EP2859776B1

EP2859776B1 - A wireless kitchen appliance

Info

Publication number: EP2859776B1
Application number: EP13723172.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yagiz TEZEL; Onur Yaman; Ahmet Yorukoglu; Sefa Hazir
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2012-06-06
Filing date: 2013-05-18
Publication date: 2016-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2033-05-18
Also published as: EP2859776A1; WO2013182406A1; ES2579157T3

Description

The present invention relates a wireless kitchen appliance to be operated in an induction heating cooktop.
The use of kitchen appliances that are operated with the principle of wireless power transmission on the induction heating cooktop is known. The wireless kitchen appliances are ferromagnetic heating vessels like pots and pans, active heating devices like kettle, coffee machine, toaster or electromechanical devices like mixer, blender that are operated with the electric motor. Communication means like RFID, Wi-Fi that send RF communication signals are used for providing communication of the wireless kitchen appliances with the induction heating cooktop. Generally, an RF transmitting antenna is disposed on the wireless kitchen appliance and an RF receiving antenna on the induction heating cooktop and thus data transfer between the appliance - cooktop is provided. Thus, the induction heating cooktop detects what type of wireless appliance is placed thereon and the wireless appliance is provided to control the induction heating cooktop. For example, if the wireless appliance is a kettle, the heating temperature is adjusted by means of the user interface thereon and the induction heating cooktop is provided to heat the wireless appliance depending on the adjusted heating temperature thereon. Some problems are encountered in the use of the said communication means like RFID, Wi-Fi. For example, the magnetic field created by the induction coils disposed in the induction heating cooktop adversely affects the signal transmittance of the communication means. The RF receiving antenna, being located on the control card in the induction heating cooktop, can contact the components in the control card and thus its signal receiving is disrupted. When more than one appliance is desired to be operated on a multiple zone cooktop, the communication signals get mixed up and operating more than one wireless appliance on the induction heating cooktop is not possible. The RF transmitting and receiving antennas project outwards both from the wireless appliance and from the induction heating cooktop and there is not enough area for concealing the antennas. Furthermore, the cost of the said communication means is quite high.
The International Patent Application No. WO9941950 relates to a cooking vessel that is used in induction heating cooktops.
The International Patent Application No. WO2010080738 relates to a smart cookware that is wirelessly operated with an inductive power supply.
The United States Patent No. US7355150 relates to a cooking appliance that is energized with a non-contact power supply.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of an induction heating cooktop and a wireless kitchen appliance wherein data transfer is provided therebetween without using communication means like RFID, Wi-Fi.
Data transfer is provided between an induction heating cooktop and the wireless kitchen appliance (will be referred to as "wireless appliance") realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention and explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof. The induction heating cooktop recognizes the wireless appliance placed thereon and thus operates the wireless appliance by supplying the suitable power depending on its type and the settings entered by the user. The data relating to identification information and operational parameters are recorded in the microcontroller of the wireless appliance.
In order to provide communication between the induction heating cooktop and the wireless appliance operated thereon, the control unit of the induction heating cooktop drives the induction coil intermittently and in periods wherein energy is interrupted, the information relating to the wireless appliance is provided to be introduced to the control unit of the induction heating cooktop by sending signals from the wireless appliance to the induction heating cooktop.
Signals describing the wireless appliance are sent to the control unit of the induction heating cooktop by means of a driver circuit disposed in the wireless appliance. The driver circuit generates signals with changing amplitude and/or frequency in accordance with identification information and operating parameters recorded in the microcontroller of the wireless appliance and these signals are delivered to the control unit of the induction heating cooktop via the receiver coil - induction coil.
When energy transmission from the induction heating cooktop to the wireless appliance is interrupted, the microcontroller and the driver circuit in the wireless appliance are fed from a buffer capacitor disposed on the wireless appliance.
In the present invention, when the energy is interrupted, the microcontroller of the wireless appliance detects that energy is turned off by means of a voltage measuring unit disposed in the wireless appliance and provides the sending of signals to the induction heating cooktop by activating the driver circuit by means of a switch.
Data transmission between the induction heating cooktop and the wireless appliance operated thereon is provided without using high cost communication means like RFID tag, Wi-Fi, receiving-transmitting antennas, etc. and communication errors are minimized.
An induction heating cooktop and a wireless kitchen appliance realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention are illustrated in the attached figure, where:
Figure 1 - is the schematic view of an induction heating cooktop and a wireless kitchen appliance operated thereon.
The elements illustrated in the figure are numbered as follows:

1. Induction heating cooktop
2. Wireless appliance
3. Induction coil
4. Control unit
5. Inverter
6. User interface
7. Microcontroller
8. Receiver coil
9. Voltage regulating circuit
10. Driver circuit
11. Switch
12. Buffer capacitor
13. Voltage measuring unit
14. Frequency/amplitude measuring unit

The induction heating cooktop (1), suitable for operating one or more than one wireless kitchen appliance (2) (will be referred to as "wireless appliance") thereon comprises one or more than one induction coil (3), a control unit (4) for example a microprocessor and an inverter (5) connected to the control unit (4) that converts the AC mains voltage into DC voltage by switching and drives the induction coil (3).
The wireless appliance (2), suitable for being operated on an induction heating cooktop (1), comprises a user interface (6) having a display and a keypad that provides monitoring and controlling of the operating parameters like temperature, motor speed, one or more than one sensor (not shown in the figures), a microcontroller (7) in the memory of which the data relating to identification information and operating parameters of the wireless appliance (2) are recorded, a receiver coil (8) that energizes the microcontroller (7) by partially collecting the power generated by the induction coil (3) in the induction heating cooktop (1), and a voltage regulating circuit (9) that supplies not only the microcontroller (7), but also the user interface (6) and the sensors with low value DC voltage with the power received from the induction coil (3) by the receiver coil (8).
The induction heating cooktop (1) comprises the control unit (4) that provides the induction coil (3) to transfer power to the wireless appliance (2) intermittently and to receive information relating to the wireless appliance (2) through the induction coil (3) in periods wherein power transfer is interrupted.
The wireless appliance (2) of the present invention comprises a driver circuit (10) connected to the microcontroller (7) and the receiver coil (8), generating signals with changing amplitude and/or frequency depending on the identification information in the memory of the microcontroller (7) and the operating parameters entered from the user interface (6), driving the receiver coil (8) in the periods the power transferred from the induction coil (3) of the induction heating cooktop (1) whereon the wireless appliance (2) is operated is interrupted and providing the signals to be transmitted to the induction heating cooktop (1) through the induction coil (3).
Power is transferred from the induction coil (3) to the wireless appliance (2) by bringing the power adjustment button in the induction heating cooktop (1) to any adjustment setting, for example the lowest level, while the wireless appliance (2) is operated on the induction heating cooktop (1). The control unit (4) provides the induction coil (3) to transfer power to the receiver coil (8) disposed in the wireless appliance (2) intermittently by means of the inverter (5). The control unit (4) operates the induction coil (3) by interrupting power transfer, for example for 10 ms (milliseconds) every second and by transferring power for 990 ms. The microcontroller (7) energized by the receiver coil (8), provides variable frequency and/or amplitude voltage signals containing wireless appliance (2) information to be transmitted to the receiver coil (8) by activating the driver circuit (10) in the said interruption periods. The signals are transmitted from the receiver coil (8) to the induction coil (3) and the control unit (4) in the induction heating cooktop (1), providing the control unit (4) to be informed about the wireless appliance (2).
The control unit (4) detects the identification information of the wireless appliance (2) placed on the induction heating cooktop (1), which type (kettle, coffeemaker, toaster, mixer, chopper etc.) the wireless appliance (2) is and the operating parameters entered by means of the user interface (6), for example heating setting or motor speed, and provides the wireless appliance (2) to be operated on the induction heating cooktop (1) at the required power level. The wireless appliance (2) commands the induction heating cooktop (1) by means of the driver circuit (10) in accordance with the operating parameters entered from the user interface (6). The communication system provides the identification information and the operating parameters of the wireless appliance (2) to be recognized by the induction heating cooktop (1) without using communication means like RFID, Wi-Fi. In the present invention, the wireless appliance (2) comprises a voltage measuring unit (13) that provides the detection of the periods when the power transfer from the induction coil (3) is interrupted by measuring the voltage on the receiver coil (8). When the power transfer from the induction coil (3) to the receiver coil (8) is interrupted, the voltage measuring unit (13) reads zero voltage on the receiver coil (8) and informs the microcontroller (7) about interruption of power transfer from the induction coil (3) by transmitting signals thereto.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless appliance (2) comprises a switch (11) disposed between the driver circuit (10) and the receiver coil (8), controlled by the microcontroller (7) and which provides signals to be transmitted to the receiver coil (8) by activating the driver circuit (10) in periods when the power transferred from the induction coil (3) to the receiver coil (8) is interrupted.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the wireless appliance (2) comprises the voltage regulating circuit (9) having a rectifier (D) and a buffer capacitor (12), and the driver circuit (10) connected to the buffer capacitor (12) and receiving the energy required for driving the receiver coil (8) from the buffer capacitor (12) in periods when the power transferred from the induction coil (3) to the wireless appliance (2) is interrupted. The microcontroller (7) is also fed from the buffer capacitor (12) in periods when the power transferred from the induction heating cooktop (1) to the wireless appliance (2) is interrupted.
The identification information and the operating parameters of the wireless appliance (2) are transmitted safely to the induction heating cooktop (1) in periods when power transfer from the induction heating cooktop (1) to the wireless appliance (2) is interrupted by means of the driver circuit (10) connected to the microcontroller (7) and the receiver coil (8), that are disposed in the wireless appliance (2) operated wirelessly on the induction heating cooktop (1). The wireless appliance (2) is provided to be recognized by the control unit (4) of the induction heating cooktop (1) with the evaluation of the signals received from the wireless appliance (2). Data transmission between the wireless appliance (2) and the induction heating cooktop (1) is provided without requiring high cost and difficult to use communication means like RFID, Wi-Fi.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A wireless appliance (2), suitable to be operated on an induction heating cooktop (1) having one or more than one induction coil (3), the wireless appliance (2) comprising a user interface (6) that provides monitoring and controlling of the operating parameters, a microcontroller (7) in the memory of which the data relating to identification information and operating parameters are recorded, a receiver coil (8) that energizes the microcontroller (7) by partially collecting the power generated by the induction coil (3) and a voltage regulating circuit (9), characterized by a driver circuit (10) connected to the microcontroller (7) and the receiver coil (8), generating signals with variable amplitude and/or frequency depending on the identification information in the memory of the microcontroller (7) and the operating parameters entered from the user interface (6), driving the receiver coil (8) in periods wherein the power transferred from the induction heating cooktop (1) is interrupted and providing the signals to be transmitted to the induction heating cooktop (1) through the induction coil (3), wherein a voltage measuring unit (13) provides the detection of the periods wherein the power transfer from the induction coil (3) is interrupted by measuring the voltage on the receiver coil (8).
A wireless appliance (2) as in Claim 1, characterized by a switch (11) disposed between the driver circuit (10) and the receiver coil (8), controlled by the microcontroller (7) and which provides signals to be transmitted to the receiver coil (8) by activating the driver circuit (10) in periods wherein the power transferred from the induction coil (3) to the receiver coil (8) is interrupted.
A wireless appliance (2) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by a buffer capacitor (12) and the driver circuit (10) that receives the energy required for driving the receiver coil (8) from the buffer capacitor (12).