Cooking Patents (Class 219/620)
  • Publication number: 20130068757
    Abstract: In an induction cooking device according to the present invention, a boiling-over detection portion is adapted to perform a heating-output suppression operation, on detecting boiling over, when the capacitances of electrodes have been changed by an amount equal to or more than a predetermined value. Further, the boiling-over detection portion is prevented from performing the heating-output suppression operation, if the boiling-over detection portion detects that the capacitances of the electrodes have been changed by an amount equal to or more than the predetermined value, due to the fact that the heating output of another heating coil in a heating area which is not subjected to boiling-over detection has been changed by an amount equal to or more than a predetermined change width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fukuda, Takashi Takehira
  • Patent number: 8395098
    Abstract: An induction cookware comprising: a cooking body containing an inner pot inside, an insulation material disposed between the cooking body and the inner pot for maintaining the temperature of the inner pot. An induction coil is disposed in the bottom of the cooking body and with an extra magnetic field, the induction coil can generate AC current. The current flows through an electric heating tube connected to the bottom of the inner pot so as to heat the heating tube. Thereby, the heating tube directly transfer the heat to the inner pot for reducing the heat from transpiration. The structure of a cooking body with an inner pot inside can heat and slow cook the food inside the inner pot simultaneously, thus can add the delicious taste of the food and save the energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Tsann Kuen Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Jung Pan, Shun-Yung Chang, Kuo-Liang Lee, Chun Horn Kuo, Ling-Chin Chao
  • Publication number: 20130056457
    Abstract: A user interface for an induction heating cooker, a method of controlling the same and an induction heating cooker thereof are provided. The user interface, if a drag touch signal of a drag touch from one position to another position on a display unit is sensed, is configured to change power levels of all of coils in operation to a predetermined reference power level and displays the changed power level. The induction heating cooker is configured to supply the coils with a power corresponding to the reference power level, thereby controlling all of the coils with one drag touch and enabling enhanced security while in a rapid manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joon Ho LEE, Joo Hyun KIM
  • Patent number: 8389912
    Abstract: There is provided an induction cooker capable of detecting failures in an infrared ray sensor with excellent accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Niiyama, Keiko Isoda, Masamichi Komada
  • Publication number: 20130043239
    Abstract: A cooktop apparatus, in particular an induction cooktop apparatus, includes a switching unit configured to interrupt and establish current flow from a current supply, a first switching element receiving the current flow during an operating process, a control apparatus, which controls the switching unit during the operating process such that the switching unit interrupts the current supply during a first time interval which has a duration of less than of half a period of the power supply voltage. The control apparatus causes the current supply to be connected during the operating process immediately before and immediately after the first time interval. The first switching element begins switching and ends switching during the first time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
    Inventors: Daniel Anton Falcon, Jose Ignacio Artigas Maestre, Luis Angel Barragan Perez, Carlos Bernal Ruiz, José Miguel Burdio Pinilla, Claudio Carretero Chamarro, Jose Maria De la Cuerda Ortin, Jose-Ramon Garcia Jimenez, Pablo Jesus Hernandez Blasco, Oscar Jimenez Navascues, Sergio Llorente Gil, Oscar Lucia Gil, Arturo Mediano Heredia, Ignacio Millan Serrano, Fernando Monterde Aznar, Daniel Moros Sanz, Denis Navarro Tabernero, Jose Joaquin Paricio Azcona, Diego Puyal Puente, Isidro Urriza Parroque
  • Patent number: 8378274
    Abstract: An induction heating device includes a top plate, a thermo-sensitive device, a temperature detector, a coil, a controller, and a light-emitting section. The top plate places thereon a cooking utensil containing material to be cooked. The thermo-sensitive device changes its electrical characteristics with the temperature of the cooking utensil. The temperature detector detects the temperature of the cooking utensil based on the electrical characteristics of the thermo-sensitive device. The coil heats the cooking utensil. The controller controls the coil based on the temperature information of the temperature detector, thereby controlling an amount of the electric heating power to be supplied to the cooking utensil. The light-emitting section emits visible light to the area over the thermo-sensitive device. The light from the light-emitting section illuminates the area over the thermo-sensitive device through the top plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoya Fujinami, Naoaki Ishimaru, Izuo Hirota, Akira Kataoka
  • Patent number: 8373102
    Abstract: An induction cooker includes a top plate (1) for placing an object to be heated thereon, a heating mode selection key (8) for allowing the user to select one control mode for heating the object to be heated between a manual heating mode in which the heat output is set by the user by using an output adjusting key (9) and at least another control mode in which the heat output is controlled automatically, and a heating off/on key (7) for starting to heat the object to be heated. In the standby mode, the controller starts heating only when the user operates the heating mode selection key (8) to change the mode to the cooking menu selection mode before operating the heating off/on key (7). When a predetermined time has elapsed in the cooking menu selection mode without a change in a selected control mode, the mode is changed to the standby mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sakakibara, Keiko Isoda, Masamichi Komada, Hiroshi Tominaga, Fumitaka Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 8357882
    Abstract: An induction heatable server comprises a base element having top and bottom elements, said bottom element having a peripheral wall defining an upwardly opening cavity in which are disposed a heat retentive disc and a ring member which is bonded to the peripheral wall. A top element extends over the ring member and seals the cavity. The top element and ring member are bonded to the peripheral wall of the bottom element to preclude moisture penetration into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Inventors: Brian C. Jones, Glenn H. Goyette, Albert J. Beland, Richard C. Runyan
  • Publication number: 20130015177
    Abstract: An induction heatable article such as a pan is provided having a synthetic resin body with at least one susceptor coil secured to the body and operable under the influence of an induction field to generate Joule heating within the coil to thereby heat the body. The coil has a plurality of zones, each adjacent a different portion of the body and capable of providing respective, different magnitudes of Joule heating-derived energy per unit time in the zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: TSI Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Brian L. Clothier
  • Patent number: 8350196
    Abstract: An improved antenna assembly (66) designed to maintain RF communication between an object (22, 64, 148) to be heated, and a heating assembly (20, 60) such as an induction heater having a hob (34) equipped with an induction work coil (36). The antenna assembly (66) provides substantially continuous RF communication about the entirety of the hob (34), so that the object (22, 64, 148) can be rotated through substantially 360° , or displaced radially, without loss of RF communication. The preferred antenna assembly (66) includes an antenna (67) mounted upon a substrate (68) and presenting a plurality of continuous, conductive antenna loops (70, 72) oriented to cooperatively and substantially surround the hob (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: TSI Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Shawn M. Buchanan
  • Patent number: 8344297
    Abstract: Problem to provide a container for an electromagnetic cooker which can be heated corresponding to impedance check frequency which differs depending on a manufacturer of an electromagnetic cooker or the like, can properly and easily set a heat generation characteristic, is excellent in marketability, configuration in use, disposability, handiness in cooking and the like, is suitable for retort foods, instant foods and the like, and exhibits high heating efficiency, means for resolution a container for an electromagnetic cooker includes a container body made of a non-conductive material and a conductive layer in a bottom portion of the container, wherein the ratio of resistance change (R?R0)/R0 of the conductive layer with respect to the impedance check frequency of a heating coil is set to 5.3 or more, and a ratio of inductance change (L?L0)/L0 of the conductive layer with respect to the impedance check frequency of the heating coil is set to ?0.17 or less. Here, R indicates the high-frequency resistance (.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hagino Fujita, Yoshitaka Yamamoto, Takayuki Aikawa, Takashi Miura, Hideo Kurashima
  • Patent number: 8344296
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for warming food by controlled heating of heat retention objects such as cookware items or pellets located on a trivet positioned on a countertop, using heating control units, such as induction heating units, remotely located beneath the countertop. The preferred trivet insulates the countertop against damages, and also includes circuitry enabling the indication or display of its proper positioning on the countertop, and also indicating whether the heating unit is heating the heat retention object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: CookTek Induction Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Reinhard Metz, Warren Graber
  • Patent number: 8334487
    Abstract: An induction heating cooking device includes a heating coil (8) that induction-heats a cooking container, an infrared sensor (10) that detects infrared radiation which is emitted from a bottom surface of the cooking container and that outputs a detection signal based on the quantity of energy of the detected infrared radiation, and a heating control section (9) that controls supply of electric power to the heating coil based on the detection signal. When the temperature of the bottom surface of the cooking container is equal to or higher than a first predetermined temperature which is higher than 230 degrees C., the infrared sensor (10) outputs the detection signal, and when the bottom-surface temperature is lower than the first predetermined temperature, the infrared sensor (10) does not output the detection signal substantially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Ohashi, Kenji Watanabe, Hiroshi Tominaga, Shintaro Noguchi, Tomoya Fujinami
  • Publication number: 20120261405
    Abstract: An induction heating apparatus according to the present invention includes: an inverter circuit which outputs an AC signal through ON and OFF operations of a plurality of switching devices; a control portion which drives and controls the plurality of switching devices; and a plurality of resonant circuits which includes respective resonant capacitors and respective heating coils for inductively heating an object to be heated; wherein the switching devices are driven and controlled, by using, as an operating range, a frequency range higher than a highest resonance frequency, or a frequency range lower than lowest resonance frequency, out of respective resonance frequencies of the plurality of resonant circuits, and the respective heating coils in the plurality of resonant circuits are combined to form at least a single induction heating source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Kurose, Takeshi Kitaizumi, Naoaki Ishimaru
  • Publication number: 20120248095
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker including a cooking plate on which a cooking vessel is placed, a plurality of heating coils disposed while being adjacent to one other below the cooking plate, and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which circuits configured to drive the heating coils are placed, wherein the PCB is divided into a high frequency circuit part on which circuits characterized by high frequency are placed and a low frequency circuit part on which circuits characterized by low frequency are placed, and the high frequency circuit part is spaced apart from the low frequency circuit part by a predetermined distance. The interference between the high frequency circuit part and the low frequency circuit part is minimized while enhancing the operation efficiency of each heating coil. The assembly efficiency and the working efficiency are enhanced when an inverter circuit is wired to a corresponding heating coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Ho Lee, Jong Chull Shon, Min Gyu Jung, Ha Na Kim
  • Patent number: 8269155
    Abstract: A heat retaining dish includes a pressure relief mechanism and has a heat retention material capable of being heated by microwave or other thermal radiation in order to maintain any food placed on the dish at an elevated temperature. The heat retention material is capable of accommodating expansion during heating of the device, and when an overpressure condition occurs as a result of inadvertent overheating, the pressure relief mechanism vents the pressure to the ambient environment. The pressure relief mechanism is an integral part of the wall construction of at least one of the portions making up the housing of the device, and deformation due to overpressure directly causes the opening of the pressure relief mechanism as soon as the housing is deformed sufficiently to open a fluid communication path through an aperture in the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: MEDport LLC
    Inventors: Thomas J. Welsh, Vangelis Economou
  • Patent number: 8269152
    Abstract: A consumer unit (7) for converting inductively transmitted electric power. The device comprises at least one secondary coil (5) for accepting power from a alternating electromagnetic field. The secondary coil (5) is electrically connected to at least one consumer in which the electric power is converted. The consumer unit (7) is designed as a replaceable module for an induction furnace (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: MGS Modular Galley Systems AG
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Haas, Roland Jans, Turgay Nergiz
  • Patent number: 8247748
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker includes a cooking container heating coil, an inverter circuit to supply high-frequency current to the heating coil, an infrared ray sensor to detect radiation from the container, an electric power integrating section to integrate heating electric power from the inverter circuit, and a heating control section to control an inverter circuit output. If the power integrating section has less than a predetermined value when an increase in the output of the infrared ray sensor has a first value after start of heating, the cooker shifts to a first heating control mode and, if equal to or more than the predetermined value, shifts to a second heating control mode. The power, in the first heating control mode, is reduced to a second amount of power lower than the first amount and, in the second heating control mode, is a third amount larger than the second amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Izuo Hirota, Hiroshi Tominaga, Tomoya Fujinami, Keiko Isoda
  • Publication number: 20120205365
    Abstract: A cook top with at least two heating elements includes a power electronics arrangement connected to a domestic single phase AC supply. The power electronics arrangement includes several power supply units, which each supply heating currents to one or more heating elements, and a switch arrangement with several electromechanical relays for connecting/disconnecting the power supply units to/from the heating elements. Output poles of at least two electromechanical relays associated with different power supply units are connected in parallel, wherein the parallel connection is permanently connected to at least one of the heating elements. This arrangement reduces the number of switching processes required for alternating use of a power supply device with several heating elements, and simplifies compliance with electromagnetic compatibility standards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
    Inventors: Daniel Anton Falcon, Jose Ignacio Artigas Maestre, Luis Angel Barragan Perez, Carlos Bernal Ruiz, José Miguel Burdio Pinilla, Claudio Carretero Chamarro, Jose Maria De la Cuerda Ortin, Jose-Ramon Garcia Jimenez, Pablo Jesus Hernandez Blasco, Oscar Jimenez Navascues, Sergio Llorente Gil, Oscar Lucia Gil, Arturo Mediano Heredia, Ignacio Millan Serrano, Fernando Monterde Aznar, Daniel Moros Sanz, Denis Navarro Tabernero, Jose Joaquin Paricio Azcona, Diego Puyal Puente, Isidro Urriza Parroque
  • Patent number: 8212192
    Abstract: An infrared sensor includes an infrared detection element which is provided on a lower side of a top plate to detect an amount of infrared light radiated from a heated object and an amplifier to amplify a signal detected by the infrared detection element. The infrared sensor outputs an initial detection value having a substantially constant magnitude with respect to the temperature of the heated object when the temperature of the heated object is lower than a detection lower limit temperature, and outputs a detection signal having a magnitude and a rate of increase which become larger as the temperature of the heated object becomes higher in the vicinity of a control temperature range in which the control unit controls the output of the induction heating coils to perform temperature control of the heated object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tominaga, Kenji Watanabe, Izuo Hirota, Sadatoshi Tabuchi, Keiko Isoda
  • Publication number: 20120160830
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber, a heating source configured to heat the cooking chamber and a door for closing the cooking chamber. When the door is in a closed position an electromagnetically effective passage area from the cooking chamber to outside the cooking chamber is sized so as to substantially reduce an escape of electromagnetic radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: MIELE & CIE. KG
    Inventor: Hermann Bronstering
  • Publication number: 20120152932
    Abstract: Embodiments of an exemplary induction cooktop apparatus or system, may include an induction cooking unit; an interface adapted to receive, store, and execute a plurality of instructions of a multistage programmable recipe using said induction cooking unit; a power supply adapted to be coupled to a power source; a controller coupled to said power supply, said interface, and said induction cooking unit adapted to control said induction cooking unit according to said plurality of instructions of said multistage programmable recipe. An embodiment may include a system, method, and computer program product comprising: an induction cooking unit; receiving at an interface a plurality of instructions of a multistage programmable recipe; storing instructions in a memory; executing instructions in a controller coupled to the memory and induction cooking unit, so as to control the induction cooking unit in accordance with instructions of the multistage programmable recipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: IBC-HEARTHWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Jung S. Moon, Mikale K. Kwon, Byung G. Choi, Eung Yub Cha, Jennifer E. Dawes, Cathy Rosch, Terry Puerzer, Alice Pace, Eunjung Huh, Teng Jin Lian, Kim Jong Rok, Zeng Qing Ping
  • Patent number: 8203106
    Abstract: An infrared permeable window 4a, which is surrounded by a light shielding layer 7b and is narrower than an infrared sensor display window 4g, is formed inwardly of the infrared sensor display window 4g, and an infrared incident area 43a for detecting infrared rays of light and a light emitting unit 56a are provided below the infrared permeable window 4a. Also, a light emitting surface 4b is provided inwardly of the infrared permeable window 4a, so that the user can assuredly place a cooking container P on the infrared permeable window 4a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Kataoka, Toshihiro Keishima, Yasushi Morimoto
  • Publication number: 20120132647
    Abstract: An induction cooking system with an induction heating system, a cooktop, and cool touch cookware that has a target layer that is heated by induction. An absolute cookware temperature is directly sensed at one or more locations of the cookware, for example at the target layer. A relative cookware temperature can be determined based on the value of an electrical variable of a circuit that includes the target layer. The cookware can include a layer of thermal insulation directly below and spaced from the target layer by a gap. The insulation and gap act as the major heat insulating elements to keep the outer surface of the cookware cool. This allows the induction coil to be placed just below the cooktop, without any insulation between the coil and the cooktop. The cooktop can be cooled by placing a cooling chamber just below the cooktop and drawing air through the cooling chamber. The induction coil can be located in the cooling chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Beverly, Randall Mathieu
  • Publication number: 20120125917
    Abstract: A radio frequency heating apparatus includes a printed circuit board on which power-supply noise filter circuit (20) that reduces power-supply noise generated by magnetron (15) and power-supply synchronization detecting circuit (21) that is connected across both terminals of power supply for detecting information on power-supply frequency are mounted. Power-supply synchronization detecting circuit (21) is used as a discharge path for charge accumulated at both ends of capacitor (3) configuring power-supply noise filter circuit (20). This achieves the radio frequency heating apparatus that eliminates the risk of electric shock, reduces power consumption, and reduces the number of components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuchika Aoki, Hiroshi Sumi
  • Publication number: 20120118874
    Abstract: An induction stove assembly that utilizes pads between the cook-top of the stove and cooking vessels placed on the stove for heating. The pads are easily removable and interchangeable with other similar pads. The pads help protect the cook-top from damage, make clean-up more efficient, and insulate the cook-top from excessive heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Phillip Williams, Michael Reischmann
  • Publication number: 20120103973
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to apply electromagnetic energy to an object may include an energy application zone adapted to receive at least a portion of an object and a source configured to supply RF energy to the energy application zone. The apparatus may also include at least one processor configured to: cause the source to supply RF energy to the energy application zone; determine a value indicative of a rate of energy absorption by a load, including at least a portion of the object, during a first period of time; and determine, based on the value indicative of the rate of energy absorption by the load, an estimated amount of time to obtain a desired characteristic in at least a portion of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Steven Robert Rogers, Daniella Atzmony
  • Patent number: 8164029
    Abstract: Methods and devices for securing the bottom of an item of cookware to the burner of a stove top by use of magnetism. The magnet(s) may be permanent magnets or electromagnets. The cookware may comprise a permanent magnet disposed on or in the base of the cookware. The burner comprises a magnetic material such as steel or iron. The magnetic material may be in the grate of the cook top, in the electric coil of an electric burner, in the surface of a vitroceramic or smooth-top stove top, or other component of the cook top in close proximity to the bottom of the cookware when it is on the cooking surface. The magnetic source prevents the cookware from being accidentally knocked off the cook top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Inventor: Paul J. Rael
  • Publication number: 20120085751
    Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly unit for an induction hob with at least one induction element, comprising a) at least one carrying element for carrying the circuits and/or devices for supplying the at least one induction element. The at least one carrying element comprises a base area and side areas protruding upwards from the base area. The at least one carrying element is connectable with at least one further carrying element along a side area, and the side areas comprise connection elements for connection with the at least one further carrying element, preferably at least one power wire slot for inserting at least one power supply wire and/or preferably at least one signal wire slot for inserting at least one signal wire. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing an assembly unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION, N.V.
    Inventors: Laurent Jeanneteau, Thibaut Rigolle, Alex Viroli, Massimo Zangoli, Ulrich Häutle, Klaus Schlötterer-Fratoianna
  • Publication number: 20120061381
    Abstract: First material discriminating unit for comparing a magnitude of an input current to inverter circuit and a magnitude of a heating coil current to discriminate a material of cooking container between a non-magnetic body and a magnetic body; second material discriminating unit for comparing a magnitude of the heating coil current and an ON time of switching element when discriminated as the magnetic body by first material discriminating unit to discriminate the material of cooking container as magnetic SUS or iron are arranged, where control unit sets a control temperature lower when the material is discriminated as magnetic SUS by second material discriminating unit than when the material is discriminated as iron so that the temperature of cooking container can be controlled to a predetermined temperature at high accuracy even if cooking container is configured by magnetic SUS, similar to when configured by iron.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Hashimoto, Kenji Watanabe, Shintaro Noguchi, Taizo Ogata
  • Patent number: 8129664
    Abstract: An induction heater which has an electrical conductor between a heating coil and a top plate. The electrical conductor has an extended portion formed downward from its outer periphery. The extended portion has a connector at its tip for coupling to a low-potential part. A thermal-connection reducing means is provided on the extended portion. A cross-sectional shape near a bent portion of the extended portion is made uniform. With the above structure, the electrical conductor has both the functions of decreasing the buoyancy and electrostatic shielding. This structure uses a smaller number of components, eliminates the risk of electric shock to the human body, and prevents uplift of an object to be heated. The thermal-connection reducing means reduces heat conduction to a connected part. Accordingly, a highly reliable and compact apparatus becomes available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Keishima, Hiroshi Matsuo, Miyuki Kani
  • Publication number: 20120018424
    Abstract: Object Provide a cooking device with a steam generating device having a reduced size and capable of producing steam in a short time. Means of Solution A cooking apparatus comprising a cooking chamber for accommodating foodstuff in its interior for cooking, a heater for heating interior of said cooking chamber and an electric fan for generating convectional flow of air heated by said heater in said cooking chamber, characterized in that, an induction heating type steam generating device for supply steam into said cooking chamber is disposed on the side wall of said cooking chamber, wherein said steam generating device comprises a steam generating vessel which store prescribed amount of water, an induction heater body disposed in said steam generating vessel for heating water and an induction heating coil wound around outer peripheral of said steam generating vessel for heating said induction heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Inoue, Eiji Suzuki, Shinichi Kaga, Yukimasa Takeda, Akihiko Hirano
  • Publication number: 20120000903
    Abstract: An inductively powered cooking appliance and an associated wireless power supply for producing an electromagnetic field. The cooking appliance may include a secondary and a metal portion where the wireless power supply is capable of providing power to both. The cooking appliance may communicate with the wireless power supply to control the temperature of the metal portion and the amount of power transferred to the secondary. A smart handle connected to the secondary may be capable of performing various functions. The smart handle may also be capable of displaying and monitoring temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: ACCESS BUSINESS GROUP INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: David W. Baarman, Joshua B. Taylor, Scott A. Mollema, William T. Stoner, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110259877
    Abstract: The present invention provides an induction heating cooker, which is structured to cut off visible light being incident upon an infrared sensor, yet being capable of more accurately sensing any abnormality of the infrared sensor before heating is started. To this end, the induction heating cooker includes a sensor failure sensing-purpose light emitting portion that emits visible light for sensing any failure of an infrared sensor, a visible light cutting filter provided on a surface of a printed circuit board holding the infrared sensor so as to cover the field of view of the infrared sensor, and a control unit that limits the output of an inverter circuit supplying a high-frequency current to a heating coil when the output of the infrared sensor is equal to or less than a threshold value in a situation where the sensor failure sensing-purpose light emitting portion is lit up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Takahiro Miyauchi, Tomoya Fujinami, Hiroshi Tominaga
  • Publication number: 20110248021
    Abstract: A movable cooking appliance comprises a structure which is adapted to be placed on a kitchen worktop appliance or inside a cooking oven appliance and includes a heating element and releasable connector assembly for making electrical connection with power supply connectors. The heating element is an induction heating element and an electronic driving unit is mounted on the appliance. The releasable connector assembly comprising a plug connector having a plurality of terminals designed in order to provide a disconnection signal to the electronic unit before the power supply connectors are fully extracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: DIEGO NEFTALI GUTIERREZ, GIANPIERO SANTACATTERINA, FRANCESCO FARACHI
  • Patent number: 8030601
    Abstract: A heating device for an inductive cooking device is provided and includes a first resonant circuit, with at least one first and one second inductor, for the transmission of heat energy to a heating element for heating thereof and a first circuit for energising the first resonant circuit and introduction of the heat energy to the inductors. Differing cooking containers may be effectively heated, whereby the heating device has a switching device by which the heating energy is selectively supplied to only one of the inductors or simultaneously to both inductors in a parallel circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventor: Sergio Llorente Gil
  • Publication number: 20110233195
    Abstract: A light-permeable hot plate includes at least one cavity which is filled with illuminant. The illuminant in the cavity can be excited to illuminate by an electromagnetic excitation field. The hot plate may be part of a household appliance which includes an induction hob with a cooking zone, with the hot plate being assigned to the at least one cooking zone for heating a cooking vessel placed on the cooking zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERATE GmbH
    Inventors: Miguel Angel Buñuel Magdalena, Francisco Javier Ester Sola, Jose-Ramon Garcia Jimenez, Damaso Martin Gomez, José Ignacio Peña Torre, Daniel Sola Martinez
  • Publication number: 20110198342
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker includes: a top plate on which a cooking container is placed; a temperature measuring device which has an infrared ray sensor operable to detect infrared rays radiated from the cooking container and a temperature converting unit operable to calculate a temperature of the cooking container from an output of the infrared ray sensor; a heating coil operable to receive a supply of a high frequency current and generate an induction magnetic field for heating the cooking container; and a heating control unit operable to control the high frequency current of the heating coil based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device, and control heating power to be supplied to the cooking container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoya Fujinami, Sunao Okuda, Naoaki Ishimaru, Akira Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20110147371
    Abstract: An energy supplying apparatus using magnetic resonance, which supplies energy required for cooking to a cooking apparatus, includes a high frequency generation unit for converting input power into high-frequency power in response to a cooking start signal. Further, the energy supplying apparatus using the magnetic resonance includes a transmission-side magnetic resonance circuit for performing resonance by the high-frequency power to produce a magnetic field and transmitting the produced magnetic field to the cooking apparatus to generate the energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: In Kui CHO
  • Publication number: 20110132899
    Abstract: To obtain a converter circuit capable of being made to be small and light-weighted and reducing switching loss, a motor drive control apparatus, an air-conditioner, a refrigerator, and an induction heating cooker provided with the circuit. There are provided: a step-up converter 3a including a rectifier 2, a step-up reactor 4a, a switching element 5a, and a reverse current prevention element 6a; a step-up converter 3b having a step-up reactor 4b, a switching element 5b, and a reverse current prevention element 6b and connected in parallel with the step-up converter 3a; switching control means 7 that controls switching elements 5a and 5b; and a smoothing capacitor that is provided at the output of the step-up converters 3a and 3b. The switching control means 7 switches the current mode of the current flowing through the step-up reactors 4a and 4b into any of a continuous mode, a critical mode, and a discontinuous mode based on a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Shimomugi, Yosuke Shinomoto, Kazunori Sakanobe, Michio Yamada, Kazunori Hatakeyama
  • Publication number: 20110108547
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides a consumer appliance that uses RF energy to heat foods stored in a container that is suitable for RF heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: Ameritherm, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard H. ROSENBLOOM, Leslie L. Thompson, Brian Louis Teachout, Ian Alan Paull
  • Publication number: 20110108546
    Abstract: An intelligent heater includes a first induction coil, a control panel, a power supply unit, a storage unit, a data transmission interface, and a controlling unit. The control panel includes an input unit for inputting, adding, amending, deleting or refreshing a cooking data and a display unit for showing an operating condition of the intelligent heater. The power supply unit is connected with the first induction coil for providing a first power to the first induction coil. The storage unit is used for storing the cooking data. The data transmission interface is used for transmitting the cooking data. The controlling unit is used for controlling the power supply unit to provide an electricity quantity of the first power to the first induction coil according to the cooking data, so that a heat quantity and a heating time required for heating a first foodstuff container are adaptively adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hsien Cho, Yin-Yuan Chen
  • Publication number: 20110089162
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods and systems are provided for measuring and controlling the temperature of a heatable object used to warm or cook food, using transmitters and receivers communicating between each other and/or with heaters, such as induction or direct heaters, using long-wave length magnetic communication (LWMC).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: Cookek Induction Systems, LLC, a division of Middleby Corporation
    Inventors: Warren Graber, Reinhard Metz
  • Publication number: 20110079591
    Abstract: A method for supplying power to induction cooking zones of an induction cooking hob with a plurality of power converters, each feeding an induction heating element, comprises feeding all the induction heating elements according to a predetermined and repetitive driving sequence in order to keep a predetermined delivered power to the induction heating elements according to user input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAVIDE PARACHINI, FRANCESCO DEL BELLO, ANDREA DE ANGELIS, JURIJ PADERNO
  • Patent number: 7910865
    Abstract: An arrangement for controlling induction coils of an induction cooking hob so as to minimize noise production resulting from intermodulation of certain frequencies of operation. The induction coils are operated in two modes, with a first mode at the same frequency fg so to produce a low intermodulation or differential frequency, or at a second mode having a high differential frequency of about 18 kHz. Alternating back and forth between said modes of operation makes it possible to reach predefined average values for the power of the induction coils for a given time period, while at the same time minimizing development of disturbing noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Haag, Jörg Bögel, Hartmut Friedrich
  • Publication number: 20110062150
    Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating the effects of disturbances in controlling induction heating systems by monitoring the temperature of the cooking vessel or its content on the basis of at least one electrical measurement correlated to said temperature. An analysis in time and/or frequency domain of said electrical measurement is carried out in order to detect and compensate the effect of cooking vessel movements and/or mains line voltage fluctuation or similar electrical noises.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: DIEGO NEFTALI GUTIERREZ, CARLO CALESELLA, FRANCESCO DEL BELLO, JURIJ PADERNO
  • Publication number: 20110031236
    Abstract: Devices and methods for RF heating of food, using techniques which allow uniformity and/or controlled non-uniformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Eran BEN-SHMUEL, Alexander Bilchinsky, Udi Damari, Omer Einav, Benny Rousso, Shlomo Ben-Haim
  • Patent number: 7875836
    Abstract: Components for use in a temperature controlled heatable object are provided in which a temperature sensor is connected to a transmitter such as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag is encased in a protective overmolding and connected to the temperature sensor via a mineral insulated cable. An end cap containing a potting material (such as silicone or ceramic) is placed over the temperature sensor and laser welded to a sheathing of the mineral insulated cable. A potting material for use in a heatable object is also provided comprising a silicone-based material that is modified by adding bauxite to increase thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Inventors: Mamoru Imura, Michael F. Johnson
  • Patent number: RE42362
    Abstract: An excitation system for heating food, water, or both in airplanes uses induction heating. The system includes at least one load circuit including an inductor that is excited with a load circuit AC voltage, a load circuit alternating current, or both the load circuit AC voltage and the load circuit alternating current. The load circuit AC voltage, the load circuit alternating current, or both the load circuit AC voltage and the load circuit alternating current are generated from an AC voltage signal that is amplitude-modulated with a frequency of a mains AC voltage from a voltage supply. The frequency of the AC voltage signal can be predetermined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Huettinger Elektronik GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Ansgar Schuler
  • Patent number: RE42513
    Abstract: A system and method for providing multiple cooking modes and an ability to automatically heat cooking vessels and other objects using RFID technology, and an ability to read and write heating instructions and to interactively assist in their execution. An induction heating range is provided with two antennas per hob, and includes a user interface display and input mechanism. The vessel includes an RFID tag and a temperature sensor. In a first cooking mode, a recipe is read by the range and the range assists a user in executing the recipe by automatically heating the vessel to specified temperatures and by prompting the user to add ingredients. The recipe is written to the RFID tag so that if the vessel is moved to another hob, into which the recipe has not been read, the new hob can read the recipe from the RFID tag and continue in its execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: HR Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian L. Clothier