Heating cooker system, inductive heating cooker, and electric apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856368-B2
Application number	US-201515754343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A heating cooker system includes a first coil configured to produce a first high-frequency magnetic field by receiving supply of a first high-frequency current, a first inverter circuit configured to supply the first high-frequency current to the first coil, a first heating element positioned in reach of the first high-frequency magnetic field produced by the first coil to be inductively heated by the first coil, a second coil configured to produce a second high-frequency magnetic field by receiving supply of a second high-frequency current, a second inverter circuit configured to supply the second high-frequency current to the second coil, a power receiving coil positioned in reach of the second high-frequency magnetic field produced by the second coil to receive electric power from the second coil, and a second heating element configured to generate heat by the electric power received by the power receiving coil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating cooker system comprising:
a main body in which
a first coil configured to produce a first high-frequency magnetic field by receiving supply of a first high-frequency current,
a first inverter circuit configured to supply the first high-frequency current to the first coil,
a second coil configured to produce a second high-frequency magnetic field by receiving supply of a second high-frequency current, and
a second inverter circuit provided independently of the first inverter circuit and configured to supply the second high-frequency current to the second coil,

are arranged below a top plate of the main body; and
an electric apparatus including
a first heating element positioned in reach of the first high-frequency magnetic field produced by the first coil across the top plate to be inductively heated by the first coil,
a power receiving coil positioned in reach of the second high-frequency magnetic field produced by the second coil across the top plate to receive electric power from the second coil, and
a second heating element configured to generate heat by the electric power received by the power receiving coil,

wherein, in a top view, the first heating element is formed into a rectangular shape, the first coil has a width equal to each of short sides of the first heating element, and the second coil is positioned to flank two long sides of the first heating element.

2. The heating cooker system of claim 1 , wherein the electric apparatus is detachably supported by the main body.

3. The heating cooker system of claim 1 , comprising:
a controller configured to control driving of the first inverter circuit in accordance with heating power for inductively heating the first heating element and control driving of the second inverter circuit in accordance with the electric power to be transmitted to the power receiving coil.

4. The heating cooker system of claim 3 , wherein the electric apparatus includes
a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature in a heating chamber in which a heating target is stored, and
a transmitting device configured to transmit information of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor,
wherein the main body includes a receiving device configured to receive the information of the temperature transmitted from the transmitting device, and
wherein the controller controls the driving of the first inverter circuit and the driving of the second inverter circuit in accordance with the information of the temperature.

5. The heating cooker system of claim 3 , wherein
the main body includes the top plate on which the electric apparatus is placed, and
wherein the first coil is included in a plurality of coils provided under the top plate,
wherein the controller detects whether the first heating element or the power receiving coil is placed above any of the plurality of coils,
wherein the controller causes each of the plurality of coils on which the first heating element is detected to function as the first coil to inductively heat the first heating element, and
wherein the controller causes each of the plurality of coils on which the power receiving coil is detected to function as the second coil to transmit the electric power to the power receiving coil.

6. The heating cooker system of claim 5 , wherein
the top plate is formed with a heating area indicating a position at which a heating target is to be placed, and
the plurality of coils is provided for the heating area.

7. The heating cooker system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of coils includes
an inner circumferential coil positioned at a center of the heating area, and
an outer circumferential coil positioned around the inner circumferential coil.

8. The heating cooker system of claim 6 , wherein the coils of the plurality of coils are different in diameter and concentrically positioned.

9. The heating cooker system of claim 5 , wherein the coils of the plurality of coils are evenly dispersedly positioned under the top plate.

10. The heating cooker system of claim 1 , wherein the electric apparatus includes a cooking tray on which a heating target is placed,
wherein the first heating element is positioned on a bottom surface of the electric apparatus,
wherein the cooking tray is positioned in contact with the first heating element, and
wherein the second heating element is positioned above the cooking tray.

11. The heating cooker system of claim 1 , wherein the electric apparatus includes a drive mechanism configured to move the second heating element in a vertical direction.

12. An inductive heating cooker comprising:
a first coil arranged below a top plate and configured to produce a first high-frequency magnetic field for inductively heating a rectangular-shaped area in a top view first heating element of an electric apparatus positioned on the top plate, the first coil being configured to produce the first high-frequency magnetic field by receiving supply of a first high-frequency current;
a first inverter circuit configured to supply the first high-frequency current to the first coil;
a second coil arranged below the top plate and configured to produce a second high-frequency magnetic field for transmitting power to a power receiving coil of an electric apparatus positioned over the top plate, the second coil being configured to produce the second high-frequency magnetic field by receiving supply of a second high-frequency current;
a second inverter circuit provided independently of the first inverter circuit and configured to supply the second high-frequency current to the second coil; and
a controller configured to perform
a heating operation of controlling driving of the first inverter circuit to inductively heat the first heating element, and
a power transmitting operation of controlling driving of the second inverter circuit to transmit electric power to the power receiving coil,
wherein, in the top view, the first coil has a width equal to each of short sides of the first heating element, and the second coil is positioned to flank two long sides of the first heating element.

13. An electric apparatus adapted to be positioned on a top plate of an inductive heating cooker, the electric apparatus comprising:
a heating chamber configured to store a heating target;
a cooking tray on which the heating target is placed;
a first heating element formed into a rectangular shape in a top view and positioned on a bottom surface of the heating chamber to be in contact with the cooking tray, wherein the first heating element is configured to be inductively heated by a first high-frequency magnetic field produced by a first coil, which receives supply of a first high-frequency current from a first inverter circuit of the inductive heating cooker;
a power receiving coil positioned to flank two long sides of the first heating element in a top view and configured to receive electric power through electromagnetic induction or magnetic field resonance from a second high-frequency magnetic field produced by a second coil which receives supply of a second high-frequency current from a second inverter circuit of the inductive heating cooker that is provided independently of the first inverter circuit;
a second heating element positioned above the cooking tray and configured to generate heat by the electric power received by the power receiving coil;
a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature in the heating chamber; and
a transmitting device configured to transmit information of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to the inductive heating cooker.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp
• Mitsubishi Electric Home Appliance Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshino Hayato
• Bunya Jun
• Suga Ikuro
• Takeshita Miyuki
• Kameoka Kazuhiro

Classifications

• A47J37/0629 Primary

  with electric heating elements · CPC title

• Y02B40/00

  Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers · CPC title

• H05B6/12

  Cooking devices · CPC title

• H05B6/1236

  adapted to induce current in a coil to supply power to a device and electrical heating devices powered in this way · CPC title

• H05B11/00

  Heating by combined application of processes covered by two or more of groups H05B3/00 - H05B7/00 (H05B7/20 takes precedence) · CPC title