Induction cooking hob with a pot detection device and a method for operating an induction cooking hob

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532406-B2
Application number	US-201214005602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2012
Priority date	Apr 2, 2011
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

An induction cooking hob with a pot detection device. The hob includes a cooking surface having cooking areas and/or cooking zones. The hob includes a user interface having a switch element and a display. The hob includes a control unit for controlling the cooking area(s) and/or the cooking zone(s). The pot detection device checks, if a cooking vessel is placed on the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s). The control unit switches off the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s), if the pot detection device has identified that the cooking vessel has been removed from the cooking area(s) and/or the cooking zone(s). The control unit stores a cooking mode of the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s), which have been switched off. The display indicates that the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s) have been switched off. The switch element restarts the cooking area(s) and/or cooking zone(s) in the same cooking mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An induction cooking hob with a pot detection device, wherein:
the induction cooking hob includes a cooking surface ( 10 ) comprising one or more cooking areas ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zones ( 18 ),
the induction cooking hob includes a user interface ( 12 ) comprising at least one switch element and at least one display,
the induction cooking hob includes a control unit for controlling the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or the cooking zone(s) ( 18 ),
the pot detection device is provided for checking, if a cooking vessel is placed on the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ),
the control unit is provided for switching off the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), if the pot detection device has identified that the cooking vessel has been removed from said cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or the cooking zone(s) ( 18 ),
the control unit is provided for storing a last-executed cooking mode of that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off,
the display is provided for indicating that the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) has or have been switched off, and
the switch element is provided for restarting the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off before, in the last-executed cooking mode stored by the control unit.

2. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 ,
characterized in, that
the control unit is provided for switching off the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) after a predetermined time interval, if the pot detection device has identified that the cooking vessel has been removed from said cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or the cooking zone(s) ( 18 ).

3. The induction cooking hob according to claim 2 ,
characterized in, that
the predetermined time interval is about ten minutes.

4. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 ,
characterized in, that
the display comprises an icon provided for indicating that the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) has or have been switched off.

5. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 ,
characterized in, that
the pot detection device is deactivated for those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off.

6. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 ,
characterized in, that
the pot detection device is activated for those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been restarted again.

7. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 ,
characterized in, that
the switch element is a touch key.

8. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 ,
characterized in, that
the user interface ( 12 ) is a touch screen.

9. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 ,
characterized in, that
the user interface ( 12 ) comprises a switch element for lowering the power of all active cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) to a minimum level.

10. A method for operating an induction cooking hob with a pot detection device, wherein said method comprises the step of:
checking the activated cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), if a cooking vessel is placed thereon,
identifying that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), from which the cooking vessel has been removed,
switching off that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), from which the cooking vessel has been removed,
storing a last-executed cooking mode of that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off, and
providing an opportunity for a user to restart that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) in the last-executed cooking mode stored before, the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) has or have been switched off.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,
characterized by
switching off that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), from which the cooking vessel has been removed, after a predetermined time interval.

12. The method according to claim 11 ,
characterized in, that
the predetermined time interval is about ten minutes.

13. The method according to claim 10 ,
characterized by
deactivating the pot detection device for that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off.

14. The method according to claim 10 ,
characterized by
activating the pot detection device for that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been restarted again by the user.

15. The method according to claim 10 ,
characterized in, that
the method is provided for an induction cooking hob with a pot detection device, wherein:
the induction cooking hob includes a cooking surface ( 10 ) comprising one or more cooking areas ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zones ( 18 ),
the induction cooking hob includes a user interface ( 12 ) comprising at least one switch element and at least one display,
the induction cooking hob includes a control unit for controlling the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or the cooking zone(s) ( 18 ),
the pot detection device is provided for checking, if a cooking vessel is placed on the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ),
the control unit is provided for switching off the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), if the pot detection device has identified that the cooking vessel has been removed from said cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or the cooking zone(s) ( 18 ),
the control unit is provided for storing a last-executed cooking mode of that or those cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off,
the display is provided for indicating that the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) has or have been switched off, and
the switch element is provided for restarting the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off before, in the last-executed cooking mode stored by the control unit.

16. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the cooking mode comprises a set of cooking parameters set by a user before the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ) was or were switched off.

17. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1 , wherein the display indicates to the user the last-executed cooking mode of the cooking area(s) ( 14 , 16 ) and/or cooking zone(s) ( 18 ), which has or have been switched off.

Assignees

• Viroli Alex
• Nostro Massimo
• Jeanneteau Laurent
• Rossi Andrea
• Electrolux Home Products Corp Nv

Inventors

• Viroli Alex
• Nostro Massimo
• Jeanneteau Laurent
• Rossi Andrea

Classifications

• H05B1/0266

  Cooktops · CPC title

• H05B2213/05

  Heating plates with pan detection means · CPC title

• H05B6/062 Primary

  for cooking plates or the like · CPC title