HOB DEVICE

Abstract

A hob apparatus includes a hob plate having a cooking region, a light source unit including a light source for providing light, and a fiber optic unit including an optical fiber for transmitting the light into at least one region that surrounds the cooking region. The optical fiber includes an end region which contacts the hob plate.

Claims

1. -13. (canceled)

14. A hob apparatus, comprising: a hob plate comprising a cooking region; a light source unit comprising a light source for providing light; and a fiber optic unit comprising an optical fiber for transmitting the light into at least one region that surrounds the cooking region, said optical fiber including an end region which contacts the hob plate.

15. The hob of claim 14, constructed in the form of an induction hob apparatus.

16. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical fiber is designed as at least essentially dimensionally stable and elastic.

17. The hob apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a fastening unit designed to fasten the fiber optic unit below the hob plate.

18. The hob apparatus of claim 17, wherein the optical fiber is arranged in a self-supporting manner starting from a fastening region on the fastening unit.

19. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the end region of the optical fiber has a purely convex shape.

20. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the fiber optic unit comprises a collimator to collimate the light provided by the light source.

21. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical fiber includes a surface which is opaque outside the end region.

22. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical fiber includes a core and an outer layer, said outer layer having a refractive index which is lower than a refractive index of the core of the optical fiber.

23. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical fiber includes a transparent and flexible thermoplastic material.

24. The hob apparatus of claim 23, wherein the transparent and flexible thermoplastic material is a plastic from the material group of methyl methacrylate polymers.

25. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical fiber is made of a transparent and flexible thermoplastic material.

26. The hob apparatus of claim 25, wherein the transparent and flexible thermoplastic material is a plastic from the material group of methyl methacrylate polymers.

27. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical fiber has a temperature resistance of at least 230° C.

28. The hob apparatus of claim 14, wherein the light source is designed as an RGB LED.

29. A hob, comprising a hob, said hob comprising a hob plate comprising a cooking region, a light source unit comprising a light source for providing light, and a fiber optic unit comprising an optical fiber for transmitting the light into at least one region that surrounds the cooking region, said optical fiber including an end region which contacts the hob plate.

30. A method for assembling a hob apparatus, said method comprising: contacting a self-supporting end region of an optical fiber of a fiber optic unit for transmitting light from a light source by an underside of a hob plate of the hob apparatus during an installation of the hob plate; and deforming the optical fiber in an elastic manner by a subsequent lowering of the hob plate.

Description

[0035] In the drawings:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a hob having a hob apparatus in a schematic plan view,

[0037] FIG. 2 shows the hob apparatus having a hob plate, a light source unit and a fiber optic unit in a schematic side sectional view,

[0038] FIG. 3 shows an optical fiber of the fiber optic unit in a schematic side view,

[0039] FIG. 4 shows the optical fiber in a schematic perspective view, and

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram so as to illustrate a method for assembling the hob apparatus.

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates a hob 50 having a hob apparatus 10 in a schematic plan view. The hob apparatus 10 comprises a hob plate 12. The hob plate 12 is embodied from glass ceramic. The hob plate 12 has a cooking region 14. The cooking region 14 is arranged above a heating unit 54 of the hob 50 and said heating unit is designed as an inductor (cf. FIG. 2). The cooking region 14 is provided for a placement and heating of an item of cookware (not illustrated). A surrounding region 26 of the cooking region 14 is located around the cooking region 14.

[0042] The hob apparatus 10 comprises a light source unit 16 having a light source 18 for providing light 20. The light source 16 is arranged below a region 28 of the hob plate 12 that lies outside the surrounding region 26. The region 28 is an edge region 30 of the hob plate 12.

[0043] The hob apparatus 10 comprises a fiber optic unit 22 having an optical fiber 24. In an operating state of the hob apparatus 10, the optical fiber 24 transmits the light 20 that is provided by the light source 18 into the surrounding region 26 of the cooking region 14.

[0044] The hob apparatus 10 has a fastening unit 32. The fastening unit 32 is provided so as to fasten the fiber optic unit 22. The fastening unit 32 has a fastening region 36. The fastening unit 32 has a fastening element 72 and a further fastening element 74. The fastening element 72 and the further fastening element 74 are arranged in the fastening region 36. The fastening element 72 and the further fastening element 74 are designed in each case as clamps. The fastening element 72 and the further fastening element 74 encompass the optical fiber 24 in a circumferential direction in a positive-locking manner.

[0045] The fastening unit 32 is part of a shielding unit 34. The shielding unit 32 is provided so as to shield electrical and/or electronic components (not illustrated) of the hob apparatus 10 and/or the hob 50 with respect to an electromagnetic field that is generated by the heating unit 54.

[0046] The optical fiber 24 is fastened in the fastening region 36 to the fastening unit 32. Starting from the edge region 28 via the fastening region 36, an extent of the optical fiber 24 is essentially parallel to a main extent plane 66 of the hob plate. The optical fiber 24 of the fiber optic unit 22 is arranged in a self-supporting manner starting from the fastening region 36. The optical fiber 24 extends in a self-supporting manner from the further fastening element 74 in the fastening region 36 to a bending region 64. The optical fiber 24 is designed as at least essentially dimensionally stable and elastic. The optical fiber 24 is bent in an elastic manner in the bending region 64 in the direction of the hob plate 12 and extends from the bending region 64 in a dimensionally stable manner and essentially perpendicular with respect to a main extent plane 66 of the hob plate. The optical fiber exerts a pressing force in the direction of the hob plate 12 owing to the elastic bending of the optical fiber 24 in the bending region 64.

[0047] The optical fiber 24 consists of a transparent thermoplastic material and namely from poly methyl methacrylimide (PMMI). The optical fiber has a temperature resistance of at least 230° C.

[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of the light source unit 16, the fiber optic unit 22 and the hob plate 12. The light source 18 of the light source unit 16 is designed as an RGB LED 44. The fiber optic unit 22 has a collimator 46. The collimator 46 is provided so as to collimate the light 20 that is provided by the light source 18 of the light source unit 16. The collimator 46 is designed as a converging lens. When the light passes through the collimator 46, the light 20 that is emitted in a divergent manner by the light source is collimated.

[0049] The optical fiber 24 has an end region 38. The end region 38 contacts the hob plate 12 on an underside 48 of the hob plate 12. The contact between the end region 38 and the hob plate 12 is rendered possible in particular owing to the elastic bending of the optical fiber 24 in the bending region 64 (cf. FIG. 2).

[0050] The end region 38 of the optical fiber 24 has a purely convex shape. Owing to the purely convex shape of the end region 38, the light 20 is collected and focused. It is possible to realize a uniform illumination of a symbol 68 that is to be illuminated (cf. FIG. 1) in the surrounding region 26 on an upper side 70 of the hob plate 12.

[0051] A surface 52 of the optical fiber 24 is opaque outside the end region 38. In particular, the surface 52 of the optical fiber 24 is painted with a paint and is consequently opaque.

[0052] FIG. 4 illustrates the optical fiber 24 of the fiber optic unit 22 in a perspective schematic view. The optical fiber 24 has a core 42 and an outer layer 40. The core 42 transmits the light 20 that is provided by the light source 18 of the light source unit 16. The core 42 is surrounded by the outer layer 40. The outer layer 40 has a lower refractive index with respect to the core 42. The light 20 is reflected by means of total reflection on a boundary surface 56 between the core 40 and the outer layer 38.

[0053] FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram for a schematic illustration of a method for assembling the hob apparatus 10. The method comprises a first method step 58, a second method step 60 and a third method step 62. In the first method step 58, the fiber optic unit 22 is fastened to the fastening unit 32 in the fastening region 36. In the second method step 60, the optical fiber 24 is bent upward essentially at a right angle in the bending region 64. Owing to the bending of the optical fiber 24 in the bending region 64, the optical fiber 24 is deformed in an elastic manner in a deflection region 76 between the fastening region 36 and the bending region 64 (cf. FIG. 2). Owing to the elastic deformation in the deflection region 76, the optical fiber 24 is deflected in the direction of the shielding unit 34. The optical fiber 24 is deflected in the deflection region 76 at least in the direction of the shielding unit 34 so far that a longitudinal extent of the optical fiber 24 starting from the further fastening element 74 to the bending region 64 deviates at least by 2° from the main extent plane 66. Owing to the deflection of the optical fiber 24 in the direction of the shielding unit 34, the end region 38 of the optical fiber 24 protrudes in a self-supporting manner in a region in which the hob plate 12 is arranged. In the third method step 62, the self-supporting end region 38 of the optical fiber 24 is contacted by the underside 48 of the hob plate 12. When the hob plate 12 is lowered, the optical fiber is again deformed in an elastic manner with the result that the deflection of the optical fiber 24 in the deflection region 76 is eliminated to the greatest possible extent and the longitudinal extent of the optical fiber 24 extends starting from the further fastening element 74 to the bending region 64 essentially parallel to the main extent plane 66. Owing to the elastic deformation in the deflection region 76, the optical fiber exerts a pressing force on the hob plate 12 and presses against the underside 48 of the hob plate 12 with the result that a contact remains between the end region 38 and the underside 48 of the hob plate 12 after the hob plate has been entirely lowered and lies in the main extent plane 66.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0054] 10 Hob apparatus [0055] 12 Hob plate [0056] 14 Cooking region [0057] 16 Light source unit [0058] 18 Light source [0059] 20 Light [0060] 22 Fiber optic unit [0061] 24 Optical fiber [0062] 26 Surrounding region [0063] 28 Region [0064] 30 Edge region [0065] 32 Fastening unit [0066] 34 Shielding unit [0067] 36 Fastening region [0068] 38 End region [0069] 40 Outer layer [0070] 42 Core [0071] 44 RGB-LED [0072] 46 Collimator [0073] 48 Underside [0074] 50 Hob [0075] 52 Surface [0076] 54 Heating unit [0077] 56 Boundary surface [0078] 58 First method step [0079] 60 Second method step [0080] 62 Third method step [0081] 64 Bending region [0082] 66 Main extent plane [0083] 68 Symbol [0084] 70 Upper side [0085] 72 Fastening element [0086] 74 Further fastening element [0087] 76 Deflection region