Method for inductive heating of a medium by means of a small preparation device and system for carrying out the method

Abstract

Method for inductively heating a medium (18) by means of a preparation device designed as a small preparation device (14) which has an induction unit (20) for inductive coupling with at least one heating coil (8) of an induction hob (4) on which the small preparation device (14) is placed, for the induction hob (4), a minimum contact area for a preparation device with the heating coil (8) is predetermined for enabling operation of the heating coil (8) of the induction hob (4) and is stored in a memory (11) connected to a controller (10) of the induction hob (4) for data transmission for checking with a contact area of ​​a preparation device with the heating coil (8), characterized in that upon detection of a small preparation appliance (14) by a detection system, wherein in the small preparation appliance (14) the inductively effective contact area is smaller than the minimum contact area previously defined for enabling operation of the heating coil (8), by means of an allocation system, the small preparation appliance (14) is automatically allocated to the heating coil (8) and identified as one or as this small preparation appliance (14), and wherein an operating instruction for the induction hob (4) is stored in the memory (11) and, depending on this assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14), is processed in the control (10) in such a way that the heating coil (8) on which the small preparation appliance (14) is placed is automatically released for operation, the operating instructions include that depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14), the value for the minimum contact area is reduced or Depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14), a special contact surface of the heating coil (8) is enabled for operation by means of the control (10).

Description

The invention relates to a method for inductively heating a medium by means of a small preparation appliance designed as a small preparation appliance of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1, a small preparation appliance of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 13 and a system for carrying out the method of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 14.A large number of embodiments of small preparation appliances and methods for their operation are known from the prior art. For example, the publication EP 3 001 771 B1 shows small cooking vessels, and the publication WO 2007 / 088 209 A1 shows a small water boiler, and immersion boilers or systems with small preparation appliances of this type are also known.For example, induction hobs and cookware for use with an induction hob are known from the publications EP 2 688 366 A1 and DE 10 2008 022 387 A1 and DE 10 2006 017 801 A1 and EP 3 001 771 B1 and DE 10 2017 104 727 A1, wherein the base of the cookware substantially consists of a nonmetallic material, and wherein at least one metal body is arranged on the base within the cookware body, said metal body being inductively heatable. The metal body is firmly connected to the base at least in sections by a material bond.The document DE 25 04 827 A1 shows an induction hob with a detection system which automatically detects cookware and in particular the size of cookware.Furthermore, DE 10 2014 111 817 A1 discloses a heating system and a method for inductively heating liquids. The heating system comprises a basic device with an induction coil and a container, which can be arranged on the basic device, for receiving a liquid to be heated, wherein an induction plate with a handling rod attached concentrically thereto can be arranged in the container. A handle of the handling rod is located in an area outside the container.The invention thus addresses the problem of improving inductive heating of a medium by means of a small preparation appliance.According to the invention, this problem is solved by a method having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, this problem is solved by a system having the features of claim 11.Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are evident from the following dependent claims. The phrase "the heating coil" is to be interpreted broadly and encompasses all types, shapes and dimensions of heating coils, including heating coil groups consisting of individual heating coils, in which the individual heating coils are interconnected with one another as required, in order to be able to form larger heating coils in each case. The storage device connected to the control of the induction hob in a data-transmitting manner can be designed as part of the control device or as part of the induction hob. However, this is not absolutely necessary. For example, the memory can also be designed as a so-called cloud, i.e. server-based. The term "contact surface" or hereafter also "special contact surface" means the respective inductively effective surface in the inductive coupling between the induction hob on the one side and the small preparation appliance on the other side.The advantage that can be achieved with the invention is in particular that inductive heating of a medium by means of a small preparation appliance is improved. Due to the inventive embodiment of the method and the system, an automatic assignment of the small preparation appliance to the heating coil of the induction hob and an identification of the small preparation appliance as a small preparation appliance or as a specific small preparation appliance are made possible. This is particularly advantageous in induction hobs with a plurality of heating coils and a plurality of hobs assigned to the heating coils.This also includes the so-called flat hobs. The small preparation appliance can thus be placed on several cooking zones, also simultaneously, in the case of induction cooking zones of this type. Conventionally, induction hobs are equipped with a detection system that makes it possible to automatically detect metallic items smaller than usual preparation items such as cookware or the like and to block the operation of the induction hob. By means of the method according to the invention and / or the system according to the invention for automatically assigning the small preparation appliance to a heating coil and identifying it as a or this small preparation appliance, it is thus possible to operate a small preparation appliance in the desired manner on an induction hob without the safety during the operation of the induction hob being reduced in the process. This is because, due to the inventive assignment of the small preparation appliance to the heating coil on which the small preparation appliance is placed and its identification as a or this small preparation appliance, the above-mentioned detection system can remain activated. The small preparation appliance can be designed in various ways. For example, the small preparation appliance can be designed as a cooking vessel, a water boiler, a water boiler, an espresso pot or a dip boiler, for being placed in a vessel with a medium to be heated.In principle, the process according to the invention can be freely selected within wide suitable limits. This also applies in particular to the operating rule which is processed in the controller as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance.An advantageous further development of the method according to the invention provides that the operating rule is designed such that the checking of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance with the heating coil is deactivated as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance. In this way, the operating rule is realized in a particularly simple manner. As soon as the small preparation appliance has been assigned and identified by means of the assignment system, the above-explained detection system is deactivated, so that a check of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance with the heating coil is omitted. Otherwise, the detection system would automatically block an energization of the heating coil on account of the contact surface which is smaller in comparison with the minimum contact surface, as would be the case, for example, with a metal fork placed on the heating coil.An alternative advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides that the operating rule is designed such that the checking of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance with the heating coil is activated as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance with parameters adapted to one or this small preparation appliance. This makes it possible for the detection system explained above to remain activated and for the heating coil to be simultaneously energized for heating the medium by means of the small preparation appliance. In this case, the parameters can be matched to the specific small preparation appliance which has been assigned and identified. However, it is also conceivable that the parameters are designed to be matched, for example, for a group of small preparation appliances, which includes the specifically assigned and identified small preparation appliance.An advantageous development of the aforementioned embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the value for the minimum contact area is reduced as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance. In this way, the operating specification is realized in a simple manner, despite its adaptation to the small preparation appliance or appliances. For example, it can be provided that the minimum contact surface provided as standard with a circle diameter of 10 cm is reduced to a value correlating to a circle diameter of 3 cm.Alternatively, another advantageous development of the method according to the invention as claimed in claim 3 provides that, as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance, a special contact surface of the heating coil is released for operation by means of the controller. As a result, it is possible, for example, to adapt the contact surface released for operation specifically to the small preparation appliance assigned and identified to the heating coil. If one again proceeds from a minimum contact surface provided by default with a circle diameter of 10 cm, the special contact surface could correspond, for example, to a value range which correlates with a circle diameter of 3 cm to 5 cm. If the circle diameter of the assigned and identified small preparation appliance is, for example, 4 cm, the energization of the heating coil on which this small preparation appliance is placed would be enabled.An advantageous further development of the latter embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the special contact surface has a value for a maximum contact surface of the small preparation device with the heating coil or values for a minimum and a maximum contact surface of the small preparation device with the heating coil as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation device, wherein the operation of the heating coil is automatically blocked if the maximum contact surface is exceeded or if the minimum and maximum contact surfaces are undershot. In this way, operational reliability is further improved. Based on the last-mentioned example with the small preparation appliance having a circle diameter of 4 cm, for example, when simultaneously placing a fork on the heating coil, the maximum contact surface for the heating coil, which surface correlates with a circle diameter of 5 cm and on which the small preparation appliance and the fork are placed, could be exceeded, so that then an energization of this heating coil is automatically blocked.An advantageous further development of the method according to the invention according to claim 5 or 6 provides that the special contact surface is arranged at a previously defined position or at a position of the induction hob that can be varied as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance and is / is identified for a user by means of a permanent or temporary identification. A predetermined position of the special contact surface has the advantage, on the one hand, that the induction hob, in particular at least one heating coil corresponding to the special contact surface, can be designed specifically for use with a small preparation appliance. On the other hand, the predetermined position has the advantage that a permanent marking can be applied at this position of the induction hob. In contrast, a variable position of the special contact surface has the advantage that the special contact surface can be adapted to the requirements of the user and / or to the requirements in the specific preparation process. A permanent or temporary marking additionally offers the advantage that the operating comfort for the user is improved and incorrect or inefficient placements of the small preparation appliance are effectively avoided. The marking, in particular the temporary marking, can be realized, for example, by illumination which, in the case of a temporary marking, is activated as a function of the preparation small appliance approaching the induction hob.Accordingly, an advantageous further development of the last-mentioned embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the temporary marking is activated as a function of a detected approach of the small preparation appliance to the induction hob. As a result, for example, the degree of freedom of design in the design of the induction hob is increased.The special contact surface can be, for example, a fully covered standard heating coil, a partially covered standard heating coil, a partially covered heating coil of a surface hob or the like, a special small heating coil or a special magnetic hot spot of at least one heating coil. For example, the hotspot can be arranged in a region between two heating coils, wherein the phase difference between the currents in the two heating coils is suitably set for this purpose when the two heating coils are driven.A further advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides that, depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance, correct and / or incorrect placement of the small preparation appliance on the induction hob can / is automatically detectable. In this way, it is ensured that, for example, the small preparation appliance according to the invention, which is designed as a submerged boiler or the like, is not placed by the user directly on the induction hob in an undesired manner, that is to say without the setting of the submerged boiler in the vessel with the medium to be heated, above the heating coil. For example, due to the automatic assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance, its size and its influence on the resonant circuit formed with the heating coil are known, so that it can be determined whether, for example, the small preparation appliance formed as a dip heater or the like is located in a vessel with a medium or is placed directly on the induction hob above the heating coil in an undesired manner.An alternative or additional advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides that the induction hob has a temperature monitor assigned to the heating coil, wherein a correct and / or faulty placement of the immersion boiler on the induction hob can / is automatically detectable by means of the temperature monitor and the controller. As an alternative or in addition to the aforementioned embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is hereby ensured that, for example, the small preparation appliance according to the invention, which is designed as a submerged boiler or the like, is not placed by the user directly on the induction hob in an undesired manner, that is to say without the setting of the submerged boiler in the vessel with the medium to be heated, above the heating coil. For example, a predefined limit value for an allowed temperature change per time can be used for this purpose.Accordingly, an advantageous further development of the system according to the invention provides that the induction hob has a temperature monitor assigned to the heating coil, wherein the temperature monitor is designed such that a correct and / or incorrect placement of the small preparation appliance on the induction hob can / is automatically detectable by means of the temperature monitor and the controller.An advantageous further development of the two latter embodiments of the method according to the invention provides that, after the correct placement of the small preparation appliance on the induction hob has been detected, the heating coil is automatically energized with a previously defined power. For this purpose, limit values for the power of the heating coil adapted to the small preparation appliance or adapted parameters for the actuation of the heating coil can be used, for example, in order to be able to adhere to EMC limit values, for example. In this way, the ease of operation for the user is further improved.An advantageous further development of the method according to the invention according to one of claims 9 to 11 provides in this context that, after the detection of the faulty placement of the small preparation appliance on the induction hob, an energization of the heating coil is automatically blocked. Thus, the operational safety is further improved.An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawing and is described in more detail below. It shows the only figure: FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention in a sectional front view.FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention. The system 2 comprises an induction hob 4 with a plurality of cooking zones 6, wherein each cooking zone 6 is assigned at least one heating coil 8, with a controller 10 and with a receiving unit 12 of the controller 10. Furthermore, the system 2 comprises a small preparation appliance 14 designed as a submerged boiler for inductively heating a medium 18 located in a vessel 16.The small preparation appliance 14 comprises an induction unit 20 for inductive coupling to one of the heating coils 8 of the induction hob 4, on which the vessel 16 with the small preparation appliance 14 and the medium 18 is placed, and a handle unit 22 arranged on the induction unit 20 for handling the immersion boiler 14, The handle unit 22 has a rod 24 connected to the induction unit 20 and a handle 26 arranged on the rod 24, wherein the induction unit 20 and the handle 26 are arranged on opposite ends of the rod 24.Furthermore, the small preparation appliance 14 has an assignment unit 28 for automatically assigning the small preparation appliance 14 to the heating coil 8, on which the small preparation appliance 14 is placed together with the vessel 16 and the medium 18 in an operating state of the small preparation appliance 14 and of the system 2 illustrated in FIG. 1, and the identification thereof as a or this small preparation appliance 14. In the present exemplary embodiment, the assignment unit 28 has an assignment element 30 designed as a temperature sensor and is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to a transmission unit 32 of the small preparation appliance 14 for the automatic transmission of an assignment signal, not shown, to the reception unit 12 of the controller 10 of the induction hob 4.The controller 10 of the induction hob 4 has an assignment unit 34, which corresponds to the assignment unit 28 of the small preparation appliance 14, for assigning the small preparation appliance 14 to the heating coil 8, on which the small preparation appliance 14 is placed, and the identification thereof as a or this small preparation appliance 14. The two allocation units 28 and 34 together form an allocation system by means of which the small preparation appliance 14 placed on the heating coil 8 is automatically allocated to this heating coil 8 and is identified as one or this small preparation appliance 14.As can be seen from FIG. 1, the assignment element 30 is arranged on a side of the small preparation appliance 14 facing the heating coil 8 on or in the small preparation appliance 14, namely on an underside of the handle unit 22. Furthermore, the induction unit 20 is designed as a magnetizable plate.In addition, the induction hob 4 has a temperature monitor, not shown, assigned to each heating coil 8 for each heating coil 8 or for a group of directly adjacent heating coils 8, wherein the temperature monitor is designed such that a correct and faulty placement of the small preparation appliance 14 on the induction hob 4 can be automatically detected by means of the temperature monitor and the controller 10. After the assignment has been completed and the detection of the correct placement of the small preparation appliance 14 on the induction hob 4, the heating coil 8, on which the small preparation appliance 14 with the vessel 16 and the medium 18 has been placed, is automatically energized with a previously defined power. If the small preparation appliance 14 has been placed, for example without the vessel 16 with the medium 18, on the cooking point 6 of the induction cooking hob 4 assigned to this heating coil 8, a faulty placement of the small preparation appliance 14 designed as a submerged boiler on the induction cooking hob 4 is detected and an energization of this heating coil 8 is automatically blocked.The method according to the invention according to the present exemplary embodiment and on the basis of FIG. 1 will be explained in more detail below.In the method according to the invention for inductively heating the medium 18 by means of the preparation device designed as a small preparation appliance 14, a minimum contact surface for a preparation device with the heating coil 8 for enabling operation of the heating coil 8 of the induction hob 4 is defined beforehand for the induction hob 4 and is stored in a memory 11 connected in a data-transmitting manner to the controller 10 of the induction hob 4 for checking with a contact surface of a preparation device, for example of the small preparation device 14, with the heating coil 8, wherein a contact surface of the small preparation device 14 with the heating coil 8 is smaller than the minimum contact surface.For this purpose, the induction hob 4 is equipped with a detection system, not shown, which makes it possible to automatically detect metallic objects which are smaller than conventional cookware and to block the operation of the induction hob 4. Such metallic objects can be, for example, cutlery, such as a fork or the like. By means of the small preparation appliance 14, the system 2 and the method according to the invention for automatically assigning the small preparation appliance 14 to a heating coil 8 and identifying it as a or this small preparation appliance 14, it is now possible to operate the small preparation appliance 14, which is designed as a submerged boiler, in the desired manner on the induction hob 4 without the safety during the operation of the induction hob 4 being reduced in the process. This is because, by assigning the small preparation appliance 14 to the heating coil 8, on which the small preparation appliance 14 is placed, and identifying it as a small preparation appliance or this small preparation appliance 14, the above-mentioned detection system can still be used to improve operational reliability.The small preparation appliance 14 is automatically assigned to the heating coil 8 by means of the assignment system formed from the assignment unit 28 of the small preparation appliance 14 and the assignment unit 34 of the induction hob 4 and is identified as one or as this small preparation appliance 14, wherein an operating specification for the induction hob 4 is stored in the memory 11 and is processed in the controller 10 as a function of this assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14 in such a way that the heating coil 8, on which the small preparation appliance 14 is placed, is automatically released for operation.For example, for the purpose of automatic assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14 to the heating coil 8, on which the immersion heater 14 according to FIG. 1 with the vessel 16 and the medium 18 is placed, this heating coil 8 is energized with a relatively low power and the heating of the small preparation appliance 14, namely of the induction unit 20 of the small preparation appliance 14, is monitored by means of the assignment element 30 designed as a temperature sensor. If the measured heating of the induction unit 20 correlates with the heating of the induction unit 20 to be expected on the basis of the above-mentioned energization of the heating coil 8, the small preparation appliance 14 is automatically assigned to this heating coil 8 and is identified as one or this small preparation appliance 14. The other heating coils 8 of the induction hob 4 and the cooking points 6 assigned to them can be energized, for example, in a different manner, so that the small preparation appliance 14 can be automatically assigned to a specific heating coil 8. When evaluating the temperatures measured by means of the assignment element 30 designed as a temperature sensor, it is also possible to take account of a time profile and / or the influence of expectable environmental conditions, for example the influence of the medium 18 surrounding the small preparation appliance 14 designed as a submerged boiler or of the vessel 16.In simpler embodiments, the operating rule can be designed such that the above-mentioned detection system and thus the checking of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance 14 with the heating coil 8 is deactivated as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14. As soon as the small preparation appliance 14 has been assigned and identified by means of the assignment system, the detection system is deactivated, so that a check of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance 14 with the heating coil 8 is omitted. Otherwise, the detection system would automatically block an energization of the heating coil 8 on account of the contact area which is smaller in comparison with the minimum contact area, as would be the case, for example, with a metal fork placed on the heating coil 8. The fork is mentioned purely by way of example and is not shown.In other embodiments, it is alternatively possible for the operating rule to be designed such that the above-mentioned detection system and thus the checking of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance 14 with the heating coil 8 is activated as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14 with parameters adapted to one or this small preparation appliance 14. This makes it possible for the detection system explained above to remain activated and for the heating coil 8 to be simultaneously energized for heating the medium 18 by means of the small preparation appliance 14 designed as a submerged boiler. In this case, the parameters can be matched to the specific small preparation appliance 14 which has been assigned and identified. However, it is also conceivable that the parameters are designed to be matched, for example, for a group of small preparation appliances, which includes the specifically assigned and identified small preparation appliance 14.For example, depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14, the value for the minimum contact area can be reduced. In this way, the operating specification is realized in a simple manner, despite its adaptation to a or this small preparation appliance 14. For example, it can be provided that the minimum contact surface provided as standard with a circle diameter of 10 cm is reduced to a value correlating to a circle diameter of 3 cm.Alternatively, it can be provided that, depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14, a non-illustrated special contact surface of the heating coil 8 is released for operation by means of the controller 10. As a result, it is possible, for example, to adapt the contact surface released for operation specifically to the small preparation appliance 14 assigned and identified to the heating coil 8. If one again proceeds from a minimum contact surface provided by default with a circle diameter of 10 cm, the special contact surface could correspond, for example, to a value range which correlates with a circle diameter of 3 cm to 5 cm. If the circle diameter of the assigned and identified small preparation appliance 14 is, for example, 4 cm, the energization of the heating coil 8, on which this small preparation appliance 14 is placed, would be enabled.In this case, the special contact surface can have a value for a maximum contact surface of the small preparation appliance with the heating coil 8 or values for a minimum and a maximum contact surface of the small preparation appliance 14 with the heating coil 8 as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14, wherein the operation of the heating coil 8 is automatically blocked if the maximum contact surface is exceeded or if the minimum and maximum contact surfaces are exceeded. In this way, operational reliability is further improved. Based on the last-mentioned example with the small preparation appliance 14 having a circle diameter of 4 cm, for example, when simultaneously placing a fork, not shown, on the heating coil 8, the maximum contact surface for the heating coil 8, which surface correlates with a circle diameter of 5 cm and on which the small preparation appliance 14 and the fork are placed, could be exceeded, so that then an energization of this heating coil 8 is automatically blocked.The special contact surface can be arranged at a previously defined position or at a position of the induction hob 4 that can be varied as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14 and can be identified by means of a non-illustrated permanent or temporary identification for a user, likewise not illustrated. A predetermined position of the special contact surface has the advantage, on the one hand, that the induction hob 4, in particular at least one heating coil 8 corresponding to the special contact surface, can be designed specifically for use with the small preparation appliance 14. On the other hand, the predetermined position has the advantage that a permanent marking can be applied at this position of the induction hob 4. In contrast, a variable position of the special contact surface has the advantage that the special contact surface can be adapted to the requirements of the user and / or to the requirements in the specific preparation process. A permanent or temporary marking additionally offers the advantage that the operating comfort for the user is improved and incorrect or inefficient placements of the small preparation appliance 14 are effectively avoided. The marking, in particular the temporary marking, can be realized, for example, by a lighting system, not shown, which, in the case of a temporary marking system, is activated as a function of the preparation small appliance 14 approaching the induction hob 4.Depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14, in the present exemplary embodiment a correct and an erroneous placement of the small preparation appliance 14 on the induction hob 4 can be detected automatically. In this way, it is ensured that the small preparation appliance 14 according to the invention, which is designed as a submerged boiler, is not placed by the user in an undesired manner directly on the induction hob 4, that is to say without the small preparation appliance 14 being set into the vessel 16 with the medium 18 to be heated, above the heating coil 8. For example, due to the automatic assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance 14, its size and its influence on the resonant circuit formed with the heating coil 8 are known, so that it can be determined whether, for example, the small preparation appliance 14 formed as a submerged boiler is located in the vessel 16 with the medium 18 or is placed directly on the induction hob 4 above the heating coil 8 in an undesired manner.As already explained above, the induction hob 4 alternatively has temperature monitors not shown which are assigned to the respective heating coil 8, wherein a correct and faulty placement of the small preparation appliance 14 designed as a submerged boiler on the induction hob 4 can be automatically detected by means of the respective temperature monitor and the controller 10. However, it is also conceivable that only one or the other of monitoring a correct and / or faulty placement of the small preparation appliance 14 on the induction hob 4 is realized.After the correct placement of the small preparation appliance 14 onto the induction hob 4 has been detected, the heating coil 8, on which the small preparation appliance 14 is placed, is automatically energized with a previously defined power. For this purpose, limit values for the power of the heating coil 8 adapted to the small preparation appliance 14 or adapted parameters for the actuation of the heating coil 8 can be used, for example, in order to be able to adhere to EMC limit values, for example. If a faulty placement of the small preparation appliance 14 designed as a submerged boiler on the induction hob 4 has been detected, the heating coil 8 is automatically blocked from being energized.With the exemplary embodiment explained above, inductive heating of a medium 18 located in the vessel is improved by means of a small preparation appliance 14 designed as a submerged boiler. Due to the design of the immersion boiler, the system and the method, an automatic assignment of the immersion boiler to the heating coil 8 of the induction hob and its identification is made possible. This is particularly advantageous in induction hobs with a plurality of heating coils and a plurality of hobs assigned to the heating coils. In the case of induction hobs of this type, the immersion boiler can therefore be placed on a plurality of cooking zones 6.Conventionally, induction hobs are equipped with a detection system that allows metal items smaller than usual cookware to be automatically detected and to block the operation of the induction hob. By means of the method according to the invention and / or the system according to the invention for automatically assigning the small preparation appliance 14 to a heating coil 8 and identifying it as a or this small preparation appliance 14, it is thus possible to operate the small preparation appliance 14 in the desired manner on an induction hob 4 without the safety during the operation of the induction hob being reduced. This is because, due to the assignment according to the invention of the small preparation appliance 14 to the heating coil on which the small preparation appliance 14 is placed and the identification thereof as a or this small preparation appliance 14, the above-mentioned detection system can still be used to improve the operational reliability.The invention is not limited to the present embodiment. As already evident from the above explanations, the invention can be implemented within wide suitable limits, depending on the requirements of the individual case. For example, the small preparation appliance 14 can also be designed as a small cooking vessel, a small water cooker or in some other way. Due to the ever-progressive development in data transmission technology, it is conceivable that individual components are integrated into third-party devices. This applies, for example, to the memory, which can also be designed as a so-called cloud, i.e., server-based. Furthermore, the term "heating coil" is to be interpreted broadly and encompasses all types, shapes and dimensions of heating coils, wherein heating coil groups consisting of individual heating coils are also included, in which the individual heating coils are interconnected with one another as required, in order to be able to form larger heating coils in each case. The above explanations regarding the specific exemplary embodiment therefore relate to the aforementioned and further conceivable and suitable heating coils.A further alternative embodiment of the small preparation appliance 14 provides that the assignment element of the assignment unit of the small preparation appliance 14 is not designed as a temperature sensor but as an induction coil. In this way, it is possible, for example, to reduce the reaction time when automatically allocating the small preparation appliance 14 to the heating coil 8. There is substantially no time delay during the automatic assignment on the basis of properties of the small preparation appliance 14 designed, for example, as a submerged boiler or of the vessel into which the submerged boiler is set, for example on the basis of a temperature measurement correlating with an induced performance profile. The assignment signal therefore does not relate to a temperature measurement or the like, but rather correlates directly with the power profile induced in the induction coil of the small preparation appliance 14. In other embodiments, an interruption of the power and a reduction or an increase of the power are also conceivable. Moreover, more or less complex power profiles are also possible, for example, which have ramps and / or step functions and / or variable distances of power peaks / power sinks and / or variable durations of power peaks / power sinks. The embodiments with respect to the power profile relate in an analogous manner to a current or a voltage which is fed by means of the heating coil 8 into the induction unit 20 for automatically assigning the small preparation appliance 14 to the heating coil 8 and identifying it as a small preparation appliance or this small preparation appliance 14. In addition, it is possible for an electronics, for example the transmitting unit, arranged in the small preparation appliance 14 to be supplied with operating energy by means of the induction coil. The above-mentioned embodiments are merely exemplary and thus not exhaustive.

Claims

Method for inductively heating a medium (18) by means of a preparation appliance designed as a small preparation appliance (14), which has an induction unit (20) for inductively coupling to at least one heating coil (8) of an induction hob (4) on which the small preparation appliance (14) is placed, for the induction hob (4) a minimum contact area for a preparation appliance with the heating coil (8) for enabling operation of the heating coil (8) of the induction hob (4) is predefined and is stored in a memory (11), which is connected to a controller (10) of the induction hob (4) in a data-transmitting manner, for checking with a contact area of a preparation appliance with the heating coil (8), characterized in that, when a small preparation appliance (14) is detected by a detection system, wherein in the small preparation appliance (14) the inductively effective contact surface is smaller than the minimum contact surface predefined for enabling operation of the heating coil (8), the small preparation appliance (14) is automatically assigned to the heating coil (8) and identified as one or as this small preparation appliance (14) by means of an assignment system, and wherein an operating specification for the induction hob (4) is stored in the memory (11) and is processed in the controller (10) as a function of this assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14) in such a way that the heating coil (8) on which the small preparation appliance (14) is set is automatically enabled for operation, wherein the operating specification comprises, that the value for the minimum contact area is reduced depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14) or a special contact area of the heating coil (8) is enabled for operation by means of the controller (10) depending on the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14).Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the operating rule is designed in such a way that the checking of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance (14) with the heating coil (8) is deactivated as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14).Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the operating rule is designed in such a way that the checking of the contact surface of the small preparation appliance (14) with the heating coil (8) is activated as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14) with parameters adapted to one or this small preparation appliance (14).Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the special contact surface has, as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14), a value for a maximum contact surface of the small preparation appliance (14) with the heating coil (8) or values for a minimum and a maximum contact surface of the small preparation appliance (14) with the heating coil (8), wherein the operation of the heating coil (8) is automatically blocked if the maximum contact surface is exceeded or if the minimum and the maximum contact surface are exceeded.Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the special contact surface is arranged at a previously fixed position or at a position of the induction hob (4) which can be varied as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14), and is / is identified for a user by means of a permanent or temporary identification.Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the temporary identification is activated as a function of a detected approach of the small preparation appliance (14) to the induction hob (4).Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, as a function of the assignment and identification of the small preparation appliance (14), correct and / or incorrect placement of the small preparation appliance (14) on the induction hob (4) can / is automatically detectable.Method according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the induction hob (4) has a temperature monitor assigned to the heating coil (8), wherein a correct and / or incorrect placement of the small preparation appliance (14) on the induction hob (4) can / is automatically detectable by means of the temperature monitor and the controller (10).Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that, after the correct placement of the small preparation appliance (14) on the induction hob (4) has been detected, the heating coil (8) is automatically energized with a previously defined power.Method according to one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, after the detection of the faulty placement of the small preparation appliance (14) on the induction hob (4), an energization of the heating coil (8) is automatically blocked.System (2) designed to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising an induction hob (4) and a small preparation appliance (14), wherein the induction hob (4) has a heating coil (8) and a controller (10) with a receiving unit (12) and a detection system, characterized in that the controller (10) has an assignment unit (34) for automatically assigning the small preparation appliance (14) to the heating coil (8) and identifying it as a or this small preparation appliance (14).System (2) according to claim 11, characterised in that the small preparation appliance (14) for inductively heating a medium (18), comprising an induction unit (20) for inductively coupling to a heating coil (8) of an induction hob (4) on which the small preparation appliance (14) is placed, characterised in that the small preparation appliance (14) has an assignment unit (28) for automatically assigning the small preparation appliance (14) to the heating coil (8) and identifying it as a or this small preparation appliance (14), wherein the assignment unit (28) is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to a transmission unit (32) of the small preparation appliance (14) for automatically transmitting an assignment signal to a reception unit (12) of a controller (10) of the induction hob (4).System (2) according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the induction hob (4) has a temperature monitor assigned to the heating coil (8), wherein the temperature monitor is designed such that a correct and / or incorrect placement of the small preparation appliance (14) on the induction hob (4) can / is automatically detectable by means of the temperature monitor and the controller (10).

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