EP2763500B1 - Hob with a hotplate field and a conductor as surface boundary for electronic components - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a hob with a hob plate on which at least one cooking point is formed. The cooktop further includes an operating device having electronic components positioned in a plan view of the cooktop panel adjacent to the cooktop. The hob also includes a pan detection device with which the position of a preparation vessel on the hob plate can be seen.

In known hobs, it is common that in addition to a plurality of hotplates, which were limited in area and marked, for example, by markings on the cooktop panel, controls an operating device are formed. For example, in the case of touch-sensitive operating elements which can be actuated by touching the upper side of the cooktop plate at specific locations, positioning in the front area facing the user is known. Especially with hobs, which in terms of size considered large cooking zones and / or in terms of the number of hotplates, the space required for the operating device and the controls is limited and they are then usually positioned relatively close to hotplates.

In this context, a pot or a preparation vessel can not be placed precisely on a cooking surface in the context and this pot can then be positioned over the operating device and thus the operating elements at least in regions. In such a situation, it may then happen that a warmed by the cooking area or the radiator formed underneath pot also circumferentially heated the electronics of the control device. This can lead to functional impairment or damage to the electronics.

In this context, it is known that a point-shaped temperature sensor is mounted on the circuit carrier or the board of the electronics of the operating device and thereby overheating of the board to be detected. In such temperature sensors, however, the problem arises that the sensor to a unwanted early shutdown of the electronics leads and then the cooking performance of the relevant hotplate unjustified and unexpectedly reduced for the user. It may also happen that then the temperature sensor reacts too late and the electronics is switched off too late, for example because the temperature gradient is low. Even then, although the hob is turned off or reduced in their performance, but due to the already existing in the pot or in the preparation vessel residual heat is still an undesirably high heating of the electronics even after switching off the hob.

Moreover, with respect to the detection of this heating, it is difficult to judge whether heating of the electronics is triggered solely by a pot positioned above or by an unusually long cooking time at high energy level or by a combination of these two possibilities. These difficulties in the cause of the detection of the heating of the electronics are compounded by the fact that there are also scenarios in which the user briefly switches off the hob completely between two cooking operations and the control unit in the electronics therefore virtually no longer has the information of the previous cooking processes and can not use.

Such a detection is much more precise if it is actually known during the evaluation whether a pot actually covers the area of the electronics and how far this overlap extends.

From the DE 600 28 485 T2 For example, an object detection system is known that detects the presence of a metal cooking appliance on a non-metallic cooking surface. In this connection, line-like conductor tracks are applied to the cooktop plate at cooking zones, which can then interact capacitively or inductively with the pan. A sufficient protection of the electronics is there only limited possible, since only cooking areas are limited accordingly.

In addition, from the DE 196 46 826 A1 a device and a method for temperature measurement and pot detection on hotplates known. Again, sensors are designed as tracks and attached as area boundaries for cooking on the hob plate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hob in which the overheating of electronic components of the hob can be better prevented.

This object is achieved by a hob according to claim 1.

An inventive hob comprises a hob plate on which at least one cooking point is formed. The hob also includes an operating device having electronic components. Viewed in a plan view of the hob plate these electronic components are positioned next to the hob and thus not surface covering arranged with this hob. The hob also includes a pan detection device with which the position of a preparation vessel on the hob plate can be seen. The pot detection device comprises at least one electrically conductive sensor, which is designed as a strip-like conductor track on the hob plate. This conductor track is designed for positional pot detection for electrical interaction with a preparation vessel. In addition, it is provided that this conductor track is arranged at least in sections as a surface boundary for the surface on the hob plate, within which the electronic components are arranged. By such a location-specific attachment of at least one conductor to the hob plate, the electronics can be much more effectively protected against undesirable heating, which results from an undesirably positioned preparation vessel which is heated via the cooking surface.

Substantially different from the prior art, the cooking zones with printed conductors are not limited here, but the surface area in which at least some electronic components of the operating device are located is limited. This has the significant advantage that not when a pot is not exactly positioned on a cooking surface, a corresponding reaction of the system is triggered, but in fact only when a corresponding pot or a preparation vessel, the conductor, the electronic components as a surface boundary at least partially surrounds, covered.

Since it is usually even very common in practice that a preparation vessel is not positioned exactly on a cooking surface or even desired only partially positioned on the cooking surface, now with the inventive design of the hob, such a scenario can be easily performed without unwanted Messages and / or automatic intervention in the control, such as switching off the electronics and / or a radiator occur.

A much more problematic and more goal-oriented solution is achieved with the hob according to the invention.

With regard to the surface boundary of the electronic components, in particular an embodiment is to be understood in which this conductor track is guided around these electronic components at least in regions in a corresponding contour guide. The area limitation therefore represents a design which is reasonably close to the electronic components for the person skilled in the art.

With the electronic components in particular controls on or in the hob plate are included.

It is particularly advantageous that the sensor and thus the conductor track is formed as a surface boundary at least at one of the cooking surface facing side of the surface. Since cooking vessels that have just been pulled down from the hotplate are appropriately tempered, configurations with at least one such electrically conductive sensor are particularly advantageous on this side of the surface of the border delimiting the electronic components.

It is preferably provided that the sensor is designed as a continuous strip as a conductor track. By such a configuration, a very simple structure is possible, which has no interruption, so that the overlapping positioning of a preparation vessel is detected over this conductor at all points.

In a further embodiment it can be provided that a plurality of separate electrically conductive sensors are formed as conductor tracks, which is an interrupted Form contour line as area boundary. In such an embodiment, a plurality of, in particular separate, strip-shaped conductor tracks are thus provided, which individually can be evaluated individually. By means of such a configuration, an even more exact determination is possible to what extent there is an overlap of a bottom of a preparation vessel with the surface of the electronic components. Such a configuration can thus be used to determine this overlap measure more accurately, as a result of which more individual decision and control scenarios can be represented as a function of the overlap measure. In particular, a more exact control of the heating power of the radiator of that cooking point, on which the conductor path covering the preparation vessel is arranged, take place in the context. It can thus be a finely adjusted, possibly sufficient reduction of the heating power, if the degree of coverage does not exceed a certain threshold. In addition or instead, a decision criterion may exist as to whether the preparation vessel is at a certain distance from a more or less temperature-critical electronic component or an electronic component of the operating device. Since different temperature sensitivities can also be present here with the electronic components, a more individualized and situation-specific decision can also be made here about the operating scenario of the electronic components and / or the radiator.

It is preferably provided that a conductor track is formed on a lower side and / or on an upper side of the hob plate.

It can also be provided that a conductor track is formed in the interior of the hob plate. Depending on demand, different advantages, such as low wear, high, fast functionality and exact measuring precision can be taken into account.

It is preferably provided that the cooktop has a control device which, depending on the degree of coverage of the surface of the electronic components by a preparation vessel, at least reduces a power of a radiator which is activated to heat the preparation vessel and / or deactivates at least one electronic component.

It can be provided that the electrical interaction between the sensor and the preparation vessel works capacitively or inductively or is designed.

It is preferably provided that the hob has an optical and / or acoustic display unit, with which the degree of coverage of the surface of the electronic components can be displayed by a preparation vessel.

In particular, it is provided that the at least one conductor track is electrically contacted, for example, by an electrically conductive spring or the like.

The electromagnetic coupling between the preparation vessel and a conductor increases when not only a small portion of the conductor is covered by the bottom of the preparation vessel, but in the context of long sections of the conductor track are covered. For this reason, it can be concluded from the extent of the signal magnitude of the electromagnetic interaction between the preparation vessel and the conductor track on the covered length of the conductor track and thus on the covered surface of the electronic components.

It may additionally be provided that the cooking area also has, at least in sections, a surface boundary which is formed by a further electrically conductive conductor track. In this connection, the invention or an advantageous embodiment thereof can thus also be combined with the concept known from the prior art.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Kochfelds; und

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht auf die Kochfeldplatte des Kochfelds gemäß Fig. 1.

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of an embodiment of a hob according to the invention; and

Fig. 2

a plan view of the hob plate of the hob according to Fig. 1 ,

In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

In Fig. 1 is a cooking field 1 is shown in a perspective view, which has a hob plate 2, which may be formed of glass or glass ceramic. On the hob plate 2 in the exemplary embodiment in terms of size and number and in terms of position only cooking zones or cooking zones 3, 4, 5, 6 are formed. The surfaces of these cooking zones 3 to 6 are limited by markings 3a, 4a, 5a and 6a, so that the user can recognize the size and the local position of these cooking zones 3 to 6 and can position thereon preparation vessels.

On the other hand, one or more radiators is arranged under the cooktop plate 2 at the assigned positions of these cooking zones 3 to 6, so that the heating of the preparation vessels on the cooking zones 3 to 6 can take place.

It can be provided that the markings 3a to 6a, the surface boundaries of the cooking zones 3 to 6 represent, at least partially formed as conductor tracks and are designed for capacitive or inductive interaction with a preparation vessel positioned thereon.

For this purpose, the hob 1 comprises a control device 7 designed, for example, under the hob plate 2.

The hob 1 further comprises an operating device 8, which has a plurality of electronic components, in particular also control elements 9, of which only some are provided with the reference numerals. Again, the position and number of controls 9 is merely exemplary. At least one of the operating elements 9 can also be designed as a touch-sensitive operating element.

It is moreover provided that these electronic components are arranged at a distance from the cooking zones 3 to 6 and thus not surface-covering with these cooking zones 3 to 6.

It is envisaged that these electronic components are arranged in the form of the controls 9 within a surface 10 of the hob plate 2, which is bounded by a surface boundary 11. The area boundary 11 is drawn so that it surrounds all of these depending on the position of the controls 9 and is passed as close to this.

The surface boundary 11 is formed at least in sections as an electrically conductive sensor in the form of a strip-like conductor 12. In particular, it is provided that in the context of the cooking zones 3 to 6 facing side 11 a of the surface boundary 11 is at least partially formed as a conductor 12.

The hob 1 further comprises a pan detection device 13, with which the position of a preparation vessel on the hob plate 2 can be seen. The pan detection device 13 is connected electronically to the control device 7.

The control device 7 is furthermore designed such that, depending on a degree of covering of the surface 10 by at least one preparation vessel, it at least reduces the power of a heating element of at least that cooking point 3 to 6 on which this preparation vessel is located which covers the surface 10 in regions and / or at least one electronic component, in particular a control element 9, deactivated.

The electrical interaction between the conductor 12 and a preparation vessel may be capacitive or inductive.

The hob 1 also includes a display unit 14, which is also shown in terms of position only by way of example. This display unit 14 can emit optical and / or acoustic signals, this being done depending on the degree of coverage of the surface 10 by a preparation vessel. As a result, the user can be informed of situation-specific information and, if necessary, be automatically reacted to.

In Fig. 2 is a plan view of a top 2a of the hob plate 2 shown. The positions of the cooking zones 3 to 6 and the surface 10 can be seen, here In particular, the non-overlapping arrangement between the surfaces of the cooking zones 3 to 6 and the surface 10 can be seen.

In addition, a further embodiment is shown, are formed in the electrically conductive sensors in a plurality, which are each arranged as a separate strip-like conductor tracks 12 to the surface boundary. For better clarity and recognizability, these strip sections of the conductor tracks 12 are drawn slightly spaced from the area boundary 11. By such a plurality of conductor tracks 12, which can each be operated and evaluated separately, the degree of coverage of the surface 10 by a preparation vessel can be determined even more precisely. In addition, it is provided here that the surface boundary 11 is not completely formed circumferentially by the conductor tracks 12, but only the cooking areas 3 to 6 facing part and thus the side 11 a is formed as a corresponding contour with these tracks 12 by dashed lines. Of course, it can also be provided here that the completely circumferential area boundary 11 is formed by this plurality of conductor tracks 12.

It is again noted that the shape of the surface 10 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is only an example and any other surface shape may be provided, this being particularly dependent on the number and position of the electronic components, in particular the operating elements 9.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

hob

2

Hotplate

2a

top

3

cooking

3a

mark

4

cooking

4a

mark

5

cooking

5a

mark

6

cooking

6a

mark

7

control device

8th

operating device

9

controls

10

area

11

area boundary

11a

page

12

conductor path

13

Pot detection device

14

display unit

Claims (9)

1. Hob (1) with a hotplate (2) on which at least one cooking zone (3 to 6) is embodied, and an operating device (8) which comprises electronic components (9) which are positioned in a plan view on the hotplate (2) next to the cooking zone (3 to 6), and a pan detection device (13) with which the position of a cooking vessel on the hotplate (2) can be detected, characterised in that the pan detection device (13) has at least one electrically conducting sensor which is embodied as a conductor path (12) on the hotplate (2) and for the positional pan detection for electric interaction with a cooking vessel, and is arranged at least in sections on the hotplate (2) as a surface boundary (11) for a surface (10), within which the electronic components (9) are arranged.
2. Hob (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor is embodied on at least one side (11a) of the surface (10) facing the cooking zone (3 to 6) as a surface boundary (11).
3. Hob (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the sensor is embodied as a conductor path (12) in the form of a continuous strip.
4. Hob (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a plurality of separate sensors are embodied as conductor paths (12) which form a surface boundary (11) in the form of a broken contour line.
5. Hob (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a conductor path (12) is embodied on a bottom side and/or on a top side (2a) of the hotplate (2).
6. Hob (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a conductor path (12) is embodied in the interior of the hotplate (2).
7. Hob (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a control device (7) is embodied which, as a function of the degree of coverage of the surface (10) of the electronic components (9) by a cooking vessel, at least reduces a power of a heating element activated for heating the cooking vessel and/or deactivates at least one electronic component (9).
8. Hob (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the electric interaction between the sensor and the cooking vessel operates capacitively or inductively.
9. Hob (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a visual and/or acoustic display unit (14) is embodied, with which the degree of coverage of the surface (10) of the electronic components (9) by a cooking vessel can be displayed.

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