Patent Application
20150245417
The present invention relates to a method for controlling an induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils according to the preamble of claim 1. Further, present invention relates to an induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils according to the preamble of claim 9.
An induction cooking hob includes a plurality of induction coils. The induction coils are arranged below a cooking surface. For example, the cooking surface is formed by a glass ceramic panel. The induction coils are arranged as a matrix below the glass ceramic panel. Typically, a standard size cookware covers multiple induction coils. The power transferred to the cookware has to be controlled. The induction coils covered by the same piece of cookware are grouped together into a zone-group. A detection system identifies those induction coils, which are covered by the same cookware.
Adjacent induction coils generate interference between each other, if their frequencies are different. This may result in an audible noise, if the difference between the frequencies is in the audible range. The induction coils of the same zone-group are powered by the same frequency. However, adjacent zone-groups may have different frequencies in order to obtain different powers.
WO 2005/069688 A2 discloses a method for controlling heating elements of a subarea on a cooking hob. The power of each heating element is released with discrete power stages. Some heating elements are operated at maximum power, while one heating element is operated in a clocked mode. The remaining heating elements are deactivated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for controlling an induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils and a corresponding induction cooking hob, which overcomes the problem of interference.
The object of the present invention is achieved by the method according to claim 1.
According to the present invention the method comprises the further steps of:
The core of the present invention is the operation of the induction cooking hob at a determined frequency, wherein the power of the cooking zone is controlled by activating and deactivating the induction coils of said cooking zone. The maximum average power corresponds with the determined frequency. Said maximum average power occurs then, if all induction coils of the cooking zone would be activated with said frequency. The integer value of the calculated number defines the minimum number of simultaneously activated induction coils within the cooking zone. The fractional part of the calculated number defines the temporal activation of the further one of the induction coils. The determined frequency depends on the cooking zone with the highest set power on the induction cooking hob.
Preferably, the induction coils of the cooking zone are activated and deactivated according to a time schedule including a plurality of subsequent cycles, wherein each cycle corresponds with a combination of activated induction coils.
In particular, during the cycle at least the minimum number of simultaneously activated induction coils is really activated.
In a similar way, during the cycle at most the minimum number of simultaneously activated induction coils and the further one of the induction coils is really activated.
Further, the number of cycles with the further one of the induction coils and the number of cycles without the further one of the induction coils may correspond with the fractional part of the calculated number.
Preferably, the time of a cycle following another cycle with the same number of activated induction coils is between 0.3 s and 0.6 s.
However, the time of a cycle following another cycle with a different number of activated induction coils may be between 1.2 s and 1.8 s, preferably 1.5 s.
Further, in subsequent cycles with the same number of activated induction coils the activated induction coils may be cyclically interchanged. This contributes to an even power distribution.
The present invention relates further to an induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils, wherein one or more induction coils are covered by a cookware and form a cooking zone, and wherein all induction coils of said cooking zone are at least alternately activated, wherein the induction cooking hob is provided for method mentioned above.
Preferably, the induction coils are arranged as a matrix on a cooking surface of the induction cooking hob.
In particular, the induction coils on the cooking surface of the induction cooking hob have the same sizes.
Novel and inventive features of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims.
The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawing, in which
The induction cooking hob 10 comprises a cooking surface 12 and a user interface 14. The user interface 14 may be a touch-key panel or a touch screen. The induction cooking hob 10 comprises a control unit, which is not explicitly shown in
A plurality of induction coils 20 is arranged below the cooking surface 12. The induction coils 20 are arranged as a matrix. The induction coils 20 are relative small. In this example, the induction coils 20 have the same diameters. Further, the induction coils 20 of this embodiment have a diameter of about 70 mm in each case.
In this example, the induction cooking hob 10 comprises 43 induction coils 20 at all. A first front line of the matrix comprises four serial induction coils 20, wherein said first front line is interrupted by the user interface 14. A second front line of the matrix comprises six serial induction coils 20, wherein said second front line is also interrupted by the user interface 14. Three lines in a central portion of the cooking surface 12 comprise nine serial induction coils 20 in each case. A rear line of the matrix comprises six serial induction coils 20.
The cookware 16 shown in
The power transferred to the cookware 16 is adjustable by varying the frequency of the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28. Typically, the frequency is between 18 kHz and 60 kHz, wherein the highest frequency provided the lowest power. In general, the frequencies of the induction coils 20 are higher than the audible frequencies of the human ear. Otherwise, the currents in the induction coils 20 would stimulate physical movements resulting in audible noise. Further, different frequencies of adjacent inductions coils 20 would cause audible noise at the frequency difference.
The induction coils 20 of adjacent cooking zones are running at the same frequency in order to prevent interference and audible noise. In a similar way, the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 below the cookware 16 are also running at the same frequency in order to prevent interference and audible noise. The frequency depends on the cooking zone with the highest set power on the cooking hob 10. The variation of the frequency cannot be used to vary the power of the cooking zone. The power of the cooking zone is adjusted by switching on and off the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 below the cookware 16 according to a predetermined time schedule.
The table below shows an example of the time schedule for activating and deactivating the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 below the cookware 16. The time schedule includes a number of subsequent cycles. During each cycle only a part of the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 below the cookware 16 is activated. The activated induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 are denoted by x.
In the first cycle 0 the three induction coils 22, 24 and 26 are activated. During the second cycle 1 the three induction coils 24, 26 and 28 are activated. In the third cycle 2 only two induction coils 26 and 28 are activated. During the fourth cycle 3 the both induction coils 22 and 28 are activated. In the fifth cycle 4 the two induction coils 22 and 24 are activated.
During the next group of the five cycles 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 the same scheme is performed, wherein the second induction coil 24 plays now the same role of the first induction coils 22 before. In a similar way, the third induction coil 26 plays now the same role of the second induction coils 24 before, and so on. In other words, the activated induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 are rotating counter-clockwise. The activation and deactivation of the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 allow the adjusting of the set power, wherein the same frequency is maintained.
In the above example, the power regulation is performed by reducing the activated induction coils 20 with the cooking zone. The activated induction coils 20 are rotated around the complete number of induction coils 20 covered by the cookware 16, so that an even power distribution at the bottom of the cookware 16 is obtained. Since the rotation of the activated induction coils 20 does not create any flicker, the activation and deactivation of the induction coils 20 may be relative fast. For example, the time of one cycle may be 0.3 s to 0.6 s. In this case no significant boil-up and boil-down effect occurs.
The power of one induction coil 20 is variable between 50 W and 500 W. Typically, the cookware may cover between two and eight induction coils 20.
In the above example, the number of activated induction coils 20 during the first and second cycle is three, while during the third, fourth and fifth cycle the number of activated induction coils 20 is only two. The variation of the number of activated induction coils 20 allows a fine tuning of the average power. When the number of activated induction coils 20 has been changed from one to the next cycle, then the time of this cycle is about 1.5 s, since flicker and a limited boil-up and boil-down effect are created.
In the above example, the number of the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 with the cooking zone is four. The set average power P for the cooking zone is 270 W. The maximum average power PM generated by the cooking zone at the predetermined frequency is 450 W, when all four induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 are activated. Thus, the percentage power PP is
PP=P/PM=270 W/450 W=0.6=60%.
The calculated number CN of induction coils 20 is given by the product of the percentage power PP and the number N of induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 within the cooking zone
CN=4*PP=4*0.6=2.4.
The calculated number CN of 2.4 means that two of the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 have to be activated the full time, while a further one of the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 has to be activated 40% of the time. The timely part for activating the further one of the induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 corresponds with the fractional part of the calculated number CN.
The method for controlling the induction cooking hob with the plurality of induction coils according to the present invention allows an operation at a constant frequency, wherein all activated induction coils 22, 24, 26 and 28 are working at said same frequency.
Although an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, 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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12191955.9 | Nov 2012 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2013/073262 | 11/7/2013 | WO | 00 |
