WO2018162077A1 - Cooking appliance with improved operability and usability - Google Patents

Cooking appliance with improved operability and usability Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018162077A1
WO2018162077A1 PCT/EP2017/055677 EP2017055677W WO2018162077A1 WO 2018162077 A1 WO2018162077 A1 WO 2018162077A1 EP 2017055677 W EP2017055677 W EP 2017055677W WO 2018162077 A1 WO2018162077 A1 WO 2018162077A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cooking
cooking appliance
zone
control unit
zones
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2017/055677
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Mustafa Olcay ALAGOZ
Sadullah UGUR
Ugur Camli
Umut Melih AKTAS
Original Assignee
Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Arcelik Anonim Sirketi filed Critical Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority to PCT/EP2017/055677 priority Critical patent/WO2018162077A1/en
Priority to TR2018/01434A priority patent/TR201801434A2/en
Publication of WO2018162077A1 publication Critical patent/WO2018162077A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/02—Induction heating
    • H05B6/10—Induction heating apparatus, other than furnaces, for specific applications
    • H05B6/12—Cooking devices
    • H05B6/1209—Cooking devices induction cooking plates or the like and devices to be used in combination with them
    • H05B6/1218—Cooking devices induction cooking plates or the like and devices to be used in combination with them with arrangements using lights for heating zone state indication
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B2213/00—Aspects relating both to resistive heating and to induction heating, covered by H05B3/00 and H05B6/00
    • H05B2213/05—Heating plates with pan detection means
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B40/00—Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Definitions

  • An induction cooker generally comprises a glass cooktop which comprises one or more cooking zones each for inductively heating at the selected heating level a ferromagnetic cooking utensil placed thereon; an illumination unit which comprises one or more light sources each disposed within one cooking zone for outputting visible light that indicates the position of that cooking zone on the glass cooktop; a user-interface which typically comprises a set of touch-sensitive buttons for allowing the user to select for each cooking zone the heating level from a range of heating levels; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the illumination unit and the cooking zones, wherein the control unit further comprises a detection means for detecting the presence/absence of a cooking utensil on each cooking zone.
  • US2013/0098901 A1 discloses an induction cooker.
  • An objective of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance which solves the aforementioned problem of the prior art in a cost-effective way and which has an improved operability and usability.
  • control unit is further adapted to control the operation of the illumination unit based on the detection result of the detection means.
  • a light source which is obscured by a cooking utensil that is placed thereon and which, anyhow, cannot be seen by the user, can be turned OFF by virtue of the control unit of the present invention, and thus prevented from being lit under the influence of excessive heat.
  • the light source can be turned ON again when the cooking utensil is removed.
  • a major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the life time of the light sources can be prolonged, and the maintenance costs can be saved by virtue of the control unit.
  • Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the energy consumption of the cooking appliance can be reduced by virtue of the control unit without restricting the usefulness of the illumination unit for the user, and thus the cooking appliance becomes more environmentally-friendly. Thereby, the user satisfaction can be further increased.
  • Figure 1 – is a schematic perspective view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the cooking appliance (1) comprises: a glass cooktop (2) which comprises one or more cooking zones (3) each for inductively heating a cooking utensil (4) placed thereon, wherein glass cooktop (2) has touch-sensitive buttons (not shown) for selecting the cooking zones (3) and the desired level of heating, and wherein each cooking zone (3) has one or ore more induction coils (not shown) under the glass cooktop (2) ; an illumination unit (5) which comprises one or more light sources (6) each disposed within one cooking zone (3) for outputting visible light that indicates the position of that cooking zone (3) on the glass cooktop (2) ; a control unit (7) for controlling the operation of the illumination unit (5) and the cooking zones (3) , wherein the control unit (7) further comprises a detection means (not shown) for detecting the presence/absence of a cooking utensil (4) on each cooking zone (3) (Fig. 1).
  • control unit (7) is further adapted to operate the illumination unit (5) such that the light source (6) within a cooking zone (3) is turned ON again when the detection means detects that the cooking utensil (4) is absent on that cooking zone (3) (Fig. 2).
  • This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the light source (6) which is not obscured by the cooking utensil (4) is turned ON again, and thus the user can easily recognize the position of that cooking zone (3) on the glass cooktop (3) .
  • one or more light sources (6) each comprises one or more LEDs respectively. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the LEDs can emit relatively bright light and are energy-saving.
  • one or more light sources (6) each emits light with a star-shaped pattern (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the cooking zones (3) become more conspicuous to the user.
  • the glass cooktop (2) comprises four cooking zones (3) which are arranged in two rows each having two cooking zones (3) (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).
  • This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the rectangular shaped glass cooktop (3) can be optimally divided into four cooking zones (3) .
  • the detection means comprises one or more optical sensing means, in particular IR sensing means for detecting the cooking utensils (4) in the cooking zones (3) respectively.
  • Other type of sensing means which are known to those skilled in the art can be alternatively used.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance (1) comprising: a glass cooktop (2) comprising one or more cooking zones (3) each for inductively heating a cooking utensil (4) placed thereon; an illumination unit (5) which comprises one or more light sources (6) each disposed within one cooking zone (3) for outputting visible light that indicates the position of that cooking zone (3) on the glass cooktop (2); a control unit (7) for controlling the operation of the illumination unit (5) and the cooking zones (3), wherein the control unit (7) further comprises a detection means for detecting the presence/absence of a cooking utensil (4) on each cooking zone (3).

Description

COOKING APPLIANCE WITH IMPROVED OPERABILITY AND USABILITY
The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, in particular to an induction cooker.
Cooking appliances such as induction cookers are commonly known in the art. An induction cooker generally comprises a glass cooktop which comprises one or more cooking zones each for inductively heating at the selected heating level a ferromagnetic cooking utensil placed thereon; an illumination unit which comprises one or more light sources each disposed within one cooking zone for outputting visible light that indicates the position of that cooking zone on the glass cooktop; a user-interface which typically comprises a set of touch-sensitive buttons for allowing the user to select for each cooking zone the heating level from a range of heating levels; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the illumination unit and the cooking zones, wherein the control unit further comprises a detection means for detecting the presence/absence of a cooking utensil on each cooking zone.
US2013/0098901 A1 discloses an induction cooker.
A problem with the prior art induction cooker is that the light sources within the cooking zones can be easily damaged during operation due to the excessive heat which is generated in the cooking utensil through the electromagnetic induction. In such instances, the life time of the light sources are shortened, and thus the cooking appliance will soon require maintenance which in turn incurs additional costs.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance which solves the aforementioned problem of the prior art in a cost-effective way and which has an improved operability and usability.
This objective has been achieved by the cooking appliance as defined in claim 1. Further achievements have been attained by the subject-matters respectively defined in the dependent claims.
In the cooking appliance of the present invention the control unit is further adapted to control the operation of the illumination unit based on the detection result of the detection means. Thereby, a light source which is obscured by a cooking utensil that is placed thereon and which, anyhow, cannot be seen by the user, can be turned OFF by virtue of the control unit of the present invention, and thus prevented from being lit under the influence of excessive heat. The light source can be turned ON again when the cooking utensil is removed.
A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the life time of the light sources can be prolonged, and the maintenance costs can be saved by virtue of the control unit. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the energy consumption of the cooking appliance can be reduced by virtue of the control unit without restricting the usefulness of the illumination unit for the user, and thus the cooking appliance becomes more environmentally-friendly. Thereby, the user satisfaction can be further increased.
Additional features and additional advantageous effects of the cooking appliance according to the present invention will become more apparent with the detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 – is a schematic perspective view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 – is a schematic top view of the cooking appliance of Fig. 1.
The reference signs appearing on the drawings relate to the following technical features.
  1. Cooking appliance
  2. Glass cooktop
  3. Cooking zone
  4. Cooking utensil
  5. Illumination unit
  6. Light source
  7. Control unit
  8. Casing
The cooking appliance (1) comprises: a glass cooktop (2) which comprises one or more cooking zones (3) each for inductively heating a cooking utensil (4) placed thereon, wherein glass cooktop (2) has touch-sensitive buttons (not shown) for selecting the cooking zones (3) and the desired level of heating, and wherein each cooking zone (3) has one or ore more induction coils (not shown) under the glass cooktop (2); an illumination unit (5) which comprises one or more light sources (6) each disposed within one cooking zone (3) for outputting visible light that indicates the position of that cooking zone (3) on the glass cooktop (2); a control unit (7) for controlling the operation of the illumination unit (5) and the cooking zones (3), wherein the control unit (7) further comprises a detection means (not shown) for detecting the presence/absence of a cooking utensil (4) on each cooking zone (3) (Fig. 1).
In the cooking appliance (1) of the present invention, the control unit (7) is further adapted to control the operation of the illumination unit (5) based on the detection result of the detection means.
In an embodiment, the control unit (7) is further adapted to operate the illumination unit (5) such that the light source (6) within a cooking zone (3) is turned OFF when the detection means detects that a cooking utensil (4) is present on that cooking zone (3) (Fig. 1). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the light source (6) which is obscured by the cooking utensil (3) placed thereon and which, anyhow, cannot be seen by the user is turned OFF, and thus prevented from being lit under the influence of excessive heat.
In another embodiment, the control unit (7) is further adapted to operate the illumination unit (5) such that the light source (6) within a cooking zone (3) is turned ON again when the detection means detects that the cooking utensil (4) is absent on that cooking zone (3) (Fig. 2). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the light source (6) which is not obscured by the cooking utensil (4) is turned ON again, and thus the user can easily recognize the position of that cooking zone (3) on the glass cooktop (3).
In another embodiment, the light sources (6) are arranged at the centers of the cooking zones (3) respectively (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the user can easily center the cooking utensil (3) onto the desired cooking zone (3).
In another embodiment, one or more light sources (6) each comprises one or more LEDs respectively. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the LEDs can emit relatively bright light and are energy-saving.
In another embodiment, one or more light sources (6) each emits light with a star-shaped pattern (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the cooking zones (3) become more conspicuous to the user.
In another embodiment, the glass cooktop (2) comprises four cooking zones (3) which are arranged in two rows each having two cooking zones (3) (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the rectangular shaped glass cooktop (3) can be optimally divided into four cooking zones (3).
In another embodiment, the light sources (6) are disposed under the glass cooktop (2). In a version of this embodiment, the light sources (6) are disposed into the centers of the induction coils. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the light sources (6) can be easily assembled and aligned with the cooking zone (3).
In another embodiment, the casing (8) of the cooking appliance (1) is adapted for installation onto the worktop in the kitchen (Fig. 1). This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the cooking appliance (1) can be easily installed by the user.
In other alternative embodiments, the cooking appliance (1) is provided as a free-standing type or a built-in type appliance.
In another embodiment, the detection means comprises one or more optical sensing means, in particular IR sensing means for detecting the cooking utensils (4) in the cooking zones (3) respectively. Other type of sensing means which are known to those skilled in the art can be alternatively used.
A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the life time of the light sources (6) can be prolonged, and the maintenance costs can be saved by virtue of the control unit (7). Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the energy consumption of the cooking appliance (1) can be reduced by virtue of the control unit (7) without restricting the usefulness of the illumination unit (5) for the user, and thus the cooking appliance (1) becomes more environmentally-friendly. Thereby, the user satisfaction can be further increased. Other advantageous effects of the present invention can be taken from the above-described embodiments.

Claims (10)

  1. A cooking appliance (1) comprising:
    - a glass cooktop (2) comprising one or more cooking zones (3) each for inductively heating a cooking utensil (4) placed thereon;
    - an illumination unit (5) which comprises one or more light sources (6) each disposed within one cooking zone (3) for outputting visible light that indicates the position of that cooking zone (3) on the glass cooktop (2);
    - a control unit (7) for controlling the operation of the illumination unit (5) and the cooking zones (3), wherein the control unit (7) further comprises a detection means for detecting the presence/absence of a cooking utensil (4) on each cooking zone (3),
    characterized in that the control unit (7) is further adapted to control the operation of the illumination unit (5) based on the detection result of the detection means.
  2. The cooking appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (7) is further adapted to operate the illumination unit (5) such that the light source (6) within a cooking zone (3) is turned OFF when the detection means detects that a cooking utensil (4) is present on that cooking zone (3).
  3. The cooking appliance (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit (7) is further adapted to operate the illumination unit (5) such that the light source (6) within that cooking zone (3) is turned ON again when the detection means detects that the cooking utensil (4) is absent on that cooking zone (3).
  4. The cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the light sources (6) are arranged at the centers of the cooking zones (3) respectively.
  5. The cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that one or more light sources (6) each comprises one or more LEDs respectively.
  6. The cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that one or more light sources (6) each emit light with a star-shaped pattern.
  7. The cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the glass cooktop (2) comprises four cooking zones (3) arranged in two rows each having two cooking zones (3).
  8. The cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the light sources (6) are disposed under the glass cooktop (2).
  9. The cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by further comprising a casing (8) which is adapted for installation onto the worktop in the kitchen.
  10. The cooking appliance (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the detection means comprises one or more optical sensing means for detecting the cooking utensils (4) in the cooking zones (3) respectively.
PCT/EP2017/055677 2017-03-10 2017-03-10 Cooking appliance with improved operability and usability WO2018162077A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2017/055677 WO2018162077A1 (en) 2017-03-10 2017-03-10 Cooking appliance with improved operability and usability
TR2018/01434A TR201801434A2 (en) 2017-03-10 2018-02-01 COOKING DEVICE WITH IMPROVED OPERATION AND AVAILABILITY

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2017/055677 WO2018162077A1 (en) 2017-03-10 2017-03-10 Cooking appliance with improved operability and usability

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2018162077A1 true WO2018162077A1 (en) 2018-09-13

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ID=58410259

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2017/055677 WO2018162077A1 (en) 2017-03-10 2017-03-10 Cooking appliance with improved operability and usability

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TR (1) TR201801434A2 (en)
WO (1) WO2018162077A1 (en)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6140617A (en) * 1999-10-22 2000-10-31 General Electric Company Cooktop control and monitoring system including detecting properties of a utensil through a solid-surface cooktop
EP2104399A1 (en) * 2007-01-16 2009-09-23 Panasonic Corporation Induction heating device
EP2405713A1 (en) * 2010-07-09 2012-01-11 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. An induction cooking hob with illumination equipment
US20120138590A1 (en) * 2010-12-04 2012-06-07 Brosnan Daniel V Lighting system for use with a cooktop appliance and method for assembling the same

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6140617A (en) * 1999-10-22 2000-10-31 General Electric Company Cooktop control and monitoring system including detecting properties of a utensil through a solid-surface cooktop
EP2104399A1 (en) * 2007-01-16 2009-09-23 Panasonic Corporation Induction heating device
EP2405713A1 (en) * 2010-07-09 2012-01-11 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. An induction cooking hob with illumination equipment
US20130098901A1 (en) 2010-07-09 2013-04-25 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Induction cooking hob with illumination equipment
US20120138590A1 (en) * 2010-12-04 2012-06-07 Brosnan Daniel V Lighting system for use with a cooktop appliance and method for assembling the same

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Publication number Publication date
TR201801434A2 (en) 2018-09-21

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