General Electric Company

Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

William Hull Bicknell

Wolfgang Daum

Robert P Alley

Kevin C Routh

Scott Charles Evans

Robert K Hollenbeck

John Steven Holmes

Mingwei Shan

Donald Richard Dickerson, Jr

Isaac Nam

Scott Michael Gelber

Scott Alan Horning

Tanveer Iqbal

John Erik Hershey

Robert Louis Steigerwald

John Kenneth Hooker

Glenn Scott Claydon

Michael F Finch

Charles S Korman

Robert Marten Bultman

Richard Dean Suel, Ii

Eric Kent Watson

Ziqiang Hu

David A Bates

Mariano Pablo Filippa

Stephen James West

Edward James Hatfield

Constantine A Neugebauer, Deceased

Donald R Dickerson

An induction cooking appliance is provided herein. The induction cooking appliance may include an upper cooking surface, a power source, and a heating assembly in electrical communication with the power source. The power source may be configured to supply a power signal during heating operations. The heating assembly may include a first induction heating coil and a second induction heating coil. The first induction heating coil may be positioned below the upper cooking surface in electrical communication with the power source. The second induction heating coil may be positioned coaxial with the first induction heating coil below the upper cooking surface. The second induction heating coil may be disposed in electrical communication with the power source in non-series communication with the first induction heating coil.

Induction cooking appliance having multiple heating coils

An induction heating system with a plurality of resonant inverter tanks can be provided. The induction heating system can include a power source configured to supply power to the heating system and a plurality of parallel resonant inverter tanks in electrical connection with the power source. Each of the parallel resonant inverter tanks can include one or more parallel resonant capacitors, one or more parallel induction coils and one or more switches configured to disconnect each of the parallel resonant inverter tanks from the power source. The induction heating system can include a controller configured to perform operations, wherein the operations include determining when a cooking vessel is present at each induction coil and in response to determining that a cooking vessel is not present at a resonant inverter tank, operating the one or more switches such that the parallel resonant inverter tank is disconnected from the power source.

Co-axial multi-zone induction cooking apparatus

Systems and methods of quasi-resonant induction heating are provided. In particular, an induction heating system having a quasi-resonant topology can have a quasi-resonant inverter. The inverter can include an induction heating coil configured to inductively head a load with a magnetic field, and a power supply circuit configured to supply a power signal to the induction heating coil. The inverter can further include a first switching element and a second switching element coupled in parallel with the first switching element. The inverter can further include a resonant capacitor coupled in parallel with the induction heating coil. The inverter can further include one or more control devices configured to control operation of the first and second switching elements to regulate an amount of current provided to the induction coil based at least in part on a desired operating frequency associated with the quasi-resonant inverter.

Systems and methods of quasi-resonant induction heating

A cooktop appliance and method of operation is provided. The cooktop appliance may include a user interface, a power source, a burner, a thyristor, and a relay switch. The power source may be operably connected to the user interface. The burner may include a first radiant heat element and a second radiant heat element electrically coupled in parallel to the power source. The thyristor may be operably connected to the user interface and electrically coupled in series between the power source and the first radiant heat element to control activation of the first radiant heat element. The relay switch may be operably connected to the user interface and electrically coupled in series between the power source and the second radiant heat element to control activation of the second radiant heat element.

Cooktop appliance and method of operation

A system and method of detecting phase angle in an inverter is provided. A shunt resistor is coupled to a controller which is part of an inverter circuit and a phase angle may be directly derived from the detected voltage across the shunt resistor. The detected shunt voltage may be used to adjust the power delivery from the inverter to the load.

Phase angle detection in an inverter

A method for assembling a washing machine is provided. The method includes providing a mode shifter including a solenoid, coupling a basket and an agitator to the mode shifter, and coupling a motor to the mode shifter. The solenoid selectively allows the motor to rotate at least one of the basket and the agitator. The method also includes affixing a motor controller to the motor, and electrically coupling the motor controller to each of the mode shifter and the motor. The motor controller is in operational control communication with the mode shifter and the motor.

Method and apparatus for controlling a mode shifter in a washing machine from a motor controller

A method, and corresponding system, for dishwasher operation including receiving an operation setting at a dishwasher to be performed by the dishwasher, where the dishwasher is configured to receive an input of electrical power at a defined operating voltage and frequency; and causing an operation of the dishwasher based on the operation setting by causing an inverter of the dishwasher to operate a pump motor of the dishwasher at an electrical power condition different from the defined operating voltage and frequency received at the dishwasher, where the electrical power condition at the pump motor causes the dishwasher to operate in accordance with a quiet dishwashing cycle, a high water pressure dishwashing cycle, a constant mass flow operation, or a minimum water use operation.

Method and system for dishwasher operation

A reconfigurable appliance control system includes a dedicated appliance control (DAC) for controlling operation of an appliance. The system further includes an appliance communication control (ACC) for communicating with at least one appliance. The system includes an appliance communication connection for interfacing the ACC to the appliance. The system also includes an external host control (EHC) for communicating with a remote system. The system further includes a host communication connection for interfacing the external host control with the ACC.

Reconfigurable appliance control system

A method and apparatus for communicating between an appliance and a power line carrier communication system includes at least one power line carrier connection, at least one appliance connection, and processing circuitry for translating between an appliance communication protocol and a power line carrier communication protocol. The method and apparatus allow bidirectional communication between power line carrier and apparatus.

Method and apparatus for interfacing a power line carrier and an appliance

A remote operation management system for commercial appliances is provided. The system includes a user interface for authorizing use of an appliance and a dedicated appliance controller coupled to the user interface and the appliance for controlling operation of the appliance. An appliance communication controller is coupled to the user interface over an appliance communication connection, and an external host controller is coupled to the appliance communication controller over a host communication connection. The external host controller is configured to communicate a message for the appliance to the appliance communication controller. A remote management system is coupled to the external host controller and configured to control a function of the appliance.

Remote operation management system

Appliances ( and ) are controlled by providing a source ( ) of command fields (CMD, FIG. ) that include a context subfield (Community, FIG. ) defining operating modes and a command subfield (Command, FIG. ) defining operations to be performed within the context subfield. A network ( ) transmits the command fields between the source and the appliance. A controller ( ) processes the command fields so that an operation defined by one of the command subfields is performed.

Internet enabled appliance command structure

By employing High Density Interconnect (HDI) multi-chip modules (MCMs) having elements of a distributed power supply embedded in the MCM itself, the functions of an MCM and a power converter are combined. The embedded power supply elements include DC-DC or AC-DC converters to convert an input voltage and input current to a relatively lower output voltage and relatively higher output current, thereby decreasing the current requirements of external power supply lines connected to the multi-chip module. The current and voltage outputs may be connected to chip power inputs through relatively short, low-impedance power distribution conductors comprising copper strips direct bonded to a ceramic substrate; alternatively, or in combination with direct bonded copper conductors, the low-impedance power distribution conductors may be situated within an HDI overcoat structure. The power supply elements may be placed within cavities formed in the substrate, or on a thinner portion of the substrate. The power supply may also provide multiple output voltages.

High density interconnect multi-chip modules including embedded

A microprocessor-based relay system is used in combination with relay contactors and a control circuit therefor to protect an electric motor from overload currents in addition to phase faults, ground faults, load losses, and load jams. The microprocessor is provided with a data base comprising thermal characteristics of the motor during heating and cooling. The heating data comprise current versus time curves stored as a look-up table for which each data point represents a thermal limit, i.e., the maximum time the motor is permitted to operate at a particular current level. The cooling data comprise motor cooling rates. Phase currents are sampled at preselected fixed time intervals during a predetermined period thereof, and an average motor current value is calculated therefrom. A thermal sum, which is initialized at zero upon first starting the motor, is adjusted depending on the average motor current value relative to a predetermined overload current value. The average motor current value is used as an index to the heating curve look-up table. If the thermal sum exceeds the corresponding thermal limit in the look-up table for a predetermined time interval, then an overload condition is indicated, and the relay is tripped.

Microprocessor-based protective relay system

By monitoring line current before the lamps of a fluorescent lighting system start, an estimate of full load current is made. The estimate is used to adjust the current feedback gain to avoid any current level overflow in the control. The normalized values used within the control result in consistent relative light levels independent of load size.

Adjusting feedback gain in a fluorescent lamp dimming control

A wall box dimmer is connected to a conventional fluorescent lighting system for providing a wide range of dimming. Overvoltages generated during chopping of the AC input waveform are dissipated and the lighting level is modified to reduce the overvoltages. DC power for the control electronics is derived from the voltage across the dimmer.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

William Hull Bicknell