INDUCTION HOB AND A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN INDUCTION HOB

• US 20120312803A1
• Filed: 11/25/2010
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation NV (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation NV (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Jeanneteau, Laurent, Rigolle, Thibaut, Zangoli, Massimo, Christiansen, Svend Erik
• Granted Patent: US 9,693,396 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 6/065 using coordinated control of multiple induction coils

Abstract

The present invention relates to an induction hob with a cooking surface (10) and a number of induction coils (12; 16, 18) within said cooking surface (10). The induction coils (12; 16, 18) are arranged on the cooking surface (10) according to predetermined scheme, so that at least two induction coils (12; 16, 18) can be covered by a standard cooking vessel (14). Each induction coil (12; 16, 18) is connected to at least one induction generator being switched or switchable between a high power and a low power. Each induction generator is separately controllable, so that the induction coils (12; 16, 18) are switched or switchable between the high power and the low power. At least one control unit is provided for controlling the individual induction coils (12; 16, 18) according to a predetermined time pattern. Further, the present invention relates to a corresponding method for controlling the induction hob.

Claims

1. An induction hob with a cooking surface (10) and a number of induction coils (12;

16, 18) within said cooking surface (10), wherein;

the induction coils (12;

16, 18) are arranged on the cooking surface (10) according to predetermined scheme, so that at least two induction coils (12;

16, 18) can be covered by a standard cooking vessel (14),

each induction coil (12;

16, 18) is connected to at least one induction generator being switched or switchable between a high power and a low power,

each induction generator is separately controllable, so that the induction coils (12;

16, 18) are switched or switchable between the high power and the low power, and at least one control unit is provided for controlling the individual induction coils (12;

16, 18) according to a predetermined time pattern.

2. The induction hob according to claim 1, characterized in, that the power of the induction generator corresponds with a frequency, so that the selection of the frequency of the induction generator determines the power of the corresponding induction coil (12;

16, 18).

3. The induction hob according to claim 1, characterized in, that two fix frequencies are provided for each induction generator.

4. The induction hob according to claim 1, characterized in, that the induction coils (12;

16, 18) on the cooking surface (10) have the same sizes.

5. The induction hob according to claim 1, characterized in, that the induction coils (12;

16, 18) on the cooking surface (10) are arranged in the form of a rectangular matrix.

6. The induction hob according to claim 1, characterized in, that the induction coils (12;

16, 18) on the cooking surface (10) are arranged in the form of a honeycomb.

7. The induction hob according to claim 1, characterized in, that the low power is between 10% and 20% of the high power.

8. A method for controlling an induction hob including a cooking surface (10) and a number of induction coils (12;

16, 18) with such sizes, that at least two induction coils (12;

16, 18) can be covered by a standard cooking vessel (14), wherein

each induction coil (12;

16, 18), which is completely or partially covered by the cooking vessel (14), is individually switched between a high power and a low power according to a predetermined time pattern by controlling induction generators, and

each induction coil (12;

16, 18) corresponds with at least one induction generator.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in, that the selection of a frequency of the induction generator determines the power of the corresponding induction coil (12;

16, 18).

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in, that two fix frequencies are provided for each induction generator.

11. The method according to claim 8, characterized in, that the low power is between 10% and 20% of the high power.