INDUCTION HEATING COOKER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120255946A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SHON, Jong Chull, LEE, Sung Ho, KIM, Ha Na, JUNG, Min Gyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,204,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/622
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/03 Heating plates made out of a matrix of heating elements that can define heating areas adapted to cookware randomly placed on the heating plate
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/05 Heating plates with pan detection means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/065 using coordinated control of multiple induction coils

Abstract

An induction heating cooker and a control method thereof that stably adjust power of a cooking coil when a plurality of containers having different cooking conditions is placed on the cooking coil includes a plurality of heating coils disposed below a cooking plate and a controller to determine whether a container is placed on the heating coils, wherein the controller determines whether a plurality of containers is placed on one of the heating coils and, when the containers are placed on one of the heating coils, adjusts a power of the heating coil on which the containers are placed based on powers of other heating coils occupied by the containers. Cooking using a plurality of containers is stably performed based on user intention even when cooking conditions of the containers placed on a heating coil differ.

Claims

1. An induction heating cooker comprising:

a plurality of heating coils disposed below a cooking plate; and

a controller to determine whether a container is placed on the heating coils, wherein

the controller determines whether a plurality of containers is placed on one of the heating coils and, when the containers are placed on one of the heating coils, adjusts a power of the heating coil on which the containers are placed based on powers of other heating coils occupied by the containers.

2. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, further comprising:

current detectors to detect values of current flowing in the respective heating coils, wherein

the controller determines whether a container is placed on the heating coils based on the current values detected by the current detectors.

3. The induction heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein the controller controls the current detectors to detect the values of current flowing in the respective heating coils at a predetermined time interval and determines whether the containers are placed on one of the heating coils based on change of the values of current flowing in the respective heating coils.

4. The induction heating cooker according to claim 3, wherein, upon determining that a heating coil having an increased current value is included in the heating coils on which the containers are determined to be placed and that a container is placed on a heating coil neighboring to the heating coil having the increased current value, the controller determines that a plurality of containers is placed on the heating coil having the increased current value.

5. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the controller drives the heating coil on which the containers are placed using a smallest one of the powers of the other heating coils occupied by the containers.

6. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the controller drives the heating coil on which the containers are placed using an average of the powers of the other heating coils occupied by the containers.

7. The induction heating cooker according to claim 5, wherein the controller drives the heating coil on which the containers are placed using a second smallest one of the powers of the other heating coils when the container driven using the smallest power is removed.

8. The induction heating cooker according to claim 2, further comprising:

an input unit to allow information on a plurality of containers placed on the cooking plate to be input, wherein

the controller controls the current detectors to detect the values of current flowing in the respective heating coils at a predetermined time interval and determines whether the containers are placed on one of the heating coils based on the information on the containers input through the input unit when the containers are placed on one of the heating coils before power-on or when the containers are placed on one of the heating coils within the predetermined time interval.

9. The induction heating cooker according to claim 8, wherein the information on the containers comprises a number, position, or shape of the containers.

10. The induction heating cooker according to claim 9, wherein the controller controls the input unit to display a position or shape used most frequently according to the number of the containers.

11. The induction heating cooker according to claim 8, wherein the input unit allows the information on the containers placed on the cooking plate to be input by a user drag operation.

12. A control method of an induction heating cooker, having a cooking plate and a plurality of heating coils, to heat a container regardless of where the container is placed on the cooking plate, the control method comprising:

determining whether a plurality of containers is placed on one of the heating coils; and

upon determining that the containers are placed on one of the heating coils, adjusting a power of the heating coil on which the containers are placed based on powers of other heating coils occupied by the containers.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the determining whether the containers are placed on one of the heating coils comprises detecting values of current flowing in the respective heating coils at a predetermined time interval and determining whether the containers are placed on one of the heating coils based on change of the detected current values.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the determining whether the containers are placed on one of the heating coils comprises, when a heating coil having an increased current value is included in the heating coils on which the containers are determined to be placed and a container is placed on a heating coil neighboring to the heating coil having the increased current value, determining that the containers are placed on the heating coil having the increased current value.

15. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the adjusting the power of the heating coil on which the containers are placed comprises driving the heating coil on which the containers are placed using a smallest one of the powers of the other heating coils occupied by the containers.

16. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the adjusting the power of the heating coil on which the containers are placed comprises driving the heating coil on which the containers are placed using an average of the powers of the other heating coils occupied by the containers.

17. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the driving the heating coil on which the containers are placed using the smallest one of the powers of the other heating coils occupied by the containers comprises driving the heating coil on which the containers are placed using a second smallest one of the powers of the other heating coils when the container driven using the smallest power is removed.

18. The control method according to claim 12, comprising:

allowing information on a plurality of containers placed on the cooking plate to be input; and

determining whether the containers are placed on one of the heating coils based on the input information on the containers when the containers are placed on one of the heating coils before power-on or when the containers are simultaneously placed on one of the heating coils.

19. The control method according to claim 18, further comprising displaying a position or shape used most frequently according to a number of the containers.

20. The control method according to claim 18, wherein the allowing the information on the containers placed on the cooking plate to be input comprises allowing the information on the containers placed on the cooking plate to be input by a user drag operation.