Dual coil electric heating element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stovetop electric heating elements often overheat food and liquids, posing fire hazards, and existing solutions fail to effectively and automatically control temperatures to prevent overheating, while also requiring adaptors for mounting, which is inconvenient and may not conform to safety standards like UL 858.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electric heating element with an inner and outer resistive coil configuration, temperature sensors, and a controller that dynamically adjusts electrical current to maintain safe temperatures, allowing for adaptable mounting without adaptors and ensuring compliance with safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single heating element is used, then the device complexity is low, but the temperature control precision and safety are insufficient leading to overheating hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is divided into two separate coils: an inner heating element and an outer heating element. Each coil can be independently controlled by separate温控 circuits, allowing differential temperature management. The inner element operates at higher temperatures for rapid heating while the outer element maintains lower temperatures for safety, preventing overheating of cookware and food without requiring complex adaptive algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the heating element are assigned different thermal characteristics. The inner coil provides high-intensity localized heating for quick temperature rise, while the outer coil provides low-intensity distributed heating for maintaining temperature and safety. This spatial differentiation of heating intensity allows the system to achieve precise temperature control and prevent overheating hazards.
2Reliability
If temperature control mechanisms are added to prevent overheating, then the safety improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into two independent温控 circuits, each managing one heating element. This avoids the need for complex multi-zone control algorithms while achieving effective temperature management. Each circuit can be a simple on/off or proportional controller, reducing overall system complexity compared to a single complex control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer heating element acts as a thermal intermediary or buffer between the high-power inner element and the cookware/food. By maintaining a lower temperature at the outer boundary, it prevents direct overheating hazards while allowing the inner element to operate at higher temperatures for efficient heating, thus improving safety without requiring additional sensor arrays or complex control logic.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adaptors are used for mounting existing stoves, then the adaptability improves, but the ease of operation and safety compliance become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-coil heating element is designed with a universal mounting interface that directly fits standard stove receptacles without requiring adaptors. The element incorporates mounting lugs or flanges that engage with conventional stove mounting holes, enabling direct installation on existing appliances. This universal design achieves broad compatibility across different stove models while maintaining simple, tool-free installation and ensuring UL 858 safety compliance through proper electrical isolation and mechanical securing.
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
This solution effectively regulates heat to prevent overheating, reduces the risk of fires, and allows for easy retrofitting of existing stoves and cooktops, ensuring safe and efficient cooking while meeting safety standards without the need for additional mounting hardware.
Implementation Method 1
one or more temperature sensors positioned along a cold leg of the inner heating element
Implementation Method 2
The inner and outer heating elements are energized with electricity to generate heat
Implementation Method 3
The electro-mechanical temperature controlling device is configured to selectively turn on and turn off the inner heating element while maintaining the operation of the outer heating element
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of an electric heating element is disclosed, including an electrically resistive inner heating element, an electrically resistive outer heating element, and a thermostat positioned along a cold leg of the inner heating element. The thermostat is configured to selectively allow electrical current to be delivered to the inner heating element while maximum electrical current, for example, continues to be provided to the outer heating element. The thermostat cycles the electrical current on and off when detecting maximum and minimum desired temperatures radiated from the electric heating element. The inner heating element has a pair of cold legs that extend parallel to a pair of cold legs of the outer heating element, some or all of which may be supported by a terminal bracket.