Bsh Home Appliances Corporation

Nils Platt

Manfred W Staebler

Thomas L Tino

Hans Daerendinger

Franz Perschl

Bernd Hopfenmueller

Ray Callahan

Franz Peschl

A cooktop with a ceramic glass panel has a panel portion with a first indicia set for selection of a burner and a second indicia set for selection of a power level to the selected burner. Each set of indicia is associated with switches for input to a control circuit in response to manipulation by a user. In addition, each indicia set includes a display interactive with the manipulation of the other indicia set. Preferably, the control circuit includes a processor for responding only to a sequential manipulation of an indicia from the first set indicia set and a sequential manipulation of an indicia from the second set within a predetermined time period.

Cooktop control

Cooktop burner control for glass ceramic cooktop panel

An appliance control protection apparatus for a glass ceramic cooktop is constructed with a double wall housing and a low voltage cooling fan. The double wall housing is comprised of a first inner wall and a outer wall and prevents the transfer of heat from the heating elements in a glass ceramic cooktop towards the electronic control unit. The first inner wall is adhered to the underside of the ceramic glass panel of the cooktop and the outer wall snaps into position over the first wall, resulting in a space therebetween for insulation. Additionally, the control housing is provided with a low voltage fan that convects heat away from hot spots formed on the electronic control unit toward other components within the control housing. The low voltage fan operates in response to certain operating temperatures within the control housing as detected by a heat sensor.

Appliance control protection apparatus

Selectively visible control for glass ceramic cooktop

A cooktop having a flat glass ceramic plate and a plurality of rails independently attached to the bottom surface of the glass ceramic plate. The rails are configured to be received in a cutout in a countertop and are not connected to each other at the corners. The bottom of the cooktop is enclosed by a rough in-box consisting of a primary U-shaped cover and two independent end covers.

Cooktop having a flat glass ceramic cooking surface

A method and apparatus for illuminating a heated area on a cooktop panel includes a light ring peripherally aligned about a burner under the cooktop panel, a gasket for resiliently retaining the tube beneath the cooktop panel and a support for resiliently engaging the gasket against the panel. Preferably, the light ring is a tube recessed within the gasket to avoid direct contact with the cooktop panel surface. The gasket may also restrict illumination to a channel portion of the gasket. Alternatively, the tube can be coated to avoid illumination in directions other than the area exposed to the panel. The gasket forms a convenient masking tool for delineating the surface area of the tube that is to be exposed while shielding other exterior surfaces of the tube. Both the illuminator and the method for illuminating the burner are simplified when the gasket includes a support flange beneath the tube retaining socket.

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New Bern, NC, United States of America

Nils Platt