Fiber optic light guide for generating illuminated indicia for an electric burner of a heating appliance

A heating appliance comprising:

• an electric burner positioned beneath a translucent cooktop;
• a light module in communication with the translucent cooktop proximate the electric burner, the light module including a lighting element that selectively directs light through a fiber optic light guide extending around the electric burner;
• and
• a temperature sensor in communication with the light module, wherein the temperature sensor measures a surface temperature of the translucent cooktop proximate the electric burner, and wherein the lighting element generates a plurality of illuminative indicia within the fiber optic light guide that corresponds to the surface temperature of the translucent cooktop, wherein the fiber optic light guide includes at least one continuous prism-shaped ridge that extends substantially uniformly along an upper surface of the fiber optic light guide, wherein the light is directed substantially through the at least one continuous prism-shaped ridge and is concentrated as at least one elongated line of light that is directed toward the translucent cooktop.

A heating appliance comprising:

• an electric burner positioned below a translucent cooktop, wherein the electric burner selectively provides heat to generate a plurality of heating conditions of the translucent cooktop;
• and
• a light module having a light fixture and at least one fiber optic light guide, wherein the light fixture is positioned to direct light through one of a first end and a second end of the at least one fiber optic light guide to produce a plurality of illuminated indicia visible through the translucent cooktop, wherein the plurality of illuminated indicia includes a plurality of operational indicia, wherein each operational indicia of the plurality of operational indicia corresponds to a respective heating condition of the plurality of heating conditions;
• and
• wherein the at least one fiber optic light guide includes a core member and an outer covering that have a surface-to-surface engagement that defines an internal boundary therebetween, wherein a top portion of the internal boundary defines an extruded prism-shaped surface that extends uniformly and continuously along the internal boundary, and wherein the extruded prism-shaped surface defines an inefficient portion of the internal boundary that concentrates the light upward to the translucent cooktop.