Abstract: Contacts of a relay may glue together during operation. This state may be measured and a controller may issue a pulse width-modulated signal at a certain duty cycle and frequency in order to vibrate the relay contacts to make them open again. Once this is the case, the process is stopped. This process may be repeated a certain number of times, and if successfully degluing is not possible, a notification may be generated. Also after a certain number of degluing cycles, a signal may be generated to indicate replacement of the relay.

Abstract: An induction hob including at least one switching element and at least one induction coil is provided. The switching element provides an alternating current flow through the induction coil. Cooling means provide airflow through the induction hob for cooling the switching element and the induction coil. The induction coil is arranged at a first side of a first plate-shaped support element and the switching element is arranged at a first side of a second plate-shaped support element. The first support element and the second support element are connected to one another and are arranged at a distance in order to form an air channel therebetween. The cooling means are arranged such that airflow is provided through the air channel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for boil detection at a heating zone of an induction hob (1), the method comprising the steps of: —disabling (S110) a power control mechanism of the induction hob by setting the frequency of the AC-current provided to an induction coil of the induction hob to a fixed value; —measuring (S120) values of an electrical parameter provided within the induction hob (1); —interpolating (S130) the measured electrical parameter values by gathering a plurality of values of the electrical parameter within a time window and calculating the average value of said gathered plurality of values thereby obtaining interpolated electrical parameter values. —calculating (S140) a gradient measure indicative for the differential change of the interpolated electrical parameter values over time; —determining (S150) the boil point based on the calculated gradient measure.

Abstract: A method for controlling an induction cooking hob with a pot detection system and a user interface. The method includes the steps of activating the induction cooking hob by touching a main switch by a user; starting automatically the pot detection system by a control unit of the induction cooking hob; and detecting at least one pot and/or pan on a cooking surface of the cooking hob or detecting if no pot or pan is placed on said cooking surface, by the pot detection system; deactivating the pot detection system after a predetermined time interval if no pot or pan or if no further pot or pan, respectively, has been detected on the cooking surface within the time interval; activating a deactivation indicator showing to the user that the pot detection system is deactivated, and providing an opportunity to reactivate the pot detection system by the user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction coil for an induction heating appliance, in particular for an induction cooking hob. The induction coil comprises at least one base plate (10) and at least one winding arrangement (12). The winding arrangement (12) includes at least one portion of high winding concentration (18) and at least one portion of low winding concentration (20). The winding arrangement includes at least two coils (26), preferably at least three coils (26). The base plate (10) is arranged above one or more winding arrangements (12). The base plate (10) includes at least one conductive portion (14) and at least one non-conductive portion (16). At least one conductive portion (14) of the base plate (10) is arranged above at least one portion of high winding concentration (18) of the winding arrangement (12). At least one non-conductive portion (16) of the base plate (10) is arranged above at least one portion of low winding concentration (20) of the winding arrangement (12).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for exchanging information between a household appliance (1) and a mobile device (2), the method comprising the steps of: providing optical information at a graphical user interface (3) of the household appliance (1) (S10); preferably, aligning the mobile device (2) with respect to the household appliance (1) based on one or more markers (4) displayed at a graphical user interface (5) of the mobile device (2) or based on a time-invariant portion of provided optical information (S11); receiving optical information at the mobile device (2) by capturing said optical information provided at the household appliance (1) by a camera (6) of the mobile device (2) (S12); processing said received optical information at the mobile device (1) in order to derive an information message included in said received optical information (S13); providing said information message or information associated with said information message at a user interface of the mobile device (2) (S14).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calibrating one or at least two power control loops of an induction hob (1), the induction hob (1) comprising one or at least two power stages (10) including one or at least two induction elements (21) and one or at least two measurement units (12), the method comprising the steps of: —deriving one or at least two measurement values being indicative for the power transferred from the one or at 10 least two power stages (10) to one or at least two reference loads by means of said one or at least two measurement units (12); —storing one or at least two correction values in one or at least two storage entities in order to modify measurement values provided by the one or at least two measurement units (12) based on the one or at least two correction values when operating the induction hob (1).

Abstract: An induction cooking hob comprising a control unit and at least one cooking zone, wherein the cooking zone includes at least three induction coils, and wherein at least one first group of one or more induction coils, and at least one second group of two or more induction coils of said at least one cooking zone are alternatingly activatable or activated by the control unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an induction heating arrangement comprising an induction coil (2) and a ferrite element arrangement (3), said ferrite element arrangement (3) comprising one or more ferrite portions (4), each ferrite portion (4) being formed by a ferrite element group comprising multiple ferrite elements (5), wherein the ferrite elements (5) of said ferrite element group are arranged according to a grid pattern in order to build a ferrite portion (4) with a desired shape.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly unit for an induction hob with at least one induction element has 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 has 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. The side areas have 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 a method for manufacturing an assembly unit is described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an induction hob (1), the induction hob (1) comprising a plurality of induction coils (3) and two or more power units (4), each power unit (4) being coupled with one or more induction coils (3), wherein a cooking zone is formed by associating one or more induction coils (3) to a coil group (6.1-6.4), the method comprising the steps of: —defining one or more coil groups (6.1-6.4), each coil group (6.1-6.4) being associated with one or more induction coils (3); —calculating a relative power value or relative electrical parameter value of each coil group (6.1-6.4) based on a maximum power value or maximum electrical parameter value, the maximum power value being the power value of the coil group with the highest power request, respectively, the maximum electrical parameter value being an electrical parameter value of the coil group (6.1-6.4) with the highest power request; —calculating, for each coil group (6.1-6.

Abstract: An induction module powers one or more induction coils. It includes an induction generator; a controller; and a communication interface for coupling with a user interface. The controller is adapted to operate the induction module according to first and a second configuration modes, wherein in the first configuration mode the induction module is configured to directly communicate with the user interface, and in the second configuration mode, the induction module is adapted to be operated either according to a master module or a slave module configuration. In the master module configuration, the induction module is configured to receive user interface information from the user interface and provide operation information to a slave induction module. In the slave module configuration, the induction module is configured to receive operation information from a master induction module and operate the induction generator according to that operation information.

Abstract: A method for controlling a cooking hob with one or more induction coils covered by a cookware and forming a cooking zone. All induction coils of the cooking zone are alternately activated. The method includes setting an average power to be transferred to the cookware by a user, determining a frequency, estimating a maximum average power if all induction coils of the cooking zone would be activated with said frequency, estimating a percentage power defined as quotient between the set average power and the estimated maximum average power, estimating a calculated number of coils defined as product of the number of coils within the cooking zone and the percentage power, defining a minimum number of simultaneously activated coils within the cooking zone by an integer value of the calculated number, and defining a temporal activation of a further one of the coils by a fractional part of the calculated number.

Abstract: A method for assigning a unique identifier to a hob induction coil of an induction hob including a plurality of hob induction coils, the method including the steps of: placing one or more device induction coils of a device above one or more hob induction coils such that at least one device induction coil and at least one hob induction coil are facing each other; establishing a communication link between the device induction coil and the hob induction coil, wherein information regarding a unique identifier is transmitted to the hob induction coil by the device induction coil; and receiving information regarding the unique identifier by the hob induction coil and storing the identifier associated with the hob induction coil within a memory of the induction hob.

Abstract: The invention relates to an induction module for powering one or more induction coils (3) of an induction hob (1), the induction module (10) at least comprising: —an induction generator (11) for providing electrical power to an induction coil (3); —a controller (12) for controlling the induction generator (11); —a communication interface (13) for coupling the induction module (10) with a user interface (5); wherein the controller (12) is adapted to operate the induction module (10) at least according to a first and a second configuration mode, wherein in the first configuration mode, the induction module (10) is configured to directly communicate with the user interface (5), and wherein in said second configuration mode, the induction module (10) is adapted to be operated either according to master module or slave module configuration, wherein in master module configuration, the induction module (10) is configured to receive user interface information from the user interface (5) and provide operation informat

Abstract: An induction hob including a first heating region with a first induction coil and a second heating region with a second induction coil is provided. First and second resonant converters drive an AC current through the first and second induction coils. The first and second resonant converters form a half-bridge resonant converter that is continuously driven such that a direction of current flow through the first induction coil and the second induction coil is alternating. The half-bridge resonant converter controls the output power of the first and second heating regions by varying the frequency of the AC current through the respective induction coil. The first and second resonant converters have different resonance frequencies such that the resonance frequency of the first resonant converter is at least 1.4 times higher than the resonance frequency of the second resonant converter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction coil for an induction heating appliance, in particular for an induction cooking hob. The induction coil comprises at least one base plate (10) and at least one winding arrangement (12). The winding arrangement (12) includes at least one portion of high winding concentration (18) and at least one portion of low winding concentration (20). The base plate (10) is arranged above one or more winding arrangements (12). The base plate (10) includes at least one conductive portion (14) and at least one non-conductive portion (16). At least one conductive portion (14) of the base plate (10) is arranged above at least one portion of high winding concentration (18) of the winding arrangement (12). At least one non-conductive portion (16) of the base plate (10) is arranged above at least one portion of low winding concentration (20) of the winding arrangement (12). The conductive portion (14) of the base plate (10) is made by at least one conductive material.

Abstract: A method for checking functions of fans includes starting a normal operation mode, evaluating a fan monitoring signal depending on the fans' speeds, and starting a dynamic fan checking routine. If the monitoring signal is smaller than a lock threshold value, normal operation proceeds. If the monitoring signal is bigger than the lock threshold value, a multiple-fan checking routine is started. During each fan test the corresponding fan is activated for a predetermined time period, while the other fans are deactivated during the time period, and the monitoring signal is compared with the lock threshold value and a disconnecting threshold value. If the monitoring signal is bigger than the lock threshold value, the corresponding fan is locked and an error is detected. If the monitoring signal is smaller than the disconnecting threshold value, the corresponding fan is disconnected and an error is detected.

Abstract: A method of detecting cookware (3) on an induction hob (1) including a plurality of induction heating coils (2) each being adapted for heating, in the activated state, cookware (3) placed on the induction hob (1). With the method, detecting cookware (3) is based on signals generated by at least one active induction heating coil (4) through the action of parasitic electromagnetic coupling effects in at least one inactive induction heating coil (6).

Abstract: A modular electronic and/or electric apparatus including a plurality of circuit units connected by an internal communication bus. The circuit unit includes at least two serial resistor elements forming a voltage divider. The resistor elements of the circuit units are serially connected and form an ID wire. The ID wire is interconnected between a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal. The circuit unit comprises at least one analog-digital converter. A connection point between two resistor elements of one circuit unit is connected to an analog input terminal of the analog-digital converter. A digital output terminal of the analog-digital converter is connected to the internal communication bus. The modular electronic and/or electric apparatus includes a master unit connected to the internal communication bus. In particular, the present invention relates to a modular domestic appliance including a plurality of circuit units connected by an internal communication bus.