Cooktop device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10085304-B2
Application number	US-201414904705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A cooktop device includes at least one heater arrangement, and at least one control unit configured to define in at least one operating mode a number of virtual heating zones with different heat output densities depending on a size of the cookware. The virtual heating zones are formed by adjacently arranged heating elements of the heater arrangement of a number or size sufficient to heat the cookware.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooktop device, comprising:
at least one heater arrangement; and
at least one control unit configured to define in at least one operating mode a number of virtual heating zones, each of the number of virtual heating zones having substantially the same size which depends on a size of the cookware, the virtual heating zones being formed by adjacently arranged heating elements of the heater arrangement of a number or size sufficient to heat the cookware, wherein the control unit is configured to assign in at least one operating mode different heat output densities to the virtual heating zones, the control unit assigning a higher heat output density to one of the virtual heating zones which is arranged in a region facing an operator, than to another one of the virtual heating zones which is arranged in a region facing away from an operator.

2. The cooktop device of claim 1 , constructed in the form of an induction cooktop device.

3. The cooktop device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to assign in the at least one operating mode a first heat output density to a first one of the virtual heating zones, and to define as a function of the first heat output density a heat output density of a further one of the virtual heating zones, which density heat output density of the further one of the virtual heating zones differs from the first heat output density of the first one of the virtual heating zones.

4. The cooktop device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to operate in at least one operating mode the virtual heating zones in a position-dependent manner with predefined heat output densities which differ from one another.

5. The cooktop device of claim 1 , further comprising an operating unit operably connected to the control unit, said control unit being configured to change between the at least one operating mode and at least one further operating mode as a function of a control input by the operating unit.

6. The cooktop device of claim 1 , wherein the heater arrangement has at least three heating elements.

7. The cooktop device of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the heating elements form a variable cooktop area.

8. The cooktop device of claim 7 , wherein the heating elements that form the variable cooktop area are arranged in a single row.

9. A cooktop, comprising:
a cooktop device which includes at least one heater arrangement, and
at least one control unit configured to define in at least one operating mode a number of virtual heating zones, each of the number of virtual heating zones having substantially the same size which depends on a size of the cookware, the virtual heating zones being formed by adjacently arranged heating elements of the heater arrangement of a number or size sufficient to heat the cookware, wherein the control unit is configured to assign in at least one operating mode different heat output densities to the virtual heating zones, the control unit assigning a higher heat output density to one of the virtual heating zones which is arranged in a region facing an operator, than to another one of the virtual heating zones which is arranged in a region facing away from an operator.

10. The cooktop of claim 9 , wherein the cooktop device is constructed in the form of an induction cooktop device.

11. The cooktop of claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to assign in the at least one operating mode a first heat output density to a first one of the virtual heating zones, and to define as a function of the first heat output density a heat output density of a further one of the virtual heating zones, which density heat output density of the further one of the virtual heating zones differs from the first heat output density of the first one of the virtual heating zones.

12. The cooktop of claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to operate in at least one operating mode the virtual heating zones in a position-dependent manner with predefined heat output densities which differ from one another.

13. The cooktop of claim 9 , wherein the cooktop device includes an operating unit operably connected to the control unit, said control unit being configured to change between the at least one operating mode and at least one further operating mode as a function of a control input by the operating unit.

14. The cooktop of claim 9 , wherein the heater arrangement has at least three heating elements.

15. The cooktop of claim 9 , wherein at least some of the heating elements form a variable cooktop area.

16. The cooktop of claim 15 , wherein the heating elements that form the variable cooktop area are arranged in a single row.

17. A method for operating a cooktop device, the method comprising:
defining in at least one operating mode of the cooktop device a number of virtual heating zones, each of the number of virtual heating zones having substantially the same size which depends on a size of a cookware, with the virtual heating zones being formed by adjacently arranged heating elements of a heater arrangement of a number or size sufficient to heat the cookware,
assigning different heat output densities to the virtual heating zones, a higher heat output density being assigned to one of the virtual heating zones which is arranged in a region facing an operator, than to another one of the virtual heating zones which is arranged in a region facing away from an operator.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising assigning in the at least one operating mode a first heat output density to a first one of the virtual heating zones, and defining as a function of the first heat output density a heat output density of a further one of the virtual heating zones, which density heat output density of the further one of the virtual heating zones differs from the first heat output density of the first one of the virtual heating zones.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising operating in at least one operating mode the virtual heating zones in a position-dependent manner with predefined heat output densities which differ from one another.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising changing between the at least one operating mode and at least one further operating mode as a function of a control input by an operating unit.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the heater arrangement has at least three heating elements.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least some of the heating elements form a variable cooktop area.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the heating elements that form the variable cooktop area are arranged in a single row.

Assignees

• Bsh Bosch & Siemens Hausgeraete Gmbh
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Garde Aranda Ignacio
• Gella Lopez Estefania
• Gracia Campos Oscar
• Herrera Rodriguez Javier
• Peinado Adiego Ramon
• Sin Use Alberto Ignacio
• Torrubia Marco Demetrio

Classifications

• H05B2203/037

  Heaters with zones of different power density · CPC title

• H05B6/062 Primary

  for cooking plates or the like · CPC title

• H05B3/68

  Heating arrangements specially adapted for cooking plates or analogous hot-plates · CPC title

• H05B2213/03

  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 title