Abstract: Disclosed is an induction cooking device that is not likely to be affected by induction heating and wherein boiling-over can be detected. An induction cooking device has: a top plate on which a cooking container is placed; a heating coil that generates an induction magnetic field for heating the cooking container; a heating control unit that controls the heating power of the cooking container by controlling the high-frequency current supplied to the heating coil; electrodes disposed in a lower surface of the top plate; and an electrostatic capacity detector that detects changes in electrostatic capacity occurring in the electrodes when articles to be cooked contact with the top plate. When the electrostatic capacity detector senses changes in the electrostatic capacity of the electrodes, the heating control unit decreases or stops the heating power of the cooking container, and the electrodes are disposed outside of the outer circumference the heating coil.

Abstract: There is provided a heating/cooking equipment capable of accurately determining boiling over. The heating/cooking equipment includes: a top plate (104) connected to a reference potential; a heating unit (105) configured to heat an object to be heated placed on the top plate; an electrode (106) arranged under the top plate; a capacitance detecting unit (107) configured to detect the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode; a boiling over detecting unit (108) configured to detect whether or not a material to be cooked in the object to be heated has boiled over on the top plate, based on a value of the electrostatic capacitance detected by the capacitance detecting unit; and a control unit (109) configured to control the heating operation of the heating unit based on a boiling over detection result from the boiling over detecting unit.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes the following elements: a resonance circuit; a power factor improvement circuit for boosting rectified output, supplying the output to an inverter, and improving the power factor of a commercial alternating current; and a load material detector for detecting the material of the load. The inverter includes switching elements forming a full-bridge circuit. The drive frequency of the switching elements is switched between a frequency substantially equal to a resonance frequency of the resonance circuit and a frequency substantially 1/n time (n being an integer equal to or larger than two) thereof, according to a detection result of the load material.

Abstract: An induction cooking device includes a heating coil performing induction heating of a cooking container placed on a top plate, an inverter circuit supplying high frequency current to the heating coil, an infrared sensor detecting an amount of infrared light radiated from the cooking container and outputting a detection signal based on the detected amount, a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the cooking container by thermal conduction through the top plate, and a control unit controlling an output of the inverter circuit so that the outputs of the infrared and temperature sensors do not exceed the respective control temperature. The control unit judges whether or not the infrared sensor is normally detecting the temperature of the cooking container, and when it is judged that the infrared sensor is normally detecting the temperature of the cooking container, the control unit raises the control temperature of the temperature sensor.

Abstract: An induction heating apparatus is capable of stop heating without excessively boosting output voltages of a booster circuit and a power factor correction circuit. The induction heating apparatus includes a boosting function unit, an inverter circuit, and a booster circuit controller. The boosting function unit includes a power factor correction circuit and a booster circuit, and boosts an input direct-current power to a direct-current voltage having a peak value larger than the peak value of the input direct-current power by turning on/off a switching element. The inverter circuit includes a heating coil, and inputs the direct-current voltage output by the boosting function unit to generate a high frequency current in the heating coil by turning on or off a different switching element. The booster circuit controller stops a boosting operation of the boosting function unit without a prescribed delay from the stop of an operation of the inverter circuit.

Abstract: An induction heating device has an accurate sensing of the temperature of a to-be-heated object and is user-friendly. The induction heating device includes a sensor for sensing the temperature of the to-be-heated object and can carry out a heating operation only when it is determined that the to-be-heated object exists above the sensor. A display having a circular design and characters, for example, that shows the position of this sensor is provided on a top plate of the induction heating device.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed is an induction cooking device that is not likely to be affected by induction heating and wherein boiling-over can be detected. An induction cooking device has: a top plate on which a cooking container is placed; a heating coil that generates an induction magnetic field for heating the cooking container; a heating control unit that controls the heating power of the cooking container by controlling the high-frequency current supplied to the heating coil; electrodes disposed in a lower surface of the top plate; and an electrostatic capacity detector that detects changes in electrostatic capacity occurring in the electrodes when articles to be cooked contact with the top plate. When the electrostatic capacity detector senses changes in the electrostatic capacity of the electrodes, the heating control unit decreases or stops the heating power of the cooking container, and the electrodes are disposed outside of the outer circumference the heating coil.

Abstract: There is provided a heating/cooking equipment capable of accurately determining boiling over. The heating/cooking equipment includes: a top plate (104) connected to a reference potential; a heating unit (105) configured to heat an object to be heated placed on the top plate; an electrode (106) arranged under the top plate; a capacitance detecting unit (107) configured to detect the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode; a boiling over detecting unit (108) configured to detect whether or not a material to be cooked in the object to be heated has boiled over on the top plate, based on a value of the electrostatic capacitance detected by the capacitance detecting unit; and a control unit (109) configured to control the heating operation of the heating unit based on a boiling over detection result from the boiling over detecting unit.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes the following elements: a resonance circuit; a power factor improvement circuit for boosting rectified output, supplying the output to an inverter, and improving the power factor of a commercial alternating current; and a load material detector for detecting the material of the load. The inverter includes switching elements forming a full-bridge circuit. The drive frequency of the switching elements is switched between a frequency substantially equal to an integral multiple of the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit and a frequency substantially 1/n time (n being an integer equal to or larger than two) thereof, according to a detection result of the load material.

Abstract: There is provided an induction heating cooker capable of preventing a pan having a pan bottom warped in a convex shape or a pan having a pan bottom with a small thickness from being excessively heated. The induction heating cooker includes a heating coil (2) operable to perform induction heating of a cooking container, an inverter circuit (7) operable to supply a high-frequency current to the heating coil, an infrared ray sensor (3) operable to detect an infrared ray radiated from the cooking container, an electric power integrating section (81) operable to integrate an amount of heating electric power outputted from the inverter circuit, and a heating control section (82) operable to control the output of the inverter circuit.

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.

Abstract: An infrared sensor 26 includes an infrared detection element 26a which is provided on a lower side of a top plate 2 to detect an amount of infrared light radiated from a heated object 20 and an amplifier 26b operable to amplify a signal detected by the infrared detection element 26a. The infrared sensor 26 outputs an initial detection value having a substantially constant magnitude with respect to the temperature of the heated object 20 when the temperature of the heated object 20 is lower than a detection lower limit temperature, and outputs a detection signal having magnitude and rate of increase which become larger as the temperature of the heated object 20 becomes higher in the vicinity of a control temperature range in which the control unit 29 controls the output of the induction heating coils 21a and 21b to perform temperature control of the heated object 20.

Abstract: An infrared sensor 26 is provided on a lower side of a top plate 2 to detect an amount of infrared light radiated from a heated object 20. The infrared sensor 26 outputs an detection signal having a substantially constant magnitude with respect to the temperature of the heated object 20 when the temperature of the heated object 20 is lower than a detection lower limit temperature, and outputs a detection signal having magnitude and rate of increase which become larger as the temperature of the heated object 20 becomes higher when the temperature of the heated object 20 is not lower than the detection lower limit temperature. The control unit 29 includes a storage unit 29a operable to store the output value of the infrared sensor 26 immediately after start of heating as an initial detection value, and reduces the output of the induction heating coils or stops the heating when an increased amount with respect to the initial detection value becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: There is provided an induction cooking device for achieving high heating power at the time of high temperature cooking while ensuring safety. An induction cooking device includes a heating coil (2a, 2b) operable to perform induction heating of a cooking container placed on a top plate; an inverter circuit (9) operable to supply high frequency current to the heating coil; an infrared sensor (6) operable to detect an amount of infrared light radiated from the cooking container and output a detection signal based on the amount of the infrared light; a temperature sensor (7) operable to detect a temperature of the cooking container by thermal conduction through the top plate; and a control unit (8) operable to control an output of the inverter circuit so that the outputs of the infrared sensor and the temperature sensor do not exceed the respective control temperature.

Abstract: An induction heating device includes a top plate arranged to have an object placed thereon, a heating coil receiving a high-frequency current to inductively heat the object, an infrared ray sensor for outputting a signal in accordance with energy of received infrared ray, a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the object based on the signal output from the infrared ray sensor, a heating controller for controlling the high-frequency current supplied to the heating coil based on the detected temperature, and a failure determining unit for determining whether the infrared ray sensor has a failure or not. This induction heating device can detect the failure of the infrared ray sensor, and thus stops or suppresses the heating upon detecting the failure of the infrared ray sensor.

Abstract: An induction heating device is provided that can realize an accrete sensing of the temperature of a to-be-heated object and that is user-friendly. To realize this, the induction heating device includes a sensor for sensing the temperature of the to-be-heated object and can carry out a heating operation only when it is determined that the to-be-heated object exists above the sensor. A display having a circular design and characters for example that shows the position of this sensor is provided on a top plate of the induction heating device.

Abstract: An induction heating apparatus capable of stop heating without excessively boosting output voltages of a booster circuit and a power factor correction circuit is provided. The induction heating apparatus includes a boosting function unit, an inverter circuit 15 and a booster circuit controller 32. The boosting function unit which includes a power factor correction circuit 7 and a booster circuit 14, inputs a direct-current power, boosts the input direct-current power to a direct-current voltage having a peak value larger than the peak value of the input direct-current power by turning on/off a switching element, and outputs the boosted voltage. The inverter circuit 15 which includes a heating coil 21, inputs the direct-current voltage output by the boosting function unit to generate a high frequency current in the heating coil 21 by turning on/off operation of a different switching element.