An induction heating system includes a power inverter, an induction circuit, and a control circuit. The power inverter includes one or more transistors configured to receive a direct current (DC) input and produce an alternating current (AC) output. The induction circuit includes at least one working coil configured to receive the AC output and produce a first magnetic field, wherein the first magnetic field interacts with a ferrous material to generate heat in the ferrous material. The control circuit includes a processor and memory. The memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the control circuit to receive an input, from a user, indicating a temperature set point, measure an inductance of the induction circuit, determine a resonant frequency of the induction circuit based on the inductance, and control the one or more transistors of the power inverter based on the resonant frequency and the temperature set point.

An induction heating device comprises a D.C. power supply referenced to a ground connection. The D.C. power supply is configured to supply power to the induction heating device and comprises a voltage rectifier configured to rectify an input voltage into a direct current and output the D.C. voltage to a D.C. bus and a ground connection. The device further comprises a plurality of resonant loads arranged in a matrix comprising a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows. Each of the resonant loads is connected at a first end to a row and at a second end to a column. A plurality of first switching devices are in connection with each of the columns between the D.C. bus and at least one of the resonant loads. A plurality of second switching devices are in connection with each of the rows between the resonant loads and the ground connection.

An induction heating device comprises a power supply configured to supply D.C. power and a plurality of resonant loads. Each of the resonant loads comprises a first node and a second node. The first nodes are in connection with the power supply. The device further comprises a plurality of first switching devices. One of the first switching devices is in connection with the second node of each one of the resonant loads. A second switching device is in connection with each of the first switching devices. A union of activation of one or more activated first switching devices and the second switching device supplies current from the power supply through the resonant loads in connection with the one or more activated first switching devices.

In a method for operating a cooktop, a process of removal and placement of a cookware element with respect to a starting position and an end position is detectable by a detection arrangement. A control unit forms a heating zone to match a detected cookware element. The process can be independently associated by the control unit in one of two ways, a first way in which the process involves a movement of cookware element from the starting position into the end position and a movement of the heating zone into an area of the end position, with a target temperature, set by a user interface, being carried over to the area of the end position, a second way in which the process involves removal of cookware element from the starting position and placement of another cookware element in the end position, with a target temperature set to a default value.

The present invention presents a method and apparatus for the dynamic combination of a heating element and an object presence sensor for the purpose of creating a control loop in which a heating element responds to the detection of any desired material within a measurable range from the heating element. The system described in the previous sentence will be referred to as cell for the remainder of this patent. One application of this invention is in cooktops that could dynamically create cooking regions from an array of these cells, allowing users to place pots or pans anywhere on the surface of the cooktop. The ability to create a dynamic grid which only heats up areas which are covered either directly by food or by an intermediate cooking vessel results in a state of the art cooking surface improving upon both the performance and efficiency of its predecessors.

An induction heating device includes: a casing; a cover plate coupled to a top of the casing, where the cover plate has a surface configured to seat an object; a first induction heating module located within the casing and configured to heat the object; a first wiring substrate that is configured to couple to a bottom of the first induction heating module and that extends in a first direction, where the first wiring substrate includes at least one of a power line or a signal line; and a first connector that is configured to couple the first wiring substrate to the bottom of the first induction heating module, where the first connector includes a pogo pin.

An induction hob has a hob plate, a plurality of induction heating coils arranged under the hob plate and a plurality of sensor coils arranged under the hob plate. The induction heating coils are rectangular, wherein at least two induction heating coils are arranged one behind the other and at least three induction heating coils are arranged one next to the other. Two adjacent induction heating coils form an adjacent region with one another in which the two induction heating coils lie with their adjacent sides. At least one sensor coil is arranged in each adjacent region, wherein precisely a single sensor coil is provided in a spacing direction from the one induction heating coil to the adjacent induction heating coil.

An induction cooking apparatus comprises a panel forming a cooking surface and a bottom surface. The cooking surface is configured to support a cooking utensil. A housing is in connection with and disposed beneath the cooking surface. The housing forms an enclosure having an internal cavity. The enclosure comprises a first side and a second side opposite the first side. A plurality of induction coils is arranged in at least one linear array beneath the cooking surface. A beam structure comprises a first end portion and a second end portion. The beam structure is configured to extend across the housing of the cooking apparatus from the first side to the second side and support the plurality of induction coils. A plurality of spring mechanisms connects the first end portion to the first side and the second end portion to the second side.

An induction cooking apparatus comprises a plurality of induction coils arranged in at least one array. At least one beam structure is configured to support the at least one array of induction coils. At least one electrical circuit is in connection with the at least one beam structure and in communication with each of the plurality of induction coils forming the at least one array. At least one inverter assembly is configured to drive the induction coils. The electrical circuit and the inverter assembly form a connection interface comprising a plurality of mating connectors. The mating connectors of the connection interface electrically connect the array with the inverter assembly.

An induction cooking apparatus comprises a plurality of induction coils arranged in an array. The induction coils comprise conductive windings and at least one foil. The at least one foil comprises magnetically permeable material extending beneath the plurality of induction coils.