Cooktop device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016157301-A1
Application number	US-201414904705-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

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

1 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . 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 with different heat output densities depending on a size of the cookware, said virtual heating zones being formed by adjacently arranged heating elements of the heater arrangement of a number or size sufficient to heat the cookware.

12 . The cooktop device of claim 11 , constructed in the form of an induction cooktop device.

13 . The cooktop device of claim 11 , 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.

14 . The cooktop device of claim 11 , 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.

15 . The cooktop device of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is configured to assign in at least one operating mode, 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.

16 . The cooktop device of claim 11 , 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.

17 . The cooktop device of claim 11 , wherein the heater arrangement has at least three heating elements.

18 . The cooktop device of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the heating elements form a variable cooktop area.

19 . The cooktop device of claim 18 , wherein the heating elements that form the variable cooktop area are arranged in a single row.

20 . 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 with different heat output densities depending on a size of the cookware, said virtual heating zones being formed by adjacently arranged heating elements of the heater arrangement of a number or size sufficient to heat the cookware.

21 . The cooktop of claim 20 , wherein the cooktop device is constructed in the form of an induction cooktop device.

22 . The cooktop of claim 20 , 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.

23 . The cooktop of claim 20 , 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.

24 . The cooktop of claim 20 , wherein the control unit is configured to assign in at least one operating mode, 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.

25 . The cooktop of claim 20 , 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.

26 . The cooktop of claim 20 , wherein the heater arrangement has at least three heating elements.

27 . The cooktop of claim 20 , wherein at least some of the heating elements form a variable cooktop area.

28 . The cooktop of claim 27 , wherein the heating elements that form the variable cooktop area are arranged in a single row.

29 . A method for operating a cooktop device, comprising defining in at least one operating mode of the cooktop device a number of virtual heating zones with different heat output densities depending 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.

30 . The method of claim 29 , 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.

31 . The method of claim 29 , 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.

32 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising assigning in at least one operating mode, 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.

33 . The method of claim 29 , 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.

34 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the heater arrangement has at least three heating elements.

35 . The method of claim 29 , wherein at least some of the heating elements form a variable cooktop area.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the heating elements that form the variable cooktop area are arranged in a single row.

Assignees

• Bsh Bosch & Siemens Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H05B2203/037

  Heaters with zones of different power density · 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

• H05B3/68

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

• H05B6/062 Primary

  for cooking plates or the like · CPC title