Lg Electronics Inc.

Eui Sung Kim

Hyunwook Moon

Byeong Wook Park

Seung Hee Ryu

Hag Soo Kim

Sung Mun Yoon

Dooyong Oh

Doo Yong Oh

Yangkyeong Kim

Seungbok Ok

Jae-woo Lee

Byungkyu Park

Seung Wook Ryu

Jong Gwan Ryu

Dong Myung Shin

A cooking apparatus includes an upper plate configured to support a cooking vessel, a heating module that is movably disposed in a space under the upper plate and that includes a coil, a substrate that is disposed between the upper plate and the heating module and that includes a plurality of coil patterns, an inverter configured to supply a resonance current to each of the plurality of coil patterns, and a controller configured to control the heating module, the substrate, and the inverter. The controller determines a position of the cooking vessel on the upper plate based on the number or a frequency of pulses of resonance current supplied to each of the plurality of coil patterns. The cooking apparatus recognizes the position of the cooking vessel disposed on the cooking apparatus and moves the heating module to the recognized position.

Cooking apparatus

The present disclosure relates to a cooking apparatus having a heating module capable of moving in a two-dimensional space and, particularly, to a cooking apparatus comprising: an upper plate configured to support a cooking vessel, a heating module disposed movably in a space provided under the upper plate and included a coil, and a rail disposed under the heating module to guide movements of the heating module, wherein electric current is supplied to the rail and the heating module supplies an alternating current through the rail. According to the present disclosure, the heating module supplies a current through the rail rather than receiving a current through a separate connection coil or wiring from an external power supply, thereby enabling shorting or disconnection of a current to be prevented even if the heating module moves.

Disclosed herein is a cooking appliance. A working coil is provided at a lower portion of the cooking appliance. The working coil heats a tray disposed in a cooking compartment in an IH mode. A receiver coil wirelessly receiving external power is stacked below the working coil. An electromagnetic shielding plate is installed between the working coil and the receiver coil to partition a space in which the two coils are installed. The electromagnetic shielding plate shields an electromagnetic field or electromagnetic waves such that the electromagnetic field or electromagnetic waves in one of the two partitioned spaces does not leak to the other space located across the electromagnetic shielding plate.

Cooking appliance

Disclosed herein is a cooking appliance. A working coil provided at a lower portion of the cooking appliance. The working coil heats a tray disposed in a cooking compartment in an IH mode. A temperature measurement module, which measures a temperature of the tray in a contact mode, is provided in the center of the working coil. The temperature measurement module includes a module body that is elastically biased upward by a spring. The module body is inserted into the spring and supports upper and lower ends of the spring. When the module body is installed on the working coil, the lower end of the spring is supported by an installation base of the working coil. The module body and the installation base are fastened in a key-to-key groove structure.

An induction heating and wireless power transferring device that includes: a first working coil and a second working coil that are coupled in parallel; a rectification unit configured to rectify alternating current (AC) power to direct current (DC) power; a first inverter unit configured to convert the DC power into resonant current, and apply the converted resonant current to the first working coil or the second working coil; a first switch coupled to the first working coil and configured to turn on or off the first working coil; a second switch coupled to the second working coil and configured to turn on or off the second working coil; and a control unit configured to control the first inverter unit, the first switch, or the second switch to detect whether a target object is located on the first working coil or the second working coil.

Induction heating and wireless power transferring device having improved target object detection algorithm

Disclosed is a support structure for an induction heating device that includes a working coil configured to heat an object. The support structure includes: a housing including an upper surface that is recessed do inward and that is configured to seat the object; a repeating coil that is located inside of the housing, that is configured to generate magnetic induction or magnetic resonance with the working coil, and that is configured to heat the object on the upper surface of the housing based on magnetic induction or magnetic resonance with the working coil; and a compensation capacitor located inside of the housing and connected to the repeating coil, where the compensation capacitor is configured to control output of the repeating coil.

Support structure for object to be heated

Disclosed is a device configured to inductively heat one or more objects and to wirelessly transfer power to one or more objects. The device includes a first working coil, an inverter unit configured to cause a resonant current to flow in the first working coil by performing a switching operation, a first detection unit connected to the first working coil and configured to detect the resonant current applied to the first working coil, and a control unit configured to: determine whether a target object is located at a location corresponding to the first working coil by controlling operation of the inverter unit and the first detection unit; or to control output of the first working coil.

Induction heating and wireless power transferring device having improved resonant current detection accuracy

An induction heating device includes first and second working coils connected to each other electrically in parallel, an inverter unit configured to cause a resonant current to flow in at least one of the first working coil or the second working coil, a first semiconductor switch configured to turn on and off the first working coil; a second semiconductor switch configured to turn on and off the second working coil; and a control unit configured to apply the resonant current to the first working coil or the second working coil by controlling the inverter unit, the first semiconductor switch, and the second semiconductor switch, and, based on a number of pulses or a frequency of the resonant current, to detect whether a target object is located at a location corresponding to the first working coil or the second working coil.

Induction heating device having improved target object detection accuracy and induction heating system including the same

A heater unit comprises: a hot wire heating unit; an induction heating unit provided adjacent to the hot wire heating unit and operated by induction heating; and connectors each for connecting the hot wire heating unit to the induction heating unit. A cooker comprises: a casing; a heating plate provided on an upper surface of the casing; a hot wire heating unit provided on a bottom surface of the heating plate for generating heat according to application of an electric power; an induction heating unit provided on the bottom surface of the heating plate for being adjacent to the hot wire heating unit and operated by induction heating; connectors each for connecting the hot wire heating unit to the induction heating unit; and support members each provided on the bottom surface of the hot wire heating unit and for supporting the hot wire heating unit.

Heater unit and electric cooker equipped therewith

A heater unit is provided, the heater unit equipped with an induction heating coil and an electric heater selectively operated based on kind and state of a load of a cooking vessel placed on the heater unit. The kind is determined by an input current inputted when a load-type determination unit causes the induction heating coil to be operated and a resonance current flowing into the induction heating coil. The state is determined by a temperature change of the heater unit when a load-state determination unit allows the electric heater to generate heat, and the induction heating coil and the electric heater are selectively operated based on the determined kind and state of the load. Accordingly, a user needs not to scrupulously determine the kind of the cooking vessel and the electric cooker is not operated under a no-load state to prevent occurrence of safety accidents.

Apparatus and method for sensing load of electric cooker

An induction-heating cooking apparatus and a method for operating the same are disclosed. Upon receiving a low-voltage signal in a high-output level state, the apparatus controls an output signal to allow an inverter to be operated only in a ZVS (Zero Voltage Switching) area. If an input voltage applied to a circuit is a low voltage, the apparatus compensates for the input voltage using a smaller one between a blocking voltage and an output control signal generated from the microprocessor, thereby limiting a compensation component. Therefore, the apparatus prevents the occurrence of a power loss caused by an excessive switching operation, and also prevents a switch from receiving a high instantaneous current, resulting in increased endurance of cooking appliances.

Induction heating cooking apparatus and method for operating the same

An induction-heating cooking apparatus, operation of which is interrupted by container eccentricity is disclosed. Upon receiving an input signal varying with the degree of eccentricity of a container, the apparatus changes a reference signal for determining the presence or absence of a small load in proportion to a pulse-width control signal controlling the width of an inverter driving pulse. Although the eccentricity of the container occurs in a normal heating operation and completely escapes from a cook zone, the apparatus determines the occurrence of a no-load state, and interrupts an operation of an inverter circuit, resulting in increased stability of a circuit and a product.

Induction heating cooking apparatus, operation of which is interrupted by container eccentricity

An induction heating cooker capable of accurately discriminating whether the material of a cooking container placed in the induction heating cooker is magnetic or non-magnetic, using a phase change in a resonant capacitor voltage of an inverter circuit and a switching pulse signal of the inverter circuit, irrespective of the load of the cooking container, and a method for operating the induction heating cooker. The induction heating cooker includes a power supply for rectifying an AC voltage, filtering the rectified voltage, and supplying the filtered voltage as an input voltage of the induction heating cooker, an inverter circuit for heating a cooking container placed in the induction heating cooker, using the voltage supplied from the power supply, and a container material discriminating unit for discriminating whether a material of the cooking container is magnetic or non-magnetic, based on a resonant capacitor voltage of the inverter circuit and a switching pulse signal of the inverter circuit, upon an initial operation of the induction heating cooker, whereby the cooking container is selectively heated in accordance with the result of the discrimination.

Growing community of inventors

Seoul, South Korea

Eui Sung Kim