Induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils

Abstract

The present invention relates to an induction cooking hob (10) with a plurality of induction coils (16). The induction cooking hob (10) comprises a cooking surface (12) and a control unit. The cooking surface (12) includes a cover plate. The induction coils (16) are arranged side-by-side according to a predetermined scheme and below the cover plate. At least one induction coil (16) is marked by an identification symbol (18). The identification symbol (18) includes a first element (20) and a second element (22), wherein the first element (20) extends beyond the diameter of the corresponding induction coil (16) and the second element (22) marks the diameter of said induction coil (16).

Claims

1. An induction cooking hob with a plurality of induction coils, the induction cooking hob comprising: a cooking surface having a cover plate and a control unit, wherein the induction coils are arranged side-by-side according to a predetermined scheme and below the cover plate, and wherein at least one induction coil is marked by an identification symbol that includes a first element and a second element, wherein the first element traverses a perimeter of, thereby extending beyond a diameter of, the corresponding induction coil, and the second element marks the diameter of said induction coil, wherein the identification symbol is a cross, and wherein the first element and the second element are formed as stripes of said cross.

2. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the cross includes a longitudinal stripe and a transverse stripe, wherein the longitudinal stripe extends beyond the diameter of the corresponding induction coil and the transverse stripe marks the diameter of said induction coil.

3. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the cross includes a longitudinal stripe and a transverse stripe, wherein the transverse stripe extends beyond the diameter of the corresponding induction coil and the longitudinal stripe marks the diameter of said induction coil.

4. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the induction cooking hob comprises a pot detection system for detecting a presence and/or a position of a cooking pot on the cooking surface.

5. The induction cooking hob according to claim 4, wherein the pot detection system activates induction coils that are completely covered by a cooking pot.

6. The induction cooking hob according to claim 4, wherein the pot detection system activates induction coils that are at least partially covered by a cooking pot when a predetermined minimum portion of an area of said induction coils is covered.

7. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the at least one induction coil marked by the identification symbol has a diameter between 50 mm and 90 mm.

8. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the at least one induction coil marked by the identification symbol is provided for a cooking pot whose bottom area has a diameter between 50 mm and 90 mm.

9. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the induction coils are arranged as a matrix, wherein the cooking surface comprises at least one portion in which the induction coils have the same diameters.

10. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the identification symbol is applied on the cover plate of the cooking surface.

11. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of induction coils comprises a first induction coil and a second induction coil, and the first induction coil is smaller than the second induction coil, and the first induction coil is marked by the identification symbol.

12. The induction cooking hob according to claim 4, wherein the induction cooking hob comprises a user interface electrically connected to the control unit and/or to the pot detection system.

13. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein the cover plate is a glass ceramic panel.

14. The induction cooking hob according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of induction coils is not marked by any identification symbol.

15. The induction cooking hob according to claim 7, said at least one induction coil marked by the identification symbol having a diameter of 70 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawing, in which

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic top view of an induction cooking hob according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic top view of an induction cooking hob 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The induction cooking hob 10 comprises a cooking surface 12 and a user interface 14. The cooking surface 12 includes a cover plate. Preferably, the cover plate is a glass ceramic panel. The user interface 14 may be a touch-key panel or a touch screen. The induction cooking hob 10 comprises a control unit, which is not explicitly shown in FIG. 1. The control unit is electrically connected to the user interface 14.

(5) A plurality of induction coils 16 is arranged below the cover plate of the cooking surface 12. The induction coils 16 are arranged as a matrix. The induction coils 16 are relative small. In this example, the induction coils 16 have the same diameters. Further, the induction coils 16 of this embodiment have a diameter of about 70 mm in each case.

(6) The induction cooking hob 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises 43 induction coils 16 at all. A first front line of the matrix comprises four serial induction coils 16, wherein said first front line is interrupted by the user interface 14. A second front line of the matrix comprises six serial induction coils 16, wherein said second front line is also interrupted by the user interface 14. Three lines in the central portion of the cooking surface 12 comprise nine serial induction coils 16 in each case. A rear line of the matrix comprises six serial induction coils 16.

(7) Some of the induction coils 16 are marked by an identification symbol 18. In this example, five induction coils 16 are marked by the identification symbol 18. Said five induction coils 16 are equally distributed over the cooking surface 12. There are at least two induction coils 16 without identification symbol 18 between two neighboured induction coils 16 marked by the identification symbol 18.

(8) The identification symbol 18 covers the corresponding induction coil 16. In this example, the identification symbol 18 is formed as a cross. The cross 18 includes a longitudinal stripe 20 and a transverse stripe 22. The length of the longitudinal stripe 20 extends beyond the diameter of the induction coil 16, while the length of the transverse stripe 22 is identical with the diameter of the induction coil 16.

(9) In general, the identification symbol 18 includes at least two elements, wherein at least one element extends beyond the diameter of the induction coil 16 and at least one other element marks the diameter of the induction coil 16.

(10) Since the length of the longitudinal stripe 20 extends beyond the diameter of the induction coil 16, the user can recognize this induction coil 16, if a cooking pot 16 covers the induction coil 16, wherein the bottom area of said cooking pot 16 is marginally bigger than the area of the induction coil 16. The longitudinal stripe 20 allows that the user may place the cooking pot concentrically to the induction coil 16, if the bottom area of the cooking pot 16 is marginally bigger than the area of the corresponding induction coil 16.

(11) Since the length of the transverse stripe 22 is identical with the diameter of the induction coil 16, the user recognizes the area of the induction coil 16. If the induction cooking hob 10 comprises induction coils 16 with different diameters, then the user may select the induction coil 16 in dependence of the bottom area of the cooking pot. Further, the user may select the cooking pot adapted to the area of the induction coil 16.

(12) The induction cooking hob 10 comprises a pot detection system. The pot detection system includes a number of sensors for detecting the presence and the position of a cooking pot. The pot detection system is electrically connected to the control unit and/or to the user interface 14.

(13) The diameters of the bottom areas of the most cooking pots are bigger than the diameters of these induction coils 16. However, the bottom areas of some cooking pots may be substantially equal as the areas of the induction coils 16. For example, the bottom area of a pot for preparing mocha coffee is often smaller than the area of the induction coils 16. If the bottom area of the cooking pot is only marginally bigger than the area of the induction coil 16, then the user may exactly place the cooking pot above the induction coil 16, so that the cooking pot and the induction coil 16 are arranged concentrically to each other. The concentric arrangement of the cooking pot and the induction coil 16 allows a maximum power transfer.

(14) Although an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(15) 10 induction cooking hob 12 cooking surface 14 user interface 16 induction coil 18 identification symbol, cross 20 longitudinal stripe 22 transverse stripe