Electric heating – Heating devices – With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-27
2001-07-03
Paschall, Mark (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
C219S486000, C219S501000, C219S508000, C307S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255629
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF USE AND PRIOR ART
The invention relates to a device for switching an electric heater having at least two heating areas, which can be variably supplied with electric power by means of at least one power regulator or setter, with control means for the at least one power regulator or setter and with functionally separated switching means for operating the at least one power regulator or setter by means of the control means. Preferably such a device is used in electric heating appliances, particularly for the home.
Devices are known in which there are two switching means for switching on or off a heater. One of the two switches serves as a so-called release switch, following the operation of which and within a given time interval the second switch must be operated. As a result of the operation of the second switch, the heater is switched on. By again operating the first switch, the heater can be switched off again. A similar procedure is proposed for switching on several heating areas of a heater. One switch is a release switch, whilst with a second switch it is possible to successively and continuously switch on the different heating areas.
PROBLEM AND SOLUTION
The problem of the invention is to provide a device permitting a rapid and simple switching of various heating areas in accordance with the wishes of a user, which is universally usable, reliable and simple to manufacture.
This problem is solved by claim
1
. If the control means during the operation of a first switching means set a heating area associated therewith by means of at least one power setter and on operating a further switching means can set a heating area associated therewith by means of at least one power setter, it is possible to directly set the heating areas without a need for multiple operation. Preferably, precisely one heating area is associated via the control means with each switching means. A setting preferably takes place by power setters, particularly in each case one associated power setter. In this way it is possible with only a single operation of a switching means to directly set a desired heating area, which reduces both effort and possible incorrect operations. Preferably, the control means sets the heating area on the first operation of a switching means for said heating area.
According to a further development of the invention, in the case of a further or second operation of the same switching means, the control means switch off part of the heating areas, preferably all the switched on heating areas. Preferably, between the two operations, there is no intermediate change to the electric power supply to the heating areas and/or operation of one of the switching means. If another heating area was set, now the new heating area corresponding to the operated switching means is set.
The switching means and/or heating areas are preferably hierarchically subdivided and in particular it is advantageous to have a subdivision from low to high. Alternatively other subdivisions are possible, although the aforementioned is preferred.
In one operating procedure, on operating a switching means of a heating area in a higher step or level than the instantaneously set step or level, the control means can rise to said step or level. Levels below it can be switched off, but preferably the control means also set the levels below it. This means that through an operation of a specific switching means, its heating area and all the heating areas below it can be set or switched on.
On operating a switching means of a heating area of a lower level than the instantaneously set level, the control means can reset to this lower level. It is also considered advantageous to switch off levels above it but, in accordance with what was stated hereinbefore, can also remain set.
In a preferred application of the invention, particularly in the case of domestic electric heating appliances such as electric cookers, the heating areas can be spatially or areally extensive heating zones. In particular, as additional heating zones they are associated with a basic heating zone of the heater and are preferably adjacent to the basic heating zone. The basic heating zone can be substantially surrounded by the additional heating zones, either by each additional heating zone or several or even all of the latter.
A possible hierarchic arrangement of the heating areas in different levels can correspond to the spatial association of the additional heating zones with respect to the basic heating zone. In one possibility the additional heating zones rise in steps as a function of their size and preferably an increasing distance from the basic heating zone is used as a basis for the rise.
In a performance possibility of the invention the heater can have a basic heating zone arranged in a circular hotplate of an electric cooker, the additional heating zones forming an enlargement of the heatable surface, preferably being adjacent on one side as an extension and/or substantially surrounding the basic heating zone. This is e.g. possible with an electric cooker having four hotplates, including a concentrically larger, heatable circular area for particularly large cooking vessels and laterally facing additional heating zones for baking devices or the like.
A link between the heating of the heater and the heating areas can be that a power supplied to at least one of the additional heating zones is adapted to a power supply to the basic heating zone. Thus, it is possible in the above case, with a basic heating zone set to a given cooking power, the additional heating zones can be supplied with the latter on setting.
As an alternative to additional heating zones, the heating areas can be different power levels of the heater. The power levels are in particular arranged in rising manner, preferably from 0 to maximum. An embodiment of this inventive aspect would e.g. be a heater with a stepwise adjustable power and a plurality of switching means, to each of which corresponds a power stage or level. A setting of the desired power level takes place by operating the particular switching means and not with a rotary toggle, as e.g. occurs in known electric cookers.
With each switching means can be associated indicating or display means, preferably in spatial proximity to the switching means. The control means can activate the display means of the in each case set heating area and preferably only the display means of said heating area. The display means of further, optionally set heating areas of said heater are preferably not set. The display means are preferably constituted by an optical display or indicator, e.g. an illuminated display, preferably with bulbs or in particularly preferred manner with light emitting diodes.
As switching means are suitable touch switches, preferably having a capacitive basis. They are preferably installed under a cover, e.g. a glass ceramic hotplate. Particular preference is given to contact switches with a spatially extensive, inherently flexible sensor body, which is shape-variable. Touch switches of this type are e.g. described in German patent application 197 06 168.0.
The power setters can be constituted by mechanical switches, preferably electromechanical switches, power relays being e.g. suitable.
The control means can have a microprocessor, which is preferably connected to a memory for operating states and/or parameters or contains the same. In this case the switching means supply a signal initiating a switching process. The microprocessor can take over further functions. It is also possible to associate with the switching means further functions, e.g. for a change in the configuration of the entire device or an electric heating appliance.
These and further features can be gathered from the claims, description and drawings and the individual features, either singly or in the form of subcombinations, can be implemented in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous, protectable constructions for which protection is hereby claimed. The subdivision of the application into individu
Staeble Reiner
Supper Bernd
Akerman & Senterfitt
E.G.O. Elektro-Geratebau GmbH
Paschall Mark
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