Touch-sensitive operating panel for cooking zones

Abstract

In order to be able to dispose the whole of the electrical circuitry of the operating panel ( ) of a cooker top ( ) on a single, single-layer circuit board (even if lined on both sides) of dimensions which do not project beyond the operating panel ( ), there is provided a button selector switch ( ) with which a cooking stage switch ( ) which is also button-actuable can be cyclically successively switched to each of the cooking zones ( ) provided, while the other cooking zones ( ) remain in their current switching condition. Which of the cooking zones ( ) is in operation at the present time and which of them is currently selected by way of the selector switch ( ) can be seen from the optical signalling of miniaturized cooking zone lamps ( ) or digital displays ( ) which are arranged in a manner corresponding to the geometry of the cooking zones ( ). A digital display indicates the currently predetermined cooking stage ( ) for the currently selected cooking zone ( ). In order to avoid separate residual heat lamps ( ), the respective cooking zone lamp ( ) or display ( ) does not yet go out when its cooking zone ( ) is switched off, but goes out only when the associated cooking zone ( ) is cooled down below the residual temperature which is critical in terms of touching it.