Induction Cooker Coil Selection for Fast Load Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional induction heating cookers with multiple heating coils under a top plate face issues with high power consumption, excessive heat generation, and unnecessary radiation during load detection, and require longer detection times due to simultaneous or sequential application of high-frequency currents to all coils.

Innovation Solution

An induction heating cooker with a control system that allows users to select specific heating coils for use, enabling load detection only for the selected coils, thereby reducing power consumption, heat generation, and radiation, and shortening detection time by using an inverter circuit, load detecting section, operation section, and displaying section to manage the selection and display of heating coils.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If load detection is performed for all heating coils simultaneously, then detection accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases and detection time lengthens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the heating coil group into multiple individual heating coils, each with its own operation section. Load detection is performed separately for each selected heating coil rather than simultaneously for all coils, which reduces overall power consumption during detection while maintaining accurate detection for the active coil.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs load detection only for the heating coil that has been selected by the user through the operation section, rather than performing detection for all heating coils. This partial action approach reduces power consumption and detection time while ensuring accurate detection for the actually used heating coil.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Measurement precision

If load detection is performed for all heating coils simultaneously, then detection accuracy is improved, but detection time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoiddetection time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the load detection process into individual detection operations for each heating coil. By detecting load only for the selected heating coil rather than all coils simultaneously, the detection time is shortened while maintaining detection accuracy for the active heating zone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs load detection partially, only for the heating coil that is currently selected and will be used for heating. This eliminates unnecessary detection time for inactive heating coils while ensuring complete detection for the active coil, thereby reducing overall detection time without compromising accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If high-frequency current is applied to all heating coils for load detection, then detection reliability is improved, but heat generation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidheat generation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies high-frequency current for load detection to only the selected heating coil rather than all heating coils. This segmentation of the detection process maintains reliable detection for the active coil while significantly reducing unnecessary heat generation from inactive coils.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies high-frequency current partially, only to the heating coil that is selected for use. This ensures reliable load detection for the active heating zone while avoiding excessive heat generation in inactive zones, thus reducing overall harmful heat generation in the cooking device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 effectively limits power consumption, heat generation, and unnecessary radiation while reducing detection time by performing load detection only for the selected heating coils, enhancing user operability and reducing the overall size and complexity of the induction heating cooker.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of heating coils arranged under the top plate to heat the object to be heated through induction heating

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInduction heating: Induction Heating

Data Source

PatentUS10098188B2Induction heating cooker

Publication Date: 2018.10.09 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

An induction heating cooker is provided that has a plurality of heating coils arranged under a top plate, that has power consumption, heat generation, and unnecessary radiation suppressed at the time of detection of a load, and that requires a short time for detection of a load. In the induction heating cooker of this disclosure, two or more heating coils are at the same time selected depending on a position of an area operated on the operation section. The operation detecting section performs the load detection only for the heating coils selected by an operation on the operation section. By using such a configuration, a user can select heating coils to be used out of a plurality of heating coils in advance. A load detection operation is not performed for heating coils other than the selected heating coils.