Electronic Touches and Controls for Glass Ceramic Cooktops

12 Electronic Touches and Controls for Glass Ceramic Cooktops 

An increasing number of household appliances use electronic controls (see Fig. 3.25). Cooktops especially take advantage of touch inputs. They preserve the smooth look and the sealed easy-to-clean surface. Glass ceramic is suitable because of its electrical and optical properties. 

Field-effect touch technology uses the glass ceramic as an insulating substrate to propagate the electric field. The high dielectric constant of r = 8 

The electrode design and operating frequency are chosen such that humidity from cooking and cleansers does not influence the proper function of the touch input. The field change by the electrically conductive human finger is evaluated by electronic circuitry and fed into a controller which switches the heating elements and also controls the displays. 

The touch input is connected to a power switch ( controller ) which controls the power setting of the heating elements. Thermal cut-outs on each heating element make sure that the glass ceramic temperature is kept in the intended limits. Temperature sensors can be installed to provide automatic cooking functions. A pan detection can control multi-circuit heating elements according to the size of the pan used. 

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