CN113490442A

CN113490442A - Induction heating electric cooker

Info

Publication number: CN113490442A
Application number: CN202080015235.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 南贤植; 金完洙; 朴炳奎
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2019-02-20
Filing date: 2020-02-03
Publication date: 2021-10-08
Also published as: KR20200101826A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an induction heating rice cooker capable of electrically recognizing whether a main body and a lid are properly fastened. An induction heating electric rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cover portion including at least one electronic device and having a first terminal electrically connected to the electronic device: a body portion having an open upper surface and having a second terminal connected to the first terminal by rotationally fastening the cover portion to the open upper surface: an inner pan accommodated in the main body portion; a coil part heating the inner pot by using the external power when the external power is applied, and inducing current to the coil part by a magnetic field generated by a working coil of the induction heating apparatus when the external power is not applied: and a power supply circuit that supplies power to the electronic device provided on the lid portion through the first terminal and the second terminal.

Description

Induction heating electric cooker

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an induction heating cooker which can electrically determine whether a main body and a cover are normally coupled.

Background

Generally, a rice cooker includes a body and a cover. The cover is coupled to the body and seals the inside of the cooker. The heating and cooking operations of the cooker may be performed in a state in which the interior of the cooker is sealed.

When food is heated and cooked in the cooker, the pressure in the cooker is rapidly increased. In this case, when the cover and the body are abnormally coupled, the cover may be abnormally separated from the body due to the pressure inside the cooker, and an impact may be generated when the cover is separated from the body, which may trigger an explosion or a fire.

Therefore, various methods for detecting whether the cover is normally coupled to secure safety of a user have been proposed.

In this regard, korean utility model publication No. 20-2009-0000032 (hereinafter referred to as prior art document 1) discloses a device for sensing locking of a lid of an electric pressure rice cooker. Next, a method for sensing locking of a related art cover is described with reference to fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a method of sensing locking of a cover of a related art electric rice cooker. Fig. 1 is taken from the accompanying drawing (fig. 3) in prior art document 1 and shows the overall structure of a lock ring for sensing locking of a cap. Some reference numerals in fig. 1 may be different from those in the prior art document 1.

Referring to fig. 1, a magnetic member 110 'is installed at one side of a locking ring 100', the locking ring 100 'is rotatably installed at an inner side of a cover of the rice cooker, the locking ring 100' is rotated by a handle installed at an outer side of the cover, and locks or unlocks a body and the cover of the rice cooker.

The magnetic member 110' includes a plate-shaped bracket 111' extending in a circular center direction of the locking ring 100' at one side of the inner circumferential surface of the locking ring 100', a magnet 112' mounted on an upper surface of the bracket 111', and a hook 113' allowing the magnet 112' to be coupled to the bracket 111 '.

The reed switch is installed near the magnetic member 110 'and is operated by the magnetism of the magnet 112'. Specifically, when the lock ring 100 'is rotated in one direction and then the cover is locked, the reed switches are connected by the magnetism of the magnet 112', and when the lock ring 100 'is rotated in the other direction and then the cover is unlocked, the reed switches are not affected by the magnetism of the magnet 112' and are not connected.

The controller in prior art document 1 may be electrically connected to the reed switch, and determine the locking of the cover based on whether or not the reed switch is connected.

According to the prior art document 1, an additional component (the magnetic member 110' and the reed switch) for sensing the locking of the cover must be installed in the electric rice cooker, thereby requiring an additional installation space and resulting in an increase in production costs of the electric rice cooker.

According to prior art document 1, a wire for electrical connection between the reed switch and the controller (e.g., PCB) is additionally required, resulting in a decrease in productivity of the electric rice cooker.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present disclosure describes an induction heating cooker that can electrically determine whether a main body and a cover are normally coupled.

In addition, the present disclosure describes an induction heating cooker that can perform a cooking operation by wirelessly receiving power from an induction heating device.

Further, the present disclosure describes an induction heating cooker that may use a magnetic field generated in an inefficient area transferring heat to an inner pot as power of internal electronics.

Further, the present disclosure describes an induction heating cooker that may heat a side surface of an inner pot and a bottom surface of the inner pot using a magnetic field generated by a work coil.

The purpose is not limited to what has been described. In addition, other objects and advantages, which have not been mentioned yet, will be clearly understood from the following description, and may be more clearly understood from the embodiments. Further, it is to be understood that these objects and advantages may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Solution scheme

The present disclosure may determine a coupling state of the cover based on power supplied through the first and second terminals connected at the time of rotational coupling of the cover, thereby electrically ascertaining whether the main body and the cover are normally coupled.

The present disclosure may include a coil part disposed on a bottom surface of the main body and supplying a current induced by a magnetic field generated by a working coil of the induction heating apparatus to an electronic device in the cover, thereby enabling a cooking operation to be performed using power wirelessly received from the induction heating apparatus.

The present disclosure may drive the electronic device using a current induced to a power receiving coil placed in parallel with a working coil at a lower portion of an edge region of the inner pot, thereby using a magnetic field generated in an inefficient region transferring heat to the inner pot as power of the internal electronic device.

The present disclosure may include an inner pot placed on the work coil, and a heating coil vertically placed on an outer circumferential surface of the inner pot and generating a magnetic field, thereby being capable of heating a side surface of the inner pot and a bottom surface of the inner pot.

Technical effects

The induction heating cooker can electrically determine whether the main body and the cover are normally coupled without an additional physical component, thereby accurately detecting the coupled state of the cover without causing an increase in the production cost of the induction heating cooker and a decrease in the productivity of the induction heating cooker.

The induction heating cooker may perform a cooking operation by wirelessly receiving power from the induction heating device, thereby performing all operations convenient for a user and an operation of heating food to be cooked without being connected to external power or having an internal battery.

The induction heating cooker may use a magnetic field generated in an inefficient area transferring heat to the inner pot as power of internal electronic equipment, thereby enabling efficient use of power wirelessly supplied from the induction heating device for cooking operations.

The induction heating cooker may heat a side surface of the inner pot and a bottom surface of the inner pot using a magnetic field generated in the coil part, thereby forming a plurality of heat transfer paths using a single heat source and ensuring temperature uniformity of the inner pot.

The detailed effects of the present disclosure are described in the detailed description of the present disclosure together with the above effects.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a method of sensing locking of a cover of a related art electric rice cooker.

Fig. 2 is a view showing an example of an exemplary induction heating cooker operating on an induction heating device.

Fig. 3 is a view separately showing a cover, an inner pot and a main body constituting the induction heating cooker in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view showing an example of the rotational coupling of the cover and the main body.

Fig. 5a and 5b are views showing the arrangement of power receiving coils according to examples.

Fig. 6 is an internal block diagram illustrating an example of a control flow of the induction heating cooker and the induction heating apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 7a and 7b are views showing terminals provided at the cover handle and the body handle, respectively, and connected to each other by rotational coupling of the cover.

Fig. 8 is a view showing a first terminal of a convex shape inserted into a second terminal as a concave elastic member and fixed to the second terminal.

Fig. 9a to 9c are views illustrating a process in which terminals respectively provided at the guide jaw and the latch jaw are connected to each other by rotational coupling of the cover.

Detailed Description

The above objects, features and advantages are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily realize the technical spirit of the present disclosure. In describing the present disclosure, if it is considered that detailed description of known technologies related to the present disclosure unnecessarily obscures the gist, detailed description thereof is omitted. Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

When any component is described as being "on (or under)" or "on (or under)" the component, any component may be placed on the upper surface (lower surface) of the component, and additional components may be interposed between the component and any component placed on (or under) the component.

When an element is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected or connectable to the other element; however, it should also be understood that additional components may be "interposed" between two components, or the two components may be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" by the additional components.

As used herein, the term "a or B", "at least one of a or/and B" or "one or more of a or/and B" includes all possible combinations of the items listed therewith. For example, "a or B", "at least one of a and B", or "at least one of a or B" means: (1) comprises at least one A; (2) comprises at least one B; or (3) comprises at least one A and at least one B.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating an exemplary induction heating cooker operating on an induction heating apparatus, and fig. 3 is a view separately illustrating a cover, an inner pot, and a main body constituting the induction heating cooker in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view showing an example of the rotational coupling of the cover and the main body. In addition, fig. 5a and 5b are views showing the arrangement of the power receiving coil according to each example.

Fig. 6 is an internal block diagram illustrating a control flow of the induction heating cooker and the induction heating apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 7a and 7b are views showing terminals provided at the cover handle and the body handle, respectively, and connected to each other by rotational coupling of the cover. In addition, fig. 8 is a view showing a convex-shaped first terminal inserted into a second terminal as a concave elastic member and fixed to the second terminal.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, an exemplary induction heating cooker 100 may include a body 110, a cover 120, and an inner pot 130. The main body 110 may include a coil part 140 for heating an inner pot in the main body 110, and a power supply circuit 150 on one side surface of the main body 110. The induction heating cooker 100 shown in fig. 2 and 3 is provided as an example, and the components and assemblies of the induction heating cooker 100 are not limited to those of the embodiment shown in fig. 2 and 3. Parts and components may be added, modified or removed as necessary.

The induction heating cooker 100 of the present disclosure may be any cooker that heats an inner pot using electromagnetic induction. For example, a method of heating the inner pot 130 by directly supplying current to a coil disposed along the outer surface of the inner pot 130 using the external power source 400 may be applied to the induction heating cooker 100. As another example, a method of heating the inner pot 130 using the magnetic field generated by the work coil 210 of the induction heating device 200 may also be applied to the induction heating cooker 100 of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure describes a process in which the induction heating cooker 100 operates the induction heating device 200 generating a magnetic field in a state in which the induction heating cooker 100 is not connected to the external power source 400. In addition, a process in which the induction heating cooker 100 is operated in a state in which the induction heating cooker 100 is connected to the external power supply 400 will be described.

As shown in fig. 2, the induction heating cooker 100 may be operated in a state of being placed on the upper plate 220 of any induction heating apparatus 200 provided with the work coil 210. Specifically, the induction heating cooker 100 may be operated on a line perpendicular to the line of the work coil 210 in a state of being placed on the upper plate 220 of the induction heating device 200.

The main PCB of the induction heating apparatus 200 may supply current to the work coil 210, and thus, may generate a magnetic field in the work coil 210.

The body 110 is a case supporting the lower and side portions of the induction heating cooker 100, and the body 110 may have a shape in which the upper portion is opened. An operation of cooking the food item subjected to cooking may be performed in the main body 110. Specifically, the inner pot 130 is stored in the main body 110, and various types of grains such as rice may be heated and cooked in the inner pot 130.

The cover 120, which is a housing sealing the upper portion of the induction heating cooker 100, may be attached to and detached from the open upper surface of the main body 110. The cover 120 may include at least one electronic device.

For example, the cover 120 may include a control module 121 controlling some or all of the operations of the induction heating cooker 100 therein, a communication module 122 performing data communication with the main PCB of the induction heating device 200, a display module 123 visually outputting status information of the induction heating cooker 100, and the like. Although not shown in fig. 2, the cover 120 may further include a battery for supplying power to the control module 121, the communication module 122, and the display module 123 described above.

The control module 121, the communication module 122, and the display module 123 may be implemented as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) including a plurality of Integrated Circuits (ICs).

The cover 120 may further include a pressure weight 125 for maintaining the internal pressure of the induction heating cooker 100 at a constant level, and a noise reduction module 126 in which a sound absorption member is built in to reduce noise when steam is discharged. In addition, the cover 120 may include a steam discharge module 124 (e.g., a solenoid valve) for discharging the steam inside the induction heating cooker 100 to the outside according to a specific control signal.

The cover 120 is rotatably coupled to the upper surface of the body 110. Specifically, the cover 120 may be rotatably coupled to an upper surface of the body 110, and may be attached to and detached from the body 110.

The rotational coupling may be any coupling that couples or decouples the cover 120 to or from the body 110 by rotating horizontally with respect to the upper surface of the body 110. For example, the rotational coupling may be any coupling by which the coupling protrusion and the coupling groove 113 respectively provided at any two objects are horizontally engaged and the two objects are coupled.

For example, the cover 120 may include a first coupling ring 127 at a lower surface of the cover 120, and the body 110 may include a second coupling ring 111 on an upper surface of the body 110, the first coupling ring 127 being rotatably coupled to the second coupling ring 111. In this case, the cover 120 may be attached to and detached from the upper surface of the body 110 by the rotational coupling of the first coupling ring 127 and the second coupling ring 111.

Specifically, the first coupling ring 127 may be disposed along a circumference of a lower surface of the cover 120 in an annular shape, and the second coupling ring 111 may be disposed along a circumference of an upper surface of the body 110 in an annular shape. Either one of the first coupling ring 127 and the second coupling ring 111 may be inserted into the other and then rotated so that the first coupling ring 127 and the second coupling ring 111 are rotationally coupled.

Referring to fig. 4, the first coupling ring 127 may protrude from a lower surface of the cover 120, and the second coupling ring 111 may be recessed from an upper surface of the body 110. In other words, the first coupling ring 127 may protrude downward, and the second coupling ring 111 may include a coupling groove 113 recessed downward. Accordingly, the first coupling ring 127 may be inserted into the coupling groove 113 of the second coupling ring 111.

The first coupling ring 127 may be inserted into the coupling groove 113 of the second coupling ring 111, may be horizontally rotated with respect to the second coupling ring 111, and may then be rotatably coupled to the second coupling ring 111. To this end, each of the first and second coupling rings 127 and 111 may include any member that engages with each other and couples the cover 120 to the body 110 when the first coupling ring 127 is rotated.

For example, the first coupling ring 127 may include a plurality of stopping claws 128, and the second coupling ring 111 may include a plurality of guiding claws 112, as shown in fig. 4. When the first coupling ring 127 is inserted into the coupling groove 113 of the second coupling ring 111 and then rotated, the plurality of stopping claws 128 formed at the first coupling ring 127 may be engaged with the plurality of guide claws 112 formed at the second coupling ring 111, respectively.

Specifically, a plurality of stopping pawls 128 may protrude in one horizontal direction (e.g., an outward direction), and may be formed at the first coupling ring 127. The plurality of guide claws 112 may protrude in another horizontal direction (e.g., an inward direction) which is a direction opposite to a direction in which the plurality of stopping claws 128 protrude, and may be formed at the second coupling ring 111. Therefore, when the first coupling ring 127 is rotated with respect to the second coupling ring 111, the stopping pawls 128 and the guide pawls 112 may be circumferentially engaged with each other.

In other words, the first coupling ring 127 may be inserted into the second coupling ring 111 in a state where the stopping claws 128 and the guide claws 112 are circumferentially arranged not to meet each other. When the first coupling ring 127 is rotated in a state of being inserted into the second coupling ring 111, the stopping pawls 128 may be moved in a circumferential direction with respect to the guide pawls 112, and when the first coupling ring 127 is rotated by a certain angle with respect to the second coupling ring 111, the plurality of stopping pawls 128 may be completely engaged with the plurality of guide pawls 112.

When the stopping claws 128 are engaged with the guide claws 112, the cover 120 may not be separated from the body 110 although an external force is vertically (upward or downward) applied to the cover 120 and the body 110 as long as the first coupling ring 127 is not rotated in the opposite direction.

With the above structure, the cover 120 may be completely coupled to the body 110 or completely separated from the body 110. Therefore, the cover 120 can be easily cleaned with respect to the use of the induction heating cooker 100.

The process of rotationally coupling the cover 120 to the body 110 is described above with reference to the structure shown in fig. 4. However, the cover 120 may be rotatably coupled to the body 110 by various structures used in the art to which the present disclosure pertains, in addition to the structure shown in fig. 4.

The inner pot 130 is stored in the main body 110, and the inner pot 130 may be heated by a coil part 140 placed along an outer surface of the inner pot 130.

The coil part 140 may be placed along the outer surface of the inner pot 130. The coil part 140 may be placed along at least one of the lower surface and the side surface of the inner pan 130, for example.

When the induction heating cooker 100 is placed and operated on the upper portion of the induction heating device 200 as shown in fig. 2, the lower surface of the inner pot 130 and the work coil 210 may be disposed to face each other with the bottom surface of the main body 110 between the lower surface of the inner pot 130 and the work coil 210. When a current flows through the work coil 210, the magnetic field generated by the work coil 210 may induce the current to the inner pot 130, and joule heat may be generated in the inner pot 130 by the induced current.

To generate the induced current, the inner pot 130 may include any material having magnetism. For example, the inner pan 130 may include cast iron, including iron (Fe), or a coating layer of iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), stainless steel, and the like, welded therein.

The surface area of the bottom surface of the inner pot 130 may be smaller than the surface area of the work coil 210. In other words, when the work coil 210 is a planar circular coil and the inner pot 130 has a cylindrical shape, the radius of the bottom surface of the inner pot 130 is smaller than the coil radius (Rc) of the work coil 210. As described above, when the surface area of the bottom surface of the inner pot 130 is designed to be smaller than the surface area of the work coil 210, the magnetic field generated by the work coil 210 can be entirely transferred to the bottom surface of the inner pot 130 without leaking in the region where the inner pot 130 is placed.

The coil part 140 may include a power receiving coil 140a disposed on the bottom surface of the main body 110 along the lower surface of the inner pan 130, and a heating coil 140b disposed along the side surface of the inner pan 130. That is, the coil part 140 may be classified into the power receiving coil 140a and the heating coil 140b based on the disposed positions of the power receiving coil 140a and the heating coil 140 b.

The power receiving coil 140a may take an annular shape having a predetermined inner diameter (Rci) and a predetermined outer diameter (Rco), and may be placed at any position of the bottom surface of the body 110. However, the power receiving coil 140a may be preferably disposed in parallel with the operating coil 210 at a lower portion of the Rim Area (RA) of the inner pot 130, so that the heating efficiency of the inner pot 130 is maximized by electromagnetic induction as described below.

The edge Region (RA), which is a region circumferentially defined with respect to a central vertical line (HL) of the inner pan 130, may be a region adjacent to the circumferential surface of the inner pan 130. In other words, the Rim Area (RA) may be an area adjacent to the circumference of the inner pot 130 when the inner pot 130 is viewed from the top of the inner pot 130. Hereinafter, the arrangement of the power receiving coil 140a is described with reference to fig. 5a and 5 b.

Referring to fig. 5a, an edge portion (hereinafter, referred to as a "rounded portion") of the bottom surface of the inner pot 130 may be rounded so that the food to be cooked is easily taken out after completion of cooking the food to be cooked. Accordingly, the bottom surface of the inner pot 130 may include a flat plate area (FA), which is a flat portion and is placed in parallel with the work coil 210, and a rounded portion, which is rounded at the connection portion of the bottom surface and the side surface of the inner pot 130.

For example, the edge area (RA) of the inner pan 130 may be the same as the rounded portion. In this case, the power receiving coil 140a may be horizontally placed at an edge area (RA) of the inner pot 130, i.e., a lower portion of the rounded portion.

Specifically, a slab region (FA) of the bottom surface of the inner pan 130 may be formed within a first reference radius (Rf1) with respect to a center vertical line (HL) of the inner pan 130, and an edge Region (RA) of the bottom surface of the inner pan 130 may be formed between the first reference radius (Rf1) and an outer diameter (Ro) of the inner pan 130. In this configuration, the power receiving coil 140a may be placed between the first reference radius (Rf1) and the outer diameter (Ro) of the inner pot 130 as the Rim Area (RA).

The distance between the edge area (RA) of the inner pot 130 and the work coil 210 may be greater than the distance between the Flat Area (FA) of the inner pot 130 and the work coil 210. Accordingly, the heat transferred by the magnetic field generated by the work coil 210 may be smaller in the edge area (RA) than in the panel area (FA).

As another example, referring to fig. 5b, an edge area (RA) of the inner pan 130 may be vertically formed at an outer side of the inner pan 130. Specifically, the Rim Area (RA) may be formed between the outer diameter (Ro) of the inner pan 130 and a second reference diameter (Rf2) that is larger than the outer diameter (Ro) of the inner pan 130.

Accordingly, when the inner pot 130 is viewed from the top of the inner pot 130, the power receiving coil 140a may be placed outside the inner pot 130. That is, the power receiving coil 140a having a structure in which the inner diameter (Rci) of the power receiving coil 140a is larger than the outer diameter (Ro) of the inner pot 130 may be placed at the lower portion of the inner pot 130.

However, as described below, the outer diameter (Rco) of the power receiving coil 140a may be smaller than the coil radius (Rc) of the operating coil 210, so that an induced current is effectively generated in the power receiving coil 140 a. That is, as shown in fig. 5b, the inner diameter (Rci) of the power receiving coil 140a may be designed to be larger than the outer diameter (Ro) of the inner pot 130, and the outer diameter (Rco) of the power receiving coil 140a may be designed to be smaller than the coil radius (Rc) of the operating coil 210. Therefore, the region formed by the power receiving coil 140a may be entirely vertically included in the region formed by the operating coil 210.

Therefore, in the embodiment shown in fig. 5b, the magnetic field generated by the work coil 210 may be transferred to the power receiving coil 140a without leaking in the region where the power receiving coil 140a is placed.

As described above, the power receiving coil 140a may be placed at the lower portion of the Rim Area (RA) where a relatively small amount of heat is transferred, and the total amount of heat transferred to the inner pot 130 may not be greatly reduced when performing an operation of receiving power from the work coil 210 described below.

The heating coil 140b may be vertically placed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner pan 130.

Referring back to fig. 5a and 5b, the heating coil 140b may be wound along the outer circumferential surface of the inner pan 130, and thus, the heating coil 140b may be disposed in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the inner pan 130. The heating coil 140b may also be placed on the inner pan supporting member if the main body 110 is provided with the inner pan supporting member for supporting the inner pan 130 in the main body 110, and the inner pan supporting member supports the outer circumferential surface of the inner pan 130 and the bottom surface of the inner pan 130.

The heating coil 140b may be vertically disposed. Specifically, the heating coil 140b is a coil having a plurality of layers according to the number of turns thereof, and each layer of the heating coil 140b may be vertically arranged parallel to each other along the outer circumferential surface of the inner pan 130.

The heating coil 140b may be electrically connected to the power receiving coil 140 a. In other words, one end of the heating coil 140b may be connected to one end of the power receiving coil 140 a. Accordingly, the power receiving coil 140a and the heating coil 140b may be implemented as a single metal wire.

The induction heating cooker 100, which is operated by the interaction with the induction heating device 200 in a state where the induction heating cooker 100 is not connected to the external power source 400, may heat the inner pot 130 using the magnetic field generated from the induction heating device 200.

The power receiving coil 140a is placed to face the work coil 210 of the induction heating apparatus 200. Therefore, when a high-frequency current flows through the work coil 210, the current can be induced to the power receiving coil 140a by electromagnetic induction.

As described above, the heating coil 140b may be electrically connected with the power receiving coil 140a, and thus, the current induced to the power receiving coil 140a may flow through the heating coil 140 b. When the current flows through the heating coil 140b, a magnetic field may be generated in the heating coil 140b, and the magnetic field generated in the heating coil 140b may induce the current to the outer circumferential surface of the inner pan 130, and may heat the inner pan 130, particularly, the side surface of the inner pan 130.

As described above, the present disclosure may heat the side surface of the inner pot and the bottom surface of the inner pot using the magnetic field generated by the work coil, thereby forming a plurality of heat transfer paths using a single heat source and ensuring temperature uniformity of the inner pot.

The induction heating cooker 100, which is independently operated in a state of being connected with the external power source 400, may supply current to the above-described coil part 140, and may heat the inner pot 130.

Referring to fig. 6, the power supply circuit 150 may supply current to the coil part 140 using an external power source 400.

Specifically, the power supply circuit 150 converts the power supplied from the external power supply 400 into a high-frequency current, and may supply the high-frequency current to the coil part 140. When a high frequency current flows through the coil part 140, a magnetic field may be generated in the coil part 140, and the magnetic field generated in the coil part 140 may induce a current to the surface (lower and side surfaces) of the inner pot 130, and then may heat the inner pot 130.

When the induction heating cooker 100 is connected to the external power source 400, the power supply circuit 150 may supply power supplied from the external power source 400 to the electronic device provided at the cover 120. Specifically, the input terminal and the output terminal of the power supply circuit 150 are connected with the external power supply 400 and the electronic device, respectively, and when the following

terminals

310, 320 are connected, the power supplied from the external power supply 400 can be supplied to the electronic device.

Next, for convenience of description, the supply of power from the power receiving coil 140a to the electronic apparatus by the power supply circuit 150 is mainly described. Accordingly, the magnetic field of the work coil 210 will be described below as a power source of the induction heating cooker 100. However, the description provided below may also be applied to the external power supply 400 as a power supply of the induction heating cooker 100.

As shown in fig. 2, the power supply circuit 150 may be provided on one side surface of the body 110 in the form of a packaged integrated circuit. To perform the power supplying operation, the power supplying circuit 150 may be electrically connected with each of the power receiving coil 140a and the cover 120.

Referring to fig. 6, the input terminal of the power supply circuit 150 may be connected to the power receiving coil 140a, and the output terminal of the power supply circuit 150 may be connected to each electronic device in the cover 120 through each of the

terminals

310, 320 described below. Accordingly, the power supply circuit 150 may process the induced current supplied from the power receiving coil 140a, and may output the processed current to each electronic device.

Specifically, the power supply circuit 150 may convert the current induced to the power receiving coil 140a into a direct current, and may supply the converted direct current to the electronic device.

The amount of current induced to the power receiving coil 140a may vary according to the output from the operating coil 210, the load of the inner pot 130 (including moisture in the food to be cooked, the amount of food to be cooked, the type of food to be cooked, etc.). In addition, the amount of current induced to the power receiving coil 140a may also vary according to the degree of matching between the coils, which is determined based on the relative positions of the operating coil 210 and the power receiving coil 140 a.

The power supply circuit 150 may store the current induced to the power receiving coil 140a as a DC voltage having a magnitude greater than a predetermined magnitude, and may supply a stable direct current to the electronic device using the stored voltage to prevent instability of the electronic device, which may be caused by a change in the amount of current.

By the above method, the induction heating cooker may perform a cooking operation by wirelessly receiving power from the induction heating device. Accordingly, the induction heating cooker can perform all operations for the convenience of a user and the operation of heating food to be cooked without being connected to an external power source or having an internal battery.

The above-described operation of supplying power through the power supply circuit 150 may be performed only when the terminal provided in the cover 120 and the terminal provided in the main body 110 are connected. Specifically, the input terminal of the power supply circuit 150 may be directly connected to the power receiving coil 140a, and the output terminal of the power supply circuit 150 may be connected to the electronic device through terminals provided in the cover 120 and the body 110, respectively.

Next, a process in which the terminals provided in the cover 120 and the terminals in the body 110 are connected to each other upon the rotational coupling of the cover 120 is described.

Referring back to fig. 6, the cover 120 may include a first terminal 310 electrically connected to the electronic device in the cover 120, and the body 110 may include a second terminal 320 connected to the first terminal 310 of the cover 120 through the rotational coupling described above. The second terminal 320 provided in the main body 110 may be electrically connected with the power receiving coil 140a through the power supply circuit 150.

When the cover 120 is rotatably coupled to the body 110 by the above-described method, the first terminal 310 fixedly disposed in the cover 120 and the second terminal 320 fixedly disposed in the body 110 may be in physical contact with each other and may be connected to each other.

Specifically, when the cover 120 is horizontally rotated with respect to the upper surface of the body 110, the first terminals 310 provided in the cover 120 may be rotated in a circumferential direction with respect to the second terminals 320 provided in the body 110. When the cover 120 is rotated by a predetermined angle and is fully rotationally coupled to the body 110, the first terminal 310, which has been circumferentially rotated, may contact the second terminal 320 at the same position.

Accordingly, the first terminal 310 and the second terminal 320 may be electrically connected, and the power supply circuit 150 may perform the above-described operation of supplying power through the two electrically connected

terminals

310, 320.

For example, the body 110 and the cover 120 may be provided with a body handle 22 at both side ends of the upper portion of the body 110 and a cover handle 21 at both side ends of the lower portion of the cover 120, respectively. In this case, the first terminal 310 is provided on the lower surface of the cover handle 21, and the second terminal 320 may be provided on the upper surface of the body handle 22.

Fig. 7a is a plan view of the induction heating cooker 100, which shows a process in which two

terminals

310, 320 are connected to each other by the rotational coupling of the cover 120, fig. 7b is a view in which some parts and components of the cover 120 in fig. 7a are omitted, and shows a process in which two

terminals

310, 320 are connected to each other by the rotational coupling between the above-described first coupling ring 127 and second coupling ring 111.

Referring to fig. 7a, two

first terminals

310a, 310b corresponding to positive and negative electrodes, respectively, may be disposed on a lower surface of any one of the cover handles 21, the cover handles 21 being disposed at both side ends of a lower portion of the cover 120. In addition, two

second terminals

320a, 320b corresponding to the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, may be disposed on the upper surface of any one of the body handles 22, the body handles 22 being disposed at both side ends of the upper portion of the body 110.

The cover 120 may rotate by a center angle a with respect to the upper surface of the body 110 and may be completely rotatably coupled to the body 110. In this case, the cover handle 21 and the body handle 22 may be disposed at both side ends of the cover 120 and the body 110, respectively, such that the cover handle 21 and the body handle 22 completely overlap each other when the cover 120 is rotated by the center angle a.

When the cover handle 21 and the body handle 22 completely overlap each other, the first terminal 310 disposed on the lower surface of the cover handle 21 and the second terminal 320 disposed on the upper surface of the body handle 22 may physically contact each other, and thus, the first terminal 310 and the second terminal 320 may be connected to each other. In other words, when the lid handle 21 and the body handle 22 completely overlap each other, the first terminal 310a corresponding to the positive electrode may be connected with the second terminal 320a corresponding to the positive electrode, and the first terminal 310b corresponding to the negative electrode may be connected with the second terminal 320b corresponding to the negative electrode.

The first terminal 310 may protrude from the lower surface of the cover handle 21, and the second terminal 320 may be disposed at the sliding groove 221 formed on the upper surface of the body handle 22. In this case, the first terminal 310 may be inserted into the sliding groove 221, may slide according to the rotational coupling of the cover 120, and may be connected to the second terminal 320.

Referring to fig. 7b, the first coupling ring 127 may be inserted into the second coupling ring 111 in a state in which the stopping claws 128 formed at the first coupling ring 127 of the cover 120 and the guide claws 112 formed at the second coupling ring 111 of the body 110 are arranged not to meet each other in the circumferential direction. Then, when the cover 120 is rotated by the center angle a, the first terminal 310 protruding from the lower surface of the cover handle 21 may also be rotated in the circumferential direction.

When the cover 120 is rotated by an angle greater than a certain angle, as the cover handle 21 and the body handle 22 start to vertically overlap, the first terminal 310 protruding from the lower surface of the cover handle 21 may be circumferentially inserted into the sliding groove 221 formed on the upper surface of the body handle 22.

Then, when the cover 120 is completely rotated by the center angle a, the first terminal 310, which has been circumferentially slid along the slide groove 221, may be connected to the second terminal 320 provided at one end of the slide groove 221. In addition, the plurality of stopping claws 128 formed at the first coupling ring 127 may be completely engaged with the plurality of guiding claws 112 formed at the second coupling ring 111. That is, when the cover 120 is rotated by the center angle a, the cover 120 and the body 110 are completely rotationally coupled, and the first terminal 310 provided in the cover 120 and the second terminal 320 provided in the body 110 may be completely connected to each other.

For example, the second terminal 320 may be implemented as an elastic member into which the first terminal 310 is inserted.

Referring to fig. 8, the second terminal 320 implemented as an elastic member may be provided in a concave shape at one end of the sliding groove 221 provided at the main body handle 22. Specifically, the second terminal 320 may include an opening portion 321 and a fixing portion 322, and the opening portion 321 into which the first terminal 310 is inserted may be formed wider than the fixing portion 322 fixing the first terminal 310. In addition, the width of the fixing portion 322 may be narrower than the width of the first terminal 310.

Accordingly, when the first terminal 310 is inserted into the second terminal 320 through the opening portion 321, the width of the fixing portion 322 may become as wide as the width of the first terminal 310 due to elasticity, and the first terminal 310 may be completely inserted into the second terminal 320. After the first terminal 310 is completely inserted, the fixing portion 322 may apply an elastic force to the inside of the first terminal 310 by the elasticity of the fixing portion 322. Accordingly, the first terminal 310 may be fixed by the second terminal 320.

With the above-described structure of the second terminal 320, contact stability between terminals can be improved.

Unlike the above-described induction heating cooker, the induction heating cooker 100 of the present disclosure may not include the body handle 22 and the lid handle 21. Although the induction heating cooker 100 includes the body handle 22 and the lid handle 21, each of the

handles

21, 22 may not include a terminal.

For example, the first terminal 310 may be provided on a lower surface of the stopping claw 128 formed at the first coupling ring 127 of the cover 120, and the second terminal 320 may be provided on an upper surface of the guide claw 112 formed at the second coupling ring 111 of the body 110 to be engaged with the stopping claw 128.

Fig. 9a, 9b, and 9c are views showing the positional relationship of the first coupling ring 127 and the second coupling ring 111 and the positional relationship of the terminals provided at each of the coupling rings 111, 127, respectively, when the rotational coupling is started, when the rotational coupling is being performed, and when the rotational coupling is completed.

The first and

second terminals

310 and 320 shown in fig. 9a to 9c do not indicate actual arrangement and shape of the terminals, and should be interpreted as indicating the position of each of the

terminals

310, 320. For example, the first terminal 310 shown in fig. 9a indicates the position of the first terminal 310. Therefore, it should be understood that the first terminal 310 is actually placed on the lower surface of the latch claw 128.

Referring to fig. 9a, the first terminal 310 may be disposed on a lower surface of one end of the stopping claw 128, and the second terminal 320 may be disposed on an upper surface of one end of the guide claw 112. Specifically,

first terminals

310a, 310b corresponding to the positive and negative electrodes may be respectively provided on the lower surface of one end of any one of the plurality of retaining claws 128 formed at the first coupling ring 127. In addition,

second terminals

320a, 320b corresponding to the positive and negative electrodes may be respectively disposed on an upper surface of one end of any one of the plurality of guide claws 112 formed at the second coupling ring 111.

For the rotational coupling, the first coupling ring 127 may be inserted into the second coupling ring 111 in a state where the stopping claws 128 and the guide claws 112 are arranged not to meet each other in the circumferential direction. In this case, the first terminal 310 formed at the stopping jaw 128 and the second terminal 320 formed at the guiding jaw 112 may be spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to the center angle a.

Referring to fig. 9b, in a state where the first coupling ring 127 is inserted into the second coupling ring 111, the first coupling ring 127 may be rotated by a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction. Accordingly, the stopping claw 128 and the guide claw 112 may start to engage with each other, and the first terminal 310 provided on the upper surface of the stopping claw 128 may slide along the lower surface of the guide claw 112.

Referring to fig. 9c, the first coupling ring 127 may be rotated in a circumferential direction by a center angle a. Accordingly, the stopping claw 128 and the guide claw 112 may be completely engaged with each other, and the first terminal 310 provided on the lower surface of the stopping claw 128 may be slid to the second terminal 320 provided on the lower surface of one end of the guide claw 112 and may contact the second terminal 320.

In summary, through the rotational coupling successively shown in fig. 9a to 9c, the stopping claw 128 formed at the first coupling ring 127 and the guide claw 112 formed at the second coupling ring 111 may be completely engaged, and at the same time, the first terminal 310 provided at the stopping claw 128 and the second terminal 320 provided at the guide claw 112 may be connected to each other on the same vertical line.

When the first terminal 310 and the second terminal 320 are connected to each other as described above, the power supply circuit 150 may supply the current induced to the power receiving coil 140a to the electronic device in the cover 120 through the first terminal 310 and the second terminal 320.

As shown in fig. 2, the cover 120 may further include a power conversion module 180.

Similar to the power circuit 150, the power conversion module 180 may be provided in the cover 120 in the form of a packaged integrated circuit. Referring to fig. 6, an input terminal of the power conversion module 180 may be connected to the first electrode, and an output terminal of the power conversion module 180 may be connected to each electronic device in the cover 120.

Accordingly, the power conversion module 180 may convert the power supplied through the first terminal 310 into an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency or a DC voltage of a predetermined magnitude, and may supply the AC voltage of the predetermined frequency and the DC voltage of the predetermined magnitude to each electronic device.

Specifically, an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency or a DC voltage of a predetermined amplitude may be supplied thereto as power to perform an operation according to the specification of each electronic device in the cover 120. As described above, the power supply circuit 150 may output a DC voltage through the first terminal 310 and the second terminal 320.

The power conversion module 180 may convert the DC voltage supplied from the power circuit 150 into an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency suitable for the specification of each electronic device, and may output the AC voltage of the predetermined frequency. In addition, the power conversion module 180 may increase or decrease the DC voltage supplied from the power supply circuit 150 and may output a DC voltage of a predetermined magnitude suitable for the specification of each electronic device. Therefore, each electronic device can operate using a voltage sufficient for its specification as power.

Further, the power conversion module 160 may supply the power supplied through the first terminal 310 to the battery 170, and the battery 170 may store the power supplied through the first terminal 310 as standby power.

The battery 170 may be connected to each electronic device in the cover 120, and each electronic device may also receive power from the battery 170 to operate. For example, each electronic device may receive power output from the power conversion module 160 to operate, and may receive power output from the battery 170 to operate when the power conversion module 160 no longer outputs power.

The control module 121 may determine the coupling state of the cover 120 based on the amount of current supplied to the electronic device or based on the magnitude of the voltage detected in the first terminal 310.

As described above, the first terminal 310 and the second terminal 320 may be connected based on whether the cover 120 is rotationally coupled, and the electronic device may provide power only when the first terminal 310 and the second terminal 320 are connected.

Accordingly, the control module 121 may indirectly determine the coupling state of the cover 120 based on the amount of current supplied to the electronic device or the magnitude of the voltage detected in the first terminal 310. The coupled state may be classified into a normal state and an abnormal state.

For example, the control module 121 may determine that the coupled state is a normal state when the amount of current supplied to the electronic device is greater than a reference amount of current, and the control module 121 may determine that the coupled state is an abnormal state when the amount of current supplied to the electronic device is less than the reference amount of current.

The control module 121 may detect the amount of current supplied to each electronic device. Any current sensor or any current detection circuit may be used to detect the amount of current performed by the control module 121.

When the cover 120 is fully rotatably coupled to the body 110, the first and

second terminals

310 and 320 are connected to each other. Thus, current may be supplied to the electronic device. The control module 121 may identify a reference current amount corresponding to a specific electronic device with reference to the internal memory, and may compare the identified reference current amount with the current amount supplied to the specific electronic device.

When the amount of current supplied to the specific electronic device is greater than the reference amount of current as a result of the comparison, the control module 121 may assume that the cover 120 is fully rotatably coupled to the main body 110, and may determine that the coupled state is a normal state. When the amount of current supplied to a specific electronic device is less than the reference amount of current, the control module 121 may assume that the cover 120 is not completely rotationally coupled to the body 110, and may determine that the coupled state is an abnormal state.

As another example, the control module 121 may determine that the coupling state is the normal state when the magnitude of the voltage detected in the first terminal 310 is greater than the magnitude of the reference voltage, and the control module 121 may determine that the coupling state is the abnormal state when the magnitude of the voltage detected in the first terminal 310 is less than the magnitude of the reference voltage.

The control module 121 may detect the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the first terminal 310. Any voltage sensor or any voltage detection circuit may be used for the operation of detecting the voltage performed by the control module 121.

When the cover 120 is fully rotatably coupled to the body 110, the first and

second terminals

310 and 320 are connected to each other. Accordingly, a voltage may be supplied to the first terminal 310. The control module 121 may identify a reference voltage for the first terminal 310 with reference to the internal memory and may compare the magnitude of the identified reference voltage with the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the first terminal 310.

When the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the first terminal 310 is greater than the magnitude of the reference voltage as a result of the comparison, the control module 121 may assume that the cover 120 is fully rotationally coupled to the body 110, and may determine that the coupled state is the normal state. When the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the first terminal 310 is less than the magnitude of the reference voltage, the control module 121 may assume that the cover 120 is not completely rotationally coupled to the body 110, and may determine that the coupled state is an abnormal state.

As described above, the induction heating cooker of the present disclosure can electrically determine whether the body and the cover are normally coupled without additional physical components, thereby accurately detecting the coupled state of the cover without causing an increase in the production cost of the induction heating cooker and a decrease in the productivity of the induction heating cooker.

Further, when the coupled state of the cover 120 is an abnormal state, the control module 121 may provide an output control signal to the display module 123, and the display module 123 may output abnormal information according to the output control signal.

The abnormal information may be any information showing that the coupling state of the cover 120 is an abnormal state. The abnormal information may be, for example, text information or image information requesting the user to normally couple the cover 120 to the body 110.

Specifically, when it is determined that the coupling state of the cover 120 is an abnormal state, the control module 121 may provide the output control signal as a digital signal to the display module 123. The display module 123 may receive the output control signal from the control module 121 and, referring to the internal memory, may identify abnormality information corresponding to the output control signal and may visually output the identified abnormality information.

As described above, the induction heating cooker of the present disclosure may inform a user of information about abnormal coupling of the body and the cover, thereby preventing explosion or fire caused by the abnormal coupling of the cover while cooking.

The present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure may be substituted, modified and changed in various forms by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains within the scope of technical spirit. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and drawings set forth herein.

Claims

1. An induction heating cooker, comprising:

a cover including at least one electronic device and provided with a first terminal electrically connected to the electronic device;

a body having an open upper surface and provided with a second terminal connected to the first terminal by rotational coupling of the cover relative to the open upper surface;

an inner pot stored in the main body;

a coil part that heats the inner pot using external power when the external power is supplied, and induces current to the coil part by a magnetic field generated by a working coil of an induction heating apparatus when the external power is not supplied; and

A power supply circuit that supplies power to an electronic device provided in the cover through the first terminal and the second terminal.

2. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover is provided with a first coupling ring on a lower surface thereof, and

the body is provided with a second coupling ring to which the first coupling ring is rotatably coupled on an upper surface of the body.

3. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second coupling ring includes a coupling groove recessed from an upper surface of the body, and

the first coupling ring is rotated after being inserted into the coupling groove, and is rotatably coupled to the second coupling ring.

4. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first coupling ring includes a stopper claw and the second coupling ring includes a guide claw, and

when the first coupling ring is inserted into the coupling groove and then rotated, the stopping jaw is engaged with the guide jaw.

5. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first terminal is provided on a lower surface of the locking claw, and

The second terminal is provided on an upper surface of the guide claw engaged with the stopper claw.

6. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body and the cover are provided at both side ends of an upper portion of the main body with a main body handle and at both side ends of a lower portion of the cover with a cover handle, respectively,

the first terminal is disposed on a lower surface of the cover handle, and the second terminal is disposed on an upper surface of the body handle.

7. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first terminal protrudes from a lower surface of the lid handle and the second terminal is provided at a sliding groove formed on an upper surface of the body handle, and

the first terminal is inserted into the sliding groove, slides according to a rotational coupling, and is connected to the second terminal.

8. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coil part includes a power receiving coil provided on a bottom surface of the main body, and a magnetic field generated by the operating coil of the induction heating device induces a current to the power receiving coil.

9. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 8, wherein the power supply circuit supplies the current induced to the power receiving coil to the electronic device provided in the cover through the first terminal and the second terminal.

10. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 8, wherein the power receiving coil is placed in a lower portion of the rim area of the inner pot in parallel with the working coil of the induction heating means.

11. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coil part includes: a power receiving coil horizontally placed at a lower portion of a rim area of the inner pot and heating a bottom surface of the inner pot; and

a heating coil vertically placed on an outer circumferential surface of the inner pan, connected to the power receiving coil, and heating a side surface of the inner pan.

12. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit supplies current to the coil part using the external power.

13. The induction heating cooker of claim 1, wherein the electronic device provided in the cover comprises at least one of a control module, a communication module, a display module, a vapor discharge module, a battery, and a power conversion module.

14. The induction heating cooker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit converts the current induced to the coil part into a direct current and supplies the direct current to the electronic device.

15. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the induction heating cooker further comprises a control module that determines a coupling state of the cover based on an amount of current supplied to the electronic device.

16. The induction heating cooker of claim 15, wherein the control module determines that the coupled state is a normal state when an amount of current supplied to the electronic device is greater than a reference amount of current; and the control module determines that the coupled state is an abnormal state when the amount of current supplied to the electronic device is less than the reference amount of current.

17. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the induction heating cooker further comprises a control module that determines a coupling state of the lid based on a magnitude of the voltage detected in the first terminal.

18. The induction heating cooker according to claim 17, wherein the control module determines that the coupling state is a normal state when the magnitude of the voltage detected in the first terminal is greater than the magnitude of a reference voltage; and the control module determines that the coupling state is an abnormal state when the magnitude of the voltage detected in the first terminal is smaller than the magnitude of the reference voltage.