Induction heating cooker

Abstract

An induction heating cooker can improve operability. This induction heating cooker is provided with: a first heating unit having a first coil unit and a second coil unit; a first operation unit that receives a user operation relating to the first heating unit; a control unit that controls the heating operation of the first heating unit; and a power switch. The induction heating cooker is configured in such a manner that the control unit heats one object to be heated by either a heating operation in which the high-frequency current flows simultaneously through the first and second coil units or a heating operation in which the high-frequency current selectively flows through one of the first and second coil units. The control unit is capable of operating in one mode selected from a plurality of modes having different initial operations after the power supply is turned on. The automatic selection mode among the plurality of modes is a mode in which, after the power supply is turned on, when the control unit selects at least one of the first and second coil units in advance and the first operation unit accepts one operation of the heating start key, the control unit performs control so that the high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the first heating unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an induction heating cooker. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an induction heating cooker which includes a plurality of heating coils and on which a cooking vessel can be placed across the plurality of heating coils.

[0003] For example, the induction heating cooker described in Patent Document 1 has two or more heating coils, and can use the heating coils to heat the object to be heated. After the induction heating cooker is powered on, the peripheries of the plurality of heating parts are sequentially illuminated. Thus, the user can identify the type (size and position) of the heating part before heating.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-218106 Summary of the invention

[0007] When multiple heating units, i.e., multiple heating areas, can be selected, the user needs to select the heating area to be used and start heating. That is, if the user does not perform multiple operations after the power is turned on, the heating operation cannot be started. This may be complicated for the user, and the induction heating cooker of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of operability.

[0008] One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide an induction heating cooker with improved operability.

[0009] The induction heating cooker of one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a first heating unit having a first coil unit and a second coil unit; a top plate covering the first heating unit; a first operating unit accepting user operations related to the first heating unit; a control unit controlling the heating operation of the first heating unit; and a power switch turning on the power. The control unit is configured to heat a heated object by either a heating operation of causing a high-frequency current to flow through the first coil unit and the second coil unit at the same time, or a heating operation of causing a high-frequency current to flow through one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit selectively. The first operating unit has a heating start key for starting to heat the heated object using the first heating unit. The control unit can operate in a mode selected from a plurality of modes having different initial operations after the power is turned on. The automatic selection mode among the plurality of modes is a mode in which, after the power is turned on, when the control unit preselects at least one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit, and the first operating unit accepts a single operation of the heating start key, the control unit controls in such a way that a high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the first heating unit.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an induction heating cooker with improved operability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a schematic perspective view of an example of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2 The diagram shows the details and connection relationship of the heating units 4A, 4B, 4C, the operation panel 7, the display panel 8, and the control unit 10.

[0013] Figure 3 The diagram schematically shows that the left IH control unit 10A, the rear IH control unit 10B, and the right IH control unit 10C control the left IH heating unit 4A, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the right IH heating unit 4C, respectively.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab constituting the left IH heating section 4A.

[0015] Figure 5 It is a schematic enlarged view of the coil member 5 constituting the coil unit 4A and the coil unit 4C.

[0016] Figure 6 It is a diagram schematically showing an example of the heating operation of the left IH heating unit 4A.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a diagram schematically showing another example of the heating operation of the left IH heating unit 4A.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a diagram schematically showing the induction heating cooker 1 immediately after power is turned on, when the automatic selection mode is set for the heating units 4A to 4C.

[0019] Fig. 9 This is an enlarged view of the operation panel 7 and the display panel 8 immediately after the power key 7D is pressed.

[0020] Fig.10 It is a diagram showing the arrangement relationship between the left IH heating unit 4A and the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0021] Fig.11 This is a diagram schematically showing the induction heating cooker 1 immediately after power is turned on, when the non-selection mode is set for the heating units 4A to 4C.

[0022] Fig.12 It is an enlarged view of the operation panel 7 and the display panel 8 in the non-selection mode.

[0023] Fig.13A 1 and 2 are diagrams showing transitions in the display of the status indicator when the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed.

[0024] Fig. 13B It is a diagram showing the transition of the display of the selection indicator corresponding to the pressing of the zone switching key 7A-1 when the rear IH heating unit 4B performs the heating operation.

[0025] Fig.14 1 is a diagram showing a display example of the left display panel 8A showing the selection state of the coil unit of the left IH heating section 4A.

[0026] Fig.15 4 is a diagram showing a display example of the left display panel 8A after the front coil unit 4Af is selected.

[0027] Fig.16 1 is a diagram showing a display example of the rear display panel 8B when the use of the rear IH heating unit 4B is prohibited.

[0028] Fig.17 This is a diagram showing an example in which the rear display panel 8B-1 displays that the rear IH heating unit 4B cannot be selected.

[0029] Fig.18A Flow chart of the operation steps of the induction heating cooker 1 having three heating units 4A to 4C

[0030] Fig.18B Then Fig.18A A flowchart showing the operation procedure of the induction heating cooker 1 corresponding to the selected coil unit or heating portion.

[0031] Description of Reference Numerals

[0032] 1: Induction heating cooker; 2: Top plate; 4A: Left IH heating section; 4Af: Front coil unit; 4Ab: Back coil unit; 4B: Back IH heating section; 4C: Right IH heating section; 4Cf: Front coil unit; 4Cb: Back coil unit; 5: Coil member; 7: Operation panel; 7A: Left operation panel; 7B: Back operation panel; 7C: Right operation panel; 8: Display panel; 8A: Left display panel; 8B: Back display panel; 8C: Right display panel; 10: Control section; 10A: Left IH control section; 10B: Back IH control section; 10C: Right IH control section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Generally, an induction heating cooker has a circular heating portion. Such a heating portion is suitable for heating a circular pot. However, in recent years, non-circular pots have become increasingly popular, and it is also required to be able to heat such pots.

[0034] The inventors (et al.) have developed an induction heating cooker having a heating portion of an elongated structure so as to be able to heat a non-circular pot. The elongated heating portion is suitable for heating pots of various shapes, such as a non-circular pot. However, in the case of heating a circular pot, the induction heating cooker can only perform heating action in a part of the elongated heating area, and heat in a roughly circular shape. That is, the induction heating cooker has a plurality of selectable heating areas in one heating portion.

[0035] When using such an induction heating cooker with multiple heating areas to heat an object to be heated, the user needs to select a heating area to start the heating operation. The inventors of the present invention consider that if there is an action mode that can omit the selection of the heating area, the number of operations from power-on to the start of heating can be reduced, and operability and convenience can be improved. On the other hand, there may be a certain number of users who are accustomed to the selection of the heating area. Therefore, it is also considered that there is room for the user to select an action mode that can select the heating area, just like the previous induction heating cookers.

[0036] Therefore, the inventors (etc.) have provided a plurality of modes with different initial actions after power is turned on for an induction heating cooker having a heating unit with a plurality of selectable coil units. As one of the plurality of modes, the following mode is provided: after power is turned on, any coil unit is pre-selected, and heating can be started when a heating start operation is performed in this state. In addition, in this specification, "starting heating" means actually performing heating with a temperature rise of the heated object by starting the supply of high-frequency current.

[0037] It is also possible to imagine an induction heating cooker having not only one heating unit having a plurality of selectable coil units but also a plurality of heating units. With respect to such an induction heating cooker, it is possible to select whether to apply the above-mentioned mode for each heating unit. In addition to such a heating unit, a heating unit having only a single coil unit may also coexist. In this case, after the power is turned on, the user can select whether the heating unit should be in a pre-selected state.

[0038] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the structure described below is only an example of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. The technology in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and even outside of these embodiments, various changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. can be made according to the design, etc., as long as they do not depart from the scope of the technical ideas involved in the present disclosure.

[0039] The present disclosure is fully described in association with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but various deformations and modifications are obvious to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that such deformations and modifications are included in the scope of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure according to the attached technical solutions.

[0040] (Implementation Method)

[0041] [Structure of induction heating cooker]

[0042] Figure 1 A schematic three-dimensional diagram showing an example of an induction heating cooker 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, the XYZ coordinate system shown in the figure is recorded to help understand the invention and is not intended to limit the invention. The X-axis direction represents the left-right direction. The Y-axis direction represents the depth direction. The Z-axis direction represents the vertical direction.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the induction heating cooker 1 is a cooker that induction heats a cooking container C that accommodates a cooking object T. The cooking container C is described as an example of an object to be induction heated by the induction heating cooker 1. The object to be heated is not limited to the cooking container C, and any object to be induction heated may be used.

[0044] Induction heating is achieved by supplying a high-frequency current to the coil of the heating unit. More specifically, when an inverter circuit (not shown) causes a high-frequency current to flow through the coil of the heating unit, magnetic lines of force are generated. When the magnetic lines of force pass through the metal pot, eddy currents are generated. When the eddy currents flow through the bottom of the pot, the pot is heated by the resistance of the pot. In this way, the pot can be heated.

[0045] The induction heating cooker 1 includes: a top plate 2 on which a cooking container C is placed, which is made of, for example, heat-resistant glass; and a housing 3 mounted on the lower surface of the top plate 2. The induction heating cooker 1 includes a plurality of heating units 4A, 4B, 4C, an operation panel 7, a display panel 8, and a control unit 10 in the housing 3. The top plate 2 is arranged so as to cover the plurality of heating units 4A, 4B, 4C. The plurality of heating units 4A, 4B, 4C are respectively arranged below the top plate 2, and perform induction heating on the cooking container C placed on the opposite portion of the top plate 2. That is, the plurality of heating units 4A, 4B, 4C each include an induction heating coil unit. The heating unit 4A and the heating unit 4C include a plurality of coils. The details of the structures of the heating unit 4A and the heating unit 4C will be described later. On the other hand, the heating unit 4B may be composed of one coil or a plurality of coils. In addition, an example in which the induction heating cooker 1 includes three heating units is described, but the induction heating cooker of the present disclosure only needs to have, for example, at least one heating unit 4A. In addition to the heating portion 4A, there is arbitrarily a heating portion 4B and / or a heating portion 4C.

[0046] The control unit 10 is, for example, a computer, and includes a calculation circuit and a storage device (not shown). The control unit 10 can control the plurality of heating units 4A, 4B, and 4C.

[0047] The calculation circuit controls the overall operation of the induction heating cooker 1. The calculation circuit may be a system in which hardware resources and software cooperate to realize a predetermined function, or a system in which a specially designed hardware circuit is used to realize a predetermined function.

[0048] As an example of the former, the operation circuit includes a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or MPU that implements a specified process or function by executing a program. The operation circuit is configured to be able to communicate with a storage device. The operation circuit implements various functions in the control unit 10 by reading and executing an operation program stored in the storage device. As an example of the latter, the operation circuit includes an FPGA and an ASIC. As can be seen from the above, the operation circuit can be implemented using semiconductor integrated circuits such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, an FPGA, a DSP, and an ASIC.

[0049] The storage device is a storage medium capable of storing various information. The information includes programs and data. For example, the storage device stores operation programs for realizing various functions of the present embodiment. The storage device is implemented, for example, by a volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a DRAM, SRAM or flash memory, SSD, HDD or other storage device, or a suitable combination thereof. For example, the operation circuit can use the program or data stored in the storage device to set and read the selection state of multiple heating areas described later and execute multiple action modes.

[0050] The operation panel 7 receives user operations related to the heating operation of the heating units 4A, 4B, and 4C. The operation panel 7 is an example of an input interface device. The operation panel 7 is electrically connected to the control unit 10. The user can operate the operation panel 7 to operate the heating units 4A, 4B, and 4C through the control unit 10.

[0051] The display panel 8 displays information related to the heating units 4A, 4B, 4C and / or the operation panel 7. The display panel 8 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel that can display text, graphics, etc. The user can understand the setting state and operation state of each heating unit 4A, 4B, 4C based on the information displayed on the operation panel 7.

[0052] Figure 2 The details and connection relationship of the heating units 4A, 4B, 4C, the operation panel 7, the display panel 8, and the control unit 10 are shown.

[0053] like Figure 2As shown, when describing including positions, for example, the heating units 4A, 4B, and 4C are described as "left IH heating unit 4A", "rear IH heating unit 4B", and "right IH heating unit 4C", respectively. In the present embodiment, the operation panel 7, the display panel 8, and the control unit 10 are provided in a manner corresponding to the left IH heating unit 4A, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the right IH heating unit 4C, respectively. For example, the operation panel 7 includes a left operation panel 7A, a rear operation panel 7B, and a right operation panel 7C in a manner corresponding to the left IH heating unit 4A, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the right IH heating unit 4C, respectively. Similarly, the display panel 8 also includes a left display panel 8A, a rear display panel 8B, and a right display panel 8C, and the control unit 10 also includes a left IH control unit 10A, a rear IH control unit 10B, and a right IH control unit 10C.

[0054] For example, the left operation panel 7A receives user operations related to the heating operation of the left IH heating unit 4A. The left display panel 8A displays information related to the left IH heating unit 4A and / or the left operation panel 7A.

[0055] Figure 3 The schematic diagram shows that the left IH control unit 10A, the rear IH control unit 10B, and the right IH control unit 10C control the left IH heating unit 4A, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the right IH heating unit 4C, respectively. For easy understanding, the control unit 10 is described as having three controllers 10A to 10C, but the operation of each controller 10A to 10C can also be realized by one, two, or more than four operation circuits. For example, when the operation of each controller 10A to 10C is realized by one operation circuit, the operation circuit can execute the operation of each controller 10A to 10C in parallel through a program.

[0056] Next, the description will be given with focus on the left IH heating unit 4A and the right IH heating unit 4C.

[0057] The left IH heating unit 4A includes a front coil unit 4Af and a back coil unit 4Ab, and the right IH heating unit 4C includes a front coil unit 4Cf and a back coil unit 4Cb.

[0058] Figure 4 The front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab constituting the left IH heating section 4A are shown. Figure 4 The same is true for the front coil unit 4Cf and the back coil unit 4Cb constituting the right IH heating unit 4C. At least a portion (in this embodiment, the front side) of the rear IH heating unit 4B is disposed between the back coil unit 4Ab and the back coil unit 4Cb in the X-axis direction.

[0059] The front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are each composed of a plurality of coil members 5. More specifically, the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are each composed of six coil members 5 arranged radially adjacent to each other in a plan view. In this specification, "plan view" means viewing from the vertical direction, that is, the Z-axis direction.

[0060] The area heated by the front coil unit 4Af is an area having a center C1 when viewed from above. The area heated by the back coil unit 4Ab is an area having a center C2 when viewed from above. When viewed from above, the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab have circular shapes, so the heated areas are also approximately circular.

[0061] In the present embodiment, the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab share two coil components 5a and 5b. That is, the area heated by the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab overlaps at the positions of the coil components 5a and 5b. By overlapping, the size of the heated area in the depth direction (Y-axis direction) can be shortened to achieve space saving. In the case where no overlap is provided, on the contrary, the heated area can be expanded corresponding to the area heated by the coil components 5a and 5b.

[0062] The length of the maximum bottom surface of the object to be heated, which is usually determined for either the front coil unit 4Af or the back coil unit 4Ab, is assumed in the design. The heated area may be the area where the cooking container C is arranged as shown on the upper surface of the top plate 2 when viewed from above. Alternatively, it may be an area smaller than the area where the cooking container C can be arranged as shown on the upper surface of the top plate 2 when viewed from above.

[0063] Figure 5 It is a schematic enlarged view of coil member 5 constituting coil unit 4A and coil unit 4C.

[0064] like Figure 5 As shown, the first coil component 5 has a coil component body 11, an outer lead wire 12 and an inner lead wire 13. In this way, the first coil component 5 has two ends. The two ends include a first end 14 corresponding to the inner lead wire 13 and a second end 15 corresponding to the outer lead wire 12. The first coil component 5 has a coil wire wound multiple times. The coil wire has a first end 14 and a second end 15. The first end 14 and the second end 15 are connected to an inverter circuit not shown.

[0065] The coil member body 11 is a part formed by winding the coil wire. The coil member body 11 has a frame shape when viewed from above. In the present embodiment, the coil member body 11 has a fan shape when viewed from above. In addition, the shape of the coil member body 11 is not limited to a fan shape, and may have any shape.

[0066] The outer lead wires 12 are lead wires led out from the outside of the coil element main body 11 .

[0067] The inner lead wires 13 are lead wires led out from the inner side of the coil element main body 11 .

[0068] In the present embodiment, the first coil member 5 is formed of a single coil wire. The coil wire is an example of an electric wire. The coil wire is formed of, for example, a conductive material.

[0069] [Heating operation of induction heating cooker]

[0070] Next, the basic operation of the induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure will be described.

[0071] First, the heating operation will be described. Next, the heating operation of the left IH heating unit 4A will be described. The same is true for the right IH heating unit 4C, so the description will be omitted.

[0072] The left IH control unit 10A can make the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab operate independently. "Independently" means that high-frequency current can flow independently through the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. The left IH control unit 10A restricts different high-frequency currents from flowing simultaneously through the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. That is, when high-frequency currents flow simultaneously through the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab, their frequencies are the same.

[0073] Figure 6 An example of the heating operation of the left IH heating unit 4A is schematically shown. The left IH control unit 10A allows a high-frequency current to flow through the front coil unit 4Af and does not allow a high-frequency current to flow through the back coil unit 4Ab. Thus, the left IH control unit 10A can heat only the object to be heated placed above the front coil unit 4Af.

[0074] Figure 7 Another example of the heating operation of the left IH heating unit 4A is schematically shown. The left IH control unit 10A allows high-frequency current to flow through the back coil unit 4Ab and does not allow high-frequency current to flow through the front coil unit 4Af. Thus, the left IH control unit 10A can heat only the object to be heated placed above the back coil unit 4Ab.

[0075] Furthermore, the left IH heating unit 4A can also allow high-frequency current to flow through both the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab at the same time. Figure 4 The entire left IH heating unit 4A shown in FIG. 1 can heat the object to be heated located above it. Figure 4 It can be seen that an elliptical or rectangular object to be heated can be heated.

[0076] In addition, regarding the rear IH heating unit 4B, the heating operation can be switched on and off by whether or not a high-frequency current flows.

[0077] [Operation mode of the induction heating cooker during initial operation]

[0078] Next, an operation mode applied to the induction heating cooker 1 at the time of initial operation will be described. The time of initial operation refers to immediately after the power is turned on.

[0079] The induction heating cooker 1 of this embodiment has a plurality of modes that can be applied during initial operation. In this embodiment, modes can be set independently for the left IH heating unit 4A, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the right IH heating unit 4C. However, a mode common to all heating units may also be used.

[0080] In this embodiment, one of the plurality of modes is the automatic selection mode, and another one is the non-selection mode.

[0081] Figure 8 The induction heating cooker 1 is schematically shown immediately after power is turned on when the automatic selection mode is set for the heating units 4A to 4C. As described above, it is not necessary for all the heating units 4A to 4C to operate in the automatic selection mode.

[0082] exist Figure 8 In the automatic selection mode shown, the front coil unit 4Af of the left IH heating unit 4A, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the front coil unit 4Cf of the right IH heating unit 4C are preselected. For ease of understanding, the selected coil units and heating units are indicated by thick solid lines.

[0083] Fig. 9 This is an enlarged view of the operation panel 7 and the display panel 8 immediately after the power key 7D is pressed. The left display panel 8A-2, the rear display panel 8B-2, and the right display panel 8C-2 are lit, and "Menu" for selecting a menu and "Start" for starting heating are displayed for the heating units 4A to 4C, respectively.

[0084] In addition, Fig. 9 In the figure, a state indicator 8A-3 indicating the selection state of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab of the heating section 4A is displayed. Fig. 9 In the display panel 8C, the indicator f indicating that the front coil unit 4Af has been selected is displayed with "■". In addition, the right display panel 8C corresponding to the heating unit 4C is also provided with a state indicator indicating the selection state of the front coil unit 4Cf and the back coil unit 4Cb of the heating unit 4C, and the indicator f indicating that the front coil unit 4Cf has been selected is displayed with "■". The indicator is an example of information indicating the selected coil unit.

[0085] In addition, in this specification, the induction heating cooker 1 is capable of setting and reading the selection state of the heating area. The "heating area" mentioned here refers to the entirety or part of the left IH heating unit 4A, the entirety of the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the entirety or part of the right IH heating unit 4C. For example, the entirety of the left IH heating unit 4A refers to both the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. A part of the left IH heating unit 4A refers to the front coil unit 4Af or the back coil unit 4Ab. Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the indicator f is displayed with “■”, it indicates that the front coil unit 4Af is in a selected state (selected state). The automatic selection mode and the non-selection mode are each one of the operation modes of the induction heating cooker 1. The operation mode refers to a changeable operation method or mode of the induction heating cooker 1. In addition to the automatic selection mode and the non-selection mode applied in the initial operation, there may be an operation method or mode applied in an operation other than the initial operation.

[0086] In the present embodiment, no clear indicator such as the indicator f is provided for the rear IH heating unit 4B. However, since the rear display panel 8B-2 is lit and displays items such as "menu", the user can visually confirm that the rear IH heating unit 4B has been selected. Therefore, the display state itself can be an example of information indicating the selected coil unit.

[0087] In the selected state shown in the figure, for example, when the left operating panel 7A receives a single operation of the heating start key 7A-2 from the user, such as pressing it, the control unit 10 controls in such a way that a high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit. Thus, the pot placed above the selected front coil unit 4Af begins to be heated. Since the front coil unit 4Af is selected in advance, the user does not need to select the coil unit every time, and the heating can be started by a single operation of the heating start key. Thus, the operability and convenience of the user can be improved. The same applies to the operation of the rear display panel 8B and the right display panel 8C.

[0088] Apart from Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 In addition to the example of, for example, for the left IH heating unit 4A, only the back coil unit 4Ab may be pre-selected, or both the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab may be pre-selected. The same is true for the right IH heating unit 4C. In either case, the user does not need to select the coil unit each time, and can start heating by a single operation of the heating start key.

[0089] The three heating units 4A to 4C can perform heating operations independently. However, in the present embodiment, certain restrictions are set for the simultaneous operation of the left IH heating unit 4A and the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the simultaneous operation of the rear IH heating unit 4B and the right IH heating unit 4C. Specifically, the restriction is that the heating of the inner coil unit 4Ab of the left IH heating unit 4A and the heating of the rear IH heating unit 4B are not performed simultaneously. "Heating of the inner coil unit 4Ab" includes heating using only the inner coil unit 4Ab, and heating using both the front coil unit 4Af and the inner coil unit 4Ab.

[0090] According to the conventional induction heating cooker, the front coil unit 4Af and the rear IH heating unit 4B can be arranged at a distance corresponding to the distance between them. Fig.10 As shown, the distance d1 between the center C1 of the front coil unit Af and the center C3 of the rear IH heating section 4B can be spaced by about 200 mm. The diameter of the pot bottom is mostly 180 mm or more, so by spacing the distance d1 by more than 200 mm, the space for placing the pot on both the front coil unit Af and the rear IH heating section 4B is ensured. However, the induction heating cooker of this embodiment can heat an elliptical or rectangular object to be heated, so the left IH heating section 4A extends along the Y-axis direction (above the paper). In particular, the distance d2 between the center C2 of the inner coil unit 4Ab and the center C3 of the rear IH heating section 4B is relatively narrowed. For example, in this embodiment, the distance d2 is less than 200 mm, specifically 155 mm.

[0091] As a result, the space for placing the pans in the back coil unit 4Ab and the rear IH heating unit 4B is insufficient. Alternatively, each pan cannot be placed in the center of each heating area, which is a major cause of stress for the user and makes it difficult to heat evenly.

[0092] Next, refer to Figures 11 to 13B , the non-selection mode is explained.

[0093] Fig.11 The induction heating cooker 1 is schematically shown after the power is turned on when the non-selection mode is set for the heating units 4A to 4C. In the non-selection mode, after the power is turned on, the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are both in a non-selected state. Since no heating unit 4A to 4C is selected, the left display panel 8A-2, the rear display panel 8B-2, and the right display panel 8C-2 are not displayed. Fig. 9 The words "heating" etc. are shown. As described above, it is not necessary for all the heating units 4A to 4C to operate in the non-selection mode.

[0094] Fig.12It is an enlarged view of the operation panel 7 and the display panel 8 in the non-selection mode.

[0095] The display panel 8 shows three That is, for the selection indicators 8A-1, 8B-1 and 8C-1 of the heating units 4A to 4C, respectively. The user can select the corresponding heating unit 4A to 4C by pressing any one of the area switching keys 7A-1, 7B-1 and 7C-1 corresponding to the selection indicators 8A-1, 8B-1 and 8C-1. By providing the area switching keys 7A-1, 7B-1 and 7C-1 for switching selection / non-selection, the user can easily select the coil unit / heating unit, and the convenience is improved. As described later, for the area switching keys 7A-1 and 7C-1, the front coil unit and / or the back coil unit can also be selected, which can make the selection easier.

[0096] First, the description will focus on the left operation panel 7A and the left display panel 8A related to the operation and display corresponding to the left IH heating unit 4A. The user operates the area switching key 7A-1 of the left operation panel 7A to select the front coil unit 4Af and / or the back coil unit 4Ab. Afterwards, when the left operation panel 7A receives an operation of the heating start key 7A-2 from the user, the control unit 10 controls so that a high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit. The same is true for the right operation panel 7C and the right display panel 8C related to the operation and display corresponding to the right IH heating unit 4C.

[0097] Fig.13A The transition of the display of the status indicator when the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed is shown. Fig.13A (a) indicates the initial state in which the selection indicator 8A-1 is lit just after the power switch 7D is pressed, and (b) indicates the state in which the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed once and the indicator f is lit. As described above, the lighting of the indicator f indicates that the front coil unit 4Af of the left IH heating unit 4A is selected. At this time, the indicator b is off. The lighting and extinguishing of the indicator b respectively indicate that the back coil unit 4Ab is selected and the back coil unit 4Ab is not selected. At this time, with respect to the left IH heating unit 4A, Fig. 9 The selection states shown are the same.

[0098] Fig.13A (c) shows that the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed once more, and both the indicator f and the indicator b are lit. At this time, both the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are selected.

[0099] and then, Fig.13A(d) indicates that the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed once more, the indicator f turns off and the indicator b turns on. At this time, it indicates that the front coil unit 4Af is not selected and only the back coil unit 4Ab is selected.

[0100] After that, when the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed once more, the Fig.13A The initial state of (a). Whenever the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed, Fig.13A As shown in (a) to (d) of FIG. 1 , the selection indicator f and the selection indicator b are switched on and off.

[0101] If in Fig.13A In the state (b), if the heating start key 7A-2 on the left operation panel 7A corresponding to "start" of heating is pressed, the heating operation starts only by the front coil unit 4Af. Fig.13A When the heating start key 7A-2 is pressed in the state (c), the heating operation starts with the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. Fig.13A When the heating start key 7A-2 is pressed in the state (d), the heating operation is started using only the back coil unit 4Ab.

[0102] The above-mentioned transition is also applied to the right operation panel 7C and the right display panel 8C corresponding to the heating portion 4C.

[0103] Refer again Fig.12 Next, the rear operation panel 7B and the rear display panel 8B related to the operation and display corresponding to the rear IH heating unit 4B are described. The selection indicator 8B-1 described above is displayed on the rear display panel 8B-2 as The user operates the area switching key 7B-1 on the left operation panel 7B to select the rear IH heating unit 4B. At this time, the rear IH heating unit 4B is connected to the Fig. 9 The selection states shown are the same.

[0104] Thereafter, when the rear operation panel 7B receives a single operation of the heating start key 7B-2 from the user, the control unit 10 performs control so that a high-frequency current flows through the coil of the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0105] For users who are accustomed to the operation method of selecting a heating unit to be used from a plurality of heating units, the non-selection mode allows the induction heating cooker 1 to be used without changing the operability, thereby maintaining convenience.

[0106] Regarding the application of the automatic selection mode or the non-selection mode at the initial operation, the user can select a setting item that can perform such setting from the menu items of the display unit and explicitly select any one. Alternatively, the automatic selection mode may be automatically adopted when the user selects a certain heating unit in advance.

[0107] In addition, similarly to the case where the automatic selection mode is applied, in the present embodiment, in the non-selection mode, it is restricted so that the heating of the back coil unit 4Ab of the left IH heating section 4A and the heating of the rear IH heating section 4B are not performed simultaneously.

[0108] For example, when the rear IH heating section 4B performs a heating operation, the rear coil unit 4Ab cannot be selected. Fig. 13B The figure shows the transition of the display of the selection indicator corresponding to the pressing of the area switching key 7A-1 when the rear IH heating unit 4B performs the heating operation. Even if the area switching key 7A-1 is pressed multiple times, the selection indicator b is not displayed.

[0109] As described above, the user can judge which heating unit 4A to 4C is selected and which of the front / rear / overall coil units is selected for the heating units 4A and 4C through the display on the display panel 8. Next, a modified example of the display related to the display panel 8 for notifying the user of the selection state is described. Next, the left operation panel 7A and the left display panel 8A related to the operation and display corresponding to the left IH heating unit 4A are also exemplified.

[0110] Fig.14 This is a display example of the left display panel 8A showing the selection state of the coil unit of the left IH heating section 4A.

[0111] The left operation panel 7A includes a time key 7A-3, a reverse feed key 7A-4, and a forward feed key 7A-5 in addition to the zone switching key 7A-1 and the heating start key 7A-2.

[0112] The area switching key 7A-1 is used to switch to a mode for selecting a coil unit that can be heated in the left IH heating unit 4A. The time key 7A-3, the reverse feed key 7A-4, and the forward feed key 7A-5 function as multi-function switches to which various functions are assigned according to the situation. The operation panel 7 including the left operation panel 7A may be a mechanical push button switch or a touch switch including an electrostatic capacitance switch.

[0113] In this example, the left display panel 8A-2 displays information indicating selectable coil units of the left IH heating unit 4A in the left-right direction (X direction). The "information" mentioned here is, for example, text, symbols, and graphics. Fig.14 In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the 4 icons are displayed directly in the left and right directions.

[0114] The left display panel 8A-2 has four areas 8Aa to 8Ad. An icon representing the front coil unit 4Af is displayed in area 8Aa. An icon representing the back coil unit 4Ab is displayed in area 8Ab. Icons representing both the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are displayed in area 8Ac. An icon indicating that any coil unit is in a non-selected state is displayed in area 8Ad. The icon in area 8Ad is not required and may be a text indicating that it is not selected.

[0115] The keys of the left operation panel 7A corresponding to each area of ​​the left display panel 8A-2 are used to determine the selection state displayed in each area. For example, when the user wants to select the front coil unit 4Af, the user operates the time key 7A-3 corresponding to the area 8Aa displaying the icon representing the front coil unit 4Af. If the left operation panel 7A accepts the operation of the time key 7A-3, the control unit 10 selects the front coil unit 4Af of the left IH heating unit 4A.

[0116] Fig.15 This is a display example of the left display panel 8A after the front coil unit 4Af is selected. The selection indicator f is lit, indicating that the Fig.14 The area 8Aa corresponds to the front coil unit 4Af. Fig.15 When the heating start key 7A-2 on the left operation panel 7A corresponding to "start" of heating is pressed in the state, the heating operation is started only by the front coil unit 4Af.

[0117] Next, the rear operation panel 7B and the rear display panel 8B related to the operation and display corresponding to the rear IH heating unit 4B are exemplified. In addition, when the rear IH heating unit 4B can be selected, for example, the display Fig.12 The following is a description of a display example in which the selection of the rear IH heating unit 4B is prohibited. As described above, when the left IH heating unit 4A or the right IH heating unit 4C starts heating, the control unit 10 prohibits the selection of the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0118] Fig.16 The rear display panel 8B is shown as an example of a display when the use of the rear IH heating unit 4B is prohibited. Fig.12 Zhongyou The display of the selection indicator 8B-1 indicated by 8B-1 is turned off. Fig.16 The dashed line Indicates the condition of being off.

[0119] exist Fig.16In the state shown, even if the user operates the zone switching key 7B-1, the control unit 10 does not allow the rear IH heating unit 4B to be selected. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may display a message on the rear display panel 8B to inform the user that the rear IH heating unit 4B cannot be selected.

[0120] Fig.17 This is an example in which the rear display panel 8B-1 displays that the rear IH heating unit 4B cannot be selected. The user can understand that the rear IH heating unit 4B cannot be selected by checking this display.

[0121] Next, refer to Fig.18A and Fig.18B , the operation of the control unit 10 of the induction heating cooker 1 will be described.

[0122] Fig.18A 4A to 4C. The flowchart shows the operation steps of the induction heating cooker 1 having three heating units 4A to 4C. In the following, for the convenience of explanation, the case where the control unit 10 performs the following processing after the power switch 7D is pressed is described. In addition, for the convenience of explanation, the case where any coil unit or heating unit is selected from the heating unit 4A to the heating unit 4C is described. It is also possible to consider the case where no coil unit or heating unit is selected, but in this case, after a certain period of time, the display panel 8 is turned off or the power is turned off.

[0123] The control unit 10 reads the automatic selection mode / non-selection mode for the heating unit i (i=1~3) (S10). In addition, the initial value of i is 1. As for which of the automatic selection mode / non-selection mode is applied to each heating unit 4A~4C, as described above, it can be determined by whether the user has set it with a menu item and whether the user has selected the heating unit 4A~4C in advance. In the following, when it is set as the heating unit i, when i=1, it refers to the left IH heating unit 4A, when i=2, it refers to the rear IH heating unit 4B, and when i=3, it refers to the right IH heating unit 4C. When it is set as the display panel i, when i=1, it refers to the left operation panel 7A, when i=2, it refers to the rear operation panel 7B, and when i=3, it refers to the right operation panel 7C.

[0124] Next, the control unit 10 determines whether the automatic selection mode is applied to the heating unit i (S11). When the automatic selection mode is applied, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0125] In step S11, if the automatic selection mode is not applied, that is, in the non-selection mode, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the control unit 10 displays a selection indicator on the display panel corresponding to the heating unit i. In addition, for the heating unit whose use is restricted, the selection indicator is not displayed.

[0126] Next, the control unit 10 determines whether the process has been completed for all the heating units (S14). That is, it determines whether the current value of i is 3. If the process has not been completed for all the heating units, i is incremented by 1 and the process is repeated from step S10.

[0127] When the processing is completed for all the heating units, any one of the coil units or the heating units is selected to start heating. Fig.18B It shows that Fig.18A Flowchart of the steps of the operation of the induction heating cooker 1 corresponding to the selected coil unit or heating unit. The process proceeds to step S15 (S15-1, S15-2, S15-3) or S16 (S16-1, S16-2, S16-3).

[0128] That is, for the left IH heating unit 4A (i=1), when the non-selection mode is selected, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S15-1 to accept the selection of the coil unit. Specifically, the control unit 10 accepts the selection of at least one of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. That is, the control unit 10 causes the left display panel 8A to display Fig.14 The icons shown in the respective areas 8Aa to 8Ad are received by the left operation panel 7A for selection. Fig.15 The left operation panel 7A shown in FIG. 1 accepts the pressing of the button for starting heating for the selected coil unit (S16-1). On the other hand, when the automatic selection mode is selected, after step S14 is completed, the pressing of the button for starting heating for the selected coil unit is accepted (S16-1). That is, the control unit 10 does not display the button on the left display panel 8A. Fig.14 Instead of the icons shown in the areas 8Aa to 8Ad of FIG. Fig.15 Indicators b and f corresponding to the selected coil unit and a button for starting heating are displayed. Thereafter, the control unit 10 starts supplying a high-frequency current to the selected coil unit (S17-1).

[0129] In addition, regarding the rear IH heating unit 4B (i=2), when the non-selection mode is selected, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S15-2 and accepts the selection of the rear IH heating unit 4B. That is, the control unit 10 displays the selection on the rear display panel 8B. Fig.16The control unit 10 receives the selection operation on the rear operation panel 7B by displaying the selection indicator 8B-1. Thereafter, the control unit 10 receives the pressing of the button for starting heating for the rear IH heating unit 4B (S16-2). On the other hand, in the case where the automatic selection mode is selected, after the end of step S14, the pressing of the button for starting heating for the rear IH heating unit 4B is received (S16-2). That is, the control unit 10 does not display the selection indicator 8B-1 on the rear display panel 8B, but displays the button for starting heating. Thereafter, the control unit 10 starts to supply high-frequency current to the rear IH heating unit 4B (S17-2).

[0130] In addition, for the right IH heating unit 4C (i=3), when the non-selection mode is selected, the control unit 10 enters step S15-3 and accepts the selection of the coil unit. Specifically, the selection of at least one of the front coil unit 4Cf and the back coil unit 4Cb is accepted. At this time, thereafter, for the selected coil unit, the pressing of the heating start button is accepted (S16-3). On the other hand, when the automatic selection mode is selected, for the coil unit selected after the end of step S14, the pressing of the heating start button is accepted (S16-3). Thereafter, the control unit 10 starts to supply high-frequency current to the selected coil unit (S17-3). The operation of the right display panel 8C is the same as steps S16-1 and S17-1 of the left IH heating unit 4C, so the description is omitted.

[0131] According to the above processing, when the automatic selection mode is applied, for example, at least one of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab is pre-selected in the left IH heating unit 4A, so the user can start heating without selecting a coil unit. On the other hand, the user can also use the non-selection mode. Thus, for users who are accustomed to the operation method of selecting the heating unit to be used each time, the induction heating cooker 1 can be used without changing the operability, and the convenience is maintained.

[0132] [Effect]

[0133] According to the induction heating cooker 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the following effects can be achieved.

[0134] The induction heating cooker 1 includes: a left IH heating unit 4A / a right IH heating unit 4C, a top plate 2 covering the heating unit 4A / 4C, a left operation panel 7A / a right operation panel 7C for receiving user operations related to the heating unit 4A / 4C, a control unit 10 for controlling the heating operation of the heating unit 4A / 4C, and a power switch 7D for turning on the power. For example, the left IH control unit 10A is configured to heat a heated object by performing any one of a heating operation of simultaneously passing a high-frequency current through the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab, and a heating operation of selectively passing a high-frequency current through one of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. The left operation panel 7A has a heating start key 7A-2 for starting to heat the heated object using the left IH heating unit 4A. The left IH control unit 10A can operate in a mode selected from a plurality of modes having different initial operations after the power is turned on. The automatic selection mode among the multiple modes is a mode in which, after the power is turned on, if the left IH control unit 10A pre-selects at least one of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab, and the left operation panel 7A receives a single operation of the heating start key 7A-2, the left IH control unit 10A controls so that a high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the left IH heating unit 4Ab. Thus, the user does not need to select a coil unit each time, and can start heating by a single operation of the heating start key, thereby improving the operability and convenience of the user.

[0135] The automatic selection mode may include a state in which the front coil unit 4Af is pre-selected by the left IH heating unit 4A after the power is turned on, or a state in which the back coil unit 4Ab is pre-selected.

[0136] In the automatic selection mode, the left IH control unit 10A may select the front coil unit 4Af in advance after the power is turned on.

[0137] The left operating panel 7A also has a switching key 7A-1 for selecting the front coil unit 4Af and / or the back coil unit 4Ab. The non-selection mode different from the automatic selection mode in the multiple modes is as follows. After the power is turned on, the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are both in a non-selected state. If the left operating panel 7A accepts at least one operation of the switching key 7A-1, the left IH control unit 10A selects at least one of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. If the left operating panel 7A accepts one operation of the heating start key 7A-2, the left IH control unit 10A controls in a manner that a high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the left IH heating unit 4A. By setting the non-selection mode, for users who are accustomed to the operation method of selecting the heating unit to be used each time, the induction heating cooker 1 can be used without changing the operability, thereby maintaining convenience.

[0138] The front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab each have a plurality of coil components 5 through which high-frequency current flows, and share at least one coil component 5a / 5b. The left IH control unit 10A can allow the high-frequency current to flow only through the front coil unit 4Af, only through the back coil unit 4Ab, or through both the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. The left IH control unit 10A limits different high-frequency currents to flow simultaneously through the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab.

[0139] The induction heating cooker 1 further comprises: a rear IH heating unit 4B covered by the top plate 2, and a rear IH control unit 10B of the control unit 10 controlling heating operation; and a rear operation panel 7B for accepting user operations related to the rear IH heating unit 4B. The rear IH control unit 10B switches between a state in which the rear IH heating unit 4B is selected and a state in which the rear IH heating unit 4B is not selected in response to acceptance of the operation of the rear operation panel 7B.

[0140] The induction heating cooker 1 further includes a rear IH heating unit 4B / left IH heating unit 4A, which is covered by the top plate 2 and whose heating operation is controlled by the rear IH control unit 10B / left IH control unit 10A of the control unit 10. For example, when the induction heating cooker 1 includes a right IH heating unit 4C in addition to the left IH heating unit 4A, the right IH heating unit 4C includes a front coil unit 4Cf and a back coil unit 4Cb. The rear IH heating unit 4B is arranged between the back coil unit 4Ab of the left IH heating unit 4A and the back coil unit 4Cb of the right IH heating unit 4C. In the automatic selection mode, after the power is turned on, the right IH control unit 10C pre-selects at least one of the front coil unit 4Cf and the back coil unit 4Cb, and pre-selects the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0141] In the automatic selection mode, after the power is turned on, the right IH control unit 10C pre-selects the front coil unit 4Af and the front coil unit 4Cf, and pre-selects the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0142] The induction heating cooker 1 also includes a rear operation panel 7B for accepting user operations related to the rear IH heating unit 4B and a right operation panel 7C for accepting user operations related to the right IH heating unit 4C. The rear operation panel 7B and the right operation panel 7C respectively have a heating start key 7B-2 / 7C-2 for starting heating of the object to be heated. In the automatic selection mode, when the rear operation panel 7B accepts a single operation of the heating start key 7B-2, the rear IH control unit 10B controls in such a way that a high-frequency current flows through the rear IH heating unit 4B. When the right operation panel 7C accepts a single operation of the heating start key 7C-2, the right IH control unit 10C controls in such a way that a high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the right IH heating unit 4C.

[0143] The induction heating cooker 1 further includes: a right IH heating unit 4C, which is covered by the top plate 2 and whose heating operation is controlled by the right IH control unit 10C of the control unit 10; a rear operation panel 7B, which accepts user operations related to the rear IH heating unit 4B; and a right operation panel 7C, which accepts user operations related to the right IH heating unit 4C. The right IH heating unit 4C includes a front coil unit 4Cf and a back coil unit 4Cb. The rear operation panel 7B includes a switch key 7B-1 for switching between selection and non-selection of the rear IH heating unit 4B, and a heating start key 7B-2 for starting heating of the object to be heated. The right operation panel 7C includes a switch key 7C-1 for selecting the front coil unit 4Cf and / or the back coil unit 4Cb, and a heating start key 7C-2 for starting heating of the object to be heated. The rear IH heating unit 4B is arranged between the back coil unit 4Ab of the left IH heating unit 4A and the back coil unit 4Cb of the right IH heating unit 4C. The non-selection mode different from the automatic selection mode among the multiple modes is a state in which the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the front coil unit 4Cf and the back coil unit 4Cb are all non-selected after the power is turned on. If the left operation panel 7Ab accepts at least one operation of the switch key 7A-1 of the left operation panel 7A, the left IH control unit 10A selects at least one of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. When the left operation panel 7A accepts one operation of the heating start key 7A-1 of the left operation panel 7A, the left IH control unit 10A causes a high-frequency current to flow through the selected coil unit of the left IH heating unit 4A. When the rear operation panel 7B accepts at least one operation of the switch key 7B-1, the rear IH control unit 10B selects the rear IH heating unit 4B. When the rear operation panel 7B accepts one operation of the heating start key 7B-1, the rear IH control unit 10B causes a high-frequency current to flow through the rear IH heating unit 4B. When the right operation panel 7C receives at least one operation of the switch key 7C-1, the right IH control unit 10C selects at least one of the front coil unit 4Cf and the back coil unit 4Cb. When the right operation panel 7C receives one operation of the heating start key 7C-1, the right IH control unit 10C causes a high-frequency current to flow through the selected coil unit of the right IH heating unit 4C. In this way, a key for switching selection / non-selection in the non-selection mode is provided for the left IH heating unit 4A, the rear IH heating unit 4B, and the right IH heating unit 4C, respectively. As a result, the convenience for user selection is improved.

[0144] For each of the left operation panel 7A and the right operation panel 7C, when the waiting time for the user operation reaches a predetermined time, the control unit 10 cancels the selection of the selected coil unit. For the rear operation panel 7B, when the waiting time for the user operation reaches a predetermined time, the control unit 10 cancels the selection of the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0145] The left operation panel 7A, the rear operation panel 7B, and the right operation panel 7C may each receive a designation of a predetermined time from the user.

[0146] The left operation panel 7A and the right operation panel 7C receive a designation of a preselected coil unit or a designation of non-selection of a coil unit, respectively. The rear operation panel 7B receives a designation of whether or not to preselect the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0147] The induction heating cooker 1 also has: a left display panel 8A, which displays information related to the left IH heating unit 4A and / or the left operating panel 7A; and a rear display panel 8B, which displays information related to the rear IH heating unit 4B and / or the rear operating panel 7B. The left display panel 8Ab can display information indicating selectable coil units. The rear display panel 8B can display information indicating that the rear IH heating unit 4B has been selected. The left operating panel 7A has at least one key 7A-1 for switching the selection state of the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab. The rear operating panel 7B may also have at least one key 7B-1 for switching the selection state of the rear IH heating unit 4B.

[0148] The information indicating the selectable coil units and the information indicating that at least the rear IH heating unit 4B is selected may be characters, symbols, graphics, and / or display states.

[0149] The left display panel 8A can also at least display a first icon 8Aa indicating that the selectable coil unit is the front coil unit 4Af, a second icon 8Ab indicating that the selectable coil unit is the inner coil unit 4Ab, and a third icon 8Ac indicating that both the front coil unit 4Af and the inner coil unit 4Ab have been selected as selectable coil units.

[0150] The left display panel 8A may also display the first icon 8Aa, the second icon 8Ab, and the third icon 8Ac in parallel.

[0151] The left display panel 8A also has a first area 8A-2 for indicating that the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are both in a non-selected state. The left display panel 8A changes the display state of any one of the first icon 8Aa, the second icon 8Ab, the third icon 8Ac, and the first area 8A-2 according to the selection state of the left IH heating unit 4A. The rear display panel 8B has a second area for indicating that the rear IH heating unit 4B is in a non-selected state, and changes the display state of any one of the third icon 8Ac and the second area.

[0152] The left display panel 8A also has a first area 8A-2 for indicating that the front coil unit 4Af and the back coil unit 4Ab are both in a non-selected state. The left operation panel 7A has a key 7A-1 for switching the selection state of the selectable coil unit. Whenever a key 7A-1 receives a user operation, the selection state of the left IH heating unit 4A is changed, and according to the changed selection state, the display state of any one of the first icon 8Aa, the second icon 8Ab, the third icon 8Ac and the first area 8A-2 is changed on the left display panel 8A.

[0153] When the rear IH heating unit 4B is in the non-selected state, each time a key 7A-1 accepts a user operation, the left operation panel 7A changes the selection state of the left IH heating unit 4A, and changes the display state of any one of the first icon 8Aa, the second icon 8Ab, the third icon 8Ac, and the first area 8A-2 on the left display panel 8A according to the changed selection state. When the rear IH heating unit 4B is in the selected state, each time a key 7A-1 accepts a user operation, the left operation panel 7A switches between the state in which the front coil unit 4Af is selected or the non-selected state, and the left display panel 8A changes the display state of any one of the first icon 8Aa and the first area 8A-2 according to the changed selection state.

[0154] The left display panel 8A further includes an indicator b / f which is close to the one key 7A-1 and indicates the selection state of the left IH heating unit 4A.

[0155] (Variation Example)

[0156] The display panel 8 may also reduce the display brightness when a predetermined time has passed since the operation panel 7 accepted the last user operation, and increase the display brightness when a user operation is subsequently performed on the operation panel 7. The reduction in display brightness is sometimes referred to as "dark spot lighting". The increase in display brightness includes restoration to the initial brightness.

[0157] The prescribed time may be set independently for each of the left display panel 8A, the rear display panel 8B, and the right display panel 8C, or may be set collectively. In the former case, the first predetermined time for the left display panel 8A, the second predetermined time for the rear display panel 8B, and the third predetermined time for the right display panel 8C may be pre-stored in a flash memory not shown, respectively. Thus, it is clear whether the heating units 4A to 4C are to be operated, and the user can correctly identify them.

[0158] In addition, for each of the heating units 4A to 4C, when a user operation related to the heating operation of the heating unit 4A to 4C is received again after the heating operation is completed, each heating unit 4A to 4C can be set to the same heating operation as the previous heating operation. Information indicating the previous heating operation can be pre-stored in a memory not shown.

[0159] The above-mentioned operation can be performed even when the power switch 7D is pressed to turn off the power and then pressed again to turn on the power. For example, when the power is turned off by pressing the power switch 7D, the control unit 10 causes a flash memory (not shown) to store information for determining the last heating operation of each heating unit 4A to 4C. Furthermore, after the power switch 7D is pressed to turn on the power, when the operation panel 7 receives a user operation related to the heating operation of any heating unit 4A to 4C again, the control unit 10 reads the information stored in the flash memory and sets the same heating operation as the last heating operation.

[0160] By automatically setting the last heating operation, it is possible to omit the step of selecting when performing the same cooking, thereby improving user convenience.

[0161] As described above, the above embodiments are described as examples of the technology in the present disclosure. The above embodiments can be implemented by a device, a system, a method, a computer program, a computer-readable storage medium, and a combination thereof.

[0162] In addition, in this specification, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or order of technical features. Features defined as "first" and "second" indicate or imply that one or more of the features are included.

[0163] (Overview of Embodiments)

[0164] (Method 1)

[0165] The induction heating cooker comprises: a first heating unit having a first coil unit and a second coil unit; a top plate covering the first heating unit; a first operating unit receiving user operations related to the first heating unit; a control unit controlling a heating operation of the first heating unit; and a power switch for turning on a power supply, wherein the control unit is configured to heat a heated object by performing a heating operation of simultaneously passing a high-frequency current through the first coil unit and the second coil unit and a heating operation of selectively passing a high-frequency current through one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit, wherein the first operating unit comprises a heating start key for starting to heat the heated object using the first heating unit, wherein the control unit is capable of operating in one of a plurality of modes having different initial operations after the power supply is turned on, wherein the automatic selection mode among the plurality of modes is a mode in which, after the power supply is turned on, when the control unit preselects at least one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit and the first operating unit receives a single operation of the heating start key, the control unit controls in such a manner that the high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the first heating unit.

[0166] (Method 2)

[0167] In the induction heating cooker according to aspect 1, the automatic selection mode includes a state in which the control unit preselects the first coil unit or a state in which the second coil unit is preselected after the power is turned on.

[0168] (Method 3)

[0169] In the automatic selection mode of the induction heating cooker according to aspect 1, the control unit selects the first coil unit in advance after the power is turned on.

[0170] (Method 4)

[0171] In the induction heating cooker involved in method 1, the first operating part also has a switching key for selecting the first coil unit and / or the second coil unit, and the non-selection mode different from the automatic selection mode in the multiple modes is the following mode: after the power is turned on, the first coil unit and the second coil unit are both in a non-selected state, when the first operating part accepts at least one operation of the switching key, the control part selects at least one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit, and when the first operating part accepts one operation of the heating start key, the control part controls in a manner so that the high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the first heating part.

[0172] (Method 5)

[0173] In the induction heating cooker involved in method 1, the first coil unit and the second coil unit respectively have multiple coil components for the high-frequency current to flow through, and share at least one coil component. The first control unit can make the high-frequency current flow only through the first coil unit, only through the second coil unit, or through the first coil unit and the second coil unit at the same time. The first control unit restricts different high-frequency currents from flowing through the first coil unit and the second coil unit at the same time.

[0174] (Method 6)

[0175] The induction heating cooker involved in method 1 also has: a second heating part, which is covered by the top plate and the heating action is controlled by the control part; and a second operating part, which accepts user operations related to the second heating part, and the control part switches between a state in which the second heating part is selected and a state in which the second heating part is not selected in response to accepting the operation of the second operating part.

[0176] (Method 7)

[0177] The induction heating cooker involved in method 6 also has a third heating part, which is covered by the top plate and has heating action controlled by the control unit. The third heating part has a third coil unit and a fourth coil unit. The second heating part is arranged between the second coil unit of the first heating part and the fourth coil unit of the third heating part. In the automatic selection mode, after the power is turned on, the control unit pre-selects at least one of the third coil unit and the fourth coil unit, and pre-selects the second heating part.

[0178] (Method 8)

[0179] In the induction heating cooker according to aspect 7, in the automatic selection mode, after the power is turned on, the control unit pre-selects the first coil unit and the third coil unit, and pre-selects the second heating unit.

[0180] (Method 9)

[0181] The induction heating cooker involved in method 7 also has: a second operating part, which accepts user operations related to the second heating part; and a third operating part, which accepts user operations related to the third heating part, the second operating part and the third operating part respectively have a heating start key for starting heating of the heated object, and in the automatic selection mode, when the second operating part accepts a single operation of the heating start key of the second operating part, the control part controls the high-frequency current to flow through the second heating part, and when the third operating part accepts a single operation of the heating start key of the third operating part, the control part controls the high-frequency current to flow through the selected coil unit of the third heating part.

[0182] (Method 10)

[0183] The induction heating cooker involved in method 6 also includes: a third heating part, which is covered by the top plate and the heating action is controlled by the control unit; a second operating part, which accepts user operations related to the second heating part; and a third operating part, which accepts user operations related to the third heating part, the third heating part has a third coil unit and a fourth coil unit, the second operating part has a switching key for switching the selection and non-selection of the second heating part, and a heating start key for starting heating of the heated object, the third operating part has a switching key for selecting the third coil unit and / or the fourth coil unit, and a heating start key for starting heating of the heated object, the second heating part is arranged between the second coil unit of the first heating part and the fourth coil unit of the third heating part, and the non-selection mode different from the automatic selection mode in the multiple modes is: after the power is turned on, the first coil unit and the second coil unit of the first heating part, the second heating part, and the third coil unit and the fourth coil unit of the third heating part The fourth coil unit is in a non-selected state. When the first operating unit accepts at least one operation of the switch key of the first operating unit, the control unit selects at least one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit. When the first operating unit accepts one operation of the heating start key of the first operating unit, the control unit allows the high-frequency current to flow through the selected coil unit of the first heating unit. When the second operating unit accepts at least one operation of the switch key of the second operating unit, the control unit selects the second heating unit. When the second heating unit accepts one operation of the heating start key of the second operating unit, the control unit allows the high-frequency current to flow through the second heating unit. When the third operating unit accepts at least one operation of the switch key of the third operating unit, the control unit selects at least one of the third coil unit and the fourth coil unit. When the third operating unit accepts one operation of the heating start key of the third operating unit, the control unit allows the high-frequency current to flow through the selected coil unit of the third heating unit.

[0184] (Method 11)

[0185] In the induction heating cooker involved in method 9, for each of the first operating unit and the third operating unit, when the waiting time for the user operation reaches a specified time, the control unit cancels the selection of the selected coil unit, and for the second operating unit, when the waiting time for the user operation reaches a specified time, the control unit cancels the selection of the second heating unit.

[0186] (Method 12)

[0187] In the induction heating cooker according to aspect 11, the first operating unit, the second operating unit, and the third operating unit each accept a designation of the predetermined time from the user.

[0188] (Method 13)

[0189] In the induction heating cooker according to aspect 9, the first operating unit and the third operating unit respectively accept designation of a preselected coil unit or designation of non-selection of a coil unit, and the second operating unit accepts designation of whether to preselect the second heating unit.

[0190] (Method 14)

[0191] The induction heating cooker involved in method 6 also has: a first display unit, which displays information related to the first heating unit and / or the first operating unit; and a second display unit, which displays information related to the second heating unit and / or the second operating unit, the first display unit can display information indicating that the coil unit can be selected, and the second display unit can display information indicating that the second heating unit has been selected, the first operating unit has at least one key for switching the selection state of the first coil unit and the second coil unit, and the second operating unit has at least one key for switching the selection state of the second heating unit.

[0192] (Method 15)

[0193] In the induction heating cooker according to aspect 14, the information indicating the selectable coil units and the information indicating that at least the second heating unit is selected are characters, symbols, graphics and / or display states.

[0194] (Method 16)

[0195] In the induction heating cooker involved in method 15, the first display unit is capable of displaying at least a first icon indicating that the selectable coil unit is a first coil unit, a second icon indicating that the selectable coil unit is a second coil unit, and a third icon indicating that both the first coil unit and the second coil unit have been selected as the selectable coil units.

[0196] (Method 17)

[0197] In the induction heating cooker according to aspect 16, the first display unit displays the first icon, the second icon, and the third icon in series.

[0198] (Method 18)

[0199] In the induction heating cooker involved in method 16, the first display unit also has a first area for indicating that the first coil unit and the second coil unit are both in a non-selected state, and the first display unit changes the display state of the first icon, the second icon, the third icon and any one of the first area according to the selection state of the first heating unit, and the second display unit has a second area for indicating that the second heating unit is in a non-selected state, and changes the display state of the third icon and any one of the second area.

[0200] (Method 19)

[0201] In the induction heating cooker involved in method 16, the first display unit also has a first area for indicating that the first coil unit and the second coil unit are both in a non-selected state, and the first operating unit has a key for switching the selection state of the selectable coil unit. Whenever the one key accepts the user operation, the selection state of the first heating unit is changed, and according to the changed selection state, the display state of any one of the first icon, the second icon, the third icon and the first area is changed on the first display unit.

[0202] (Method 20)

[0203] In the induction heating cooker involved in method 19, when the second heating unit is in a non-selected state, each time the one key accepts the user operation, the first operating unit changes the selection state of the first heating unit, and, based on the changed selection state, changes the display state of any one of the first icon, the second icon, the third icon and the first area on the first display unit. When the second heating unit is in a selected state, each time the one key accepts the user operation, the first operating unit switches between a state in which the first coil unit is selected and a non-selected state, and the first display unit changes the display state of any one of the first icon and the first area based on the changed selection state.

[0204] (Method 21)

[0205] In the induction heating cooker according to aspect 19 or 20, the first display unit further includes an indicator which is close to the one key and indicates a selected state of the first heating unit.

[0206] Possibility of Industrial Application

[0207] The present disclosure can be applied to an induction heating cooker that performs heating using a plurality of heating units.

Claims

1. An induction heating cooker, wherein: The induction heating cooker comprises: A first heating unit having a first coil unit and a second coil unit; a top plate covering the first heating part; a first operating unit for accepting user operations related to the first heating unit; a control unit configured to control a heating operation of the first heating unit; and The power switch, which turns on the power, The control unit is configured to heat an object to be heated by performing any one of a heating operation in which a high-frequency current is simultaneously passed through the first coil unit and the second coil unit, and a heating operation in which a high-frequency current is selectively passed through one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit. The first operating unit includes a heating start key for starting heating of the object to be heated using the first heating unit. The control unit is capable of operating in one mode selected from a plurality of modes having different initial operations after the power supply is turned on. The automatic selection mode among the multiple modes is the following mode: after the power is turned on, when the control unit pre-selects at least one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit, and the first operating unit accepts an operation of the heating start key, the control unit controls in such a way that the high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the first heating unit.

2. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The automatic selection mode includes the following states after the power is turned on: The control unit has pre-selected the state of the first coil unit; or The control section has previously selected a state of the second coil unit.

3. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: In the automatic selection mode, the control unit selects the first coil unit in advance after the power is turned on.

4. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The first operating unit further includes a switch key for selecting the first coil unit and / or the second coil unit. The non-selection mode different from the automatic selection mode among the plurality of modes is the following mode: After the power is turned on, the first coil unit and the second coil unit are both in a non-selected state. When the first operating unit receives at least one operation of the switch key, the control unit selects at least one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit. When the first operating unit receives a single operation of the heating start key, the control unit performs control so that the high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the first heating unit.

5. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The first coil unit and the second coil unit each have a plurality of coil components through which the high-frequency current flows, and share at least one coil component. The first control unit can make the high-frequency current flow only through the first coil unit, only through the second coil unit, or through both the first coil unit and the second coil unit. The first control unit restricts different high-frequency currents from flowing simultaneously through the first coil unit and the second coil unit.

6. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The induction heating cooker further comprises: A second heating unit, which is covered by the top plate and has a heating action controlled by the control unit; and a second operating unit for accepting user operations related to the second heating unit; The control unit switches between a state in which the second heating unit is selected and a state in which the second heating unit is not selected in response to receiving an operation of the second operating unit.

7. The induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein: The induction heating cooker further includes a third heating unit, which is covered by the top plate and has a heating operation controlled by the control unit. The third heating unit includes a third coil unit and a fourth coil unit. The second heating unit is arranged between the second coil unit of the first heating unit and the fourth coil unit of the third heating unit. In the automatic selection mode, after the power is turned on, the control unit pre-selects at least one of the third coil unit and the fourth coil unit and pre-selects the second heating unit.

8. The induction heating cooker according to claim 7, wherein: In the automatic selection mode, after the power is turned on, the control unit pre-selects the first coil unit and the third coil unit and pre-selects the second heating unit.

9. The induction heating cooker according to claim 7, wherein: The induction heating cooker further comprises: a second operating unit for accepting a user operation related to the second heating unit; and a third operating unit for accepting user operations related to the third heating unit, The second operating unit and the third operating unit each have a heating start key for starting heating of the object to be heated. In the automatic selection mode, When the second operating unit receives a single operation of a heating start key of the second operating unit, the control unit controls so that the high-frequency current flows through the second heating unit. When the third operating unit receives a single operation of a heating start key of the third operating unit, the control unit performs control so that the high-frequency current flows through the selected coil unit of the third heating unit.

10. The induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein: The induction heating cooker further comprises: A third heating unit, which is covered by the top plate and has a heating action controlled by the control unit; a second operating unit for accepting user operations related to the second heating unit; as well as a third operating unit for accepting user operations related to the third heating unit, The third heating unit includes a third coil unit and a fourth coil unit. The second operating unit includes: a switching key for switching between selection and non-selection of the second heating unit; and a heating start key for starting heating of the object to be heated. The third operating unit includes: a switching key for selecting the third coil unit and / or the fourth coil unit; and a heating start key for starting heating of the object to be heated. The second heating unit is arranged between the second coil unit of the first heating unit and the fourth coil unit of the third heating unit. In a non-selection mode different from the automatic selection mode among the plurality of modes, After the power is turned on, the first coil unit and the second coil unit of the first heating unit, the second heating unit, and the third coil unit and the fourth coil unit of the third heating unit are all in a non-selected state. When the first operating unit receives at least one operation of a switch key of the first operating unit, the control unit selects at least one of the first coil unit and the second coil unit. When the first operating unit receives a single operation of a heating start key of the first operating unit, the control unit causes the high-frequency current to flow through the selected coil unit of the first heating unit. When the second operating unit receives at least one operation of the switch key of the second operating unit, the control unit selects the second heating unit. When the second operating unit receives a single operation of a heating start key of the second operating unit, the control unit causes the high-frequency current to flow through the second heating unit. When the third operating unit receives at least one operation of a switch key of the third operating unit, the control unit selects at least one of the third coil unit and the fourth coil unit. When the third operating unit receives a single operation of a heating start key of the third operating unit, the control unit causes the high-frequency current to flow through the selected coil unit of the third heating unit.

11. The induction heating cooker according to claim 9, wherein: For each of the first operating unit and the third operating unit, when the waiting time for the user operation reaches a predetermined time, the control unit cancels the selection of the selected coil unit. When the waiting time for the user operation of the second operating unit reaches a predetermined time, the control unit cancels the selection of the second heating unit.

12. The induction heating cooker according to claim 11, wherein: The first operating unit, the second operating unit, and the third operating unit each accept a designation of the predetermined time from the user.

13. The induction heating cooker according to claim 9, wherein: The first operating unit and the third operating unit respectively receive a designation of a pre-selected coil unit or a designation of a non-selected coil unit. The second operation unit receives a designation of whether or not to select the second heating unit in advance.

14. The induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein: The induction heating cooker further comprises: a first display unit, which displays information related to the first heating unit and / or the first operating unit; as well as a second display unit for displaying information related to the second heating unit and / or the second operating unit, The first display unit is capable of displaying information indicating selectable coil units. The second display unit is capable of displaying information indicating that the second heating unit has been selected. The first operating unit has at least one key for switching a selection state between the first coil unit and the second coil unit. The second operation unit has at least one key for switching a selection state of the second heating unit.

15. The induction heating cooker according to claim 14, wherein: The information indicating the selectable coil units and the information indicating that at least the second heating unit is selected are characters, symbols, graphics, and / or display states.

16. The induction heating cooker according to claim 15, wherein: The first display unit is capable of displaying at least: A first icon indicating that the selectable coil unit is a first coil unit; a second icon indicating that the selectable coil unit is a second coil unit; as well as A third icon indicates that both the first coil unit and the second coil unit have been selected as the selectable coil units.

17. The induction heating cooker according to claim 16, wherein: The first display unit displays the first icon, the second icon, and the third icon in series.

18. The induction heating cooker according to claim 16, wherein: The first display unit further includes a first area for indicating that both the first coil unit and the second coil unit are in a non-selected state. The first display unit changes the display state of any one of the first icon, the second icon, the third icon, and the first area according to the selection state of the first heating unit. The second display unit has a second area for indicating that the second heating unit is in a non-selected state, and changes a display state of either the third icon or the second area.

19. The induction heating cooker according to claim 16, wherein: The first display unit further includes a first area for indicating that both the first coil unit and the second coil unit are in a non-selected state. The first operating unit has a key for switching a selection state of the selectable coil unit. Whenever the one key receives the user operation, the selection state of the first heating unit is changed, and according to the changed selection state, the display state of any one of the first icon, the second icon, the third icon and the first area is changed on the first display unit.

20. The induction heating cooker according to claim 19, wherein: When the second heating unit is in a non-selected state, each time the one key receives the user operation, the first operating unit changes the selection state of the first heating unit, and changes the display state of any one of the first icon, the second icon, the third icon, and the first area on the first display unit according to the changed selection state. When the second heating unit is in a selected state, each time the one key accepts the user operation, the first operating unit switches between a selected state and a non-selected state of the first coil unit, and the first display unit changes the display state of any one of the first icon and the first area according to the changed selection state.

21. The induction heating cooker according to claim 19 or 20, wherein: The first display unit further includes an indicator that is close to the one key and indicates a selection state of the first heating unit.

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