Cooking Patents (Class 219/620)
  • Patent number: 12160118
    Abstract: A disclosed wireless power transmitting apparatus comprises: a plate; a transmitting coil that transmits wireless power to a cooking device disposed on the plate; a driving circuit that applies a current to the transmitting coil; a communication module that communicates with the cooking device; and a control unit that controls the driving circuit such that the wireless power is periodically transmitted on the basis of a transmission period of the wireless power determined by discharge characteristics of the cooking device when the cooking device enters a standby mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Heejun Kang
  • Patent number: 12120800
    Abstract: A method for controlling an induction heating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes driving a first working coil at a first target frequency, receiving a driving command for a second working coil, stopping the driving of the first working coil and driving the second working coil at a preset first adjustment frequency, and determining a second target frequency of the second working coil corresponding to the driving command for the second working coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Wongyu Park, Gwang Rok Kim, Bada Yoon, John Kang
  • Patent number: 12089320
    Abstract: An induction heating device includes a case, a working coil, a base plate that is disposed vertically below the working coil, an indicator substrate support that is coupled to the case and that is disposed vertically below the base plate, an indicator substrate that is disposed on an upper surface of the indicator substrate support, that is disposed vertically below the base plate, and that is spaced apart from the base plate, an inverter substrate that is disposed at a lower surface of the indicator substrate support and that includes an inverter configured to apply a resonance current to the working coil through a switching operation, and a resonance substrate that is disposed at the lower surface of the indicator substrate support, that is connected to the working coil, and that includes a resonance capacitor configured to generate the resonance current based on the switching operation of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seongjun Kim, Yongsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 12075548
    Abstract: An induction heating type cooktop includes a cover plate, a working coil, a thin film, an additional metal film, and an insulator. The cover plate is coupled to a top of a case and includes an upper plate configured to place an object to be heated. The working coil is disposed in the case and configured to heat the object. The thin film is disposed on the upper plate. The additional metal film forms an equivalent circuit with the thin film and the object so as to allow an induced current by the working coil to be induced into the object arranged at the upper plate. The insulator is disposed between a bottom surface of the upper plate and the working coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seonghoon Hwang, Wontae Kim, Seongjun Kim
  • Patent number: 12010781
    Abstract: An induction cooker including a plurality of stoves each having a transmitting coil and a driver driving the transmitting coil, and a controller controlling the driver of each of the stoves to generate a drive signal. The drive signal of each of the stoves is a periodically cyclic modulation signal sequence. The stoves are identifiable and distinguishable from each other by the periodically cyclic modulation signal sequences that are different for each of the stoves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignees: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., MEAS France
    Inventors: Romuald Gallorini, Mingjie Fan, Shaoyong Wang
  • Patent number: 11965655
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance and a control method thereof. The cooking appliance and control method thereof are characterized in that a temperature measuring part is installed in a supporter configured to support a circuit board, a cool air passage is formed between a cavity and the circuit board, and the temperature measuring part measures a temperature in the cool air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Changuk Lee, Seungtae Jang, Siyoung Ryu
  • Patent number: 11957265
    Abstract: A smart kettle is disclosed. The smart kettle includes a body that is configured to increase in temperature in response to a magnetic field. The smart kettle further includes a temperature sensor that is located on a bottom of the body and that is configured to measure a temperature of the bottom of the body. The smart kettle further includes a controller that is configured to adjust a strength of the magnetic field based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor by outputting a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyunwook Moon, Yangkyeong Kim, Wan Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 11855462
    Abstract: A method for controlling an induction coil on an induction hob involves a power generation for a primary power on the induction coil for power transmission to an electrical consumer put onto a cover above the induction coil, which consumer has a receiver coil and an electrical load connected thereto, being adjusted. The induction coil forms a primary-side resonant circuit with a capacitance connected in series, and the induction coil and the receiver coil are coupled in the style of a transformer such that a current in the induction coil induces a voltage in the receiver coil with a flow of current and generation of the secondary power in the load of the electrical consumer. The control means can attempt to adjust the desired secondary power to a steady state using maximum modulation of the voltage effectively applied to the primary-side resonant circuit, as second manipulated variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: E.G.O. ELEKTRO-GERAETEBAU GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Egenter, Robin Goebel, Elmar Herweg
  • Patent number: 11751292
    Abstract: An electromagnetically heated cooking utensil, and a heating control circuit and method therefor. The heating control circuit includes a first resonance device; a second resonance device; a first power switch; a second power switch; a first synchronization device that detects voltages of both ends of the first resonance device to output a first synchronization signal; a second synchronization device that detects voltages of both ends of the second resonance device to output a second synchronization signal; and a control device that selects, according to the heating mode of the electromagnetically heated cooking utensil, the first synchronization signal to generate a driving signal for driving the first power switch, a second synchronization signal to generate a driving signal for driving the second power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Inventors: Lutian Zeng, Jun Lei, Wei Zou, Yunfeng Wang, Fenglei Xing
  • Patent number: 11725829
    Abstract: A method for operating a cooking system, the cooking system including a hob, cookware, and a mobile device, includes: transmitting a process instruction from the mobile device to the hob; receiving the process instruction from the mobile device by the hob; transmitting a confirmation request from the hob to the cookware; in response to a confirmation by a user on the cookware, transmitting a confirmation message from the cookware to the hob; and in response to the hob receiving the confirmation message from the cookware, executing the process instruction of the mobile device by the hob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: MIELE & CIE. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Mueller, Britta Hoelscher, Ina Laukoetter, Jens Keunecke, Till Deutschmann, Daniel Ebke
  • Patent number: 11665789
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an induction range of an upper and lower heating type having an advantage of simply cooking a cooking object such as instant food packaged in a food packaging box in a short time, making food taste good by alternately heating upper and lower parts of the cooking object, preventing an electric control device from being burned out by applying an alternating heating type for excluding mutual induction interference between an upper heating unit and a lower heating unit for heating the cooking object, and preventing a burn occurring at the time of gripping the heated cooking object and promoting cleanliness by installing a separate cooling device used for cooling the cooking object or for deodorizing the cooking object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventor: Bong Je Cho
  • Patent number: 11632829
    Abstract: A defrosting system includes an RF signal source, an electrode proximate to a cavity within which a load to be defrosted is positioned, and a transmission path between the RF signal source and the electrode. The system also includes power detection circuitry coupled to the transmission path and configured repeatedly to take forward and reflected RF power measurements along the transmission path. A system controller repeatedly determines, based on the forward and reflected RF power measurements, a calculated rate of change, and repeatedly compares the calculated rate of change to a threshold rate of change. When the calculated rate of change compares favorably with the threshold rate of change, the RF signal source continues to provide the RF signal to the electrode until a determination is made that the defrosting operation is completed, at which time the RF signal source ceases to provide the RF signal to the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: James Eric Scott, Jérémie Simon, Xiaofei Qiu, Lionel Mongin, Pierre Marie Jean Piel
  • Patent number: 11530875
    Abstract: A cooking appliance apparatus includes at least one fan unit having at least one fan wheel which is mounted for rotation about a rotation axis. A heating element is provided to heat the fan wheel in at least one operating state, with the heating element being configured as an induction heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Juan Jose Galindo Perez, Sergio Llorente Gil, Dan Neumayer, Carlos Obon Abadia, Enrique Javier Perez Visa
  • Patent number: 11497088
    Abstract: An induction cooking hob (1) with illumination equipment includes a cover element (2) arranged at the top side of the induction cooking hob and including at least one heating zone, a chassis (5) arranged below the cover element (2) and at least one induction coil unit (3) having an induction coil (10). The induction coil unit (3) is arranged below the at least one heating zone. According to the invention, a light emitting diode (4) is mounted to the center of the at least one induction coil unit (3). Thermal conductive contact between the light emitting diode (4) and the chassis (5) is provided by a spring element (12) pressing at least a surface of the light emitting diode (4) onto the chassis (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Stefan Bayerlein, Jochen Holzinger
  • Patent number: 11388785
    Abstract: An induction cooking apparatus includes a plurality of induction coils arranged in at least one array. At least one beam structure is configured to support the at least one array of induction coils. At least one electrical circuit is in connection with the at least one beam structure and in communication with each of the plurality of induction coils forming the at least one array. At least one inverter assembly is configured to drive the induction coils. The electrical circuit and the inverter assembly form a connection interface including a plurality of mating connectors. The mating connectors of the connection interface electrically connect the array with the inverter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Davide Parachini, Cristiano Vito Pastore
  • Patent number: 11324079
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker includes a first coil, a second coil, a third coil, a first inverter circuit configured to supply a first high-frequency current to the first coil, a second inverter circuit configured to supply a second high-frequency current to the second coil, a third inverter circuit configured to supply a third high-frequency current to the third coil, a controller, and a load determining unit configured to determine a material of a heating object, wherein when a material of the heating object placed above the first coil is a magnetic material and a material of the heating object placed above the second coil includes a non-magnetic material, the controller operates the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit, and stops an operation of the third inverter circuit, and controls such that a frequency of the second high-frequency current is higher than a frequency of the first high-frequency current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Ikuro Suga, Jun Bunya, Miyuki Takeshita, Kazuhiro Kameoka
  • Patent number: 11265973
    Abstract: An induction heating device includes: a first board including a first working coil, a first inverter configured to apply a resonant current to the first working coil, a first current transformer configured to adjusting a magnitude of the first resonant current, a first control unit configured to control the first inverter; and a second board including a second working coil, a second inverter configured to apply a resonant current to the second working coil, a second current transformer configured to adjust a magnitude of the second resonant current, a first relay configured to selectively connect the second working coil to the second current transformer or to the first working coil, a second relay configured to selectively connect the second working coil to the first working coil or to the second resonant capacitor, and a second control unit configure to control the second inverter, the first relay, and the second relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Younghwan Kwack, Seongho Son, Jaekyung Yang, Yongsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 11246190
    Abstract: A cooking hob includes a cooktop defining a major surface extending between a plurality of sides and a plurality of edge surfaces extending away from the major surface at respective sides thereof and a plurality of burner units disposed at the major surface within respective sections of the major surface. The cooktop further includes a lighting assembly affixed with the cooktop opposite the major surface and extending adjacent at least two of the sections of the major surface and including a plurality of lighting elements respectively exposed at respective portions of the edge surfaces corresponding with the sections of the major surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Fernanda M. de Morais, Monica C. Monteiro, Thayna Oening, Nilvania Stefanello, Joel Graham Van Faasen
  • Patent number: 11201540
    Abstract: A motor control circuit with power factor correction capabilities that optimizes the voltage and current load applied to an electric motor for different motor speeds and torque levels. The preferred motor control circuit includes a power factor correction circuit and a step down conversion circuit through which current passes before it reaches the motor. A microprocessor preferably monitors the current supplied to the motor and the motor's speed. If the microprocessor determines that the current supplied to the motor is too high, it can reduce the level of current by either using a pulse width modulation (PWM) digital-to-analog control circuit to instruct the power factor correction circuit to reduce current or it can use a PWM digital control circuit to instruct the step down conversion circuit to reduce current. An output voltage limiter circuit can be used to detect the voltage of current supplied to the motor and turn off current to the motor if the voltage is above a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: f'Real! Foods, LLC
    Inventor: Shek Fai Lau
  • Patent number: 11185097
    Abstract: A method of providing sushi for consumption. The method includes preparing the sushi; placing the sushi in a humidified refrigerated storage unit at an ambient humidity level over 65% and under 99% and at a temperature between about 0° C. and about 7° C.; preserving for a period under fifteen hours the sushi in the humidified refrigerated storage unit to reduce loss of moisture of the sushi rice of the sushi during the preservation period; and removing the sushi from the humidified refrigerated storage unit prior to being served.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventors: Serge Mboumtcho, Lucie Benveniste, Louis Richard, Solange Adechian, Laurent Cabal
  • Patent number: 11175429
    Abstract: A method controls an induction heating device that is configured to operate based on a multi-phase power supply and that includes a working coil configured to heat an object and a controller configured to detect the object. The method includes: receiving voltage information related to a first input voltage and a second input voltage that are supplied by the multi-phase power supply and that have different phases from each other; selecting a reference voltage among the first input voltage and the second input voltage based on the voltage information; determining a detection time point, which corresponds to a time instant at which a detection operation is to be performed for detecting the object on the working coil, based on the reference voltage; and performing the detection operation at the detection time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Younghwan Kwack, Seongho Son, Jaekyung Yang, Yongsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 11168890
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus light including a carrier that forms an illuminant receiver wherein an illuminant configured as a circuit board including at least one LED is received in the illuminant receiver, wherein the carrier includes a receiving spout that is connected through an opening with the illuminant receiver; and a light conductor rod that is received in the receiving spout and fed light emitted by the illuminant through the opening between the receiving spout and the illuminant receiver, wherein the light conductor rod is fixed in the carrier in an axial direction of the light conductor rod by a form locking connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BJB GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Philipp Henrici, Olaf Baumeister, Frank Welslau
  • Patent number: 11132885
    Abstract: A remote temperature monitoring system includes a first unit operatively connected to one or more temperature sensors for sensing the temperature of one or more materials or food items being cooked or heated. The first unit transmits the sensed temperature to a second unit that is located remotely from the first unit during heating. The second unit is programmable with the desired temperature and/or heating parameters of the item. By monitoring the temperature status of the item over time, the system determines when the food has reached the desired temperature or degree of cooking, and notifies the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: WEBER-STEPHEN PRODUCTS LLC
    Inventor: Christopher J. Allen, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11114900
    Abstract: An intermediate device for supporting a power transfer to an electromagnetic load (505) from a power transmitter (201) comprises a resonance circuit (507) including an inductor (801) and a capacitor (803) where the inductor (801) is arranged to couple to the power transmitter (201) through a first surface area (509) and to the electromagnetic load (505) through a second surface area (511). The resonance circuit (507) is arranged to 5 concentrate energy of the power transfer electromagnetic signal from the first surface area (509) towards the second surface area (511). The device further comprises a communicator (807) for exchanging messages with the power transmitter (201). The communicator (807) transmits a request message to the power transmitter (201) comprising a request for the power transmitter (201) to generate a measurement electromagnetic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Andries Van Wageningen
  • Patent number: 11109706
    Abstract: A motorized induction cooking device has a housing including a top surface for supporting a variety of vessels used for chopping, blending, mixing, or heating beverages and food. The top surface has an opening A non-magnetic rotational spindle is rotationally mounted on the housing and below the opening and coupled to a motor. An induction coil is located within the housing and adjacent the top surface. The induction coil includes a winding surrounding the opening and has a central aperture through which the spindle is accessible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Waco Pacific Ltd.
    Inventor: Malcolm Dumenil
  • Patent number: 11064574
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob (10) including at least one cooking area (12), wherein the cooking area (12) comprises at least three induction coils (14). The induction coils (14) of at least one cooking area (12) are arranged side-by-side and in series. Each induction coil (14) of at least one cooking area (12) has an elongated shape. The longitudinal axes of the induction coils (14) within one cooking area (12) are arranged in parallel. Each induction coil (14) of 10 the cooking area (12) is associated with a dedicated induction generator (16). The induction generators (16) are connected or connectable to at least one current line (18). The induction generators (16) are connected to and controlled or controllable by at least one control unit (20). Requested powers (rP) for each used induction generator (16) are adjusted or adjustable independent from each other by a user interface (22). Instant powers (iP) of the induction generators (16) within a cycle pattern (T1, T2, . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Svend Erik Christiansen, Filippo Martini, Massimo Nostro, Alex Viroli, Laurent Jeanneteau
  • Patent number: 10995963
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Diego Neftali Gutierrez, Gianpiero Santacatterina, Francesco Farachi
  • Patent number: 10910886
    Abstract: A heating system with wireless communication function includes a wireless information transmitting device, a wireless charging transmitting device and a wireless receiving heating device. The wireless information transmitting device includes an external shell, an information transmitting end coil and an information transmitting end magnetic shield. The wireless receiving heating device is disposed on a top surface of the wireless charging transmitting device. The wireless charging transmitting device includes a shell, a transmitting end coil and a transmitting end magnetic shield. The wireless charging transmitting device transmits energy to the wireless receiving heating device by near field induction and the object within the accommodating part of the wireless receiving heating device can be heated. The wireless receiving heating device notifies the wireless charge heating device to increase or decrease energy transmission in a digital communication manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: HITENX (WUXI) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., TENX (SHENZHEN) TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventor: Cheng-Hung Huang
  • Patent number: 10839175
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a method of decoding a custom cooking program includes using a tag reader to read heating instruction data encoded in an electronic tag, determining heating phases based on the read heating instruction data, and automatically controlling a heating apparatus to execute the determined heating phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Sebastian Thrun
    Inventor: Sebastian Thrun
  • Patent number: 10805989
    Abstract: An induction heating cooking device includes a cooking table having an auxiliary slit; an induction coil for generating a magnetic field so as to inductively heat a cooking container placed on the cooking table; multiple light sources disposed at the outside of the induction coil; and a main slit through which light emitted from the light sources passes. The induction heating cooking device forms a virtual flame image on the cooking container, thereby enabling the heating state of the induction heating cooking device to be intuitively checked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hee Sup Kim, Han Seong Kang, Jong Sung Park, Jung Kwon Kim, Hyung Jin Kim, Pung Yeun Cho, Yeon A Hwang
  • Patent number: 10772161
    Abstract: A method for controlling a cooking hob including induction coils, wherein a heating process includes time cycles subdivided into time slots. The method includes: setting a requested power for each induction coil to be activated by a user, defining a group of induction coils that have the same requested power, determining a number of time slots given by the number of different requested powers, activating all groups of induction coils to be activated during a first time slot at a same current power for a calculated duration, and activating a part of groups of induction coils to be activated during a further time slot at the same current powers in each time slot for a calculated duration if more than one group of induction coils are defined, so that an average current power of each induction coil within the time cycle corresponds with the requested power for the induction coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Laurent Jeanneteau, Massimo Nostro, Alex Viroli, Nicola Terracciano
  • Patent number: 10736184
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus for induction heating is provided. The power supply apparatus includes a smoothing filter configured to smooth a pulsating current of DC power output from a DC power supply, and an inverter configured to convert the DC power that has been smoothed by the smoothing filter into AC power. The smoothing filter includes a plurality of capacitors having different internal inductances and connected to each other in parallel between input terminals of the inverter, each of the capacitors being connected to the input terminals of the inverter directly or through a pair of bus bars. The plurality of capacitors includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor, the first capacitor having smaller internal inductance than the second capacitor and a shorter conductive path between the input terminals of the inverter than the second capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: NETUREN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiko Kanai, Masato Sugimoto, Haruki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10724904
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a temperature information assembly for a cooking hob (18). The temperature information assembly comprises at least one SAW (surface acoustic wave) temperature sensor (10) permanently or removably attached or attachable at or in a cooking pot (24), at least one sensor antenna (12) permanently or removably attached or attachable at the cooking pot (24) and electrically connected to the SAW temperature sensor (10), at least one reader (14) permanently or removably attached or attachable in or on the cooking hob (18), and at least one reader antenna (16) permanently or removably attached or attachable in or on the cooking hob (18) and electrically connected to the reader (14). The SAW temperature sensor (10) is wireless connected or connectable to the reader (14) via the sensor antenna (12) and the reader antenna (16). The reader (14) is electrically connected or connectable to a control unit (22) of the cooking hob (18) in order to control the cooking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Michael Herzog, Eva Holzgreve
  • Patent number: 10701766
    Abstract: Induction hob provided with a frequency converter and parallel branches, departing from the output of the converter. Each branch includes a switch and an inductor. The hob also comprises a configurable contact to enable an electrical connection of a first intermediate terminal between the first inductor and the first switch in the first branch (A) and a second intermediate terminal between the second inductor and the second switch in the second branch. The hob, depending on the configuration of the switches, can operate each of the two inductors alone, or in parallel connection, or in series connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Davide Parachini, Cristiano Pastore
  • Patent number: 10660162
    Abstract: A power delivery system and method for an induction cooktop are provided herein. A plurality of inverters are each configured to apply an output power to a plurality of induction coils electrically coupled thereto via corresponding relays. A selected inverter is operable to momentarily idle to enable commutation of a relay connected thereto. An active inverter is operable to increase its output power for the duration in which the selected inverter is idled in order to lessen power fluctuations experienced on a mains line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Carlo Calesella, Davide Parachini, Cristiano Vito Pastore
  • Patent number: 10616963
    Abstract: A defrosting system includes an RF signal source, an electrode proximate to a cavity within which a load to be defrosted is positioned, and a transmission path between the RF signal source and the electrode. The system also includes power detection circuitry coupled to the transmission path and configured repeatedly to take forward and reflected RF power measurements along the transmission path. A system controller repeatedly determines, based on the forward and reflected RF power measurements, a calculated rate of change, and repeatedly compares the calculated rate of change to a threshold rate of change. When the calculated rate of change compares favorably with the threshold rate of change, the RF signal source continues to provide the RF signal to the electrode until a determination is made that the defrosting operation is completed, at which time the RF signal source ceases to provide the RF signal to the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: James Eric Scott, Jérémie Simon, Xiaofei Qiu, Lionel Mongin, Pierre Marie Jean Piel
  • Patent number: 10588179
    Abstract: An induction heating device is disclosed. The induction heating device includes a working coil for creating a magnetic field for induction of eddy currents in cooking equipment so as to heat the cooking equipment, a power supply unit for providing induction voltage to operate the working coil, and a case for accommodating the power supply unit and the working coil. The case includes a first case and a second case, and the first case and the second case define therebetween an insertion space into which a plate is fitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Wansoo Kim, Seongjun Kim, Byungkyu Park, Yangkyeong Kim
  • Patent number: 10477629
    Abstract: An electronic induction heat cooking apparatus includes a rectifier including a bridge diode, for rectifying an input voltage and outputting a direct current (DC) voltage; a plurality of switching elements for switching the DC voltage output through the rectifier; a controller for controlling the plurality of switching elements; a plurality of heating coils for heating a cooking utensil by controlling the plurality of switching elements; a heat sink having the plurality of switching elements mounted thereon, for cooling the plurality of switching elements; a cover covering the plurality of switching elements; and coupling members for coupling the heat sink to the cover. A radiation fin for cooling the plurality of switching elements is formed on the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Byungkyu Park, Hyunwook Moon, Seungbok Ok, Byeongwook Park
  • Patent number: 10194492
    Abstract: An induction coil assembly for an induction cooking hob has a coil winding, a lower electrically isolating sheet and optionally a thermally insulating sheet. The induction coil assembly further includes a carrier plate for supporting the lower electrically isolating sheet, the coil winding and the thermally insulating sheet. At least two power cables are provided for each coil winding. The power cables are at least partially arranged at a bottom side of the carrier plate and act as spring elements, so that the induction coil assembly can be pressed or is pressed against a glass ceramic panel of the induction cooking hob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Daniel Matulla, Holger Wundling, Ulrich Häutle, Dieter Förster
  • Patent number: 10154762
    Abstract: An automated kitchen system having multiple cooking and/or mixing pots and having containers and dispensers for multiple ingredients. A customer or other person or system selects or creates a meal or other food product and the ingredients for the meal or other product are transferred from dispensers to the cooking and/or mixing pots which simultaneously cook and/or mix the ingredients. After cooking, the meal or other product is served and the cooking pot is cleaned and sanitized and oriented to receive the ingredients for the next meal or other product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: SPYCE FOOD CO.
    Inventors: Michael S. Farid, Braden E. Knight, Luke S. Schlueter, Kale T. Rogers, Wyatt L. Ubellacker, Sophia N. Seidell
  • Patent number: 10025282
    Abstract: A cooking system includes a smart cooking device that interfaces with a remote computing device. The smart cooking device includes a heat transfer housing that is configured to receive a cookware item and be positioned over a heating element of an appliance. Various sensors of the smart cooking device such as a force sensor, a vibration sensor and/or a temperature sensor measure data associated with a cooking process performed when the heating element is operating and the cookware item holds food. The data is passed to the remote computing device for storage as a digital recipe. The digital recipe may then be played back to guide a user in a future cooking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Inventor: Matthew T. Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 9510398
    Abstract: Induction heating apparatus are disclosed herein. An example induction heating apparatus disclosed herein includes a housing and a susceptor wire positioned in the housing. The susceptor wire is composed of a material having a relatively high magnetic permeability and a relatively high electrical resistivity sufficient to induce an eddy current in the susceptor wire when a magnetic field is applied to the susceptor wire via an induction source. The magnetic field generates the eddy current in the susceptor wire when a temperature of the susceptor wire is below a Curie point of the material of the susceptor wire. The susceptor wire limits heating to a temperature that is equal to or less than a Curie temperature associated with the material of the susceptor wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert James Miller, Marc R. Matsen
  • Patent number: 9434258
    Abstract: A power converter includes positive and negative input lines and an input capacitor coupled across the input lines. The power converter also includes a switch coupled across the input lines that includes a control contact and an additional contact. The power converter also includes switch controller coupled to the control contact and that includes positive and negative input connections. The power converter also includes a contactor diagnostic supply interface coupled between the positive input connection and the additional contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Berg, John W. Meyer, III, Wesley O. Hamilton, Robert S. Foley
  • Patent number: 9433037
    Abstract: A conventional induction heating cooker which operates two inverters at the same time, with only one input current detecting circuit provided, cannot measure each of input currents to each of the plurality of inverters, and cannot control input powers by feedback control on input currents. In the induction heating cooker which has a plurality of inverters, when the input power varies to the inverter which has less input power supplied, the variation hardly influences the cooking. The induction heating cooker according to the present invention fixes the operating frequency for the inverter which has less input power supplied and performs the feedback control of the input current for the inverter which has bigger input power supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keiko Isoda, Yuji Fujii, Daisuke Sawada
  • Patent number: 9343975
    Abstract: A power converter includes a primary side compensation capacitor, a transformer and a secondary side compensation capacitor. The primary side compensation capacitor receives a first AC voltage from a first switch circuit. The transformer receives the first AC voltage to generate a second AC voltage. The secondary side compensation capacitor transfers the second AC voltage to a second switch circuit to generate a DC output voltage. The operating frequency of the first switch circuit is set within the 0.8*fa to 1.2*fb, and fb is at most 1.5 times of fa. The primary side compensation capacitor and a primary side leakage inductance of the transformer correspond to a first resonant frequency, the secondary side compensation capacitor and a secondary side leakage inductance of the transformer correspond to a second resonant frequency, fa and fb are the lower one and the higher one of the first and second resonant frequency respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chao Yan, Wei-Qiang Zhang, Li-Zhi Xu, Xin-Lei Li
  • Patent number: 9310041
    Abstract: An illumination device for producing a light strip along a predetermined distance includes light sources and light conductors, wherein light of a first one of the light sources is distributable along a first section of the distance by a first one of the light conductors up to an end region of the first light conductor, wherein light of a second one of the light sources is distributable along a second section of the distance by a second one of the light conductors up to an end region of the second light conductor, and wherein the end region of the first light conductor and the end region of the second light conductor are arranged adjacent one another along the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Marcus Pfeil
  • Patent number: 9294648
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a document table having a document read area, and an illumination unit that includes a light source configured to illuminate the document read area and a light-guiding body configured to allow light from the light source to be incident on both end portions extending in a main-scanning direction and configured to scatter or reflect the light to be emitted toward the document read area. The device includes an arc-shaped stepped portion that is formed at both end portions of the light-guiding body, a carriage that supports the illumination unit to be movable in a sub-scanning direction, a hold-down member that holds down the both end portions of the light-guiding body towards the carriage and is attached to the arc-shaped stepped portion to regulate movement of the light-guiding body in the main-scanning direction, and a photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akinori Tajima
  • Patent number: 9277601
    Abstract: Method and computer program product for using an RFID antenna of a cooking appliance to read a plurality of cooking instruction sets from a single RFID tag associated with a food product that is positioned to be cooked by the cooking appliance. The cooking appliance selects one of the plurality of cooking instruction sets that the cooking appliance is capable of performing. Furthermore, the cooking appliance may then automatically cook the food product by controlling the cooking appliance according to the selected cooking instruction set. The selection of a cooking instruction set may consider the temperature of the food product or a determination whether the food product is frozen. Alternatively, cooking appliance settings may be interpolated between two cooking instruction sets or calculated on the basis of physical property information about the food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Justin P. Bandholz, Joseph E. Maxwell, Pravin Patel, Phillip L. Weinstein
  • Patent number: 9261889
    Abstract: A method for controlling the system power is applied in an electronic device. The method includes detecting a sensing temperature of a system-on chip of the electronic device, comparing the sensing temperature with a presetting temperature, capturing a detected signal produced by a gravity sensor of the electronic device when determining the sensing temperature is greater than the presetting temperature, and lowering the surface temperature of the electronic device by setting the power limitation of the system-on chip to be a first preset power corresponded to a first setting status when the detected signal indicates that the electronic device is in the first setting status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Getac Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Ping-Wei Lee
  • Patent number: 9055615
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Takahiro Miyauchi, Tomoya Fujinami, Hiroshi Tominaga