Modular Cooking Appliance Circuits for Isolated Power and Wireless Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooking appliances and their electrical circuits fail to meet the combined requirements of cost-effectiveness, flexible monitoring and control, precise operation, and safe integration with external devices.
Innovation Solution
A modular and distributed electrical circuit design for cooking appliances, comprising isolated power supply units and interface circuits, enabling wireless communication with external devices for flexible control and precise parameter monitoring, using insulated power supply to ensure safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a modular and distributed electrical circuit design is used, then adaptability and ease of manufacture are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical circuit is divided into separate modular units: a power supply circuit module and an interface circuit module. Each module can be independently manufactured, tested, and adapted to different cooking unit requirements. The power supply module handles high-voltage power delivery while the interface module handles low-voltage control and communication, allowing independent optimization of each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design creates universal interface circuits that can work with multiple different power supply circuit configurations and cooking unit types. The standardized connection units enable the same interface module to adapt to various cooking appliances through wireless communication protocols, reducing the need for custom-designed circuits for each application.
2Reliability
If isolated power supply units are used, then safety and reliability are improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into isolated modules with defined interfaces. The isolation barriers are implemented as discrete components between modular units, allowing standard manufacturing techniques to be used while maintaining safety. Each isolated power supply unit can be mass-produced as a standardized component.
Solution Approach 2:
Isolation barriers and galvanic isolation components serve as intermediaries between high-voltage and low-voltage circuits. These standardized isolation components enable safe power transfer while allowing independent manufacturing of each side of the isolation barrier, reducing overall system complexity and cost.
3Ease of operation
If wireless communication units are integrated, then flexibility and ease of operation are improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interface circuit incorporates universal wireless communication capabilities that can operate with multiple types of external devices (smartphones, tablets, control systems) through standardized communication protocols. This allows the same hardware platform to support various communication modes without requiring device-specific customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication system implements feedback mechanisms where the interface circuit receives operational parameters from external devices and automatically adjusts control signals to the power supply circuit. This automated feedback loop simplifies user operation while managing the complexity of wireless communication through intelligent control algorithms.
4Measurement precision
If external measurement devices are integrated, then measurement precision and monitoring capability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interface circuit serves as an intermediary that standardizes the connection between external measurement devices and the power supply system. It provides unified data acquisition and processing interfaces that can accommodate multiple types of sensors (temperature, humidity, flow) without requiring complex custom integration for each sensor type.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface circuit is designed with universal measurement capabilities that can handle multiple sensor types and communication protocols through standardized interfaces. This allows precise temperature and other parameter monitoring while keeping integration complexity manageable through reusable, multi-functional interface components.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to an electrical circuit, in particular distributed and/or modular electrical circuit (2), for a cooking appliance, in particular for a hob and/or for an induction cook- ing appliance, more particularly for an induction hob, wherein the electrical circuit (2) comprises - at least one power supply circuit (20), in particular power board, for supplying one, two, at least one or at least two heating units (90, 91) with a first electrical power (36, 37) by means of a first power supply unit (21) and for supplying an interface circuit (70) with a second electrical power (63) by means of a second power supply unit (22), the second power sup- ply unit (22) in particular being electrically isolated from the first power supply unit (21), the power supply circuit (20) com- prising a first connection unit (49) for receiving commands from, submitting parameters to and/or supplying power to the in- terface circuit (70), - an interface circuit (70), in particular interface board, with at least a second connection unit (71) for receiving power from the power supply circuit (20), submitting commands to and/or receiving parameters from the power supply circuit (20), a third, in particular wireless, connection unit (73) for transmitting parameters to and/or for receiving commands from an, in particu- lar mobile and/or external, operating device (80) and preferably a or at least one fourth connection unit (72), in particular connector and/or wireless connection, for submitting power to and/or for receiving parameters from at least one, in particular external, measurement device (81), and to a cooking appliance.