ILLUMINATION DEVICE FOR COOKING APPARATUS

Abstract

An illumination device for a cooking apparatus, the illumination device including a light source; and a light conductor rod that transmits light emitted by the light source to a cooking cavity, wherein the light conductor rod is a rigid light conductor rod that is configured to penetrate an opening in a cooking cavity wall, wherein an angled end of the light conductor rod that is oriented away from the light source is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the light conductor rod at an angle so that light exiting from the angled end is introducible into the cooking cavity at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the light conductor rod.

Claims

1. An illumination device for a cooking apparatus, the illumination device comprising; a light source; and a light conductor rod that transmits light emitted by the light source to a cooking cavity, wherein the light conductor rod is a rigid light conductor rod that is configured to penetrate an opening in a cooking cavity wall, wherein an angled end of the light conductor rod that is oriented away from the light source is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the light conductor rod at an angle so that light exiting from the angled end is introducible into the cooking cavity at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the light conductor rod.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the light conductor rod is within limits of a total reflection of a material of the light conductor rod.

3. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the light conductor rod includes a reflective coating in a portion of a curvature that forms the angle.

4. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the light conductor rod forms a light exit surface at a light exit end of the light conductor rod, and wherein the light exit surface includes an optical structure that provides the light with a defined orientation.

5. A cooking apparatus comprising: a cooking cavity that is enveloped by a cooking cavity wall, wherein the cooking cavity wall includes an opening, wherein a lamp component of a lamp is run through the opening, wherein the lamp is configured to illuminate the cooking cavity and includes the illumination device according to claim 1, and wherein a section of the light conductor rod between the light source and the angled end of the light conductor rod is arranged outside of the cooking cavity.

6. The cooking apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a curvature of the angled end is oriented towards the cooking cavity wall,

7. The cooking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a section of the light conductor rod that is arranged downstream of the curvature extends through the opening in the cooking cavity wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Further advantages of the invention are described based on an embodiment with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an illumination device according to the invention in a perspective view; and

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates illumination device according to FIG. 2 in a side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In the drawing figures an illumination device in according to the invention is designated overall with reference numeral 10.

[0018] The illumination device 10 includes a mounting plate 11 that facilitates mounting the illumination device at a cooking apparatus component, e.g. a support plate. A support dish 13 is arranged at two opposite mounting arms 12 wherein the support dish receives a circuit board with a LED mounted thereon and a cooling element 14 that dissipates operating heat from the LED.

[0019] The support dish 13 forms a support collar 15 on a side that is oriented away from the cooling element wherein the support collar envelops a light exit opening. A light conductor rod 16 is inserted into an angular cavity into the support collar 15. The light conductor rod 16 is mechanically supported in the support collar. The mechanical support can be provided in particular by a clamp that presses walls of a slotted support collar 15 against the light conductor rod 16 and thus provides friction locking. As an alternative to the clamp the slotted support collar 15 can also be provided with an external thread so that the support collar 15 can be pressed against the light conductor rod 16 by a nut to provide friction locking. It is also conceivable to establish form locking between the support collar 15 and the light conductor rod e.g. by an interlocking connection.

[0020] A cutout 17 of mounting plate 11 allows the light conductor rod 16 to pass through the mounting plate 11.

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the illumination device 10 described supra. The illustration shows a longitudinal center axis L of the illumination device and a path of a light beam 18 which is introduced by the LED light source into the end of the light conductor rod 16 that is oriented towards the cooling element wherein the light beam exits the light conductor rod 16 at a free end that is oriented away from the cooling element. The light conductor rod 16 includes a first section A.sub.1 that extends from the LED light source through the cutout 17 in the mounting plate to a curved section A.sub.K where a second section A.sub.2 adjoins that terminates in a free end of the light conductor rod. The curved section A.sub.K or its curvature radius or bending radius is within a total reflection of a light conductor rod material so that the exemplary light beam 18 does not exit the light conductor rod 16 in a portion of the curvature but is reflected in its entirety at an inner surface of the light conductor rod and is reflected through the curvature section A.sub.K into the second section A.sub.2.

[0022] The light beam 18 exits from the second section A.sub.2 wherein a suitable surface structure and surface shape of the free end influences a type of light exit. A suitable satin surface structure provides scatter. Other optically effective surface structures are suitable to provide additional directional control to the light and provide oriented radiation characteristics instead of the defused radiation characteristics recited supra.

[0023] It is an essential advantage of the illumination device recited supra to be able to run the light conductor 16 with its first section A.sub.1, the non cambered section, outside of the cooking cavity wall and to provide a diameter reduced cooking cavity wall opening only for a section of the light conductor rod that is downstream of the curved section A.sub.K wherein the light enters into the cooking cavity through the cooking cavity wall opening. This way not only the cooking cavity wall opening cross sections are minimized that are required for the illumination. Additionally, the surfaces of the light conductor rod that are subject to the cooking temperature are substantially reduced over the prior art so that a heat dissipation through the light conductor rod into a portion behind the cooking cavity wall is also substantially reduced.

REFERENCES NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS

[0024] 10 illumination device

[0025] 11 mounting plate

[0026] 12 mounting arm

[0027] 13 support dish, light source

[0028] 14 cooling element

[0029] 15 support collar

[0030] 16 light conductor rod

[0031] 17 cutout

[0032] 18 light beam

[0033] A.sub.1 first section

[0034] A.sub.K curved section

[0035] A.sub.2 second section