The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 06, 1999
Andreas Borrmann, Ingelheim, DE;
Dieter Munkes, Langenlonsheim, DE;
Kurt Schaupert, Hofheim, DE;
Harry Engelmann, Bingen, DE;
Schott Glas, Mainz, DE;
Abstract
The cooktop has a cooking zone (,), at least one electric heating unit (,′) assigned to the cooking zone (,) and a device for detecting a metal pot on the cooking zone (,) and determining its size when the metal pot is resting on the cooking zone (,). The device for detecting the presence and advantageously the size of the metal pot includes a measuring sensor (,) arranged near the cooking zone (,) and one or more evaluation devices (,″) communicating with the measuring sensor (,). The measuring sensor (,) includes a primary measuring coil (,) and one or more secondary measuring coils. The primary measuring coil terminals (,) are electrically connected with corresponding poles of an alternating voltage generator (,) for generating an alternating current in the measuring coil (,) and a magnetic alternating testing field that interacts with the one or more secondary measuring coils to induce a voltage in them. The respective evaluation devices (,″) include comparators (,″) for comparing the induced voltages in the corresponding secondary measuring coils (,) with voltage threshold values to detect the presence and advantageously the size of a metal pot placed on the cooking zone (,) as a result of eddy currents produced in the metal pot.