APPLIANCE AND ILLUMINATED KNOB ASSEMBLY

• US 20180238556A1
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Kozinski, Kyle Andrew, Lea, Jennifer Nicole
• Granted Patent: US 10,345,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/124 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/126 on ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0095 Light guides as housings, housing portions, shelves, doors, tiles, windows, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

An appliance and illuminated knob assembly are generally provided herein. The knob assembly may include a surface panel, a control knob, a light source, and a light guide. The surface panel may have a forward face and a rearward face. The control knob may be attached to the surface panel at the forward face. Moreover, the control knob may be rotatable about a central axis. The light source may be disposed behind the surface panel at the rearward face. The light guide may be removably attached to the surface panel about the control knob and include a view ring to receive a portion of light emitted from the light source.

Claims

1. A knob assembly for an appliance, the knob assembly comprising:

a surface panel having a forward face and a rearward face, the surface panel defining a light opening extending through the surface panel from the rearward face to the forward face;

a control knob attached to the surface panel at the forward face, the control knob being rotatable about a central axis;

a light source disposed behind the surface panel at the rearward face; and

a light guide removably attached to the surface panel about the control knob, the light guide comprising a view ring to receive a portion of light emitted from the light source, the light guide further comprising a resilient tab extending from the view ring to retain the resilient tab, the resilient tab being biased radially outward away from the central axis.

2. The knob assembly of claim 1, wherein the light guide is a first light guide, and wherein the knob assembly further comprises second light guide attached to the surface panel between the first light guide and the forward face, the second light guide being aligned with the first light guide to direct a light emission thereto.

3. The knob assembly of claim 2, wherein the second light guide comprises a leading leg extending through the surface panel to light source.

4. The knob assembly of claim 2, wherein the second light guide comprises a primary refractor in optical communication with the light source.

5. The knob assembly of claim 2, wherein the second light guide comprises a guiding ring and a plurality of light-refracting ridges formed on the guiding ring.

6. The knob assembly of claim 1, further comprising a modular bezel body disposed about the light guide.

7. The knob assembly of claim 6, wherein the light guide comprises an outer lip extending radially outward over the modular bezel body to display a portion of a light transmission from the light source.

8. The knob assembly of claim 1, wherein light guide comprises a tinted body configured to transmit a limited spectrum of light.

9. The knob assembly of claim 1, further comprising

a control board positioned at the rearward face of the surface panel;

and

a support stem extending along the central axis through the surface panel from control board and above the forward face.

10. The knob assembly of claim 9, wherein the light source is mounted on the control board.

11. A knob assembly for an appliance, the knob assembly comprising:

a surface panel having a forward face and a rearward face, the surface panel defining a stem opening extending through the surface panel from the rearward face to the forward face along a central axis;

a control board disposed behind the surface panel at the rearward face;

an input stem extending from the control board to a distal end through the stem opening, the input stem comprising a fixed coupling sleeve;

a coupling nut secured to the coupling sleeve at the forward face and restricting rearward movement of the input stem though the central axis; and

a control knob rotatably fixed to the input stem at the distal end.

12. The knob assembly of claim 11, further comprising a potentiometer operably attached to the input stem on the control board.

13. The knob assembly of claim 11, further comprising a light source disposed behind the surface panel at the rearward face.

14. The knob assembly of claim 11, wherein the surface panel comprises a modular bezel body disposed about the input stem.

15. The knob assembly of claim 11, further comprising a light guide removably attached to the modular bezel body about the control knob, the light guide comprising a view ring to receive a portion of light emitted from the light source, the light guide further comprising a resilient tab extending from the view ring toward the modular bezel body, the resilient tab being biased radially outward away from the central axis, and wherein the modular bezel body defines a snap opening to receive the resilient tab.

16. The knob assembly of claim 15, further comprising a second light guide attached to the surface panel between the first light guide and the forward face, the second light guide being aligned with the first light guide to direct a light emission thereto.

17. The knob assembly of claim 16, further comprising a light source disposed behind the surface panel at the rearward face, wherein the second light guide comprises a leading leg extending through the surface panel to light source.

18. A cooking appliance comprising:

a heating element mounted to the cooking appliance;

a control knob attached to the cooking appliance to control the heating element, the control knob defining a central axis;

a surface panel supporting the control knob, the surface panel comprising a forward face and a rearward face, the surface panel defining a light opening and a stem opening, the light opening and the stem opening extending through the surface panel from the rearward face to the forward face;

a light source disposed within the cooking appliance behind the surface panel;

a light guide removably attached to the surface panel about the control knob, the light guide comprising a view ring to receive a portion of light emitted from the light source, the light guide further comprising a resilient tab extending from the view ring to retain the resilient tab, the resilient tab being biased radially outward away from the central axis;

a control board disposed within the cooking appliance behind the surface panel at the rearward face;

an input stem extending from the control board to the control knob through the stem opening, the input stem comprising a fixed coupling sleeve; and

a coupling nut secured to the coupling sleeve at the forward face and restricting rearward movement of the input stem though the central axis, the control knob being rotatably fixed to the input stem.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 18, further comprising a modular bezel body disposed about the light guide.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 19, wherein the light guide comprises an outer lip extending radially outward over the modular bezel body to display a portion of a light transmission from the light source, and wherein the light guide comprises a resilient tab extending from the view ring toward the modular bezel body, the resilient tab being biased radially outward away from the central axis, and wherein the modular bezel body defines a snap opening to receive the resilient tab.