Induction heating arrangement and induction hob

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10536995-B2
Application number	US-201515322247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

An induction heating arrangement (1000) including four coils of a smaller diameter (1100, . . . , 1400) and a coil having a larger diameter (1500) is provided. The coils are arranged on a first plane (2100) and on a second plane (2200). In order to adapt a cooking area (1600) to the size of a pot, either the larger coil (1500) or one or more of the smaller coils (1100, 1400) are operated. A power supply circuitry (2400) is shared between the coils of the two planes. A selector (2300) disconnects a respective coil of the plane of coils that is not operated in order to avoid coupling, interference and loss of energy. Guiding elements of the magnetic flux (1110, 1115, 1540) confine the magnetic field in the area of the pot. A method of operating the induction heating arrangement is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An induction heating arrangement comprising:
at least one first induction coil,
at least one second induction coil,
the second induction coil partially overlapping with the first induction coil in an overlapping region,
wherein outside of the overlapping region the first induction coil and the second induction coil are each provided with several respective guiding elements for guiding magnetic flux of the respective induction coil,
wherein within the overlapping region at least two further guiding elements for guiding the magnetic flux of the first induction coil and/or the second induction coil are arranged,
at least a first one of the further guiding elements being spaced apart from an axis which runs in a radial direction of the first induction coil as well as in a radial direction of the second induction coil and being oriented or arranged parallel to or inclined to said axis, and
wherein the guiding elements are arranged or attached below or at an underside of the respective induction coil.

2. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a second one of the further guiding elements in the overlapping region extends on and along said axis.

3. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein there are exactly three further guiding elements in the overlapping region, two of these three further guiding elements being arranged spaced apart from said axis and parallel or inclined to said axis, and one of the three further guiding elements in the overlapping region extending on and along said axis and/or being arranged in between the two of the three further guiding elements.

4. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 3 , said two of the three further guiding elements being arranged on opposite sides of said axis.

5. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein there are exactly two further guiding elements in the overlapping region both of which are arranged spaced apart from and parallel or inclined to said axis.

6. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 5 , each of said two further guiding elements being arranged on opposite sides of said axis.

7. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein two first further guiding elements within the overlapping region are inclined at a respective inclination angle to said axis, in opposite inclination directions.

8. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein longitudinal axes of the two first further guiding elements or respective legs of their respective inclination angles intersect said axis at the same point of intersection on the same side of an orthogonal projection of the respective guiding element onto said axis as a centre of either the first induction coil or the second induction coil and spaced apart from said centre.

9. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 8 , said point of intersection being spaced a larger distance from said orthogonal projection than said centre.

10. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one first further guiding element is inclined to said axis and extends in a radial direction of the first induction coil or the second induction coil.

11. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the further guiding elements in the overlapping region are arranged symmetrically to said axis.

12. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein guiding elements outside of the overlapping region extend in a respective radial direction of the respective first induction coil or second induction coil.

13. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a support plate for an object to be heated such as a cooking vessel or cooking good carrier, wherein the first induction coil is arranged on a lower surface of the support plate, and wherein the second induction coils are arranged attached or arranged at a lower surface of the first induction coil.

14. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 13 , said first induction coil being applied onto said support plate as a structured layer or as a premanufactured part.

15. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a selector or control device configured to operate either, in a first operational state, the first induction coil while not operating any of the second induction coils or, in a second operational state, at least one of the second induction coils while not operating the first induction coil.

16. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein centres of all said second induction coils lie outside of the first induction coil and/or outside of the overlapping regions, and/or wherein each overlapping region comprises less than 50% and/or less than 180° angular sector of the corresponding second induction coil.

17. The induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least two of said second induction coils have the same diameter and/or size, and/or wherein all of the induction coils are of circular shape, and/or wherein at least four of said second induction coils are provided each being arranged in a corresponding quadrant of a rectangular or square shaped heating area defining heating zones and the first induction coil is arranged around a centre of the heating area extending into each of the quadrants and defining another central heating zone.

18. An induction cooking hob comprising the induction heating arrangement according to claim 1 .

19. An induction heating arrangement comprising:
a support plate for an object to be heated;
a first induction coil having a first diameter, D 1 , arranged in a first plane beneath the support plate;
a second induction coil having a second diameter, D 2 , partially overlapping with the first induction coil in an overlapping region and arranged in a second plane beneath the first plane;
a plurality of first guiding elements associated with the first induction coil located outside said overlapping region and being oriented radially with and distributed circumferentially about a first center, C 1 , of said first induction coil for guiding magnetic flux thereof, said plurality of first guiding elements being arranged or attached below or at an underside of said first induction coil;
a plurality of second guiding elements associated with the second induction coil located outside said overlapping region and being oriented radially with and distributed circumferentially about a second center, C 2 , of said second induction coil for guiding magnetic flux thereof, said plurality of second guiding elements being arranged or attached below or at an underside of said second induction coil;
a plurality of further guiding elements disposed in said overlapping region, wherein two of said further guiding elements are arranged symmetrically relative to and spaced on opposite sides of an axis extending between said first and second centers, C 1 and C 2 , each of said symmetrically arranged further guiding elements lying at an angle within the range of being radial with the first center, C 1 and being radial the second center, C 2 ; and
a control device coupled to the first and second induction coils and configured to operate said first induction coil while electrically disconnecting said second induction coil in a first operational state, and to operate said second induction coil while electrically disconnecting said first induction coil in a second operational stat

Assignees

• Electrolux Appliances AB
• Electrolux Appliances Aktibolag

Inventors

• Herzog Michael
• Saporetti Marco
• Leikam Jurgen

Classifications

• H05B6/1254

  using conductive pieces to direct the induced magnetic field · CPC title

• H05B6/062 Primary

  for cooking plates or the like · CPC title

• H05B6/1272 Primary

  with more than one coil or coil segment per heating zone · CPC title

• H05B2206/022

  Special supports for the induction coils · CPC title

• H05B6/065

  using coordinated control of multiple induction coils · CPC title