Cooktop Vibration Sensing for Predictive Cooking State Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking appliances lack ease of use and reliability in detecting cooking states, leading to potential overcooking, unsafe operating conditions, and increased cleaning needs due to reliance on vibration signals from microphones rather than precise sensors.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance device equipped with a control unit and sensor units, including acceleration sensors, that detect impending cooking states by analyzing vibration signals from the hob plate, allowing for precise control of heating units and prevention of overcooking through automated cooking programs and reduced dependence on air pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vibration signals from microphones are used to detect cooking states, then the device can detect cooking states, but the measurement precision and reliability are insufficient leading to overcooking and unsafe operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces acoustic sensors (microphones) with acceleration sensors that directly measure mechanical vibrations of the hob plate. This substitution provides more reliable and precise measurement of cooking states by detecting vibrations caused by food boiling, frying, or grilling processes, eliminating the inaccuracies of acoustic signal interpretation.
Solution Approach 2:
The hob plate serves as an intermediary medium that transmits vibrations from the cooking process to the acceleration sensors. By mounting sensors directly on the hob plate, the system captures mechanical vibrations at the source, providing more accurate cooking state detection compared to airborne sound waves.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are added to improve detection accuracy, then measurement precision increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The acceleration sensors mounted on the hob plate serve multiple functions: detecting boiling states, frying states, grilling states, and even identifying when cooking vessels are absent. This multi-functionality achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity, as a single sensor type handles diverse detection tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the hob plate structure with sensor mounting, integrating the sensing function into the existing hob design. The acceleration sensors are mounted directly on the hob plate, merging the structural component with the sensing function, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high detection precision.
3Ease of operation
If vibration sensors are used instead of microphones, then ease of operation improves through automated detection, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The acceleration sensors automatically detect cooking states without requiring user intervention or interpretation. The system self-monitors vibrations on the hob plate and autonomously determines cooking states (boiling, frying, grilling), providing ease of operation through automated detection while the integrated design keeps complexity manageable.
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
Enhances ease of use by accurately predicting and preventing overcooking, reducing cleaning needs, and ensuring safe operating conditions by reliably detecting cooking states without external sensors, especially in multi-heating unit scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor unit preferably comprises an amplifier unit for amplifying the measured variable. The signal measured by the sensor unit is preferably a particularly averaged vibration signal, preferably a sound pressure and/or a sound pressure level and/or an acceleration, in particular a maximum acceleration.
Implementation Method 2
In particular, the heating unit comprises a resistance heater and/or a radiant heater and/or preferably an induction heater, which is intended to convert electrical energy into heat indirectly via induced eddy currents.
Implementation Method 3
the heating unit comprises a resistance heater and/or a radiant heater and/or preferably an induction heater, which is intended to convert electrical energy into heat indirectly via induced eddy currents
Implementation Method 4
the heating unit comprises a resistance heater and/or a radiant heater and/or preferably an induction heater, which is intended to convert electrical energy into heat indirectly via induced eddy currents
Implementation Method 5
In particular, these vibrations arise during at least one heating operation in a bottom of a cooking vessel due to the formation of bubbles in the food to be cooked or in a liquid containing the food to be cooked and are transmitted in particular from the bottom of the cooking vessel to the hob plate.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is based on a cooking appliance device with at least one heating unit (10), a control unit (12) and at least one sensor unit (14). In order to provide a generic cooking appliance device with increased ease of use, it is proposed that the control unit (12) be provided for the purpose of determining from a time profile of a signal (a1(t)) measured by the sensor unit (14) an impending cooking state of a product produced by the heating unit ( 10) to recognize heated food (16).