COOKTOP DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A COOKTOP DEVICE

Abstract

A cooktop device includes a set of first heating units, a set of second heating units, a set of intermediate heating units arranged spatially between the set of first heating units and the set of second heating units, a set of first inverters designed to operate the set of first heating units and the set of intermediate heating units, and a set of second inverters designed to operate the set of second heating units and the set of intermediate heating units.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A cooktop device, comprising: a set of first heating units; a set of second heating units; a set of intermediate heating units arranged spatially between the set of first heating units and the set of second heating units; a set of first inverters designed to operate the set of first heating units and the set of intermediate heating units; and a set of second inverters designed to operate the set of second heating units and the set of intermediate heating units.

16. The cooktop device of claim 15, constructed in a form of an induction cooktop device.

17. The cooktop device of claim 15, wherein the first, second and intermediate sets of heating units are each designed to operate as separate heating zones.

18. The cooktop device of claim 15, wherein the first, second and intermediate sets of heating units comprise each at least two heating units which are designed to operate as separate heating zones.

19. The cooktop device of claim 15, wherein the first and second sets of heating units comprise each at least two heating units which are designed to operate as separate heating zones.

20. The cooktop device of claim 15, wherein the set of intermediate heating units is designed to operate in combination with the set of first heating units as one heating zone.

21. The cooktop device of claim 15, wherein the set of intermediate heating units is designed to operate in combination with the set of second heating units as one heating zone.

22. The cooktop device of claim 15, wherein the set of intermediate heating units comprises a first intermediate heating unit designed to operate in combination with the set of first heating units as a first heating zone, and a second intermediate heating unit designed to operate in combination with the set of second heating units as a second heating zone.

23. The cooktop device of claim 22, wherein the first and second intermediate heating units of the set of intermediate heating units have an at least substantially elongated geometry.

24. The cooktop device of claim 22, wherein the first and second intermediate heating units of the set of intermediate heating units are arranged parallel to a depth direction of a cooktop with regard to their main extent.

25. The cooktop device of claim 22, wherein the first and second intermediate heating units of the set of intermediate heating units are arranged adjacent to a plurality of first heating units of the set of first heating units and/or adjacent to a plurality of second heating units of the set of second heating units.

26. The cooktop device of claim 15, further comprising: a set of third heating units; and a set of further intermediate heating units arranged between the set of second heating units and the set of third heating units.

27. The cooktop device of claim 26, further comprising a set of third inverters, the set of further intermediate heating units designed to be operated by the set of second inverters and the set of third inverters.

28. The cooktop device of claim 27, wherein the set of third heating units is designed to be operated by the set of third inverters.

29. A cooktop, comprising a cooktop device, said cooktop device comprising a set of first heating units, a set of second heating units, a set of intermediate heating units arranged spatially between the set of first heating units and the set of second heating units, a set of first inverters designed to operate the set of first heating units and the set of intermediate heating units, and a set of second inverters designed to operate the set of second heating units and the set of intermediate heating units.

30. The cooktop of claim 29, constructed in a form of an induction cooktop.

31. A method for operating a cooktop device which comprises a set of first heating units, a set of second heating units, a set of intermediate heating units arranged spatially between the set of first heating units and the set of second heating units, said method comprising: operating the set of first heating units and a set of intermediate heating units by a set of first inverters in an operating state; and operating the set of second heating units and the set of intermediate heating units by a set of second inverters in the operating state.

32. The method of claim 31 for operating an induction cooktop device.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising operating each of at least the first and second sets of heating units as separate heating zones.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising operating the set of intermediate heating units as one heating zone in combination with the set of first heating units or the set of second heating units.

Description

[0035] In the figures:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a cooktop which is embodied as an induction cooktop, with a cooktop device in an exemplary operating state,

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a further simplified representation of the cooktop device with a set of first heating units, with a set of second heating units and with a set of intermediate heating units,

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for operating the cooktop device,

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a top view of a further cooktop which is embodied as an induction cooktop, with a further cooktop device of a further exemplary embodiment,

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a simplified representation of the further cooktop device, with a set of further intermediate heating units, with a set of third heating units and with a set of third inverters, and

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method for operating the further cooktop device.

[0042] Only one of the objects present multiple times in the figures is provided with a reference character in each case.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a cooktop 10a, which is embodied as an induction cooktop in the example shown. The cooktop 10a has a cooktop device 12a. The cooktop device 12a is embodied by way of example as an induction cooktop device. The cooktop device 12a shown in FIG. 1 is in an exemplary operating state.

[0044] The cooktop device 12a has a set of first heating units 14a. In the example shown, the set of first heating units 14a has a number of four first heating units 40a.

[0045] The cooktop device 12a also has a set of second heating units 16a. In the example shown, the set of second heating units 16a has a number of four second heating units 42a.

[0046] The cooktop device 12a also has a set of intermediate heating units 18a. In the example shown, the set of intermediate heating units 18a has a number of two intermediate heating units, namely one first intermediate heating unit 32a and one second intermediate heating unit 34a.

[0047] The intermediate heating units 32a, 34a of the set of intermediate heating units 18a are arranged spatially between the first heating units 40a of the set of first heating units 14a and the second heating units 42a of the set of second heating units 16a.

[0048] The intermediate heating units 32a, 34a of the set of intermediate heating units 18a have an at least substantially elongated geometry.

[0049] The intermediate heating units 32a, 34a of the set of intermediate heating units 18a are arranged parallel to a depth direction 38a of the cooktop 10a with regard to their main extent 36a.

[0050] The intermediate heating units 32a, 34a of the set of intermediate heating units 18a are namely arranged at least substantially at right angles to the first heating units 40a of the set of first heating units 14a with respect to their main extent 36a.

[0051] The intermediate heating units 32a, 34a of the set of intermediate heating units 18a are arranged adjacent to a plurality of first heating units 40a of the set of first heating units 14a and adjacent to a plurality of second heating units 42a of the set of second heating units 16a.

[0052] In the example shown, the first intermediate heating unit 32a of the set of intermediate units 18a is arranged adjacent to three first heating units 40a of the set of first heating units 14a. In addition, the second intermediate heating unit 34a of the set of intermediate units 18a is arranged adjacent to three second heating units 42a of the set of second heating units 16a.

[0053] FIG. 2 further shows, in schematic form and for the sake of clarity, representatively on the basis of in each case one first heating unit of the set of first heating units, one intermediate heating unit of the set of intermediate heating units, and one second heating unit of the set of second heating units, which sets of inverters can be used to operate the sets of heating units, wherein this applies in each case to all first heating units of the set of first heating units, to all second heating units of the set of second heating units, and all intermediate heating units of the set of intermediate heating units.

[0054] The cooktop device 12a also has a set of first inverters 20a. The set of first heating units 14a can be operated by means of the set of first inverters 20a, namely by means of any inverters of the set of first inverters. The set of intermediate heating units 18a can also be operated by means of the set of first inverters 20a, namely by means of any inverters of the set of first inverters. The set of first heating units 14a can be operated only by means of the set of first inverters 20a.

[0055] The cooktop device 12a also has a set of second inverters 22a. The set of second heating units 16a can be operated by means of the set of second inverters 22a, namely by means of any inverters of the set of second inverters. The set of intermediate heating units 18a can also be operated by means of the set of second inverters 22a, namely by means of any inverters of the set of second inverters. The set of second inverters 22a can be operated only by means of the set of second inverters 22a.

[0056] All sets of heating units, namely in the example shown the set of first heating units 14a, the set of second heating units 16a and the set of intermediate heating units 18a, can in each case be operated as separate heating zones 24a (cf. FIGS. 1 and 2). In the operating state shown in FIG. 1, the heating zones 24a are indicated by different hatching. This is an exemplary operating state, wherein a multiplicity of further combinations and heating zones 24a are possible.

[0057] In addition, all sets of heating units 16a, 18a in each case comprise four heating units 30a which can in each case be operated as separate heating zones 24a, 24b.

[0058] The set of intermediate heating units 18a can be operated in combination with the set of first heating units 14a as one heating zone 24a. This can be achieved in that the set of intermediate units 18a and the set of first heating units 14a can be operated by means of the set of first inverters 20a, namely in particular by means of one or several common inverters of the set of first inverters 20a (cf. FIG. 2).

[0059] In addition, the set of intermediate heating units 18a can be operated in combination with the set of second heating units 16a as one heating zone 24a. This can be achieved in that the set of intermediate units 18a and the set of second heating units 16a can be operated by means of the set of second inverters 22a, namely in particular by means of one or several common inverters of the set of second inverters 22a.

[0060] In addition, a first intermediate heating unit 32a of the set of intermediate heating units 18a can be operated in combination with the set of first heating units 14a as a first heating zone 26a, and a second intermediate heating unit 34a of the set of intermediate heating units 18a can be operated in combination with the set of second heating units 16a as a second heating zone 28a. By way of example, heating zones 24a are represented by in each case similar hatching in FIG. 1.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method 100a for operating the cooktop device 12a. The method 100a has in particular a method step 102a and a further method step 104a.

[0062] In the method step 102a, the cooktop device 12a is supplied with the set of first heating units 14a, with the set of second heating units 16a and with the set of intermediate heating units 18a, which are arranged spatially between the set of first heating units 14a, 14b and the set of second heating units 16a, 16b, with the set of first inverters 20a, 20b, and with the set of second inverters 22a, 22b.

[0063] In the further method step 104a, the set of first heating units 14a and the set of intermediate heating units 18a are operated by means of the set of first inverters 20a. In addition, the set of second heating units 16a and the set of intermediate heating units 18a are operated by means of the set of second inverters 22a.

[0064] A further exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. The following descriptions are substantially restricted to the differences between the exemplary embodiments, wherein with regard to components, features and functions which remain the same, reference can be made to the description of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3. In order to differentiate the exemplary embodiments, the letter a in the reference characters of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3 is replaced by the letter b in the reference characters of the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 6. In principle, reference can also be made to the drawings and/or the description of the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 3 in respect of components with the same designation, in particular in respect of components with the same reference characters.

[0065] FIG. 4 shows a cooktop 10b, which is likewise embodied as an induction cooktop in the example shown. The cooktop 10b has a cooktop device 12b. The cooktop device 12b is embodied by way of example as an induction cooktop device.

[0066] The cooktop device 12b, in addition to a set of first heating units 14b and a set of second heating units 16b, also has a set of third heating units 44b.

[0067] Furthermore, the cooktop device 12b, in addition to a set of intermediate heating units 18b, has a set of further intermediate heating units 46b.

[0068] In the example shown, the set of first heating units 14b has four first heating units 40b. In the example shown, the set of second heating units 16b has four second heating units 42b. In the example shown, the set of third heating units 44b has four third heating units 50b.

[0069] In the example shown, the set of intermediate heating units 18b and the set of further intermediate heating units 46 have in each case two intermediate heating units.

[0070] The set of further intermediate heating units 46b is arranged between the set of second heating units 16b and the set of third heating units 44b.

[0071] The cooktop device 12b, in addition to a set of first inverters 20b and a set of second inverters 22b, also has a set of third inverters 48b.

[0072] The set of further intermediate heating units 46b can be operated by the set of second inverters 22b and the set of third inverters 48b (cf. FIG. 5).

[0073] The set of third heating units 44ba can be operated only by the set of third inverters 48b.

[0074] The extent to which the cooktop device 12b is scalable in particular with regard to a number of sets of heating units and/or with regard to a number of sets of intermediate units and/or with regard to a number of sets of inverters is shown by way of dots in FIG. 5.

[0075] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method 100b for operating the cooktop device 12b. The method 100b has in particular a method step 102b and a further method step 104b.

[0076] In the method step 102b, the cooktop device 12b is supplied with the set of first heating units 14b, with the set of second heating units 16b, with the set of third heating units 44b and with the set of intermediate heating units 18a, which are arranged spatially between the set of first heating units 14b and the set of second heating units 16b, and with the set of further intermediate heating units 46b, which are arranged spatially between the set of second heating units 16b and the set of third heating units 44b, with the set of first inverters 20b, with the set of second inverters 22b, and with the set of third inverters 48b.

[0077] In the further method step 104b, the set of first heating units 14b and the set of intermediate heating units 18b are operated by means of the set of first inverters 20b. In addition, the set of second heating units 16b and the set of intermediate heating units 18b are operated by means of the set of second inverters 22b. In addition, the set of second heating units 16b and the set of further intermediate heating units 46b are operated by means of the set of second inverters 22b. Furthermore, the set of third heating units 44b and the set of further intermediate heating units 46b are operated by means of the set of third inverters 48b.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0078] 10 Cooktop [0079] 12 Cooktop device [0080] 14 Set of first heating units [0081] 16 Set of second heating units [0082] 18 Set of intermediate heating units [0083] 20 Set of first inverters [0084] 22 Set of second inverters [0085] 24 Heating zone [0086] 26 First heating zone [0087] 28 Second heating zone [0088] 30 Heating unit [0089] 32 First intermediate heating unit [0090] 34 Second intermediate heating unit [0091] 36 Main extent [0092] 38 Depth direction [0093] 40 First heating unit [0094] 42 Second heating unit [0095] 44 Set of third heating units [0096] 46 Set of further intermediate heating units [0097] 48 Set of third inverters [0098] 50 Third heating unit [0099] 100 Method [0100] 102 Method step [0101] 104 Further method step