Hob comprising heating zone illumination means

Hob comprising:

• a transparent or semi-transparent hob plate, a plurality of heating elements arranged below said hob plate and configured to provide a plurality of variable heating zones having different shapes and sizes based on either a user selection or a pot-detection system detecting an arrangement of cookware on an upper side of the hob plate, a plurality of light boxes also arranged below said hob plate in an array that encompasses said plurality of variable heating zones, and a controller;
• each said light box having non-transparent and light-reflective or -diffusive interior walls that define an interior space of the light box, an LED for generating light that permeates said interior space, said interior space being in light communication with a bottom side of said hob plate through an opening of said light box so that light from said interior space is visible from said upper side of said hob plate, a diffuser disposed adjacent said opening to diffuse light exiting said interior space toward said bottom side of said hob plate, said LED being positioned so that it is not in direct line-of-sight with said opening;
• said bottom side of said hob comprising a printed or coated layer that defines one or more light transmission slots in the hob layer to confine light emitted from the array of light boxes to defined apertures;
• said controller being operatively connected to and configured to selectively operate said array of light boxes in order to generate variable light markings visible from said upper side of said hob that indicate the size and shape of active heating zones;
• said upper side of said hob plate being devoid of fixed markings to indicate heating zones.