HEATING CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110163083A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin Lin
• Original Assignee: Kevin Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,629,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/494
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/21058 Control devices to avoid overheating, i.e. "dry" boiling, or to detect boiling of the water A47J27/21158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/185 using electric energy supply F24H1/201 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2014 using electrical energy supply
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/02 Automatic switching arrangements specially adapted to apparatus ; Control of heating devices thermally-actuated switches H01H37/00

Abstract

A heating control device for a heating apparatus comprises a power control unit connected between an external power source and a heating unit of the heating apparatus to transfer power therebetween; a first temperature sensor provided near the heating unit for detecting the temperature thereof; a second temperature sensor provided at a portion of the heating apparatus for containing an object to be heated and for detecting the temperature of the object; a storage unit for storing temperature reference values; a micro controller unit electrically connected to the first and second temperature sensors, the power control unit and the storage unit, which is used to receive temperature signals from the sensors, compare the detected temperatures to the temperature reference values, and command the power control unit to supply the heating unit with different powers. A heating control method therefore is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A heating control device for a heating apparatus comprising:

a power control unit connected between an external power source and a heating unit of the heating apparatus to transfer power supplied from the external power source to the heating unit;

a first temperature sensor provided near the heating unit for detecting the temperature of the heating unit;

a second temperature sensor provided at a portion of the heating apparatus for containing an object to be heated, which is used to detect the temperature of the object;

a storage unit for storing temperature reference values;

a micro controller unit electrically connected to the first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, the power control unit and the storage unit, which is used to receive temperature signals detected by the first and second temperature sensors, compare the detected temperatures to the temperature reference values, and then command the power control unit to supply the heating unit with different powers according to the comparison results.

2. The heating control device according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit is a semiconductor electric heating resistance film a periphery of which is provided with conductive electrodes, and a printed circuit board is provided around the conductive electrodes, in which the conductive electrodes are fixed to the printed circuit board and the semiconductor electric heating resistance film is connected to the power control unit by means of power cables mounted on the printed circuit board via the conductive electrodes and the printed circuit board.

3. The heating control device according to claim 2, wherein the first temperature sensor is provided on a surface of the semiconductor electric heating resistance film and connected to the printed circuit board, to enable to be connected to the micro controller unit via the printed circuit board.

4. The heating control device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature reference values include a reference value of ramp-down rate, the micro controller unit commands the power control unit to supply the heating unit with a maximum output power of the external power source for a first pre-determined period of time and then suspend power supply for a second pre-determined period of time, and determines a ramp-down rate of the heating unit according to the temperature of the heating unit detected by the first temperature sensor in the second pre-determined period of time, in which when the micro controller unit determines that the ramp-down rate is smaller than the reference value of ramp-down rate, it commands the power control unit to stop supplying power to the heating unit;

and when the micro controller unit determines that the ramp-down rate is larger than the reference value of ramp-down rate, it commands the power control unit to supply the heating unit with the maximum output power for a third pre-determined period of time.

5. The heating control device according to claim 4, wherein the first and second pre-determined period of time is 12 seconds respectively, while the third pre-determined period of time is 2-3 minutes.

6. The heating control device according to claim 4, wherein the temperature reference values include a temperature-quantity map, the micro controller unit determines a ramp-up rate of the heating unit according to the temperature of the heating unit detected by the first temperature sensor in the first pre-determined period of time, and determines quantity of the object in accordance with the temperature-quantity map according to the ramp-up and ramp-down rates.

7. The heating control device according to claim 6, wherein the temperature reference values includes maps of ideal temperature rise curves in association with respective quantities recorded in the temperature-quantity map, the micro controller unit compares the temperature of the object detected by the second temperature sensor from the end of the third pre-determined period of time to a temperature value of corresponding time in a corresponding map of ideal temperature rise curve, in which when the temperature of the object is lower than the temperature value in the corresponding map of ideal temperature rise curve, the micro controller unit commands the power control unit to raise power to be output according to a pre-set variance;

and when the temperature of the object is higher than the temperature value in the corresponding map of ideal temperature rise curve, the micro controller unit commands the power control unit lower power to be output according to the pre-set variance.

8. The heating control device according to claim 7, wherein the micro controller unit commands the power control unit to stop supplying power to the heating unit when the temperature of the object reaches a pre-determined temperature.

9. A heating control method for controlling a heating unit of a heating apparatus comprising:

supplying the heating unit with a pre-determined output power for a first pre-determined period of time, and then suspending power supply for a second pre-determined period of time;

detecting the temperature of the heating unit in the second pre-determined period of time and determining a ramp-down rate of the heating unit; and

comparing the ramp-down rate to a pre-determined reference value of ramp-down rate;

wherein when the ramp-down rate is smaller than the reference value of ramp-down rate, power supply to the heating unit is stopped; and

when the ramp-down rate is larger than the reference value of ramp-down rate, power supply to the heating unit is resumed for a third pre-determined period of time.

10. The heating control method according claim 9, wherein the first and second pre-determined period of time is 12 seconds respectively, while the third pre-determined period of is 2-3 minutes.

11. The heating control method according to claim 9 further comprising:

detecting the temperature of the heating unit in the first pre-determined period of time and determining a ramp-up rate of the heating unit;

determining quantity of a object to be heated contained in the heating apparatus according to the ramp-up and ramp-down rates.

12. The heating control method according to claim 11 further comprising:

associating the temperature of the object with a pre-set map of ideal temperature rise curve map in respect to the quantity;

starting to detect the temperature of the object from the end of the third pre-determined period of time;

comparing the temperature of the object to a temperature value of corresponding time in the map of the ideal temperature rise curve;

wherein when the temperature of the object is higher than the temperature value in the map of ideal temperature rise curve, the power to be supplied to the heating unit is lowered according to a pre-set variance, and when the temperature of the object is lower than the temperature value in the map of ideal temperature rise curve, the power to be supplied to the heating unit is raised according to the pre-set variance.

13. The heating control method according to claim 11, wherein the power supply to the heating unit is stopped when the temperature of the object reaches a pre-determined temperature.