Cooking Equipment Sensor Offset Adjustment for Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking devices face challenges in accurately determining the temperature of the bottom of a cooking vessel during automatic cooking processes, leading to potential overheating and inefficiencies, particularly in tasks like boiling milk without it boiling over.
Innovation Solution
A cooking device with a sensor system that adjusts and amplifies the output signal from thermopile or thermocouple sensors using an adjustable offset, allowing for optimal signal resolution and preventing amplifier overload, thereby improving temperature determination accuracy and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the output signal of the sensor device is directly amplified, then the amplification process is simple, but the amplifier may be overloaded and the signal resolution is not optimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adjusting the offset of the sensor output signal before amplification. This pre-adjustment ensures that the signal is shifted into an optimal range for amplification, preventing amplifier overload and maximizing signal resolution without requiring complex adaptive gain control during the amplification process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of the signal (its DC level/offset) before amplification. By adjusting the offset parameter of the sensor output signal, the signal is positioned in an optimal voltage range for the amplifier, which improves resolution and prevents overload without complicating the amplification stage.
2Measurement precision
If the gain of the amplifier is adapted to different signal ranges, then the signal resolution is optimized, but the device complexity and calibration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adapting the gain during amplification, the patent performs preliminary action by adjusting the offset before amplification. This approach achieves optimal signal resolution with a fixed gain amplifier, avoiding the complexity of adaptive gain control and multiple calibration procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the signal adjustment function from the amplification stage and places it in the signal preparation stage. By separating the offset adjustment from the amplification process, the system achieves optimal resolution without requiring the amplifier itself to be adaptive or complex.
3Reliability
If the output signal is adjusted by an adjustable offset before amplification, then the amplifier is prevented from being overloaded and signal resolution is optimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the DC level parameter of the sensor output signal using a simple offset adjustment circuit before amplification. This ensures the amplifier operates reliably within its linear range while maintaining signal resolution, without requiring complex protection or adaptation circuits.
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
The solution ensures precise temperature control, preventing overheating and enhancing the reproducibility of cooking processes by shifting the output signal into an optimal range for amplification, allowing for reliable and accurate temperature calculations.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor device preferably detects thermal radiation from the cooking area and in particular from a cooking vessel placed in the cooking area
Implementation Method 2
The sensor device can have at least one thermopile, also called a thermopile, or at least one thermocouple
Implementation Method 3
The shifted output signal is then in particular an input signal for the amplifier device
Data Source
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AI summary
The method according to the invention is suitable for operating a cooking device with a hob and a heating device for heating a cooking area. A sensor device is provided for detecting a characteristic variable for temperatures of the cooking area. A control device controls the heating device dependent on the variable detected by the sensor device. In the process, an output signal of the sensor device is adapted by means of an adjustable offset and subsequently amplified.