The present invention relates to a method for assigning induction coils of an induction cooking hob. Further, the present invention relates to an induction cooking hob.
In an induction cooking hob each induction coil has to be connected to a control unit and/or to a power supply via a dedicated connector. In particular, in an induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils the wiring becomes complex and prone to errors, since each induction coil has to be connected to the dedicated connector. For example, the induction cooking hob may include about 50 induction coils. It would be advantageous to avoid the dedicated connectors and to reduce the complexity of the wiring.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for assigning induction coils of an induction cooking hob and an induction cooking hob, which overcomes the above problems.
The object of the present invention is achieved by the method according to claim 1.
The present invention relates to a method for assigning a plurality of induction coils of an induction cooking hob, so that each induction coil corresponds with a unique number or an identity, wherein said method comprises the steps of:
The core of the method according to the present invention is that the components of the assembled induction cooking hob are interconnected by hardware, but the induction coils are assigned by software implementation. The assignment of the induction coils is usually a singular process. The association between the induction coils and the unique numbers or identities may be selected by the producer as the end of the assembling process or by the user. The assignment is independent of the wiring and requires no connection to a dedicated connector. A different geographical induction coil assembly or configuration may be associated to a specific sequence of the load.
For example, the load is a metal disk or a cooking vessel.
Preferably, the area of the load has the same size as the induction coil.
The object of the present invention is further achieved by the induction cooking hob according to claim 4.
The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils and a control system, wherein:
The main idea of the induction cooking hob according to the present invention is that the components of the assembled induction cooking hob are interconnected by hardware, but the induction coils are assigned by software implementation. The association between the induction coils and the unique numbers or identities may be selected by the producer as the end of the assembling process or by the user. The assignment is independent of the wiring and requires no connection to a dedicated connector.
Preferably, the induction cooking hob includes more than six induction coils.
Further, the induction cooking hob may include independent induction generators for driving the induction coils, wherein the induction generator is provided for driving one or more induction coils.
For example, the induction generator is a half-bridge inverter.
Moreover, the induction coils driven by one induction generator may be connected in series and/or in parallel.
In particular, the control system includes a communication bus connecting the control unit and the pot detection device.
Preferably, the communication bus connects the control unit to the induction generators.
A further communication bus may connect the control unit to a user interface.
In particular, the control system includes coordination means for synchronizing the induction generators.
For example, the coordination means are provided for synchronizing the induction generators, so that induction coils covered by the same cooking vessel are driven by the same frequency.
Further, the coordination means may be provided for synchronizing the induction generators, so that neighboured induction coils are driven by the same frequency.
At last, the induction cooking hob is provided for a method mentioned above.
Novel and inventive features believed to be the characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims.
The invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings, in which
The induction coils 12 are arranged as a matrix. Each induction coil 12 corresponds with a unique number or an identity. As an example, four induction coils 12 in
A cooking vessel 16 is placed on the induction cooking hob 10. In this example, the cooking vessel 16 covers at least partially nine induction coils 12. In general, the cooking vessel 16 may be placed above the induction coils 12 in an arbitrary position of the induction cooking hob 10.
The induction cooking hob 10 comprises a control unit 20 as a central device. The control unit 20 is also a part of the control system of the induction cooking hob 10. For example, the control unit 20 includes one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers. The control unit 20 is connected to the user interface 14 via a first communication bus 18. Further, the control unit 20 is connected to a number of induction generators 24 via a second communication bus 22. The induction generators 24 are provided for driving the induction coils 12. In this example, one induction generator 24 drives two induction coils 12 in each case. In general, one induction generator 24 may drive one or more induction coils 12 in each case. The induction coils 12 driven by one induction generator 24 may be connected in series and/or in parallel. For example, the induction generator 24 is a half-bridge inverter.
The induction coils 12 are assembled in the induction cooking hob 10 and electrically connected in an arbitrary order. A special initialization mode is provided. A load covering only one induction coil 12 is placed on the induction cooking hob 10 in the beginning of the initialization mode. The load may be realized by a metal disk or a cooking vessel 16 or another metal device. That induction coil 12 is covered, which shall correspond with a first unique number or first identity. Then, pot detection is performed on all induction coils 12. The induction coil 12 covered by the load is identified by the control unit 20. The identified induction coil 12 is assigned by the first unique number or first identity, respectively. This information is stored in a non-volatile memory of the control unit 20.
Then, the load covers another induction coil 12, which shall correspond with a second unique number or second identity. The above procedure is repeated for the induction coil 12 corresponding with the second unique number or second identity.
Further, the above procedure is performed for all other induction coils 12 of the induction cooking hob 10. After all induction coils 12 of the induction cooking hob 10 have been identified, the initialization mode is finished by the control unit 20.
The initialization mode according to the present invention allows an association of the induction coils 12, which is independent of the electric connections to said induction coils 12. The unique number or identity for each induction coil 12 does not depend on the hardware of the induction cooking hob 10, but is defined by software stored in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 20.
Furthermore, the control system of the induction cooking hob 10 may include sensors, fans and/or actuators for tray and/or door movement. The electric motors of said actuators may work as generators and produce signals, which could be detected and assigned by the control unit 20 of the induction cooking hob 10. In this case only a single type of connector is possible for all different assembly groups of the induction cooking hob 10. The procedure mentioned above is also applicable to other components of the induction cooking hob 10 or a cooking oven, so that self-assigning modules are provided. Said self-assigning modules may be connected to the second communication bus 22, for example.
Moreover, optional recalibration programs may be considered useful for the user or for the after sales service. According to an example, a cooking vessel 16 of a certain size may be placed on different positions of the induction cooking hob. In this case, the user or the after sales service may be guided by a display of the induction cooking hob 10. By this way re-initialization mode may be performed.
Although an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
10 induction cooking hob
12 induction coil
14 user interface
16 cooking vessel
18 first communication bus
20 control unit
22 second communication bus
24 induction generator
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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13158556 | Mar 2013 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2014/054672 | 3/11/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2014/139996 | 9/18/2014 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20040218591 | Ogawa | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20070215605 | Baier | Sep 2007 | A1 |
20090101638 | Niederer | Apr 2009 | A1 |
20110226753 | Casanova Lacueva | Sep 2011 | A1 |
20120321762 | Aranda Vazquez | Dec 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
101426310 | May 2009 | CN |
102232164 | Nov 2011 | CN |
102783247 | Nov 2012 | CN |
2 034 800 | Mar 2009 | EP |
Entry |
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International Search Report issued in Application No. PCT/EP2014/054672 dated May 9, 2014. |
Office action issued in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 201480013333.6 dated Oct. 24, 2016, 8 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160037585 A1 | Feb 2016 | US |