Induction heating cooker

Abstract

Provided is an induction heating cooker that operates a plurality of heating coils and suppresses the generation of buzzing. An induction heating cooker is provided with: a first coil; a second coil; a third coil disposed adjacent to the first coil and the second coil; a top plate; an inverter circuit that supplies a high-frequency current to each coil; a first relay unit connected between the first coil and the inverter circuit; a second relay unit connected between the second coil and the inverter circuit; and a control unit configured to execute any one of a plurality of operation modes, the plurality of operation modes including: a first operation mode for supplying a high-frequency current from the inverter circuit to the first coil and the third coil; and a second operation mode in which the high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the second coil and the third coil.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the past, an induction heating cooker is known, which has a plurality of heating coils and can place a cooking container across the plurality of heating coils. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an induction heating cooker that drives a relay when a load is detected to be arranged on a top plate, and passes a high-frequency current through a heating coil on which the load is placed among the plurality of heating coils to heat the load.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-141082 Summary of the invention

[0006] When a plurality of heating coils are used to heat one load, there is a problem that a buzzing sound may be generated by operating each heating coil.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an induction heating cooker that operates a plurality of heating coils and suppresses the generation of buzzing sounds.

[0008] An induction heating cooker according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a first coil; a second coil different from the first coil; and a third coil different from the first coil and the second coil, the third coil being arranged between the first coil and the second coil in a manner adjacent to the first coil and the second coil; a top plate disposed above the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil; an inverter circuit that supplies high-frequency current to the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil that can operate in an integrated manner; a first relay unit connected between the first coil and the inverter circuit; a second relay unit connected between the second coil and the inverter circuit; and A control unit controls the operation of an inverter circuit and the operation of a first relay unit and a second relay unit. The control unit is configured to execute any of a plurality of operation modes for operating at least any of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil. The plurality of operation modes include: a first operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the first coil and the third coil by turning on the first relay unit and turning off the second relay unit; and a second operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the second coil and the third coil by turning off the first relay unit and turning on the second relay unit.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an induction heating cooker that operates a plurality of heating coils and suppresses the generation of buzzing sounds. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 It is a schematic perspective view of an example of an induction heating cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a top view of an example of the coil unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 It means Figure 2 A top view of an example of a heating area associated with a coil unit.

[0013] Figure 4 It is composed Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 A schematic enlarged view of the coil component of the coil unit.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a block diagram schematically showing electrical connections related to a coil unit of the induction heating cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a schematic circuit diagram showing an example of electrical connection between an inverter circuit and a coil unit in the induction heating cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a schematic circuit diagram showing an example of electrical connection between an inverter circuit and a coil unit in the induction heating cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a schematic circuit diagram showing an example of electrical connection between an inverter circuit and a coil unit in the induction heating cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 9 It is specifically recorded Figure 8 Circuit diagram of the inverter circuit in .

[0019] Fig.10 This is a schematic circuit diagram of an induction heating cooker according to Modification 1.

[0020] Fig.11 This is a schematic circuit diagram of an induction heating cooker according to a second variation.

[0021] Fig.12 This is a schematic circuit diagram of an induction heating cooker according to a third variant.

[0022] Fig.13 This is a schematic circuit diagram of an induction heating cooker according to a fourth variation.

[0023] Description of Reference Numerals

[0024] 1: Induction heating cooker; 2: Top plate; 4: Coil unit; 4A: Front coil; 4B: Back coil; 4C: Overlap coil; 6: Controller; 10, 10A to 10J: Coil element; 14: First end; 15: Second end; 17: Connection point; 20: Inverter circuit; 30: Relay unit; 31: Front relay unit; 32: Back relay unit; 33, 33A to 33H: Midpoint relay; 34, 34A to 34D: Midpoint relay; 35, 35A to 35B:

[0025] Relay for midpoint; 36: Overlap relay unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described 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.

[0027] The present disclosure is fully described in association with the preferred embodiments while referring 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 present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure based on the attached technical solutions.

[0028] In the past, an induction heating cooker is known, which has a plurality of heating coils. In order to efficiently heat a cooking container using the plurality of heating coils, a plurality of inverter circuits are used to operate two or more of the plurality of heating coils to heat a cooking container. Usually, the high-frequency current supplied to the heating coil by the induction heating cooker has a frequency greater than the human audible range. However, in the case where high-frequency currents with different frequencies flow through the plurality of heating coils and the difference in frequency is within the human audible range, a buzzing sound based on the frequency of the difference can be recognized by the user as noise. Therefore, in the case where a plurality of heating coils are operated using a plurality of inverter circuits, a buzzing sound may be generated due to the difference in frequency of the high-frequency current flowing through each heating coil.

[0029] The induction heating cooker disclosed in the present invention is configured to operate multiple heating coils, i.e., coil parts, for heating a common cooking container through one inverter circuit. Since multiple coil parts are operated using one inverter circuit, multiple frequencies whose frequency differences are included in the human audible range are not supplied to the multiple coil parts for heating the common cooking container. Therefore, the induction heating cooker disclosed in the present invention can suppress the generation of buzzing sound caused by the difference in frequency of high-frequency currents flowing through the multiple coil parts.

[0030] The induction heating cooker disclosed in the present invention operates a plurality of coil parts through an inverter circuit, so it is difficult for the controller to change the switching of whether to supply current to each coil part through the operation of the inverter circuit for each coil part. The coil unit of the induction heating cooker disclosed in the present invention extends longer in the depth direction than in the left-right direction. When the size of the cooking container is smaller than the coil unit of the induction heating cooker, the user of the induction heating cooker disclosed in the present invention sometimes places the cooking container on the top plate in the area locally heated by the coil unit. In this case, when the controller supplies high-frequency current to the coil parts outside the area where the cooking container is placed, there is a possibility that the heating object that the user does not want is heated. In addition, the heating efficiency of the cooking container may be reduced.

[0031] Therefore, the induction heating cooker disclosed herein is connected to at least a portion of the path between each coil component and the inverter circuit with a relay capable of electrically disconnecting the path. The induction heating cooker is configured to control the coil component supplied with high-frequency current by switching the relay on and off through a controller. Thus, the induction heating cooker can suppress the generation of buzzing sound and switch the coil component to be operated to efficiently heat.

[0032] (Implementation Method)

[0033] [structure]

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic three-dimensional diagram of an example of an induction heating cooker 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. 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.

[0035] 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 a heating object inductively heated by the induction heating cooker 1. However, the heating object is not limited to the cooking container C, and any object that can be inductively heated can be used.

[0036] The induction heating cooker 1 includes: a top plate 2 on which a cooking container C is placed, and which is made of, for example, heat-resistant glass; and a housing 3 mounted on the lower surface of the top plate 2. A plurality of coil units 4, 5, a controller 6, and an operation panel 7 are mounted in the housing 3. The top plate 2 is arranged above the plurality of coil units 4, 5. The plurality of coil units 4, 5 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 coil units 4, 5 function as induction heating coil units.

[0037] The coil unit 4 will be described later. The coil unit 5 is a coil unit different from the coil unit 4. The coil unit 5 may be composed of one coil or a plurality of coils.

[0038] The controller 6 is, for example, a computer, and includes a calculation circuit and a storage device. The controller 6 can control the plurality of coil units 4 and 5. The controller 6 is an example of a control unit of the induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure.

[0039] The calculation circuit controls the overall operation of the induction heating cooker 1. The calculation circuit may be a method in which hardware resources and software cooperate to realize a predetermined function, or a method in which a specially designed hardware circuit is used to realize a predetermined function.

[0040] 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 communicate with a storage device. The operation circuit implements various functions in the controller 6 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. It can be understood from the above that 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.

[0041] 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 realized by, for example, DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, SSD, and other volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory, HDD, and other storage devices, or a suitable combination thereof. For example, the operation circuit can use the program or data stored in the storage device to execute multiple heating modes and multiple operation modes described later.

[0042] The operation panel 7 is electrically connected to the controller 6. The operation panel 7 is an example of an input / output interface device. The user can operate the operation panel 7 to operate the plurality of coil units 4 and 5 through the controller 6. In addition, the user can grasp the operation status of each coil unit 4 and 5 based on the information displayed on the operation panel 7.

[0043] [Coil unit]

[0044] Below, use Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The coil unit 4 will be described.

[0045] Figure 2 It is a plan view of an example of the coil unit 4 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3It is a plan view showing an example of a heating area related to the coil unit 4. Figure 4 It is composed Figure 2 and Figure 3 Schematic enlarged view of the coil member 10A of the coil unit 4.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the coil unit 4 has a front coil 4A, an inner coil 4B and an overlapping coil 4C. The front coil 4A is an example of a first coil. The inner coil 4B is an example of a second coil different from the first coil. The overlapping coil 4C is an example of a third coil different from the first coil and the second coil. The overlapping coil 4C is arranged on the inner side of the front coil 4A in the depth direction (Y-axis direction) when viewed from above. When viewed from above, the inner coil 4B is arranged on the inner side of the overlapping coil 4C in the depth direction. In this specification, "viewed from above" means observing from the vertical direction, that is, the Z-axis direction. The overlapping coil 4C is arranged between the front coil 4A and the inner coil 4B in a manner adjacent to the front coil 4A and the inner coil 4B.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the outer circumference of the area formed by the front coil 4A and the overlapping coil 4C has a circular shape when viewed from above. This area corresponds to the first heating area S1 described later. The outer circumference of the area formed by the inner coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C has a circular shape when viewed from above. This area corresponds to the second heating area S2 described later. The area formed by the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C corresponds to the third heating area S3 described later. The shapes of the first heating area S1 and the second heating area S2 may also be various shapes including triangles or quadrilaterals. Since the bottom surface of the pot is mostly circular, the heating efficiency of the pot can be further improved by making the shapes of the first heating area S1 and the second heating area S2 circular as in the induction heating cooker 1 of the present embodiment. The pot is an example of a cooking container C. In this way, from the viewpoint of further improving the heating efficiency of the pot, the shapes of the first heating area S1 and the second heating area S2 may also be shapes other than circular, for example, polygons larger than hexagons.

[0048] The front coil 4A has a plurality of coil parts 10A to 10D. In the present embodiment, the front coil 4A has four coil parts 10A to 10D. The four coil parts 10A to 10D include a first coil part 10A, a second coil part 10B, a third coil part 10C, and a fourth coil part 10D. The first coil part 10A is configured to be adjacent to the second coil part 10B and the sixth coil part 10F described later. The second coil part 10B is configured to be adjacent to the first coil part 10A and the third coil part 10C. The third coil part 10C is configured to be adjacent to the second coil part 10B and the fourth coil part 10D. The fourth coil part 10D is configured to be adjacent to the third coil part 10C and the fifth coil part 10E described later.

[0049] The overlapping coil 4C has a plurality of coil parts 10E to 10F. In the present embodiment, the overlapping coil 4C has two coil parts 10E to 10F. The two coil parts 10E to 10F include a fifth coil part 10E and a sixth coil part 10F. The fifth coil part 10E is configured to be adjacent to the fourth coil part 10D, the sixth coil part 10F, and the tenth coil part 10J described later. The sixth coil part 10F is configured to be adjacent to the first coil part 10A, the fifth coil part 10E, and the seventh coil part 10G described later.

[0050] The inner coil 4B has a plurality of coil parts 10G to 10J. In the present embodiment, the inner coil 4B has four coil parts 10G to 10J, which are configured in the same manner as the front coil 4A. Specifically, the four coil parts 10G to 10J include a seventh coil part 10G, an eighth coil part 10H, a ninth coil part 10I, and a tenth coil part 10J. The seventh coil part 10G is configured to be adjacent to the sixth coil part 10F and the eighth coil part 10H. The eighth coil part 10H is configured to be adjacent to the seventh coil part 10G and the ninth coil part 10I. The ninth coil part 10I is configured to be adjacent to the eighth coil part 10H and the tenth coil part 10J. The tenth coil part 10J is configured to be adjacent to the ninth coil part 10I and the fifth coil part 10E.

[0051] Thus, each coil 4A to 4C includes a plurality of coil parts 10. Therefore, the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C can also be referred to as the front coil part group 4A, the inner coil part group 4B, and the overlapping coil part group 4C, respectively. Each coil part 10A to 10J is arranged adjacent to at least two coil parts 10.

[0052] Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the plurality of coil components 10A to 10J, they are collectively referred to as the coil component 10 or the plurality of coil components 10 .

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, when viewed from above, a first heating area S1, a second heating area S2, and a third heating area S3 are delineated. The first heating area S1 represents an area heated by the front coil 4A and the overlapping coil 4C. The second heating area S2 represents an area heated by the inner coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C. The third heating area S3 represents an area heated by the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C. The front coil 4A and the overlapping coil 4C are arranged in the first heating area S1. The inner coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C are arranged in the second heating area S2. The front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C are arranged in the third heating area S3.

[0054] The first heating area S1 is an area having a center C1 when viewed from above, and is an area where a plurality of coil members 10A to 10F are arranged. In the present embodiment, the first heating area S1 has a circular shape when viewed from above. The first heating area S1 may be an 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.

[0055] In the first heating region S1, the plurality of coil members 10A to 10F are arranged adjacent to each other. Specifically, the plurality of coil members 10A to 10F are arranged radially in a plan view.

[0056] The first heating area S1 has a plurality of coil configuration areas S11 to S16. The plurality of coil configuration areas S11 to S16 are radially and adjacently configured with the center C1 of the first heating area S1 as the center when viewed from above. Specifically, the plurality of coil configuration areas S11 to S16 are demarcated by a plurality of boundary lines L11 to L16 extending radially from the center C1 of the first heating area S1 toward the periphery and an outer peripheral line L1 demarcating the outer periphery of the first heating area S1 when viewed from above.

[0057] The plurality of boundary lines L11 to L16 are arranged at equal intervals in a radial pattern with the center C1 of the first heating area S1 as the center when viewed from above. The plurality of boundary lines L11 to L16 are straight lines extending from the center C1 of the first heating area S1 toward the periphery when viewed from above. The angles formed by two adjacent boundary lines among the plurality of boundary lines L11 to L16 are approximately the same. Thus, the plurality of coil configuration areas S11 to S16 have approximately the same shape and approximately the same size when viewed from above. In this specification, "approximately" means within a 10% error, preferably within a 5% error.

[0058] The plurality of coil arrangement regions S11 to S16 each have a fan shape in plan view. In this specification, a "fan shape" refers to a shape defined by two straight lines (radii) extending from the center of a circle toward the outer circumference and an arc connecting the two straight lines in plan view.

[0059] In this embodiment, the plurality of boundary lines include six boundary lines L11 to L16, and the angle between two adjacent boundary lines is 60 degrees. Thus, the first heating region S1 is divided into six coil arrangement regions S11 to S16 having substantially the same shape and size in a plan view.

[0060] The plurality of coil members 10A to 10F are respectively arranged in the plurality of coil arrangement regions S11 to S16 in a plan view. Thus, the plurality of coil members 10A to 10F are arranged radially and adjacently in the first heating region S1 in a plan view.

[0061] The second heating area S2 is an area having a center C2 when viewed from above, and is an area where a plurality of coil members 10E to 10J are arranged. In the present embodiment, the second heating area S2 has a circular shape when viewed from above. The second heating area S2 may be an area where the cooking container C is arranged as shown on the upper surface of the top plate 2 when viewed from above. Alternatively, the second heating area S2 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.

[0062] In the second heating region S2, the plurality of coil members 10E to 10J are arranged adjacent to each other. Specifically, the plurality of coil members 10E to 10J are arranged radially in a plan view.

[0063] The second heating area S2 has a plurality of coil configuration areas S21 to S26. When viewed from above, the plurality of coil configuration areas S21 to S26 are radially and adjacently configured with the center C2 of the second heating area S2 as the center. Specifically, when viewed from above, the plurality of coil configuration areas S21 to S26 are demarcated by a plurality of boundary lines L21 to L26 extending radially from the center C2 of the second heating area S2 toward the periphery and an outer peripheral line L2 demarcating the outer periphery of the second heating area S2.

[0064] The plurality of boundary lines L21 to L26 are arranged at equal intervals in a radial pattern with the center C2 of the second heating area S2 as the center when viewed from above. The plurality of boundary lines L21 to L26 are straight lines extending from the center C2 of the second heating area S2 toward the periphery when viewed from above. The angles formed by two adjacent boundary lines among the plurality of boundary lines L21 to L26 are substantially the same. Thus, the plurality of coil configuration areas S21 to S26 have substantially the same shape and substantially the same size when viewed from above.

[0065] Each of the plurality of coil arrangement regions S21 to S26 has a fan-shaped shape in a plan view.

[0066] In this embodiment, the plurality of boundary lines in the second heating region S2 include six boundary lines L21 to L26, and the angle between two adjacent boundary lines is 60 degrees. Thus, the second heating region S2 is divided into six coil arrangement regions S21 to S26 having substantially the same shape and size in plan view.

[0067] In the present embodiment, the two coil arrangement regions S21 and S22 in the second heating region S2 overlap with the two coil arrangement regions S15 and S16 in the first heating region S1.

[0068] The plurality of coil members 10E to 10J are respectively arranged in the plurality of coil arrangement regions S21 to S26 in a plan view. Thus, the plurality of coil members 10E to 10J are arranged radially and adjacently in the second heating region S2 in a plan view.

[0069] The seventh to tenth coil elements 10G to 110J are arranged in the plurality of coil arrangement areas S23 to S26. The fifth and sixth coil elements 10E and 10F are arranged in the two coil arrangement areas S21 and S22. That is, the fifth and sixth coil elements 10E and 10F are shared by the first and second heating areas S1 and S2.

[0070] The third heating region S3 is a region where the plurality of coil members 10A to 10J are arranged in a plan view, and is a region heated by the plurality of coil members 10A to 10J. The third heating region S3 overlaps the first heating region S1 and the second heating region S2 in a plan view.

[0071] use Figure 4 , the detailed structure of the first coil component 10A is described.

[0072] like Figure 4 As shown, the first coil part 10A has a coil part main body 11, an outer lead wire 12 and an inner lead wire 13. In this way, the first coil part 10A 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 part 10A 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 20 described in detail later.

[0073] The coil body 11 is a part formed by winding the coil wire. The coil body 11 has a frame shape when viewed from above. In the present embodiment, the coil body 11 has a fan shape when viewed from above. In addition, the shape of the coil body 11 is not limited to the fan shape, and may also have any shape such as a triangle or a circle. When the shape of the coil body 11 is a fan shape, the shapes of the first heating area S1 and the second heating area S2 are circular, which is consistent with the general shape of the bottom of the pot as described above, and can increase the density of the coil, and can efficiently heat the pot.

[0074] The outer lead wires 12 are lead wires drawn out from the outside of the coil body 11 .

[0075] The inner lead wires 13 are lead wires led out from the inner side of the coil body 11 .

[0076] In the present embodiment, the first coil member 10A 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.

[0077] In the present embodiment, the second coil part 10B to the tenth coil part 10J have the same structure as the first coil part 10A. Therefore, in the first coil part 10A to the tenth coil part 10J, the lengths of the plurality of outer lead wires 12 are equal. In addition, in the first coil part 10A to the tenth coil part 10J, the lengths of the plurality of inner lead wires 13 are equal. In addition, the length of the outer lead wire 12 and the length of the inner lead wire 13 may be different or equal. In this way, the plurality of coil parts 10A to 10J are all composed of substantially the same coil parts, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. In addition, the influence of electromagnetic noise can be reduced.

[0078] [Electrical connection structure]

[0079] Figure 5 A block diagram showing a schematic electrical connection related to one side of the coil unit 4 of the induction heating cooker 1. Figure 5 As shown, the induction heating cooker 1 includes a power supply unit 8, an inverter circuit 20, a relay unit 30, and a coil unit 4. The inverter circuit 20 and the relay unit 30 are connected to the controller 6 and receive control signals from the controller 6. In the induction heating cooker 1 of this embodiment, the electrical connections respectively related to the other side of the coil unit 4 and the coil unit 5 can be configured in the same manner as described above. In addition, the power supply unit 8 can be shared by each coil unit 4, 5.

[0080] The power supply unit 8 is connected to a power supply such as a commercial AC power supply. When connected to the power supply, the power supply unit 8 converts the voltage of the power supply applied to a predetermined voltage and outputs it. The power supply unit 8 may have a rectifying and smoothing circuit including a diode bridge and a capacitor. The power supply unit 8 is connected to the inverter circuit 20, and applies the converted voltage to the inverter circuit 20 to supply power. The inverter circuit 20 can supply high-frequency current to the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C that can act in an integrated manner. In this specification, "capable of acting in an integrated manner" means that in order to heat a common heating object, the controller 6 can make at least two of the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, or the overlapping coil 4C act in combination. "Capable of acting in an integrated manner" may also mean that the magnetic field generated by the high-frequency current flowing in each coil part 10 of each coil 4A to 4C is generated while being affected by the high-frequency current of the adjacent coil part 10, and can act in a manner that heats the common heating object. In this embodiment, the heating area of ​​the same size as the first heating area S1 among the heating areas composed of a plurality of heating coils that can be operated by one inverter circuit 20 is only the second heating area S2. Thus, the induction heating cooker 1 can provide the convenience of cooking while moving the pot from the first heating area S1 to the second heating area S2, or from the second heating area S2 to the first heating area S1. On the other hand, by determining the heating area to a certain extent, the coil unit 4 can be controlled based on the user's usage mode, and the heating efficiency can be improved. In addition, by determining the heating area to a certain extent, the user's operation can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0081] The inverter circuit 20 is connected to the power supply unit 8, the relay unit 30 and the coil unit 4. The inverter circuit 20 has, for example, a plurality of switching elements and a plurality of capacitors. Each switching element has, for example, an IGBT and a diode connected in anti-parallel to the IGBT. Each switching element of the inverter circuit 20 switches on / off based on a control signal received from the controller 6. The plurality of capacitors include a resonant capacitor. The plurality of capacitors may also include a buffer capacitor.

[0082] The relay unit 30 is partially connected to a plurality of paths between the inverter circuit 20 and the coil unit 4. The details of the relay unit 30 will be described later.

[0083] As described above, coil unit 4 includes a plurality of coil members 10. First end 14 of each coil member 10 is connected to inverter circuit 20. Second end 15 of each coil member 10 is connected to inverter circuit 20 via a path different from the path connecting first end 14 and inverter circuit 20.

[0084] The controller 6 can control the operation of the inverter circuit 20, thereby controlling the current flowing in the plurality of coil parts 10 of the coil unit 4. Specifically, when the coil unit 4 heats the heating object, the controller 6 controls the operation of the inverter circuit 20 in such a manner that a high-frequency current flows through the plurality of coil parts 10. The controller 6 controls the on / off switching of the switching element of the inverter circuit 20 in such a manner that a high-frequency current flows through each coil part 10 by current resonance with the coil part 10 and a resonant capacitor in the inverter circuit 20, for example.

[0085] The induction heating cooker 1 of this embodiment is configured to supply a high-frequency current to each coil member 10 through current resonance to operate each coil member 10, but is not limited thereto. The induction heating cooker 1 can be configured to operate each coil member 10 by any method. For example, the induction heating cooker 1 can also be configured to provide a resonant capacitor in parallel with each coil member 10, and supply a high-frequency current to each coil member 10 through voltage resonance between each coil member 10 and each resonant capacitor to operate each coil member 10.

[0086] [Circuit]

[0087] Figure 6 This is a schematic circuit diagram showing an example of electrical connection between the inverter circuit 20 and the coil unit 4 of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 6 The circuit diagram of FIG. 4 shows the electrical connection on the first end 14 side of each coil element 10 of the coil unit 4 .

[0088] like Figure 6 As shown, in the induction heating cooker 1, the inverter circuit 20 and each coil member 10 are connected via a plurality of paths. A relay unit 30 is connected to a part of the plurality of paths.

[0089] The relay unit 30 includes a front relay unit 31 and a rear relay unit 32. The front relay unit 31 is an example of a first relay unit. The rear relay unit 32 is an example of a second relay unit. The front relay unit 31 includes two relays 31A to 31B. The rear relay unit 32 includes two relays 32A to 32B. Each relay 31A to 31B, 32A to 32B is a switch that can be controlled to open and close by the controller 6. For example, each relay 31A to 31B, 32A to 32B can be a switch such as a mechanical relay, or a semiconductor switch such as a MOSFET or a solid-state relay (SSR). In the present embodiment, the controller 6 controls each relay 31A to 31B of the front relay unit 31 in such a manner that each relay 31A to 31B has the same open and closed state as each other. In addition, the controller 6 controls each relay 32A to 32B in such a manner that each relay 32A to 32B of the rear relay unit 32 has the same open and closed state as each other.

[0090] like Figure 6 As shown, the first end 14 of each coil element 10A to 10D of the front coil 4A is connected to the inverter circuit 20 through any of two paths. Specifically, the connection point 16A between the first end 14 of the first coil element 10A and the first end 14 of the third coil element 10C is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the relay 31A. The connection point 16B between the first end 14 of the second coil element 10B and the first end 14 of the fourth coil element 10D is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the relay 31B.

[0091] The coil parts 10G to 10J of the inner coil 4B are constructed in the same manner as the coil parts 10A to 10D of the front coil 4A. Specifically, the connection point 16C between the first end 14 of the seventh coil part 10G and the first end 14 of the ninth coil part 10I is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the relay 32A. The connection point 16D between the first end 14 of the eighth coil part 10H and the first end 14 of the tenth coil part 10J is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the relay 32B.

[0092] The coil elements 10E to 10F of the overlapping coil 4C are connected to the inverter circuit 20 without passing through the relay unit 30 .

[0093] Figure 7 This is a schematic circuit diagram showing an example of electrical connection between the inverter circuit 20 and the coil unit 4 of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 7 The circuit diagram of FIG. 4 shows the electrical connection on the second end 15 side of each coil element 10 of the coil unit 4 .

[0094] like Figure 7 As shown, the circuit of the induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure has a connection point 17 connected to the inverter circuit 20. The induction heating cooker 1 connects the inverter circuit 20 and each coil member 10 via the connection point 17. Specifically, the second end 15 of each coil member 10 is connected to the connection point 17.

[0095] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the first end 14 and the second end 15 of each coil member 10 are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via a predetermined path.

[0096] Figure 8 This is a schematic circuit diagram showing an example of electrical connection between the inverter circuit 20 and the coil unit 4 of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0097] like Figure 8As shown, a plurality of coil parts 10A to 10J are divided into a first group G1 and a second group G2. The first group G1 and the second group G2 respectively include a plurality of coil parts 10 that are not adjacent to each other. That is, every other coil part 10 in the coil parts 10A to 10J is included in the same group. The first group G1 includes a first coil part 10A, a third coil part 10C, a fifth coil part 10E, a seventh coil part 10G, and a ninth coil part 10I. The second group G2 includes a second coil part 10B, a fourth coil part 10D, a sixth coil part 10F, an eighth coil part 10H, and a tenth coil part 10J.

[0098] The coil parts 10A, 10C, 10E, 10G, and 10I included in the first group G1 are connected in parallel to the inverter circuit 20. Therefore, the same voltage is applied to the coil parts 10A, 10C, 10E, 10G, and 10I from the inverter circuit 20. The coil parts 10B, 10D, 10F, 10H, and 10J included in the second group G2 are connected in parallel to the inverter circuit 20. The same voltage is applied to the coil parts 10B, 10D, 10F, 10H, and 10J from the inverter circuit 20.

[0099] The connection point 17 represents a point between each coil component 10. In this specification, this point is referred to as a midpoint. In this specification, a "midpoint" refers to a point between at least two coil components 10. For example, a midpoint may also represent a reference point that can be a current flowing in a plurality of coil components 10. The midpoint may also represent a point where the coil component 10 included in the first group G1 is connected to the coil component 10 included in the second group G2. The midpoint may also represent a point where the second ends 15 of a plurality of coil components 10 connected to each other are connected.

[0100] [action]

[0101] Next, the operation of the induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure will be described.

[0102] The induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure can locally control the intensity of heating when heating the heating object of the top plate 2 placed on the coil unit 4. For example, the controller 6 of the induction heating cooker 1 can control the intensity of local heating by heating the heating object using one or more heating modes. The heating mode represents a heating method that locally produces a region with strong heating or a region with weak heating. Therefore, when the controller 6 controls to heat the heating object with a prescribed heating mode, a prescribed part of the heating object corresponding to the prescribed heating mode can be heated more strongly than other parts. The controller 6 can heat the heating object with one or more heating modes by changing the parameters of the current supplied to each coil part 10 according to each heating mode. The heating mode can be stored in a storage device together with the parameters of the current that realizes the heating mode, for example. The parameters include the amplitude, phase and frequency of the current.

[0103] In addition, the intensity control of local heating by the controller 6 does not necessarily need to use a predetermined heating mode. For example, the parameters of the current that can heat a specified area more strongly (or less strongly) can be stored in advance in a storage device, and when there are multiple areas that require strong heating, the controller 6 combines the stored information to control the heating.

[0104] One or more heating modes include a first heating mode in which a portion of the heating object disposed in an area between a plurality of adjacent coil members 10 and supplied with a high-frequency current in the heating region is heated more strongly than other portions. One or more heating modes include a second heating mode in which a portion of the heating object disposed in an area on the periphery of a plurality of adjacent coil members 10 in the heating region is heated more strongly than other portions. One or more heating modes may also include other heating modes capable of heating the heating object with a distribution different from that described above.

[0105] In the induction heating cooker 1 of the present embodiment, the controller 6 can obtain information related to the temperature of the heating object. When the coil unit 4 heats the heating object, the magnetic field generated by each coil part 10 affects the heating object, generates a current in the heating object, and the heating object is heated. The magnetic field is affected by the heating object, so the impedance of each coil part 10 changes. Usually, the impedance of the coil part 10 changes according to whether the heating object is placed in the range affected by the magnetic field generated by the coil part 10, and the change of the magnetism of its material. The impedance also changes according to the temperature of the heating object, so the controller 6 can obtain the change of the characteristic of each coil part 10 by grasping the impedance of each coil part 10, and can obtain the change of the temperature of the heating object. For example, the controller 6 can obtain the change of the temperature of the area heated by each coil part 10 of the heating object by obtaining the change of the characteristic of each coil part 10. That is, the controller 6 can use each coil part 10 as a temperature sensor.

[0106] The controller 6, for example, sets a current sensor for obtaining the current flowing in each coil member 10 in the circuit, and by obtaining the change of the current value relative to the voltage value, it is possible to obtain the change of the characteristic of each coil member 10. The method of obtaining the change of the characteristic of each coil member 10 is not limited to the current sensor. For example, the controller 6 can also use a voltage sensor to obtain the change of the characteristic.

[0107] If the controller 6 obtains information related to temperature from multiple coil parts 10, it can be stored in a storage device as temperature information. The temperature information can be, for example, relative and qualitative information between multiple coil parts 10. The temperature information is not limited to this and can also be a numerical value. The controller 6 can detect, for example, a place with a relatively low temperature based on information that associates the positions of multiple coil parts 10 with the temperature information obtained based on the multiple coil parts 10. Therefore, the controller 6 can control the parameters of the current flowing in the multiple coil parts 10 in a manner that strongly heats the relatively low temperature parts. In this way, the controller 6 can control the parameters of the current flowing in the multiple coil parts 10 based on information that associates the positions of the multiple coil parts 10 with the temperature information obtained based on the multiple coil parts 10.

[0108] In addition, the controller 6 can switch the connection state of each coil member 10A to 10D, 10G to 10J being electrically connected to the inverter circuit 20 and the open state of each coil member 10A to 10D, 10G to 10J by switching the opening and closing of the front relay unit 31 and the inner relay unit 32. The controller 6 is configured to execute any of a plurality of operation modes that operate at least any of the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C by switching the connection state and the open state for each coil member 10. The operation mode can be stored in the storage device.

[0109] The plurality of operation modes include a front drive mode and a rear drive mode. The front drive mode is an example of the first operation mode. The rear drive mode is an example of the second operation mode.

[0110] The front drive mode indicates an operation mode in which the front coil 4A and the overlapping coil 4C are operated but the inner coil 4B is not operated. The controller 6 first turns on the relays 31A and 31B of the front relay unit 31 and turns off the relays 32A and 32B of the inner relay unit 32. Furthermore, the controller 6 can execute the front drive mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied to the front coil 4A and the overlapping coil 4C by operating the inverter circuit 20.

[0111] The inner drive mode indicates an operation mode in which the inner coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C are operated but the front coil 4A is not operated. The controller 6 first turns on the relays 32A and 32B of the inner relay unit 32 and turns off the relays 31A and 31B of the front relay unit 31. Furthermore, the controller 6 can execute the inner drive mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied to the inner coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C by operating the inverter circuit 20.

[0112] For example, when heating the heating object arranged in the first heating area S1, the user can operate the operation panel 7 in a manner of performing heating in the front driving mode. When receiving an instruction for an action in the front driving mode, the controller 6 executes the front driving mode and supplies a high-frequency current to the front coil 4A and the overlapping coil 4C. The induction heating cooker 1 can perform induction heating on the heating object arranged in the first heating area S1 by using the high-frequency current flowing through the front coil 4A and the overlapping coil 4C.

[0113] For example, when heating the heating object arranged in the second heating area S2, the user can operate the operation panel 7 in a manner of performing heating in the rear drive mode. When receiving an instruction for an action in the rear drive mode, the controller 6 executes the rear drive mode and supplies a high-frequency current to the rear coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C. The induction heating cooker 1 can perform induction heating on the heating object arranged in the second heating area S2 by using the high-frequency current flowing through the rear coil 4B and the overlapping coil 4C.

[0114] As described later, the controller 6 can detect whether a heating object is placed in the heating region by operating the coil unit 4. The controller 6 may determine the operation mode to be executed based on the detection result without accepting an instruction regarding the operation mode from the user.

[0115] The plurality of operation modes may include a full drive mode. The full drive mode is an example of the third operation mode. The full drive mode indicates an operation mode in which the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C are operated. The controller 6 first turns on each relay 31A to 31B, 32A to 32B. Furthermore, the controller 6 can execute a full drive mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied to the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C by operating the inverter circuit 20.

[0116] For example, when heating the heating object arranged in the third heating area S3, the user can operate the operation panel 7 in a manner of performing heating in the full drive mode. When receiving an instruction for an action in the full drive mode, the controller 6 executes the full drive mode and supplies a high-frequency current to the front coil 4A, the inner coil 4B, and the overlapping coil 4C. The induction heating cooker 1 can perform induction heating on the heating object arranged in the third heating area S3 by using the high-frequency current flowing through each coil 4A to 4C.

[0117] In the front driving mode and the full driving mode, the number of coil parts 10 connected to the inverter circuit 20 changes. If the number of connected coil parts changes, the appropriate capacitance value associated with the resonant capacitor changes. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure is configured to be able to change the capacitance value of the resonant capacitor according to the operation mode. For example, Fig. 9 As shown, by configuring the circuit of the induction heating cooker 1, the controller 6 can change the capacitance value of the resonance capacitor according to the operation mode.

[0118] Fig. 9 Indicates a more specific record Figure 8 The circuit diagram of the inverter circuit 20 shown in FIG. Fig. 9 As shown, each coil component 10 is connected to one or more capacitors in the inverter circuit 20. Specifically, each coil component 10 of the first group G1 is connected to the first resonant capacitor 21. In addition, each coil component 10 of the first group G1 is connected to the second resonant capacitor 22 via the capacitor relay 23. Each coil component 10 of the second group G2 is similarly connected to the first resonant capacitor 21. In addition, each coil component 10 of the second group G2 is connected to the second resonant capacitor 22 via the capacitor relay 23.

[0119] The controller 6 is configured to control the opening and closing of the capacitor relay 23 by outputting a control signal. For example, when executing the front drive mode, the controller 6 can turn off the capacitor relay 23 to operate the inverter circuit 20 so as to energize the first resonant capacitor 21. For example, when executing the full drive mode, the controller 6 can turn on the capacitor relay 23 to operate the inverter circuit 20 so as to energize the first resonant capacitor 21 and the second resonant capacitor 22.

[0120] Multiple action modes may also include a central drive mode. The central drive mode is an example of the fourth action mode. The central drive mode indicates an action mode in which the overlapping coil 4C is operated without operating the front coil 4A and the inner coil 4B. The controller 6 first disconnects each relay 31A to 31B, 32A to 32B. Moreover, the controller 6 can execute a central drive mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied to the overlapping coil 4C by operating the inverter circuit 20. The induction heating cooker 1 can utilize the high-frequency current flowing through the overlapping coil 4C to inductively heat the heating object arranged in the area having the coil arrangement area S15 to S16. This area corresponds to the area formed by the fifth coil part 10E and the sixth coil part 10F.

[0121] In the induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure, the controller 6 can determine whether a cooking container C is placed on each coil member 10. In addition, the controller 6 can determine the material of the placed cooking container C. Generally, the impedance of the coil member 10 changes depending on whether a heating object is placed within the range affected by the magnetic field generated by the coil member 10, and based on the difference in magnetism of the material. Therefore, the controller 6 can determine whether a cooking container C is placed by detecting the change in the impedance of each coil member 10A to 10J, and can determine the material of the cooking container C if it is placed.

[0122] For example, when the controller 6 operates the coil unit 4 in the full drive mode, it can switch the opening and closing of each relay unit 31, 32, and judge whether the cooking container C is placed based on the response including the change of impedance. The controller 6 can also operate the coil unit 4 in a manner that can heat at least the part of the third heating area S3 when it is judged that the cooking container C is placed only in the part of the third heating area S3.

[0123] In addition, the controller 6 can determine the parameters of the current including the frequency based on the determined material, and operate the coil unit 4 with the current of the parameters. Therefore, the controller 6 can heat the cooking container C placed above the coil unit 4 with the parameters matching the material of the cooking container C.

[0124] [Effect]

[0125] According to the induction heating cooker 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the following effects can be achieved.

[0126] The induction heating cooker 1 includes a first coil 4A, a second coil 4B, a third coil 4C, a top plate 2, an inverter circuit 20, a first relay unit 31, a second relay unit 32, and a control unit 6. The second coil 4B is a coil different from the first coil 4A. The third coil 4C is a coil different from the first coil 4A and the second coil 4B. The top plate 2 is arranged above the first coil 4A, the second coil 4B, and the third coil 4C. The inverter circuit 20 supplies high-frequency current to the first coil 4A, the second coil 4B, and the third coil 4C, which can act integrally. The first relay unit 31 is connected between the first coil 4A and the inverter circuit 20. The second relay unit 32 is connected between the second coil 4B and the inverter circuit 20. The controller 6 controls the operation of the inverter circuit 20 and the operation of the first relay unit 31 and the second relay unit 32. The controller 6 is configured to execute any of a plurality of operation modes that cause at least any of the first coil 4A, the second coil 4B, and the third coil 4C to act. The plurality of operation modes include a first operation mode and a second operation mode. In the first operation mode, the controller 6 supplies a high-frequency current from the inverter circuit 20 to the first coil 4A and the third coil 4C by turning on the first relay unit 31 and turning off the second relay unit 32. In the second operation mode, the controller 6 supplies a high-frequency current from the inverter circuit 20 to the second coil 4B and the third coil 4C by turning off the first relay unit 31 and turning on the second relay unit 32.

[0127] According to such a structure, in the induction heating cooker 1 using a plurality of coils, a part of the coils can be reused in a plurality of heating regions. Figure 3 As shown, the induction heating cooker 1 of the present embodiment can repeatedly use the overlapping coil 4C in the first heating region S1 and the second heating region S2. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can save space for the coil unit 4.

[0128] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, each coil part 10 is operated by a common inverter circuit 20, so the high-frequency current flowing through each coil part 10 has the same frequency. When the induction heating cooker 1 uses the coils 4A to 4C that operate in an integrated manner to heat the heating object, multiple frequencies whose differences are included in the human audible range are not used. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure can suppress the generation of buzzing sound caused by the difference in the frequency of the high-frequency current flowing through each coil part 10.

[0129] In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can change the coil member 10 that performs the operation by controlling the relay units 31 and 32 and using any of the multiple operation modes. The induction heating cooker 1 can achieve the above-mentioned operation only by one inverter circuit 20 by having the relay units 31 and 32, so the number of inverter circuits 20, which are relatively expensive components, can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of inverter circuits 20, so that space saving can be achieved. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can control the relay units 31 and 32 so that current is not supplied to the coil member 10 that does not need to be operated, so that heating can be performed efficiently.

[0130] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the plurality of operation modes include a third operation mode, in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit 20 to the first coil 4A, the second coil 4B, and the third coil 4C by turning on the first relay unit 31 and the second relay unit 32. By performing such control, the induction heating cooker 1 can heat a larger area than the area operated by the first operation mode or the second operation mode. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can heat a larger heating object such as an elliptical pot or a pot with a larger diameter, and the user's use can be expanded.

[0131] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the inverter circuit 20 has a plurality of resonant capacitors 21 and 22, and in the first operation mode and the third operation mode, the resonant capacitors 21 and 22 that are energized are at least partially different. According to such a structure, the controller 6 can change the number of capacitors that are turned on according to the number of coil parts 10 that are operated. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can use a circuit with an appropriate capacitance value according to the operation, and can reduce the loss of the inverter circuit 20.

[0132] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the inverter circuit 20 has one or more capacitor relays 23 connected to at least a part of the plurality of resonant capacitors 21 and 22. The control unit 6 controls the operation of the one or more capacitor relays 23. With such a structure, the induction heating cooker 1 can use a circuit with an appropriate capacitance value according to the operation, and can reduce the loss of the inverter circuit 20.

[0133] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the plurality of operation modes include a fourth operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit 20 to the third coil 4C by disconnecting the first relay unit 31 and the second relay unit 32. By performing such control, the induction heating cooker 1 can operate only the third coil 4C disposed between the first coil 4A and the second coil 4B. The induction heating cooker 1 can heat a small cooking container C only by the portion of the coil unit 4 where the third coil 4C is disposed, and the user's use can be expanded.

[0134] Furthermore, in the induction heating cooker 1, the control unit 6 switches the opening and closing of at least one of the first relay unit 31 and the second relay unit 32 to determine the presence or absence of the cooking container C on the top plate 2 and the material of the placed cooking container C. By performing such control, the induction heating cooker 1 can detect the position where the cooking container C is placed on the top plate 2 and heat the heating area corresponding to the position. In addition, the cooking container C can be heated by the parameters of the current corresponding to the material of the placed cooking container C. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can improve the cooking performance.

[0135] Furthermore, in the induction heating cooker 1, the outer periphery formed by the first coil 4A and the third coil 4C is circular in a plan view. With such a structure, the induction heating cooker 1 can heat the cooking container C using the heating coil having a shape that matches the shape of the cooking container C. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can improve cooking performance.

[0136] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the first coil 4A has four coil parts 10A to 10D. The induction heating cooker 1 can make the distribution of the intensity of heating the heating object based on the four coil parts 10A to 10D variable by controlling the parameters of the current flowing in the coil parts 10A to 10D. Therefore, when the induction heating cooker 1 uses the first coil 4A to heat the heating object, it can efficiently heat the heating object. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can heat evenly and suppress uneven heating.

[0137] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the first relay unit 31 includes two relays 31A and 31B. The four coil parts include the first coil part 10A, the second coil part 10B, the third coil part 10C, and the fourth coil part 10D. The second coil part 10B is configured to be adjacent to the first coil part 10A. The third coil part 10C is configured to be adjacent to the second coil part 10B. The fourth coil part 10D is configured to be adjacent to the third coil part 10C. One of the two relays, the relay 31A, is connected between the first coil part 10A and the third coil part 10C and the inverter circuit 20. The other relay 31B of the two relays is connected between the second coil part 10B and the fourth coil part 10D and the inverter circuit 20. According to such a structure, the induction heating cooker 1 can supply currents with different parameters to two adjacent coil parts 10. Therefore, when the induction heating cooker 1 uses the first coil 4A to heat the heating object, it is possible to control the heating evenly and efficiently heat the heating object. Furthermore, since the induction heating cooker 1 does not need to provide a relay for each coil member 10 , the number of components used can be reduced, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced and space saving can be achieved.

[0138] In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the first coil 4A, the second coil 4B, and the third coil 4C each have a plurality of coil parts 10A to 10J. The plurality of coil parts 10A to 10J each have a wire wound multiple times, and the wire has a first end 14 and a second end 15 connected to the inverter circuit 20. The first end 14 of each of the plurality of coil parts 10A to 10D of the first coil 4A is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the first relay unit 31. The first end 14 of each of the plurality of coil parts 10G to 10J of the second coil 4B is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the second relay unit 32. The first end 14 of each of the plurality of coil parts 10E to 10F of the third coil 4C is connected to the inverter circuit 20 without passing through the first relay unit 31 and the second relay unit 32. The second end 15 of each of the plurality of coil parts 10A to 10J is connected to a connection point 17 connected to the inverter circuit 20.

[0139] According to such a structure, the induction heating cooker 1 does not need to connect the second end 15 of each coil member 10 to the inverter circuit 20, which can reduce the number of components and reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, in the induction heating cooker 1, the second end 15 of each coil member 10 is connected to a connection point 17, so that the generation of electromagnetic noise can be suppressed and the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) can be improved.

[0140] In addition, since the second ends 15 of the coil members 10 are all connected to the connection point 17, the control unit 6 can perform heating based on each coil member 10 without causing current to flow through the wire connecting the connection point 17 to the inverter circuit 20. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can efficiently heat the heating object.

[0141] In addition, in the present embodiment, the plurality of coil arrangement regions S11 to S16 and S21 to S26 are described as having substantially the same shape and the same size, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of coil arrangement regions S11 to S16 and S21 to S26 may have different shapes and / or different sizes.

[0142] In the present embodiment, the example in which the plurality of coil members 10A to 10J have substantially the same shape and substantially the same size is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of coil members 10A to 10J may have different shapes and / or different sizes.

[0143] In the present embodiment, the example in which the plurality of boundary lines L11 to L16 are straight lines extending from the center C1 of the first heating region S1 to the periphery when viewed from above is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the example in which the plurality of boundary lines L21 to L26 are straight lines extending from the center C2 of the second heating region S2 toward the periphery when viewed from above is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of boundary lines L11 to L16 may also be curved lines extending from the center C1 of the first heating region S1 toward the periphery when viewed from above.

[0144] In the present embodiment, an example is described in which the long side direction of the coil unit 4 is arranged in the depth direction of the induction heating cooker 1, and the front coil 4A, the overlapping coil 4C, and the inner coil 4B that separate the coil unit 4 are arranged in the depth direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the length direction of the coil unit 4 may be arranged in the left-right direction of the induction heating cooker 1, and the coils that separate the coil unit 4 may be arranged in the left-right direction.

[0145] In the present embodiment, an example in which the first heating area S1 and the second heating area S2 respectively have six coil configuration areas S11 to S16 and S21 to S26 is described, but the invention is not limited thereto. In addition, an example in which the number of the plurality of coil parts 10 included in the coil unit 4 is 10 is described, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first heating area S1 and the second heating area S2 may respectively have four coil configuration areas. In addition, the number of the plurality of coil parts 10 included in the coil unit 4 may also be seven. Specifically, for example, the induction heating cooker 1 may also be configured such that the front coil 4A and the inner coil 4B respectively have three coil parts 10, and the overlapping coil 4C has one coil part.

[0146] (Variant 1)

[0147] Fig.10 : is a schematic circuit diagram of an induction heating cooker 1 according to a modification example 1. Specifically, Fig.10 The circuit diagram shows the electrical connection on the side of the second end 15 of the coil unit 4 in the variant example 1. The induction heating cooker 1 of the variant example 1 has a plurality of midpoint relays 33A to 33H. The controller 6 is configured to be able to control the operation of each midpoint relay 33. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the plurality of midpoint relays 33A to 33H, they are collectively referred to as a midpoint relay 33 or a plurality of midpoint relays 33. The midpoint relay 33 is an example of a disconnect relay. The controller 6 can cut off the connection between the second end 15 of the coil part 10 and the inverter circuit 20 by disconnecting, i.e. opening, the midpoint relay 33.

[0148] like Fig.10 As shown, the second end 15 of each coil component 10A to 10J can be independently connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 33. That is, the second end 15 of each coil component 10 can be connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 33 without being electrically connected to the second end 15 of other coil components 10. For example, the second end 15 of the first coil component 10A can be connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 33A. The second end 15 of the second coil component 10B can be connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 33B. The other coil components 10C to 10D and 10G to 10J can also be configured in the same manner.

[0149] In the induction heating cooker 1 of the first modification, the controller 6 turns on the midpoint relay 33 connected to the coil element 10 in operation in the coil unit 4, and turns off the other midpoint relays 33. Figure 7 In the case of the circuit shown, the second end 15 of each coil member 10A to 10J is connected to a connection point 17 connected to the inverter circuit 20. Therefore, even if the controller 6 controls the first relay unit 31 or the second relay unit 32 to disconnect the specified coil member 10 without operating it, the potential of the coil member 10 can change via the connection point 17. Such a potential change may become electromagnetic noise.

[0150] The induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 1 can electrically disconnect the second end 15 of the coil 10 from the inverter circuit 20 or the second end 15 of another coil 10 by disconnecting the midpoint of the coil 10 with the relay 33. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 1 can suppress the generation of noise and improve EMC.

[0151] In this way, the induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 1 has a plurality of disconnection relays 33A to 33H respectively connected to the inverter circuit 20. The first coil 4A, the second coil 4B and the third coil 4C respectively have a plurality of coil parts 10A to 10J. The plurality of coil parts 10A to 10J respectively have an electric wire wound multiple times. The electric wire has a first end 14 and a second end 15 connected to the inverter circuit 20. The first end 14 of each of the plurality of coil parts 10A to 10D of the first coil 4A is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the first relay unit 31. The first end 14 of each of the plurality of coil parts 10G to 10J of the second coil 4B is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the second relay unit 32. The first end 14 of each of the plurality of coil parts 10E to 10F of the third coil 4C is connected to the inverter circuit 20 without passing through the first relay unit 31 and the second relay unit 32. The second ends 15 of the plurality of coil elements 10A to 10D and 10G to 10J of the first coil 4A and the second coil 4B are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via any of the plurality of disconnection relays 33A to 33H.

[0152] According to such a structure, the induction heating cooker 1 can suppress the generation of noise and improve EMC. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 also has a plurality of disconnection relays 33, thereby, the operation of improving EMC can be achieved by only one inverter circuit 20. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of inverter circuits, which are relatively expensive components, and thus can reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of inverter circuits 20, and thus can achieve space saving of the coil unit 4.

[0153] (Variant 2)

[0154] Fig.11 : is a schematic circuit diagram of the induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 2. Specifically, Fig.11 The circuit diagram of shows the electrical connection on the second end 15 side of the coil unit 4 in the modification 2. The induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 2 includes a plurality of midpoint relays 34A to 34D. The controller 6 is configured to be able to control the operation of each midpoint relay 34A to 34D. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the plurality of midpoint relays 34A to 34D, they are collectively referred to as a midpoint relay 34 or a plurality of midpoint relays 34. The midpoint relay 34 is an example of a disconnecting relay.

[0155] like Fig.11As shown, the second end 15 of each coil member 10 can be connected to the second end 15 of other coil members 10, and the connection points 18A to 18D between the second ends 15 are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 34. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish the connection points 18A to 18D, they are collectively referred to as the connection point 18 or multiple connection points 18. Each connection point 18 can also represent the midpoint between the second end 15 sides of the multiple coil members 10 connected to each other.

[0156] In the circuit of Modification 2, the second end 15 of the first coil member 10A and the second end 15 of the third coil member 10C are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the same midpoint relay 34A. Specifically, the second end 15 of the first coil member 10A and the second end 15 of the third coil member 10C are connected to the connection point 18A, and the connection point 18A is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 34A. The second end 15 of the second coil member 10B and the second end 15 of the fourth coil member 10D are similarly connected to the connection point 18B, and are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the same midpoint relay 34B. The second end 15 of the seventh coil member 10G and the second end 15 of the ninth coil member 10I are similarly connected to the connection point 18C, and are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the same midpoint relay 34C. The second end 15 of the eighth coil element 10H and the second end 15 of the tenth coil element 10J are similarly connected to the connection point 18D, and are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the same midpoint relay 34D.

[0157] Similar to Modification 1, in the induction heating cooker 1 of Modification 2, the controller 6 turns on the midpoint relay 34 connected to the coil member 10 in operation in the coil unit 4, and turns off the other midpoint relays 34. Therefore, similar to Modification 1, the induction heating cooker 1 of Modification 2 can suppress the generation of noise and improve EMC.

[0158] In this way, the induction heating cooker 1 of the second variant also has two disconnection relays 34A and 34B respectively connected to the inverter circuit. The four coil parts 10A to 10D respectively have a wire wound multiple times. The wire has a first end 14 and a second end 15 connected to the inverter circuit 20. The first end 14 of each of the first coil part 10A and the third coil part 10C is connected to the relay 31A of one of the two relays. The first end 14 of each of the second coil part 10B and the fourth coil part 10D is connected to the relay 31B of the other of the two relays. The second end 15 of each of the first coil part 10A and the third coil part 10C is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the disconnection relay 34A of one of the two disconnection relays. The second end 15 of each of the second coil part 10B and the fourth coil part 10D is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the disconnection relay 34B of the other of the two disconnection relays.

[0159] According to such a structure, the induction heating cooker 1 can suppress the generation of noise and improve EMC. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 also has a plurality of disconnection relays 34, thereby, the action of improving EMC can be achieved by only one inverter circuit 20. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of inverter circuits, which are relatively expensive components, and thus can reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of inverter circuits 20, and thus can achieve space saving of the coil unit 4. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 of Modified Example 2 can reduce the number of midpoint relays 34 compared to the induction heating cooker 1 of Modified Example 1, and thus can reduce the number of components and manufacturing costs.

[0160] (Variant 3)

[0161] Fig.12 : is a schematic circuit diagram of the induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 3. Specifically, Fig.12 The circuit diagram of shows the electrical connection on the second end 15 side of the coil unit 4 in the modification 3. The induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 3 includes a plurality of midpoint relays 35A to 35B. The controller 6 is configured to be able to control the operation of each midpoint relay 35A to 35B. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the plurality of midpoint relays 35A to 35B, they are collectively referred to as a midpoint relay 35 or a plurality of midpoint relays 35. The midpoint relay 35 is an example of a disconnecting relay.

[0162] like Fig.12 As shown, the second end 15 of each coil member 10 can be connected to the second end 15 of multiple other coil members 10, and the connection points 19A and 19B between the second ends 15 are connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 35. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the connection points 19A to 19B, they are collectively referred to as the connection point 19 or multiple connection points 19. Each connection point 19 can also represent the midpoint between the second end 15 sides of the multiple coil members 10 connected to each other.

[0163] In the circuit of Modification 3, each second end 15 of the first coil member 10A to the fourth coil member 10D is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the same midpoint relay 35A. Specifically, each second end 15 of the first coil member 10A to the fourth coil member 10D is connected to the connection point 19A, and the connection point 19A is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the midpoint relay 35A. Similarly, each second end 15 of the seventh coil member 10G to the tenth coil member 10J is connected to the connection point 19B, and is connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the same midpoint relay 35B.

[0164] As in Modifications 1 and 2, in the induction heating cooker 1 of Modification 3, the controller 6 turns on the midpoint relay 35 connected to the coil member 10 in operation in the coil unit 4, and turns off the other midpoint relays 35. Therefore, as in Modifications 1 and 2, the induction heating cooker 1 of Modification 3 can suppress the generation of noise and improve EMC.

[0165] In this way, the induction heating cooker 1 of variant example 3 also has a disconnecting relay 35A connected to the inverter circuit 20. The four coil parts 10A to 10D each have an electric wire wound multiple times. The electric wire has a first end 14 and a second end 15 connected to the inverter circuit 20. The first end 14 of each of the first coil part 10A and the third coil part 10C is connected to the relay 31A of one of the two relays. The first end 14 of each of the second coil part 10B and the fourth coil part 10D is connected to the relay 31B of the other of the two relays. The second end 15 of each of the four coil parts 10A to 10D is connected to a connection point 19A connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the disconnecting relay 35A.

[0166] According to such a structure, the induction heating cooker 1 can suppress the generation of noise and improve EMC. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 also has a disconnection relay 35, thereby, the action of improving EMC can be achieved by only one inverter circuit 20. Therefore, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of inverter circuits 20, which are relatively expensive components, and thus can reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of inverter circuits 20, and thus can achieve space saving of the coil unit 4. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 of Modified Example 3 can reduce the number of midpoint relays 35 compared to the induction heating cooker 1 of Modified Example 2, and thus can reduce the number of components and manufacturing costs.

[0167] (Variant 4)

[0168] Fig.13 : is a schematic circuit diagram of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the modification example 4. Specifically, Fig.13 The circuit diagram of shows the electrical connection on the first end 14 side of the coil unit 4 in the modification 4. The relay unit 30 of the induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 4 further includes an overlapping relay unit 36. The overlapping relay unit 36 ​​is an example of a third relay unit. The overlapping relay unit 36 ​​includes a first overlapping relay 36A and a second overlapping relay 36B. The controller 6 is configured to be able to control the operation of the overlapping relay unit 36.

[0169] like Fig.13As shown, the overlapping coil 4C can be connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the overlapping relay unit 36. Specifically, the first end 14 of the fifth coil member 10E can be connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the first overlapping relay 36A. The first end 14 of the sixth coil member 10F can be connected to the inverter circuit 20 via the second overlapping relay 36B.

[0170] In the induction heating cooker 1 of variant example 4, the plurality of action modes may include an inner coil drive mode. The inner coil drive mode is an example of the fifth action mode. The inner coil drive mode represents an action mode in which the inner coil 4B is actuated but the front coil and the overlapping coil 4C are not actuated. The controller 6 first turns on the relays 32A and 32B of the inner relay unit 32, and turns off the relays 31A, 31B, 36A, and 36B of the front relay unit 31 and the overlapping relay unit. Moreover, the controller 6 can execute the inner coil drive mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied to the inner coil 4B by actuating the inverter circuit 20. In addition, the plurality of action modes may include a front coil drive mode in which only the front coil 4A is actuated.

[0171] For example, when heating an object to be heated that is arranged in an inner coil heating area having a plurality of coil arrangement areas S23 to S26, the user can operate the operation panel 7 in such a manner as to perform heating by the inner coil drive mode. The inner coil heating area corresponds to the inner coil 4B, i.e., the area formed by the seventh coil member 10G to the tenth coil member 10J. When receiving an instruction for an action in the inner coil drive mode, the controller 6 executes the inner coil drive mode and supplies a high-frequency current to the inner coil 4B. The induction heating cooker 1 can perform induction heating on an object to be heated that is arranged in the inner coil heating area by using the high-frequency current flowing through the inner coil 4B.

[0172] The induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 4 can combine a plurality of operation modes to heat a plurality of cooking containers C placed above the coil unit 4. The controller 6 can, for example, heat one of the plurality of cooking containers C placed in the first heating area S1 and the other of the plurality of cooking containers C placed in the inner coil heating area. Specifically, the controller 6 executes the front drive mode to heat one of the plurality of cooking containers C, and after a certain period of time, switches to the inner coil drive mode to heat the other of the plurality of cooking containers C. In this way, the controller 6 can efficiently heat the plurality of cooking containers C arranged above the coil unit 4 by alternately switching between the front drive mode and the inner coil drive mode.

[0173] Thus, in the induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 4, the plurality of operation modes include the fifth operation mode in which the high-frequency current is supplied only to the second coil 4B from the inverter circuit 20. The control unit 6 operates by alternately switching between the first operation mode and the fifth operation mode. Thus, the induction heating cooker 1 can heat a plurality of cooking containers C using one coil unit 4, and can expand the user's use.

[0174] In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 also has a third relay unit 36 ​​connected between the third coil 4C and the inverter circuit 20. The control unit 6 performs the fifth operation mode by disconnecting the first relay unit 31 and the third relay unit 36 ​​and connecting the second relay unit 32. The induction heating cooker 1 can efficiently heat a plurality of cooking containers C arranged above the coil unit by providing the relay unit 36 ​​between the third coil 4C and the inverter circuit 20. The induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of the inverter circuit 20, which is a relatively expensive component, and thus can reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 can reduce the number of the inverter circuit 20, and thus can achieve space saving of the coil unit 4.

[0175] The induction heating cooker 1 may be provided with a midpoint relay between the second end 15 of the fifth coil 10E and the inverter circuit 20 and between the second end 15 of the fifth coil 10F and the inverter circuit 20. Fig.10 In the circuit of the modified example 1 shown, the induction heating cooker 1 may include a midpoint relay 33I between the second end 15 of the fifth coil 10E and the inverter circuit 20. Furthermore, the induction heating cooker 1 may include a midpoint relay 33J between the second end 15 of the sixth coil 10F and the inverter circuit 20. Fig.11 and Fig.12 The same changes can be applied to the circuits of the second and third modified examples shown.

[0176] In addition, the induction heating cooker 1 of the modification 4 heats a plurality of cooking containers C using only one inverter circuit 20 by including the relay units 31, 32, 36, but is not limited thereto. For example, the induction heating cooker 1 may be configured to include a plurality of inverter circuits 20 connected to the coils 4A to 4C, respectively, and the controller 6 controls the operation of each inverter circuit 20. With such a configuration, the induction heating cooker 1 can heat a plurality of cooking containers C without including a plurality of relay units 31, 32, 36.

[0177] (Summary of methods)

[0178] As is apparent from the above description, the present disclosure includes the following aspects. In order to clearly indicate the correspondence with the embodiments, the reference numerals are given in parentheses.

[0179] (Mode 1) The induction heating cooker (1) disclosed in the present invention comprises: a first coil (4A); a second coil (4B) which is different from the first coil; a third coil (4C) which is different from the first coil and the second coil, the third coil being arranged between the first coil and the second coil in a manner adjacent to the first coil and the second coil; a top plate (2) which is arranged above the first coil, the second coil and the third coil; an inverter circuit (20) which supplies high-frequency current to the first coil, the second coil and the third coil which can operate as a whole; a first relay unit (31) which is connected between the first coil and the inverter circuit; a second relay unit (32) which is connected between the second coil and the third coil; between the coil and the inverter circuit; and a control unit (6) which controls the operation of the inverter circuit and the operation of the first relay unit and the second relay unit, the control unit being configured to: execute any of a plurality of operation modes for operating at least any one of the first coil, the second coil and the third coil, the plurality of operation modes comprising: a first operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the first coil and the third coil by turning on the first relay unit and turning off the second relay unit; and a second operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the second coil and the third coil by turning off the first relay unit and turning on the second relay unit.

[0180] (Mode 2) In the induction heating cooker (1) of Mode 1, the plurality of action modes include a third action mode, wherein the third action mode supplies a high-frequency current from the inverter circuit (20) to the first coil (4A), the second coil (4B) and the third coil (4C) by connecting the first relay unit (31) and the second relay unit (32).

[0181] (Mode 3) In the induction heating cooker (1) of Mode 2, the inverter circuit (20) has a plurality of resonant capacitors (21, 22), and in the first operation mode and the third operation mode, the resonant capacitors energized are at least partially different.

[0182] (Mode 4) In the induction heating cooker (1) of Mode 3, the inverter circuit (20) has one or more capacitor relays (23) connected to at least a part of the multiple resonant capacitors (21, 22), and the control unit (6) controls the operation of the one or more capacitor relays (23).

[0183] (Mode 5) In the induction heating cooker (1) of any one of Modes 1 to 4, the plurality of operation modes may include a fourth operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the third coil by disconnecting the first relay unit and the second relay unit.

[0184] (Mode 6) In an induction heating cooker (1) of any one of Modes 1 to 5, in the induction heating cooker (1), the control unit (6) switches on and off at least one of the first relay unit (31) and the second relay unit (32) to determine whether there is a cooking container (C) on the top plate (2) and the material of the cooking container placed thereon.

[0185] (Mode 7) In the induction heating cooker (1) of any one of Modes 1 to 6, the plurality of action modes include a fifth action mode, in which the inverter circuit (20) supplies high-frequency current only to the second coil (4B), and the control unit (6) alternately switches between the first action mode and the fifth action mode to perform the action.

[0186] (Mode 8) The induction heating cooker (1) of Mode 7 also includes a third relay unit (36), which is connected between the third coil (4C) and the inverter circuit (20), and the control unit (6) executes the fifth action mode by disconnecting the first relay unit (31) and the third relay unit and connecting the second relay unit (32).

[0187] (Mode 9) In the induction heating cooker (1) of any one of Modes 1 to 8, the outer circumference formed by the first coil (4A) and the third coil (4C) is circular in a plan view.

[0188] (Mode 10) In the induction heating cooker (1) of any one of Modes 1 to 9, the first coil (4A) has four coil parts (10A to 10D).

[0189] (Method 11) In the induction heating cooker (1) of method 10, the first relay unit (31) includes two relays (31A, 31B), and the four coil parts include: a first coil part (10A); a second coil part (10B), which is arranged adjacent to the first coil part; a third coil part (10C), which is arranged adjacent to the second coil part; and a fourth coil part (10D), which is arranged adjacent to the third coil part, and the relay (31A) of one of the two relays is connected between the first coil part and the third coil part and the inverter circuit (20), and the relay (31B) of the other of the two relays is connected between the second coil part and the fourth coil part and the inverter circuit.

[0190] (Mode 12) The induction heating cooker (1) of Mode 11 is further provided with two disconnecting relays (33A, 33B) respectively connected to the inverter circuit (20), the four coil parts (10A to 10D) respectively having an electric wire wound multiple times, the electric wire having a first end (14) and a second end (15) connected to the inverter circuit, the first end of each of the first coil part (10A) and the third coil part (10C) being connected to the relay (31A) of one of the two relays, the first end of each of the second coil part (10B) and the fourth coil part (10D) being connected to the relay (31B) of the other of the two relays, the second end of each of the first coil part and the third coil part being connected to the inverter circuit via the disconnecting relay (33A) of one of the two disconnecting relays, and the second end of each of the second coil part and the fourth coil part being connected to the inverter circuit via the disconnecting relay (33B) of the other of the two disconnecting relays.

[0191] (Mode 13) The induction heating cooker (1) of Mode 11 is further provided with a disconnecting relay (35A) connected to the inverter circuit (20), wherein the four coil parts (10A to 10D) respectively have an electric wire wound multiple times, and the electric wire has a first end (14) and a second end (15) connected to the inverter circuit, the first end of the first coil part (10A) and the third coil part (10C) are each connected to the relay (31A) of one of the two relays, the first end of the second coil part (10B) and the fourth coil part (10D) are each connected to the relay (31B) of the other of the two relays, and the second end of each of the four coil parts is connected to a connection point connected to the inverter circuit via the disconnecting relay.

[0192] (Mode 14) In the induction heating cooker (1) of any one of Modes 1 to 9, the first coil (4A), the second coil (4B) and the third coil (4C) respectively have a plurality of coil parts (10A to 10J), the plurality of coil parts respectively have an electric wire wound multiple times, the electric wire having a first end (14) and a second end (15) connected to the inverter circuit, the first end of each of the plurality of coil parts (10A to 10D) of the first coil is connected to the inverter circuit (20) via the first relay unit (31), the first end of each of the plurality of coil parts (10G to 10J) of the second coil is connected to the inverter circuit via the second relay unit (32), the first end of each of the plurality of coil parts (10E to 10F) of the third coil is connected to the inverter circuit without passing through the first relay unit and the second relay unit, and the second end of each of the plurality of coil parts is connected to a connection point (17) connected to the inverter circuit.

[0193] (Mode 15) In the induction heating cooker (1) of any one of Modes 1 to Modes 9, there is provided a plurality of disconnecting relays (33A to 33H) respectively connected to the inverter circuit (20), the first coil (4A), the second coil (4B) and the third coil (4C) respectively have a plurality of coil parts (10A to 10J), the plurality of coil parts respectively have an electric wire wound a plurality of turns, the electric wire has a first end (14) and a second end (15) connected to the inverter circuit (20), and the plurality of coil parts (10A to 10D) of the first coil respectively have the first The first end of each of the plurality of coil parts (10G to 10J) of the second coil is connected to the inverter circuit via the second relay unit (32), the first end of each of the plurality of coil parts (10E to 10F) of the third coil is connected to the inverter circuit without passing through the first relay unit and the second relay unit, and the second end of each of the plurality of coil parts of the first coil and the second coil is connected to the inverter circuit via any one of the plurality of disconnecting relays.

[0194] In this specification, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for illustration 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.

[0195] The induction heating cooker described in the present disclosure is realized by the cooperation of hardware resources such as a processor, a memory, and software (computer program).

[0196] Possibility of Industrial Application

[0197] According to the present disclosure, an induction heating cooker that operates a plurality of heating coils and suppresses the generation of buzzing sounds can be provided, and thus can be suitably used in such an industrial field.

Claims

1. An induction heating cooker, wherein: The induction heating cooker comprises: First coil; a second coil, which is different from the first coil; a third coil, which is different from the first coil and the second coil, and is arranged between the first coil and the second coil in a manner adjacent to the first coil and the second coil; a top plate, which is disposed above the first coil, the second coil and the third coil; an inverter circuit for supplying high-frequency current to each of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil that can operate integrally; a first relay unit connected between the first coil and the inverter circuit; a second relay unit connected between the second coil and the inverter circuit; and a control unit that controls the operation of the inverter circuit and the operations of the first relay unit and the second relay unit, The control unit is configured to execute any one of a plurality of operation modes for operating at least one of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil. The multiple action modes include: a first operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the first coil and the third coil by turning on the first relay unit and turning off the second relay unit; and In the second operation mode, the first relay unit is turned off and the second relay unit is turned on, thereby supplying a high-frequency current from the inverter circuit to the second coil and the third coil.

2. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of operation modes include a third operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil by turning on the first relay unit and the second relay unit.

3. The induction heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein: The inverter circuit includes a plurality of resonant capacitors, and in the first operation mode and the third operation mode, the resonant capacitors to which current is supplied are at least partially different.

4. The induction heating cooker according to claim 3, wherein: The inverter circuit includes one or more capacitor relays connected to at least a part of the plurality of resonant capacitors. The control unit controls the operation of the one or more capacitor relays.

5. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of operation modes include a fourth operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the third coil by turning off the first relay unit and the second relay unit.

6. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit switches at least one of the first relay unit and the second relay unit on and off to determine whether a cooking container is on the top plate and the material of the placed cooking container.

7. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of operation modes include a fifth operation mode in which a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit only to the second coil. The control unit operates by alternately switching between the first operation mode and the fifth operation mode.

8. The induction heating cooker according to claim 7, wherein: The induction heating cooker further includes a third relay unit connected between the third coil and the inverter circuit. The control unit executes the fifth operation mode by turning off the first relay unit and the third relay unit and turning on the second relay unit.

9. The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein: The outer circumference formed by the first coil and the third coil is circular in a plan view.

10. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The first coil has four coil elements.

11. The induction heating cooker according to claim 10, wherein: The first relay unit comprises two relays, The four coil members include: a first coil member; a second coil member disposed adjacent to the first coil member; a third coil member disposed adjacent to the second coil member; as well as a fourth coil member disposed adjacent to the third coil member, One of the two relays is connected between the first coil member, the third coil member and the inverter circuit. The other of the two relays is connected between the second coil element and the fourth coil element and the inverter circuit.

12. The induction heating cooker according to claim 11, wherein: The induction heating cooker further includes two disconnection relays respectively connected to the inverter circuit. The four coil members each have a wire wound multiple times, and the wire has a first end and a second end connected to the inverter circuit. The first end of each of the first coil member and the third coil member is connected to one of the two relays. The first end of each of the second coil member and the fourth coil member is connected to the other of the two relays. The second ends of the first coil member and the third coil member are connected to the inverter circuit via one of the two disconnecting relays. The second end of each of the second coil member and the fourth coil member is connected to the inverter circuit via the other of the two disconnecting relays.

13. The induction heating cooker according to claim 11, wherein: The induction heating cooker further includes a disconnecting relay connected to the inverter circuit. The four coil members each have a wire wound multiple times, and the wire has a first end and a second end connected to the inverter circuit. The first end of each of the first coil member and the third coil member is connected to one of the two relays. The first end of each of the second coil member and the fourth coil member is connected to the other of the two relays. The second end of each of the four coil members is connected to one connection point connected to the inverter circuit via the disconnecting relay.

14. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The first coil, the second coil and the third coil each have a plurality of coil parts. The plurality of coil members each have a wire wound multiple times, and the wire has a first end connected to the inverter circuit and a second end. The first end of each of the plurality of coil elements of the first coil is connected to the inverter circuit via the first relay unit. The first end of each of the plurality of coil elements of the second coil is connected to the inverter circuit via the second relay unit. The first end of each of the plurality of coil elements of the third coil is connected to the inverter circuit without passing through the first relay unit and the second relay unit. The second end of each of the plurality of coil members is connected to a connection point connected to the inverter circuit.

15. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The induction heating cooker includes a plurality of disconnection relays respectively connected to the inverter circuit. The first coil, the second coil and the third coil each have a plurality of coil parts. The plurality of coil members each have a wire wound multiple times, and the wire has a first end and a second end connected to the inverter circuit. The first end of each of the plurality of coil elements of the first coil is connected to the inverter circuit via the first relay unit. The first end of each of the plurality of coil elements of the second coil is connected to the inverter circuit via the second relay unit. The first end of each of the plurality of coil elements of the third coil is connected to the inverter circuit without passing through the first relay unit and the second relay unit. The second ends of the plurality of coil elements of the first coil and the second coil are connected to the inverter circuit via any one of the plurality of disconnecting relays.

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