Patents by Inventor Kuniaki Sakakibara

Kuniaki Sakakibara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10098188
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker is provided that has a plurality of heating coils arranged under a top plate, that has power consumption, heat generation, and unnecessary radiation suppressed at the time of detection of a load, and that requires a short time for detection of a load. In the induction heating cooker of this disclosure, two or more heating coils are at the same time selected depending on a position of an area operated on the operation section. The operation detecting section performs the load detection only for the heating coils selected by an operation on the operation section. By using such a configuration, a user can select heating coils to be used out of a plurality of heating coils in advance. A load detection operation is not performed for heating coils other than the selected heating coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Teramoto, Kohji Niiyama, Kuniaki Sakakibara, Junichi Minatodani
  • Publication number: 20160021708
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker is provided that has a plurality of heating coils arranged under a top plate, that has power consumption, heat generation, and unnecessary radiation suppressed at the time of detection of a load, and that requires a short time for detection of a load. In the induction heating cooker of this disclosure, two or more heating coils are at the same time selected depending on a position of an area operated on the operation section. The operation detecting section performs the load detection only for the heating coils selected by an operation on the operation section. By using such a configuration, a user can select heating coils to be used out of a plurality of heating coils in advance. A load detection operation is not performed for heating coils other than the selected heating coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Takahiro TERAMOTO, Kohji NIIYAMA, Kuniaki SAKAKIBARA, Junichi MINATODANI
  • Patent number: 9035223
    Abstract: An induction heat cooking device is provided that finishes preheating in a short time and maintains the temperature obtained at the finish of the preheating. The induction heat cooking device includes a heating coil for heating a cooking container by induction, an inverter circuit for providing a high frequency current to the heating coil, an operation unit including an operation mode setting unit for setting an operation mode of the inverter circuit, an infrared sensor for detecting an infrared light that is emitted from a bottom surface of the cooking container, a control unit for controlling an output of the inverter circuit based on an output of the infrared sensor and a setting inputted to the operation unit, and a notification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shintaro Noguchi, Kuniaki Sakakibara, Yoshiaki Ishio, Hiroshi Tominaga, Kenji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8796599
    Abstract: An induction heat cooking device is provided that finishes preheating in a short time and maintains the temperature obtained at the finish of the preheating. When a preheating heating mode is selected as an operation mode, a control unit (8) arranged in the induction heat cooking device starts operation in a preheating mode in which a cooking container is heated with a first heating output. When an increment of an output value of an infrared sensor exceeds a first predetermined increment since the heating starts with the first heating output, the control unit causes a notification unit to notify a user that the preheating is finished, and the operation mode is changed to a waiting mode for performing heating with a second heating output that is lower than the first heating output. Further, when the user sets a heating power by means of a heating power setting unit in the preheating mode, the control unit prohibits changing to the heating power set by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sakakibara, Shintaro Noguchi, Yoshiaki Ishio, Hiroshi Tominaga, Kenji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8604397
    Abstract: There is provided a cooking device that prevents operation based on a control command assigned to a touch key from being executed when a user is not intending to operate the touch key. The cooking device includes an electrode unit which includes a key electrode (3a) provided on the lower surface of the top plate and a contact electrode (3b) electrically connected with the key electrode and inputs the assigned control command; a cancel electrode (5a) provided at the periphery of the contact electrode so that the distance between the contact electrode and the cancel electrode is smaller than the width of the finger of the user; and a control unit (8) for controlling conduction to a heating source based on the control command assigned to the electrode unit when detecting that the vicinity of the electrode unit is touched. The control unit (8) limits the operation based on the control command when detecting that the vicinity of the cancel electrode is touched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keiko Isoda, Hiroshi Tominaga, Tamotsu Izutani, Sadatoshi Tabuchi, Kuniaki Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8541723
    Abstract: An induction heat cooking device is provided that finishes preheating in a short time and maintains the temperature obtained at the finish of the preheating. The induction heat cooking device includes a heating coil for heating a cooking container by induction, an inverter circuit for providing a high frequency current to the heating coil, an operation unit including an operation mode setting unit for setting an operation mode of the inverter circuit, an infrared sensor for detecting an infrared light that is emitted from a bottom surface of the cooking container, a control unit for controlling an output of the inverter circuit based on an output of the infrared sensor and a setting inputted to the operation unit, and a notification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Noguchi, Kuniaki Sakakibara, Yoshiaki Ishio, Hiroshi Tominaga, Kenji Watanabe
  • 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: 8314370
    Abstract: A cooking device includes, on its upper surface, an operation unit and a display unit. The operation unit includes a mode selection key for selecting one of a plurality of control modes, output increasing/decreasing keys for increasing and decreasing a set output and a set temperature, and time increasing/decreasing keys for increasing and decreasing heating. The mode selection key is separated from the time increasing/decreasing keys on the opposite side of the output increasing/decreasing keys. The display unit includes a numerical value display section for displaying a numerical value of a set value in the selected control mode, an output display section for displaying the set value for heating output, and a mode display section for displaying a cooking mode selected by using the mode selection key. The numerical value display section is separated from the mode display section on the opposite side of the output display section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tominaga, Keiko Isoda, Masamichi Komada, Fumitaka Ogasawara, Kuniaki Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8247744
    Abstract: There is provided a cooking device that prevents an electricity conduction setting to a heating source from fluctuating when a user is not intending to operate a touch key. The cooking device includes a heating source for heating an object to be heated; a top plate provided on an upper surface of the device; a touch key that is provided on the top plate and is operable to input a control command by being touched with a finger; a cancel electrode provided at a periphery of the touch key; and a control unit for controlling an electricity conduction to the heating source based on the control command. When detecting that a portion of the top plate near the cancel electrode is touched with the finger, the control unit maintains a condition of electricity conduction to the heating source in time of the detection, and limits an operation based on the control command input to the touch key while detecting that the portion of the top plate near the cancel electrode is being touched with the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sakakibara, Keiko Isoda, Hiroshi Tominaga, Tamotsu Izutani, Sadatoshi Tabuchi
  • Publication number: 20110315675
    Abstract: There are provided amplifying part (5) for amplifying an output signal of infrared detecting part (4), gain switching part (6) for switching a gain of amplifying part (5) to one of a plurality of gains according to magnitude of the output signal of amplifying part (5), and measuring part (12) for calculating a temperature based on an increase in the output signal of amplifying part (5) relative to an initial reference value, and after writing command input part (11) input a writing command, the output signal of amplifying part (5) is written as the initial reference value for each of the plurality of gains in storage medium (13). Since measuring part (12) uses the initial reference value corresponding to the gain as the initial reference value, temperature of object to be heated (1) can be accurately measured over a wide range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sakakibara, Kenji Watanabe, Keiko Isoda, Taizo Ogata
  • Publication number: 20110000903
    Abstract: An induction heat cooking device is provided that finishes preheating in a short time and maintains the temperature obtained at the finish of the preheating. The induction heat cooking device includes a heating coil (2) for heating a cooking container by induction, an inverter circuit (7) for providing a high frequency current to the heating coil, an operation unit (4) including an operation mode setting unit (4b) for setting an operation mode of the inverter circuit, an infrared sensor (3) for detecting an infrared light that is emitted from a bottom surface of the cooking container, a control unit (8) for controlling an output of the inverter circuit based on an output of the infrared sensor and a setting inputted to the operation unit, and a notification unit (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Noguchi, Kuniaki Sakakibara, Yoshiaki Ishio, Hiroshi Tominaga, Kenji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110000904
    Abstract: An induction heat cooking device is provided that finishes preheating in a short time and maintains the temperature obtained at the finish of the preheating. When a preheating heating mode is selected as an operation mode, a control unit (8) arranged in the induction heat cooking device starts operation in a preheating mode in which a cooking container is heated with a first heating output. When an increment of an output value of an infrared sensor exceeds a first predetermined increment since the heating starts with the first heating output, the control unit causes a notification unit to notify a user that the preheating is finished, and the operation mode is changed to a waiting mode for performing heating with a second heating output that is lower than the first heating output. Further, when the user sets a heating power by means of a heating power setting unit in the preheating mode, the control unit prohibits changing to the heating power set by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sakakibara, Shintaro Noguchi, Yoshiaki Ishio, Hiroshi Tominaga, Kenji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20100181303
    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: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sakakibara, Keiko Isoda, Masamichi Komada, Hiroshi Tominaga, Fumitaka Ogasawara
  • Publication number: 20100176115
    Abstract: A cooking device that is easy to use in terms of key operation is provided. A cooking device includes an operation unit (7a, 8a) and a display unit (7b, 8b) provided on an upper surface of the cooking device. The operation unit (7a, 8a) includes a mode selection key (21) for selecting any one of a plurality of control modes, output increasing/decreasing keys (22, 23) for increasing and decreasing a set output and a set temperature, and time increasing/decreasing keys (24, 25) for increasing and decreasing time for heating according to a timer. The mode selection key (21) is separated from the time increasing/decreasing keys (24, 25) on the opposite side of the output increasing/decreasing keys (22, 23).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tominaga, Keiko Isoda, Masamichi Komada, Fumitaka Ogasawara, Kuniaki Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20100096382
    Abstract: There is provided a cooking device that prevents an electricity conduction setting to a heating source from fluctuating when a user is not intending to operate a touch key. The cooking device includes a heating source (10) for heating an object to be heated; a top plate (1) provided on an upper surface of the device; a touch key (13) that is provided on the top plate and is operable to input a control command by being touched with a finger; a cancel electrode (5) provided at a periphery of the touch key; and a control unit (8) for controlling an electricity conduction to the heating source based on the control command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sakakibara, Keiko Isoda, Hiroshi Tominaga, Tamotsu Izutani, Sadatoshi Tabuchi
  • Publication number: 20090303201
    Abstract: There is provided a cooking device that prevents operation based on a control command assigned to a touch key from being executed when a user is not intending to operate the touch key. The cooking device includes an electrode unit which includes a key electrode (3a) provided on the lower surface of the top plate and a contact electrode (3b) electrically connected with the key electrode and inputs the assigned control command; a cancel electrode (5a) provided at the periphery of the contact electrode so that the distance between the contact electrode and the cancel electrode is smaller than the width of the finger of the user; and a control unit (8) for controlling conduction to a heating source based on the control command assigned to the electrode unit when detecting that the vicinity of the electrode unit is touched. The control unit (8) limits the operation based on the control command when detecting that the vicinity of the cancel electrode is touched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Keiko Isoda, Hiroshi Tominaga, Tamotsu Izutani, Sadatoshi Tabuchi, Kuniaki Sakakibara