Light ring for appliance control adjustable for console thickness
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsEdward J. Claprood, David C. Gill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A backlight for an appliance knob provides a light pipe that may receive light from a light source fixed behind a console at a variety of different extensions permitting ready adjustment of the light pipe to fit closely behind the appliance knob with different console thicknesses and tolerances.
Claims20
An illuminator for an appliance control, the appliance control having a shaft that may extend through an opening in a console to be received by a knob on a front surface of the console, the illuminator comprising:
- a light pipe having a first portion adapted to fit beneath the knob on the front surface of the console with a second portion passing through the opening with the shaft and presenting a light-receiving surface extending within the console;
- a housing positionable adjacent to the opening on a rear surface of the console to receive and retain the second portion of the light pipe, the housing holding a plurality of electrical lamps positioned to project light into the light-receiving surface when the light- receiving surface is so received and to capture the console between the housing and light pipe;
- wherein the second portion of the light pipe may be adjusted to and retained at multiple different positions within the housing to accommodate consoles of different thicknesses while maintaining a substantially constant separation between the electrical lamps and the light-receiving surface.
A method of indicating operation of a burner on a cooktop, the burner controlled by an appliance control having a shaft that may extend through an opening in a console to be received by a knob on a front surface of the console, the method comprising the steps of
- (a) fitting a first portion of a light pipe beneath the knob on the front surface of the console to extend a second portion of the light pipe through the opening with the shaft to provide a light-receiving surface extending within the console;
- (b) positioning a housing adjacent to the opening on a rear surface of the console to receive and retain the second portion of the light pipe, the housing holding a plurality of electrical lamps positioned to project light into the light-receiving surface when the light-receiving surface is so received and to capture the console between the housing and light pipe:
- (c) sliding the second portion of the light pipe within the housing to fit a thickness of the console and be retained by the housing while maintaining a substantially constant separation between the electrical lamps and the light-receiving surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.