# US 2003/0164370 A1 · Induction heater for cooking > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2003/0164370 A1 - Document ID: US20030164370A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/148,609 - Filed: 2003-03-04 - Published: 2003-09-04 - Earliest claimed: 1999-12-02 - Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Katsuyuki Aihara; Hirofumi Nakakura; Kazuichi Okada; Kouichi Hosoi; Shigezou Oonishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20030164370A1 ## CPC - H05B 6/1218: {with arrangements using lights for heating zone state indication} - H05B 6/1263: {using coil cooling arrangements} - H05B 2206/022: Special supports for the induction coils - Y02B 40/00: Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract An induction-heating cooking device includes a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the light emission means to be propagated therethrough. The light beam lights up an outer peripheral portion of the light conducting means. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the light emission means to be propagated therethrough, wherein the light beam lights up an outer peripheral portion of the light conducting means. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the light emission means and the light conducting means are provided oppositely to each other with respect to the heating coil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 1, wherein: the light conducting means is disc-shaped, the light conducting means has an opening at a center thereof, and the light emission means is provided in the opening. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 1, wherein: the light conducting means has a thickness which decreases from an inner portion to an outer portion, the light conducting means has a top surface and a bottom surface, and the induction-heating cooking device further includes reflection means provided on at least the top surface and the bottom surface for reflecting the light beam. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the light conducting means has an illumination surface formed at an outer peripheral end of the light conducting means for reflecting the light beam toward the cooking board. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 5, further comprising reflection means provided parallel to the illumination surface for reflecting the light beam toward the cooking board. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 5, wherein: the light conducting means further has a wall formed on the side of the cooking board with respect to the illumination surface for guiding the light beam toward the cooking board, the wall has a top surface facing the cooking board, and the top surface has display means provided thereon for randomly reflecting or diffusing the light beam. ### Claim 8 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the light emission means to be propagated therethrough, wherein the light conducting means is formed on a border section on which the light beam emitted by the light emission means is incident, and has a concave surface facing the light emission means. ### Claim 9 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; a coil base for fixing the heating coil; light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the light emission means to be propagated therethrough, wherein the light conducting means is fixed on the coil base. ### Claim 10 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the light emission means to be propagated therethrough, wherein the heating coil is fixed on the light conducting means. ### Claim 11 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the light emission means to be propagated therethrough, wherein the light emission means is fixed on the light conducting means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 11, further comprising a coil base for fixing the heating coil. ### Claim 13 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; output control means for controlling an output of the heating coil; ventilation means for generating a cooling air for cooling the output control means; light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the light emission means to be propagated therethrough, wherein the cooling air cools the light emission means and the light conducting means. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 13, wherein the cooling air cools the light emission means and the light conducting means after cooling the output control means. ### Claim 15 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; a heating coil for heating the cooking container; a plurality of light emission means for emitting a light beam; and light-transmissive light conducting means for allowing the light beam emitted by the plurality of light emission means to be propagated therethrough, wherein the light conducting means includes light conducting blocks corresponding to the plurality of light emission means. ### Claim 16 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board on which a cooking container to be heated is to be placed; at least one heating section provided on the cooking board for heating the cooking container by induction heating; a heating coil provided oppositely to the cooking container with respect to the cooking board, the heating coil being provided in correspondence with the heating section; display means for displaying a use state of the heating section; and control means for controlling the display means, wherein the control means displays the use state in the vicinity of the heating section by the display means when power is turned on. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 16, wherein the control means changes a form of a display in the vicinity of the heating section when the cooking container is placed and heated by the heating coil. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 16, wherein when an output is not set for a prescribed time period after the power is turned on, the control means turns the power off. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 16, wherein: the induction-heating cooking device includes a plurality of heating sections, and when an output is not set for at least one of the heating sections for a prescribed time period after the power is turned on, the control means deletes a display corresponding to the heating section for which the output is not set. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 16, wherein: the induction-heating cooking device includes a plurality of heating sections, and when the power is turned on, a use state of at least one of the heating sections is displayed in the vicinity of the at least one of the heating sections. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 17, wherein the control means changes the form of the display in the vicinity of the heating section from blinking to lighting-up. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 17, wherein the control means changes a color of the display in the vicinity of the heating section. ### Claim 23 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a plurality of heating sections provided on a cooking board for heating a cooking container placed thereon by induction heating; a plurality of heating coils having different outputs provided oppositely to the cooking container with respect to the cooking board, the plurality of heating coils being provided in correspondence with the plurality of heating sections; and light emission means for emitting a light beam, wherein the light emission means displays graphic patterns on the cooking board for allowing a difference in the outputs of the heating coils to be visually recognized. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the outputs include a rated output. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the outputs include a set output. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the difference in the outputs is represented by a difference in size of the graphic patterns. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the difference in the outputs is represented by a difference in width of the graphic patterns. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the difference in the outputs is represented by a difference in number of the graphic patterns. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 28, wherein when the difference in the outputs is represented by a difference in number of similar graphic patterns, one of the heating section is represented by a single graphic pattern and the other heating section is represented by at least two similar graphic patterns. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the difference in the outputs is represented by at least one of a difference in color of the graphic patterns or a difference in color darkness of the graphic patterns. ### Claim 31 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the difference in the outputs is represented by at least one of a dot, a straight line, or a polygon. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein: there are two heating coils, and the light emission means displays a graphic pattern for at least one of the heating coils on the cooking board so as to allow a difference in the outputs of the heating coils to be visually recognized. ### Claim 33 (depends on 23) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 23, wherein the light emission means emits light during cooking, and blinks the light after the cooking is finished until a temperature of the cooking board decreases to a safe level. ### Claim 34 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board provided on a top surface of a main body case; a heating section provided on the cooking board for heating a cooking container placed thereon by induction heating; a heating coil provided oppositely to the cooking container with respect to the cooking board, the heating coil being provided in correspondence with the heating section; a light conducting body provided at a position corresponding to an outer peripheral portion of the heating coil; and a light source for emitting a light beam toward the light conducting body, wherein the light conducting body receives the light beam emitted by the light source and outputs the light beam from a position corresponding to at least a part of the outer peripheral portion of the heating coil toward the cooking board. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 34, wherein: the light conducting body has a top surface formed so as to face the cooking board and a bottom surface formed oppositely to the cooking board with respect to the top surface, and the bottom surface has an inclination formed such that a distance between the top surface and the bottom surface decreases in a direction away from the light source. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 35, wherein the light conducting body has a random reflective layer formed on the bottom surface for randomly reflecting the light beam. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 35, wherein the light conducting body has a mirror surface reflective layer formed on the bottom surface for subjecting the light beam with mirror surface reflection. ### Claim 38 (depends on 35) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 35, wherein the light conducting body has a sawtooth-shaped prism formed on the bottom surface. ### Claim 39 (depends on 35) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 35, further comprising a layer formed on a surface other than the top surface for guiding the light beam, the light having a smaller refractive index than that of the light conductive body. ### Claim 40 (depends on 35) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 35, wherein the bottom surface is formed so as to partially change the reflectance of the light beam. ### Claim 41 (depends on 34) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 34, wherein the light conducting body is donut-shaped. ### Claim 42 An induction-heating cooking device, comprising: a light-transmissive cooking board provided on a top surface of a main body case; a heating section provided on the cooking board for heating a cooking container placed thereon by induction heating; a heating coil provided oppositely to the cooking container with respect to the cooking board, the heating coil being provided in correspondence with the heating section; a plurality of first light sources and a plurality of second light sources for emitting light beams; and a light conducting body for guiding the light beams emitted by the plurality of first light sources and the plurality of second light sources and outputting the light beam at a position corresponding to an outer peripheral portion of the heating coil, wherein the plurality of first light sources and the plurality of second light sources are connected parallel to each other. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, wherein the plurality of first light sources and the plurality of second light sources are connected in the form of blocks. ### Claim 44 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, wherein the plurality of first light sources and the plurality of second light sources are connected alternately. ### Claim 45 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, wherein: the light conducting body is annular, and the plurality of first light sources and the plurality of second light sources are arranged in an annular form at a center of the light conducting body. ### Claim 46 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, wherein: the light conducting body includes a plurality of light conductive body pieces, and a plurality of blocks, each including the light conducting body piece and at least two light sources, are combined. ### Claim 47 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, wherein: the light conducting body includes a wall extending vertically toward the cooking board from an outer peripheral end thereof, and the light beams are directed from the top surface of the wall toward the cooking board. ### Claim 48 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, wherein the plurality of first light sources and the plurality of second light sources alternately blink. ### Claim 49 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, further comprising a plurality of third light sources for emitting light beams, wherein the plurality of first light sources, the plurality of second light sources, and the plurality of third light sources sequentially blink. ### Claim 50 (depends on 42) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 42, further comprising lead sections for connecting the plurality of first light sources, wherein the lead sections are provided radially around a center of the light conducting body. ### Claim 51 (depends on 50) An induction-heating cooking device according to claim 50, wherein each of the lead sections is twisted.