends thereof so as to conform to the outer circumferential portion of the heating unit, the light emission source includes a plurality of surface mount LEDs that produce colors that are different from one another, and a plurality of the LEDs are aligned in a direction that passes a midpoint of a straight line connecting between the opposite ends of the light transmitting portion and perpendicular to the straight line.

9. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the case comprises a light reflecting material that reflects the light from the light emission source.

10. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein a face of the light blocking portion of the indicator sheet on the light emission source side reflects light from the light emission source.

11. The heating cooker according to claim 10, wherein the face of the light blocking portion of the indicator sheet on the light emission source side is printed with a white color that reflects the light of the light emission source.

12. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portion of the indicator sheet comprises a light diffusion material that diffuses the light from the light emission source.