Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag

Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.v.

Massimo Nostro

Alex Viroli

Laurent Jeanneteau

Svend Erik Christiansen

Fabio Angeli

Massimo Zangoli

Andrea Rossi

Filippo Martini

Nicola Terracciano

Filippo Milanesi

Gianluca Venturini

Thibaut Rigolle

Ulrich Häutle

Gerhard Klein

Riccardo Foiera

Chunlong Xu

Björn Leyh

Enrico Valentini

Claudio Paolini

Emanuel Urgese

Frederico Balest

Lukasz Wasinkiewicz

Svend-Erik Christiansen

Laurent Jean-Neteau

Andrea Zangoli

Arturo Negretti

Holger Wundling

Federico Balest

Adriano Scotto D'Apollonia

Andrea Zangolli

Luca Di Carlo

Diana Valerio

Jacek Jurek

Ha Min Chung

Pasquale Mei

Nicola Sparnacci

Giorgio Zambon

Andrea Grassano

Michele Forti

Elia Schiaratura

Giacomo Corsi

Alan Mengozzi

The disclosure relates to a power supply circuit for a cooking device, in particular for an induction cooking device, more particularly for an induction hob, wherein the power supply circuit includes a single frequency adapting unit, in particular a filtering unit, for adapting at least one external supply signal into a single or at least one internal AC supply signal; at least one DC signal generating unit for converting the one or at least one internal AC supply signal into at least one signal component of an internal DC supply signal; and at least one heating frequency generating unit for converting one or at least one DC supply signal supplied by at least one DC signal generating unit into a heating frequency signal for supplying at least one heating unit with electrical power.

Power supply circuit for a cooking device and cooking device

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a cooking zone () of an induction cooking hob, wherein said cooking zone () comprises at least one induction coil () and is supplied by a generator () including a power switch. The method is performed by controlling the power switch by a gate driving signal () including a deactivation pulse length (Toff) and an activation pulse length (Ton). A switching period (T) of the gate driving signal () is given by the sum of the activation pulse length (Ton) and deactivation pulse length (Toff). A driving frequency (f) of the power switch is the reciprocal value of said switching period (T). The deactivation pulse length (Toff) depends on the resistance () and the inductance () of the induction coil (). The activation pulse length (Ton) is varied according to a requested power for the cooking zone (). A series of constant activation pulse length (Ton) is activated in order to determine the optimal deactivation pulse length (Toff).

Method for controlling a cooking zone of an induction cooking hob

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a cooking process by using a liquid in a cooking vessel, for example a cooking pot, upon a cooking hob (). The method comprises a step of determining a cooking parameter of the liquid in the cooking vessel at a predetermined time (tB, tBP), a step of adjusting a heating power density (P) of a cooking zone of the cooking hob () for transferring a heating power (P) to the cooking vessel placed on the cooking zone; and a step of reducing the heating power density (P) transferred to the cooking vessel from an initial power (iP) to a simmering power (PS). Further, the present invention relates to a cooking vessel for the cooking hob (). Moreover, the present invention relates to a cooking appliance for performing the cooking process.

Method for controlling a cooking process by using a liquid

The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob () including at least one cooking area (), wherein the cooking area () comprises at least three induction coils (). The induction coils () of at least one cooking area () are arranged side-by-side and in series. Each induction coil () of at least one cooking area () has an elongated shape. The longitudinal axes of the induction coils () within one cooking area () are arranged in parallel. Each induction coil () of the cooking area () is associated with a dedicated induction generator (). The induction generators () are connected or connectable to at least one current line (). The induction generators () are connected to and controlled or controllable by at least one control unit (). Requested powers (rP) for each used induction generator () are adjusted or adjustable independent from each other by a user interface (). Instant powers (iP) of the induction generators () within a cycle pattern (T, T, . . . , T) are controlled or controllable independent from each other by the control unit (). Further, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a cooking area.

Induction cooking hob including a cooking area with three or more induction coils and a method for controlling a cooking area

The invention relates to a method for determining properties of the electrical current provided to an induction heating element () of an induction cooking appliance (). The induction cooking appliance () has a heating power energy unit () including a heating power generator () with at least one switching element () adapted to provide pulsed electric power to said induction heating element (). The induction cooking appliance () also has an oscillating circuit () with at least one resonance capacitor (). The induction heating element () is electrically coupled with the heating power generator () and the oscillating circuit (). The induction cooking appliance () also has a control entity (), wherein an input of a measurement circuit () is coupled with a node of the heating power energy unit ().

Method for determining properties of electrical current provided to an induction heating element

An induction cooking hob and a method for heating food as well as a computer program product are disclosed. Based on information of a micro-electromechanical system () in combination with a temperature sensor associated to a heating zone, vibrations can be detected and a heating zone associated with the boiling substance can be properly discriminated from one supporting a pot having a non-boiling substance in it. Subsequent simmering of the substance can be automatically effected. An indication will be provided to a user (), and an automated function can be started () including boiling and subsequent simmering, respectively indication of a boiling substance on any of the heating zones on an induction hob ().

Induction hob with boiling detection and induction energy control, method for heating food with an induction hob and computer program product

The invention relates to a method for boil detection at a heating zone of an induction hob (), the method comprising the steps of: &#x2014;disabling (S) a power control mechanism of the induction hob by setting the frequency of the AC-current provided to an induction coil of the induction hob to a fixed value; &#x2014;measuring (S) values of an electrical parameter provided within the induction hob (); &#x2014;interpolating (S) the measured electrical parameter values by gathering a plurality of values of the electrical parameter within a time window and calculating the average value of said gathered plurality of values thereby obtaining interpolated electrical parameter values. &#x2014;calculating (S) a gradient measure indicative for the differential change of the interpolated electrical parameter values over time; &#x2014;determining (S) the boil point based on the calculated gradient measure.

Method for boil detection and induction hob including a boil detection mechanism

A cooking hob includes at least one heating power transferring element with multiple concentrically arranged windings, one or more heating power energy units for powering the windings, a control unit that controls the heating power energy units, and detection means that determines the coverage of the windings by a cookware item. The control unit balances the heat provided to the cookware item by determining a rescaled electric power for the windings based on power requests and information regarding the coverage of the windings and establishes an operating cycle by determining a duty cycle for one or more windings. The duty cycle defines the activation time of the respective winding and is chosen such that the mean electric power provided to the respective winding within the operating cycle is equal or essentially equal to the rescaled electric power associated with the winding.

Cooking hob

An induction cooking hob includes a control unit and at least one cooking zone. The cooking zone includes at least three induction coils. At least one first group of one or more induction coils and at least one second group of two or more induction coils of the at least one cooking zone are alternatingly activatable or activated by a control unit.

Induction cooking hob and method for controlling a cooking zone

The invention relates to a method for operating an induction hob (), the induction hob () comprising a power circuit portion () with at least one switching element adapted to provide pulsed electric power to an induction coil () and a control entity () for controlling operating parameters of the switching element, the method comprising the steps of: performing a control loop with control cycles in order to detect coupling changes between the induction coil () and a piece of cookware, said control cycles comprising the steps of: o receiving frequency information (f) and power information (P) at said control entity (); o calculating at least one relation coefficient (Ds', Ds&#x2033;) based on said frequency information (f) and said power information (P); and o comparing said relation coefficient (Ds&#x2032;, Ds&#x2033;) with a relation coefficient boundary, thereby de-riving a comparison result; deciding, based on the comparison result, whether to: o perform a new control cycle of said control loop or whether to o stop said control loop and said provision of pulsed electric power to the induction coil () and re-start said control loop after updating an operating parameter of the switching element.

Method for operating an induction hob and induction hob

The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob () including at least one cooking area (), wherein the cooking area () comprises at least three induction coils (). The induction coils () of at least one cooking area () are arranged side-by-side and in series. Each induction coil () of at least one cooking area () has an elongated shape. The longitudinal axes of the induction coils () within one cooking area () are arranged in parallel. Each induction coil () ofthe cooking area () is associated with a dedicated induction generator (). The induction generators () are connected or connectable to at least one current line (). The induction generators () are connected to and controlled or controllable by at least one control unit (). Requested powers (rP) for each used induction generator () are adjusted or adjustable independent from each other by a user interface (). Instant powers (iP) of the induction generators () within a cycle pattern (T1, T2, . . . , T11) are controlled or controllable independent from each other by the control unit (). Further, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a cooking area.

The invention relates to a power module, preferably induction module for powering one, two, three, four, at least one, at least two, at least three or at least four heating element (s), preferably electrical, radiant and/or induction heating elements, more preferably induction coils (), of a cooking appliance, preferably a cooking hob, more preferably a radiant or induction hob (), the power module () at least comprising: &#x2014;one, two or at least two heating power units (), in particular three or at least three heating power units, more in particular four or at least four heating power units, preferably heating frequency units and/or induction generators (), each for providing power, in particular electrical power, to one, two, three, at least one, at least two or at least three heating elements (); &#x2014;one or at least one controller () for controlling the heating power unit(s) (); &#x2014;a communication interface () for coupling the power module () with one or at least one user interface (); &#x2014;wherein, in particular in a first configuration mode, the power module () is adapted to be operated either according to a master module configuration or a slave module configuration and/or&#x2014;wherein, in particular in a second configuration mode, the power module () is configured to directly communicate with the at least one user interface, a corresponding cooking appliance as well as a corresponding method for operating a cooking appliance.

Power module and cooking appliance

The invention relates to a method for controlling an induction hob (), the induction hob () comprising a plurality of induction coils () and two or more power units (), each power unit () being coupled with one or more induction coils (), wherein a cooking zone is formed by associating one or more induction coils () to a coil group (-), the method comprising the steps of: &#x2014;defining one or more coil groups (-), each coil group (-) being associated with one or more induction coils (); &#x2014;calculating a relative power value or relative electrical parameter value of each coil group (-) based on a maximum power value or maximum electrical parameter value, the maximum power value being the power value of the coil group with the highest power request, respectively, the maximum electrical parameter value being an electrical parameter value of the coil group (-) with the highest power request; &#x2014;calculating, for each coil group (-), a coil activation number based on the relative power value or relative electrical parameter value, the coil activation number being the number of induction coils () to be activated in subsequent steps of a coils activation sequence; &#x2014;establishing a coils activation schedule based on the coil activation number; &#x2014;operating the induction hob () according to the coils activation schedule. wherein the power units () are operated according to a master-slave configuration, wherein a master power unit is adapted to calculate the coil activation number, establish the coils activation schedule and operate the plurality of induction coils () of a master power unit and one or more slave power units according to the coils activation schedule.

Method for controlling an induction hob

A method for controlling a cooking hob including induction coils, wherein a heating process includes time cycles subdivided into time slots. The method includes: setting a requested power for each induction coil to be activated by a user, defining a group of induction coils that have the same requested power, determining a number of time slots given by the number of different requested powers, activating all groups of induction coils to be activated during a first time slot at a same current power for a calculated duration, and activating a part of groups of induction coils to be activated during a further time slot at the same current powers in each time slot for a calculated duration if more than one group of induction coils are defined, so that an average current power of each induction coil within the time cycle corresponds with the requested power for the induction coil.

Method for controlling an induction cooking hob including a number of induction coils

The invention relates to a method for exchanging information between a household appliance () and a mobile device (), the method comprising the steps of: providing optical information at a graphical user interface () of the household appliance () (S); preferably, aligning the mobile device () with respect to the household appliance () based on one or more markers () displayed at a graphical user interface () of the mobile device () or based on a time-invariant portion of provided optical information (S); receiving optical information at the mobile device () by capturing said optical information provided at the household appliance () by a camera () of the mobile device () (S); processing said received optical information at the mobile device () in order to derive an information message included in said received optical information (S); providing said information message or information associated with said information message at a user interface of the mobile device () (S).

Growing community of inventors

Forli, Italy

Massimo Nostro