Load Sensing Patents (Class 219/626)
  • Patent number: 9544946
    Abstract: Provided is an induction heat cooking apparatus. The induction heat cooking apparatus includes a rectifying part rectifying an input voltage to output a DC voltage; an inverter switching the DC voltage outputted through the rectifying part to generate an AC voltage; a first heating part operated by the AC voltage applied from the inverter; a second heating part connected to the first heating part in parallel, the second heating part being operated by the AC voltage applied from the inverter; and a switching signal generation part controlling an operation state of each of the first and second heating parts from the inverter according to an operation mode inputted from the outside. The switching signal generation part includes a pulse transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Dooyong Oh, Heesuk Roh, Byeongwook Park
  • Patent number: 9544947
    Abstract: By performing a method for transmitting to a reading device data of a sensor that is allocated to an inductively heated cooking vessel, a high frequency control voltage is generated from a mains alternating voltage by means of a converter, wherein the high frequency control voltage is applied to an oscillator circuit having an induction heating coil in order to generate a high frequency magnetic alternating field for heating the cooking vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: E.G.O. ELEKTRO-GERAETEBAU GMBH
    Inventor: Steffen Lang
  • Patent number: 9532406
    Abstract: An induction cooking hob with a pot detection device. The hob includes a cooking surface having cooking areas and/or cooking zones. The hob includes a user interface having a switch element and a display. The hob includes a control unit for controlling the cooking area(s) and/or the cooking zone(s). The pot detection device checks, if a cooking vessel is placed on the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s). The control unit switches off the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s), if the pot detection device has identified that the cooking vessel has been removed from the cooking area(s) and/or the cooking zone(s). The control unit stores a cooking mode of the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s), which have been switched off. The display indicates that the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s) have been switched off. The switch element restarts the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s) in the same cooking mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION N.V.
    Inventors: Alex Viroli, Massimo Nostro, Laurent Jeanneteau, Andrea Rossi
  • Patent number: 9515561
    Abstract: An output voltage detection portion detects the change of a DC output voltage on a primary side of a transformer. A control circuit outputs a gate signal of a frequency corresponding to the detected change to stabilize the DC output voltage. A load transient detection portion includes capacitors and a capacitor and/or a resistor. The load transient detection portion detects the decrease of the DC output voltage caused by a load transient. Thus, when the control circuit is performing switching control in a long cycle under a light load, the load transient detection portion can detect a timing of the load transient without waiting until the next cycle switching so that the control circuit can vary the frequency of the gate signal to a frequency corresponding to a heavy load. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the decrease of the DC output voltage at the time of the load transient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9491807
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing foodstuffs cooked in a liquid in a cooking vessel is provided. According to various aspects, an induction heating device includes a resonant circuit with an induction heating coil. A parameter value of the resonant circuit may be determined, depending on a temperature of a bottom of the vessel. During a heating-up phase, a high-frequency rectangular voltage may be applied to the resonant circuit to supply heating power to the bottom of the vessel. A heating power setpoint may be periodically varied and may be set to a first value during a first interval of a period, and set to a second, smaller value during a remaining interval. A determination of a change in the parameter value within the period may be made, and an evaluation of the change in order to determine the boiling point of the liquid and end the heating-up phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: E.G.O. ELEKTRO-GERÄTEBAU GMBH
    Inventors: Wilfried Schilling, Christian Egenter, Werner Kappes, Stefan Westrich
  • Patent number: 9359898
    Abstract: A system includes a turbomachine. The turbomachine includes at least one rotor disk. The system also includes a rotor disk heating system configured to resistively heat at least a portion of the at least one rotor disk via an electrical current or voltage applied to the portion of the at least one rotor disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Christopher Edward Miller
  • Patent number: 9313830
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker and a control circuit therefor are provided. The cooker includes a switch element and an inductive coil, which is coupled between a power voltage and a first terminal of the switch element. A second terminal of the switch element is coupled to a common voltage. The control circuit includes first and second comparators and a pulse generator. The first comparator receives voltages of two terminals of the inductive coil and thus outputs a trigger signal. The second comparator receives a reference voltage and a voltage of the first terminal of the switch element, and enables a fading signal when the voltage of the first terminal is higher than the reference voltage. When the trigger signal is enabled, the pulse generator outputs a pulse to control the switch element. When the fading signal is enabled, the pulse generator reduces a pulse width of the pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Pei-Min Gong, Ming-Chun Chou, Hsiu Ju Yang
  • Patent number: 9307581
    Abstract: An induction heating system (46) for use in cooking with a positive feedback mechanism (54, 56) by means of which the power applied to a cooking utensil (52) can be varied in a wide range by changing its position above an induction coil (10), and by means of which the circuitry (54) is automatically protected against overheating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ELATRONIC AG
    Inventor: Heinrich Weder
  • Patent number: 9277598
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker including a cooking plate on which a cooking vessel is placed, a plurality of heating coils disposed while being adjacent to one other below the cooking plate, and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which circuits configured to drive the heating coils are placed, wherein the PCB is divided into a high frequency circuit part on which circuits characterized by high frequency are placed and a low frequency circuit part on which circuits characterized by low frequency are placed, and the high frequency circuit part is spaced apart from the low frequency circuit part by a predetermined distance. The interference between the high frequency circuit part and the low frequency circuit part is minimized while enhancing the operation efficiency of each heating coil. The assembly efficiency and the working efficiency are enhanced when an inverter circuit is wired to a corresponding heating coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Ho Lee, Jong Chull Shon, Min Gyu Jung, Ha Na Kim
  • Patent number: 9226343
    Abstract: Embodiments of an exemplary induction cooktop apparatus or system, may include an induction cooking unit; an interface adapted to receive, store, and execute a plurality of instructions of a multistage programmable recipe using said induction cooking unit; a power supply adapted to be coupled to a power source; a controller coupled to said power supply, said interface, and said induction cooking unit adapted to control said induction cooking unit according to said plurality of instructions of said multistage programmable recipe. An embodiment may include a system, method, and computer program product comprising: an induction cooking unit; receiving at an interface a plurality of instructions of a multistage programmable recipe; storing instructions in a memory; executing instructions in a controller coupled to the memory and induction cooking unit, so as to control the induction cooking unit in accordance with instructions of the multistage programmable recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: NuWave, LLC
    Inventors: Jung S. Moon, Mikale K. Kwon, Byung G. Choi, Eung Yub Cha, Jennifer E. Dawes, Cathy Rosch, Terry Puerzer, Alice Pace, Eunjung Huh, Teng Jin Lian, Kim Jong Rok, Zeng Qing Ping
  • Patent number: 9178417
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter is provided. When a load of the DC-DC converter is too light, the DC-DC converter can raise a frequency of its PWM signal, and reduce a pulse width of the PWM signal, so as to avoid the frequency of the PWM signal falling into a frequency range that can heard by human's ear and maintain high conversion efficiency of the DC-DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: uPI Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Hua-Chiang Huang
  • Patent number: 9155130
    Abstract: An induction cooktop appliance system and method for controlling the induction cooktop appliance based on a cookware position is provided. A variable power signal can be applied to an induction coil from an inverter. The power signal can be driven at a test frequency and an operating frequency. An electrical signal can be detected across a shunt resistor based on the test frequency and a cookware position can be determined based on the electrical signal. The operating frequency supplied to the induction coil can be modified based on determined cookware position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mingwei Shan, Gregory Francis Gawron, Daniel Vincent Brosnan, John Michael Kulp, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20150083712
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob (10) with a plurality of induction coils (16). The induction cooking hob (10) comprises a cooking surface (12) and a control unit. The cooking surface (12) includes a cover plate. The induction coils (16) are arranged side-by-side according to a predetermined scheme and below the cover plate. At least one induction coil (16) is marked by an identification symbol (18). The identification symbol (18) includes a first element (20) and a second element (22), wherein the first element (20) extends beyond the diameter of the corresponding induction coil (16) and the second element (22) marks the diameter of said induction coil (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Alex Viroli, Svend Erik Christiansen, Andrea Fattorini, Laurent Jeanneteau
  • Patent number: 8912471
    Abstract: A heating cooker of the present invention includes a plurality of light emitting indicator units. The light emitting indicator units each have a temperature sensing unit that senses an ambient temperature of a light emission source. Therefore, deterioration of the light emission source of each of the light emitting indicator units can be suppressed to realize a further reduction in thickness, and to improve visibility of the indicator sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiko Shigeoka, Akira Kataoka, Eiji Matsui
  • Patent number: 8901466
    Abstract: The invention may enable provision of a method for facilitating operation of an induction heating device, and a pot detection method for an induction heating device and to an induction heating device. The induction heating device is characterized by determining a low point of a resonant cycle on a linking node of a parallel resonant circuit and a switching element, determining a low point voltage at the low point of the resonant cycle and switching on the switching element at the low point of the resonant cycle for a cycle duration that is determined depending on the low point voltage in such a manner that a low point voltage does not exceed a predetermined maximum value in the following resonant cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Schilling, Ralf Dorwarth, Martin Volk, Tobias Schönherr
  • Patent number: 8890042
    Abstract: The present invention includes: a plurality of induction heating coils (11, 12, 13) which are disposed adjacently; capacitors (21, 22, 23) each of which is connected in series thereto; a plurality of inverters (30, 35, 31) each of which applies a high frequency voltage converted from a DC voltage to each series resonant circuit of the induction heating coil and the capacitor; and a control circuit (50) which operates the plurality of the inverters with a same frequency and current synchronization, controls so that a phase difference becomes minimal at a specific inverter, which supplies the maximum power to the plurality of the induction heating coils, between the high frequency voltage generated therefrom, and a resonant current flowing the series resonant circuit, and set a DC power supply voltage Vdc applied to the plurality of the inverters so that the output voltages (Vinv) become greater than mutual induction voltages (Vm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Uchida, Keiji Kawanaka, Takahiro Ao
  • Publication number: 20140251980
    Abstract: An electromagnetic induction heater includes a supporting plate and a plurality of first induction coils. The supporting plate has a heating zone for placing at least one foodstuff container thereon. The heating zone includes a plurality of sub-heating zones. The first induction coils are located at the positions corresponding to the sub-heating zones respectively for heating the at least one foodstuff container. The first induction coils have elliptic profiles, and are located at an inner side of the supporting plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC,
    Inventor: I-Shen Lin
  • Patent number: 8803048
    Abstract: An induction heating and control system and method have enhanced reliability and advanced performance features for use with induction cooking devices, such as induction heating ranges. Enhanced performance is facilitated via the use of an induction heating system which integrates voltage management, power management, thermal management, digital control sensing and regulation systems, and protection systems management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: The Vollrath Company, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Nicholas Bassill, Clifford Jameson, Dongyu Wang
  • Patent number: 8796602
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Miyauchi, Izuo Hirota
  • Patent number: 8658950
    Abstract: A heating device includes a first induction coil, a second induction coil, a control panel, a power supply unit and a controlling unit. The control panel issues an adjusting signal. The power supply unit provides a first power and a second power to the first induction coil and the second induction coil, respectively. The controlling unit generates a control signal to the power supply unit according to the adjusting signal, thereby controlling the first power and the second power. Electrical energy is transmitted to the first induction coil and the second induction coil and the frequency difference between the first power and the second power is greater than 15 kHz or smaller than 1 kHz during a first time interval under control of the controlling unit. No electrical energy is transmitted to one of the first induction coil and the second induction coil during a second time interval under control of the controlling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hsien Cho, Yin-Yuan Chen
  • Publication number: 20140014650
    Abstract: An induction cooking hob with a pot detection device. The hob includes a cooking surface having cooking areas and/or cooking zones. The hob includes a user interface having a switch element and a display. The hob includes a control unit for controlling the cooking area(s) and/or the cooking zone(s). The pot detection device checks, if a cooking vessel is placed on the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s). The control unit switches off the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s), if the pot detection device has identified that the cooking vessel has been removed from the cooking area(s) and/or the cooking zone(s). The control unit stores a cooking mode of the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s), which have been switched off. The display indicates that the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s) have been switched off. The switch element restarts the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s) in the same cooking mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION N.V.
    Inventors: Alex Viroli, Massimo Nostro, Laurent Jeanneteau, Andrea Rossi
  • Patent number: 8581159
    Abstract: A method and cooktop include a cooktop panel, a cooking zone, and an induction heating device disposed below the cooktop panel. First, second and third heat sensor units are disposed beneath the cooktop panel in a region of a measuring spot. The first heat sensor unit is configured to measure heat flow from substantially only the cooktop panel. The second and third heat sensor units are configured to measure heat flow from the cooktop panel and a cooking utensil disposed thereon. A light source is provided for measuring an emissivity of the bottom of the cooking utensil. An auxiliary heater heats the region of the measuring spot. An electrical control system calculates a ratio from signals of the second and third heat sensor units and determines an actual temperature of the bottom of the cooking utensil from the ratio by using a temperature of a lower surface of the cooktop panel measured by the first sensor unit and a value of the emissivity of the cooking utensil bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Miele & Cie. KG
    Inventors: Holger Ernst, Uwe Femmer, Sonja Heitmann, Thomas Kruempelmann
  • Patent number: 8569666
    Abstract: A method for detecting the pan size and/or position in induction cooking hobs comprises providing at least a sensing circuit associated to a magnetic field concentrator, particularly a ferrite bar, and assessing an electrical parameter thereof correlated to the variation of the magnetic flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Diego Neftali Gutierrez, Fabrizio Dughiero
  • Patent number: 8558148
    Abstract: An induction hob having a plurality of induction heating elements; a control unit to operate the plurality of induction heating elements so as to heat at least one flexibly definable heating zone in a synchronized manner; and a measurement array to measure a heating power generated by the plurality of induction heating elements. The measurement array measures a sum of heating powers of at least two induction heating elements and the control unit uses the sum of heating powers to regulate the heating power generated by the plurality of induction heating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Jose Ignacio Artigas Maestre, Luis Angel Barragan Perez, Ignacio Garde Aranda, Pablo Jesus Hernandez Blasco, Denis Navarro Tabernero, Daniel Palacios Tomas, Ramon Peinado Adiego
  • Publication number: 20130248517
    Abstract: An induction heating cooking apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. A vessel can be effectively heated by using a plurality of heating coils regardless of a position of the vessel. By connecting a plurality of heating coils to a smaller amount of inverters through relays, only a heating coil on which a vessel is placed, among the plurality of heating coils, can be heated. Also, by connecting the heating coils in series, a current flowing in the heating coil can be lowered, and thus, a rated current of the inverter can be lowered. Also, by connecting relays and heating coils such that a larger amount of heating coils are operated, while minimizing the amount of inverters, manufacturing cost can be reduced, operation efficiency can be increased, and stability of the cooking apparatus can be enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Hyunwook MOON, Byeongwook PARK
  • Publication number: 20130248516
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooking hob (10) including at least two cooking zones (16, 18) and a balance system for adjusting the temperature of a cooking vessel (20) after said cooking vessel (20) has been moved from a first cooking zone (16) to a second cooking zone (18). The cooking zones (16, 18) comprise or correspond with a vessel recognition device in each case. The cooking hob (10) includes a sensor device for detecting the temperature of the first cooking zone (16). The balance system is provided for activating a boosted power level (30) at the second cooking zone (18) for an estimated time in order to compensate the energy loss (Qs) of the cooking vessel (20) during setting said cooking vessel (20) on the second cooking zone (18).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION N.V.
    Inventors: Harald Hoffmann, Richard Turek
  • Patent number: 8530805
    Abstract: A method for controlling an induction heating system of a cooking appliance provided with an induction coil, particularly for controlling it in connection with a predetermined working condition, comprises measuring the value of one electrical parameter of the induction heating system, feeding a computing model with actual switching frequency signals in order to estimate a temperature indicative of the thermal status of the heating system and to provide an estimated value of the electrical parameter, and comparing the measured electrical parameter with the estimated one and tuning the computing model on the basis of such comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alessandro Boer, Francesco Del Bello, Diego Neftali Gutierrez, Jurij Paderno, Davide Parachini, Gianpiero Santacatterina
  • Patent number: 8492684
    Abstract: A method for detecting the presence of a cooking vessel on an induction heating element is disclosed. The induction element is placed below a glass surface and a conductive electrode placed below the glass surface to detect if a cooking utensil is placed on the induction heating element. The electrode measures capacitance, which indicates to the user whether the cooking utensil is present on one or more induction heating elements. After activation by a user, a second detection of the cooking utensil is accomplished by feeding power to the induction heating element and by assessing at least an electrical parameter of a power circuit thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Diego Neftali Gutierrez, Ettore Arione
  • Patent number: 8476563
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker includes a switch element and an inductive coil, which is coupled between a power voltage and a first terminal of the switch element. A second terminal of the switch element is coupled to a common voltage. A control circuit for controlling the inducting heating cooker includes first and second comparators and a pulse generator. The first comparator receives voltages of two terminals of the inductive coil and thus outputs a trigger signal. The second comparator receives a reference voltage and a voltage of the first terminal of the switch element, and enables a fading signal when the voltage of the first terminal is higher than the reference voltage. When the trigger signal is enabled, the pulse generator outputs a pulse to control the switch element. When the fading signal is enabled, the pulse generator reduces a pulse width of the pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Pei-Min Gong, Ming-Chun Chou, Hsiu Ju Yang
  • Patent number: 8426782
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Keishima, Akira Kataoka, Hirofumi Nakakura, Izuo Hirota
  • Patent number: 8420984
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a household appliance for performing a housekeeping task. The household appliance comprises a data input device (16) adapted to remotely sense a property in a sensing area (18), and a controller (22) coupled to the data input device and adapted to control an operation of the household appliance in accordance with the sensed property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Kersten Kaiser, Alwin Neukamm, Claudio Cenedese
  • 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: 8350197
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker including a top plate where a pan is placed; a heating coil for induction heating the pan; an inverter circuit for supplying a high frequency current to the heating coil; an infrared sensor, which is arranged under the heating coil and detects an infrared light radiated from the pan; a light guiding part including an upper opening formed at an upper end facing the top plate and a lower opening formed at a lower end, and guiding the infrared light from the pan to the infrared sensor; and a control unit for controlling an output of the inverter circuit according to an output from the infrared sensor; wherein the light guiding part includes a nonmetallic material part in which the upper opening is formed upper than a lower surface of the heating coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tominaga, Kenji Watanabe, Masaharu Ohashi, Shintaro Noguchi, Tomoya Fujinami
  • Patent number: 8344297
    Abstract: Problem to provide a container for an electromagnetic cooker which can be heated corresponding to impedance check frequency which differs depending on a manufacturer of an electromagnetic cooker or the like, can properly and easily set a heat generation characteristic, is excellent in marketability, configuration in use, disposability, handiness in cooking and the like, is suitable for retort foods, instant foods and the like, and exhibits high heating efficiency, means for resolution a container for an electromagnetic cooker includes a container body made of a non-conductive material and a conductive layer in a bottom portion of the container, wherein the ratio of resistance change (R?R0)/R0 of the conductive layer with respect to the impedance check frequency of a heating coil is set to 5.3 or more, and a ratio of inductance change (L?L0)/L0 of the conductive layer with respect to the impedance check frequency of the heating coil is set to ?0.17 or less. Here, R indicates the high-frequency resistance (.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hagino Fujita, Yoshitaka Yamamoto, Takayuki Aikawa, Takashi Miura, Hideo Kurashima
  • Publication number: 20120318786
    Abstract: In a method for operating a cooking zone of a cook top, wherein the cooking zone is formed by at least two cooking sub-zones and each cooking sub-zone can be heated by at least one heating unit, with the heating units arranged adjacent to each other without overlapping such that a cohesive heatable surface is formed during a joint operation of the cooking sub-zones, the cooking sub-zones are operated as a single cooking zone in a first operating mode, and occupancy of a cooking sub-zone by at least one food preparation vessel is detected in the first operating mode, with an occupancy detection phase being started in a user-defined manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
    Inventors: David Casanova Lacueva, Fang Dai, Ignacio Garde Aranda, Carlos Vicente Mairal Serrano, Julio Rivera Peman
  • Patent number: 8334484
    Abstract: Provided are a cooking apparatus and a method for controlling the same. The cooking apparatus senses the size of a cooking vessel, or more specifically, the undersurface area of the cooking vessel, and selectively operates heaters accordingly. Therefore, food can be more efficiently cooked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hee-Suk Roh, Byeong-Wook Park
  • Publication number: 20110303653
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an induction heating cooker and a control method thereof in which heating coils on which a container is located are sensed, a display unit displays a region corresponding to the heating coils on which the container is located, the displayed region is selected by a user, an output adjustment unit as to the displayed region is displayed, and output of the corresponding heating coils is adjusted by adjusting the output adjustment unit. The induction heating cooker includes heating coils to heat the container, a display unit to display the sensed container or the output adjustment unit of the heating coils, and the output adjustment unit to adjust the output of the heating coils on which the container is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yun Bong CHUN, Kyung Suk Bae
  • Publication number: 20110108547
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides a consumer appliance that uses RF energy to heat foods stored in a container that is suitable for RF heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: Ameritherm, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard H. ROSENBLOOM, Leslie L. Thompson, Brian Louis Teachout, Ian Alan Paull
  • Publication number: 20110011851
    Abstract: An induction cooking device being capable of heating one target heating object by two or more heating coils and also being capable of displaying the positions of the heating units clearly. The induction cooking device includes a control unit (11) and a plurality of light-emitting parts (21 to 24, etc.). The control unit includes a heating control unit (11 a) that controls the output of an inverter circuit and a light-emission control unit (11b) that controls the light emission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Kataoka, Takaaki Kusaka, Kazunori Takechi
  • Patent number: 7868275
    Abstract: A switching circuit including a plurality of heating elements (12), each connected as part of a tuned circuit (36), the tuned circuits being respectively tuned to different frequencies and connected in parallel between two common conductors (34), the circuit further including a device (20, 38, 40) for applying an oscillating signal voltage between the two common conductors, at one or more frequencies each corresponding to a tuned frequency of one of the tuned circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Plc
    Inventor: Adrian Mark Thomas
  • Publication number: 20100181304
    Abstract: A method for detecting the pan size and/or position in induction cooking hobs comprises providing at least a sensing circuit associated to a magnetic field concentrator, particularly a ferrite bar, and assessing an electrical parameter thereof correlated to the variation of the magnetic flux.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: DIEGO NEFTALI GUTIERREZ, FABRIZIO DUGHIERO
  • Publication number: 20100147832
    Abstract: An induction cooking system including one or more methods or apparatus for identifying items of cookware. The identifying may include identifying whether in use, the temperature of the outside surface of the element of cookware is significantly lower than the temperature of the inside surface. The methods may include one or more of measuring impedance, communicating information by RF radiation, or measuring reactance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Charles R. Barker, III, Carolyn E. Modiano, Adam Christopher Broders, Raymond O. England, Anthony G. Esposito, Thomas A. Froeschle, Alfred G. Giombetti, John Michael Kitchura, JR., Michael Nussbaum, Laura J. Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20100133260
    Abstract: A method for controlling an induction heating system of a cooking appliance provided with an induction coil, particularly for controlling it in connection with a predetermined working condition, comprises measuring the value of one electrical parameter of the induction heating system, feeding a computing model with actual switching frequency signals in order to estimate a temperature indicative of the thermal status of the heating system and to provide an estimated value of the electrical parameter, and comparing the measured electrical parameter with the estimated one and tuning the computing model on the basis of such comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: ALESSANDRO BOER, FRANCESCO DEL BELLO, DIEGO NEFTALI GUTIERREZ, JURIJ PADERNO, DAVIDE PARACHINI, GIANPIERO SANTACATTERINA
  • Publication number: 20100096385
    Abstract: A method for detecting the presence of a cooking vessel on an induction heating element is disclosed. The induction element is placed below a glass surface and a conductive electrode placed below the glass surface to detect if a cooking utensil is placed on the induction heating element. The electrode measures capacitance, which indicates to the user whether the cooking utensil is present on one or more induction heating elements. After activation by a user, a second detection of the cooking utensil is accomplished by feeding power to the induction heating element and by assessing at least an electrical parameter of a power circuit thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: DIEGO NEFTALI GUTIERREZ, ETTORE ARIONE
  • Patent number: 7690294
    Abstract: An improved system and methods useful for the cooking of one or more food items by the application of a non-ambient temperature developed within a temperature retentive element. The temperature retentive element can be sized and shaped to form a cooking box in which cooking at a temperature relative to the non-ambient temperature may proceed and from which the food item, when fully cooked, may be served.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Inventor: Homaro R. Cantu
  • Patent number: 7589301
    Abstract: A heating circuit includes a first heating coil provided adjacent to an object to be heated. A first capacitor is provided in parallel to the first heating coil, the first capacitor being a resonant component. An inductor is coupled to the first heating coil and the first capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: IXYS Corporation
    Inventor: Kyoung Wook Seok
  • Publication number: 20090139986
    Abstract: An induction heating cooker and a control method thereof. The induction heating cooker includes a plurality of heating coil groups, each of the heating coil groups including a plurality of heating coils connected in series, a plurality of inverters to individually supply high-frequency voltages to the heating coil groups, respectively, and a controller to control operations of the inverters such that the high-frequency voltages are supplied to the heating coil groups, respectively, based on the numbers of heating coils upon which at least one cooking container is placed within the respective heating coil groups. Therefore, it is possible to effectively heat the cooking container even though the container is put on any position of a cooking plate irrespective of a specific position of the cooking plate. Also, it is possible to effectively heat the container regardless of the size of the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Ho Lee, Seok Weon Hong, Seong Deog Jang, Dae Rae Kim, Se Min Lee
  • Publication number: 20090120928
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for induction heating. The induction heating cooker determines an existence of a vessel and determines material and a bottom size of the vessel by using resonance voltage, which is applied to a heating coil for heating the vessel, so that a proper control operation is performed corresponding to the existence of the vessel, the material and the bottom size of the vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Ho Lee, Seok Weon Hong, Seong Deog Jang, Dae Rae Kim, Se Min Lee
  • Publication number: 20090057299
    Abstract: The present invention relates to induction cooking appliances which provide a user with an improved set of information concerning the cooking capabilities of a piece of cookware to be used in conjunction with said appliance. In a further aspect, the present invention concerns an improved method for checking the cooking capabilities of a piece of cookware to be used in conjunction with an induction cooking appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: CRISTIANO PASTORE, DAVIDE PARACHINI, DIEGO NEFTALI GUTIERREZ
  • Patent number: 7459659
    Abstract: A heating circuit for heating a conductive bowl includes a voltage source; a first heating coil provided between first and second nodes and being configured to heat the conductive bowl; a second heating coil provided between the second node and a third node and being configured to heat the conductive bowl; first capacitor and first switch provided in parallel between the first node and a fourth node; and second capacitor and second switch provided in parallel between the third node and the fourth node. The first and second heating coils define a circle-like shape having a center. The first and second heating coils are configured to be aligned to each other if one of the first and second heating coils is moved with respect to a line extending through the center of the circle-like shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: IXYS Corporation
    Inventors: Kyoung Wook Seok, Kang Rim Choi