Cooking device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking devices require multiple expensive heat sensors for accurate temperature detection, making them costly and inefficient for reliable automatic operation.
Innovation Solution
A cooking device with a sensor system that includes a thermopile for contactless thermal radiation detection and a thermistor for temperature measurement on the underside of the cookware, utilizing a magnetic shielding device and optical shielding to enhance accuracy, and a radiation source for emissivity determination, allowing for cost-effective and reliable temperature monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple heat sensors are used for accurate temperature detection, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor functions into a single integrated sensor device that performs both contactless thermal radiation detection (first sensor unit) and contact-based temperature sensing (further sensor unit). This merging approach maintains high measurement precision while reducing the total number of separate sensor components needed in the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor device is designed with multi-functionality, where a single device performs both contactless infrared temperature measurement and contact-based temperature sensing. The control device then selectively uses the appropriate sensor unit depending on the cooking situation, making the sensor system universally applicable for different cooking scenarios without requiring multiple dedicated sensors.
2Ease of operation
If contactless thermal radiation detection is used, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection using the contactless first sensor unit to assess the cooking state and temperature conditions. Based on this preliminary information, the control device decides whether additional contact-based measurement from the further sensor unit is needed, allowing the system to operate in contactless mode when sufficient while ensuring precision when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device continuously receives feedback from both sensor units and dynamically adjusts the heating device based on the combined information. The feedback mechanism allows the system to cross-validate readings from contactless and contact-based sensors, compensating for the limitations of each individual method and maintaining high measurement precision while benefiting from the ease of contactless operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and cost-effective temperature detection, reducing the need for multiple sensors and improving the reliability of automatic cooking functions while preventing overheating.
Implementation Method 1
The first sensor unit is designed and set up for contactless detection of thermal radiation
Implementation Method 2
The further sensor unit is arranged in a thermally conductive manner on the underside of the carrier device
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
Cooking device (1) comprising a cooktop (11) with a cooking zone (12) and a heating device (2) for heating at least one cooking area (31). A safety device (107) is provided, to which a safety sensor unit (73) is assigned. The safety sensor unit (73) is designed to detect a characteristic temperature value. A sensor device (3) is provided for detecting a characteristic temperature value of the cooking area (31). A control device (106) is designed and suitable for controlling the heating device (2) depending on the value detected by the sensor device (3). A first sensor unit (13) and a further sensor unit (33) are assigned to the sensor device (3). The first sensor unit (13) is designed and suitable for non-contact detection of thermal radiation.The safety sensor unit (73) is assigned to the sensor device (3) as the additional sensor unit (33).