KR102248151B1 - Smart electric type heating and warming device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart electric heating warmer. The hot plate is mounted on the main body housing to seat the container on the upper surface. The heater is mounted on the main body housing to heat the hot plate by receiving electric energy and converting it into thermal energy. A temperature sensor is mounted on the body housing to detect the temperature of the heater. The container detection sensor is mounted on the main body housing to detect whether the container is seated on the hot plate. The Bluetooth communication module is mounted on the main body housing for Bluetooth communication with the user terminal. The power switch is mounted on the main body housing to control the supply of external power. The USB port is mounted on the main body housing. The control unit outputs USB power through the USB port while receiving external power according to the ON operation of the power switch. Controls the heater by interlocking with the management app.

Description

Smart electric type heating and warming device

The present invention relates to an electric heating warmer, and more particularly, to an appliance that heats and keeps food or beverage in a container using electricity as an energy source.

Conventional electric warmers are devices that heat or keep food or beverages in a container placed on a metal or ceramic hot plate with a heater by applying electricity to a heater as an energy source and converting it into thermal energy. However, in the conventional electric warmer, all components such as a device that regulates temperature or a control device that provides the function are embedded in the main body housing.

Therefore, when the electric warmer is not in use, the user must turn off the power of the electric warmer by directly operating the power switch. If the user does not turn off the electric warmer when not using the electric warmer, energy is continuously wasted, there is a safety problem due to heating, and the electric warmer is turned off after the user moves away from the electric warmer. There is a discomfort that should cause anxiety if you find out that you haven't done so. In addition, when the heating function of the conventional electric warmer is operated, the hot plate is heated irrespective of the container being placed on the electric warmer, and inadvertently contact with a person or object may cause physical injury or safety problems.

There is an induction technology in which the heating function does not work when the container is not placed on the electric warmer, but induction is a container in which the container strongly reacts to magnetic force due to the technology using the electromagnetic wave principle. Cast iron container), and it is not desirable to apply the induction technology to an electric warmer that is always used in close proximity because it emits electromagnetic waves and harms the user's safety. Therefore, in the case of an electric warmer that heats using a conductive technique, another technique that can control heating according to the presence or absence of a container is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide a smart electric heating warmer capable of reducing hardware prices and preventing safety issues and energy waste.

The smart electric heating warmer according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises a main body housing, a hot plate, a heater, a temperature sensor, a container sensor, a Bluetooth communication module, a power switch, a USB port, and a control unit. Includes. The hot plate is mounted on the main body housing to seat the container on the upper surface. The heater is mounted on the main body housing to heat the hot plate by receiving electric energy and converting it into thermal energy. A temperature sensor is mounted on the body housing to detect the temperature of the heater. The container detection sensor is mounted on the main body housing to detect whether the container is seated on the hot plate. The Bluetooth communication module is mounted on the main body housing for Bluetooth communication with the user terminal. The power switch is mounted on the main body housing to control the supply of external power. The USB port is mounted on the main body housing. The control unit outputs USB power through the USB port while receiving external power according to the ON operation of the power switch. Controls the heater by interlocking with the management app.

Here, the container detection sensor includes a weight sensor that detects whether the container is seated on the hot plate by measuring a change in the weight of the hot plate, and detects whether the container is seated on the hot plate by measuring whether or not the light transmitted to the hot plate is received. It may be any one of optical sensors.

In addition, the controller may control the heater according to the type of container input through the input menu of the management app displayed on the screen of the user terminal, the amount of contents in the container, a set temperature, and a heating time.

In addition, the smart electric heating warmer may include a humidifying container for humidifying by discharging the generated water vapor to the outside as it is seated on the upper surface of the hot plate and heated in a state in which water is stored in the internal space. The humidification container has an outer container part and an inner container part. Here, the outer container portion has an inner space, the upper side is opened, a steam outlet is formed around the opened upper side, and a protrusion is formed on the inner bottom. The inner container part has an inner space in which water is stored, the upper opening is opened and closed by a lid, and is accommodated in the inner space of the outer container part through the upper opening of the outer container part and closes the upper opening of the outer container part by the lid. A control valve is installed to control the amount of humidification, a drain hole is formed in the lower part, and a drain valve is installed in the drain hole to open the drain hole as it contacts the protrusion of the outer container while the drain hole is closed.

According to the present invention, since detailed control is possible through the management app of the user terminal, it is possible to reduce the hardware cost by minimizing the physical space for the control device in the main body housing.

In addition, according to the present invention, when a user has a user terminal in a Bluetooth pairing state with a smart electric heating warmer and leaves the seat for more than a set time, the heater power is cut off, so that safety and energy waste can be prevented.

In addition, according to the present invention, by detecting whether the container is seated on the hot plate and not operating the heater if the container is not seated on the hot plate, the hot plate is heated regardless of whether the container is seated, thereby preventing physical injury or safety problems. It can be fundamentally prevented from causing.

In addition, according to the present invention, by providing a humidification container, there is no inconvenience of occupying space by installing a separate humidifier in an indoor space such as an office or home, and when a beverage is consumed through a smart electric heating warmer, the beverage itself is healthy. It does not require additional humidification because it maintains and supplies moisture, but when you are not drinking beverages, it can play a role of protecting health by creating a humidifying environment through a humidifying container.

1 is a perspective view of a smart electric heating warmer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1.
3 is a perspective view of a smart electric heating warmer equipped with a container sensing sensor of another example.
4 is a control block diagram of the smart electric heating warmer shown in FIG. 1.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input menu of a management app displayed on a screen of a user terminal.
6 is a configuration diagram of an input menu of the management app shown in FIG. 5.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a humidifying container is provided.
8 is a view for explaining the operation of the humidification container shown in FIG.

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows. Here, the same reference numerals are used for the same configuration, and detailed descriptions of repetitive descriptions and known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention will be omitted. Embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely describe the present invention to those with average knowledge in the art. Accordingly, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clearer explanation.

1 is a perspective view of a smart electric heating warmer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. 3 is a perspective view of a smart electric heating warmer equipped with a container sensing sensor of another example. 4 is a control block diagram of the smart electric heating warmer shown in FIG. 1.

1 to 4, the smart electric heating warmer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body housing 110, a hot plate 120, a heater 130, a temperature sensor 140, and , A container detection sensor 150, a Bluetooth communication module 160, a power switch 170, a USB port 180, and a control unit 190.

The main body housing 110 includes a heating plate 120, a heater 130, a temperature sensor 140, a container sensor 150, a Bluetooth communication module 160, a power switch 170, and a USB port. (180), and the control unit 190 is mounted. The main body housing 110 is illustrated in a circular shape, but may have various shapes such as a square. The main body housing 110 may have an inner space and have an open upper side.

The hot plate 120 is mounted on the main body housing 110 to seat the container 10 on the upper surface. The hot plate 120 may be fixed to an upper opening of the main body housing 110 and exposed to the outside. The hot plate 120 may be made of a metal or ceramic material.

The hot plate 120 is heated by the heater 130 in a state in which the container 10 is seated on the upper surface, so that the contents of the container 10 such as food or beverage can be heated or kept warm. The hot plate 120 is illustrated as a circular plate, but may be formed of a plate having various shapes to fit the shape of the main body housing 110.

The heater 130 is mounted on the main body housing 110 to heat the hot plate 120 by receiving electric energy and converting it into thermal energy. As an example, the heater 130 may be formed of a film-type heater in which a powder resistance heating element is printed in the form of a film on the lower surface of the hot plate 120. Of course, the heater 130 may be formed of a coil type heater or a tube type heater. The heater 130 is driven and controlled by the control unit 190.

The temperature sensor 140 is mounted on the main body housing 110 to detect the temperature of the heater 130. The temperature sensor 140 provides temperature information of the heater 130 detected by being disposed around the heater 130 to the controller 190. The controller 190 may indirectly determine the temperature of the hot plate 120 based on information sensed from the temperature sensor 140. The temperature sensor 140 may be arranged to directly sense the temperature of the hot plate 120. The temperature sensor 140 may be formed of a thermocouple or the like.

The container detection sensor 150 is mounted on the main body housing 110 to detect whether the container 10 is seated on the hot plate 120. The container detection sensor 150 provides information about whether the container 10 is seated or not to the control unit 190. For example, the container detection sensor 150 may be formed of a weight sensor.

The weight sensor detects whether the container 10 is seated on the hot plate 120 by measuring the change in the weight of the hot plate 120. The weight sensor may be made of a load cell or the like to measure the weight applied to the upper surface of the hot plate 120. The weight sensor may be mounted under the hot plate 120 in an insulated state.

The control unit 190 compares the weight information measured from the weight sensor with the reference weight. If the measured weight is the same as the reference weight, the controller 190 determines that the container 10 is not seated on the hot plate 120, and if the measured weight is greater than the reference weight, the container 10 is seated on the hot plate 120 I judge that there is.

As another example, the container detection sensor 250 may be formed of an optical sensor. The optical sensor 250 detects whether the container 10 is seated on the hot plate 120 by measuring whether or not the light transmitted toward the hot plate 120 is received. The optical sensor may include a light emitting device 251 and a light receiving device 252.

The light-emitting element 251 is mounted on one outer periphery of the main body housing 110 to transmit light across the upper side of the hot plate 120, and the light-receiving element 252 is a main body housing to receive the light transmitted from the light-emitting element 251. It is mounted on the outside of the other side of (110). That is, the light-emitting portion of the light-emitting element 251 and the light-receiving portion of the light-receiving element 252 face each other with an upper portion of the hot plate 120 therebetween. The light emitting device 251 is driven and controlled by the control unit 190. The light receiving element 252 provides the received optical signal to the control unit 190.

If the container 10 is not seated on the hot plate 120, the light transmitted from the light emitting element 251 is received as it is to the light receiving element 252. When the container 10 is seated on the hot plate 120, the light transmitted from the light emitting device 251 is reflected by the container 10 and thus is not received by the light receiving device 252.

As another example, the light-emitting element 251 and the light-receiving element 252 are arranged adjacent to each other on one outer periphery of the main body housing 110, so that the light transmitted from the light-emitting element 251 is reflected from the container 10 and the light-receiving element ( It is possible to detect the presence or absence of the container 10 depending on whether or not it is received by 252).

Therefore, when the optical signal is received through the light receiving element 252, the controller 190 determines that the container 10 is not seated on the hot plate 120, and if the optical signal is not received through the light receiving element 252 It is determined that the container 10 is seated on the hot plate 120. Of course, the container detection sensor 150, 250 is not limited to the illustrated bar and may be variously configured in the category capable of performing the above-described function.

The Bluetooth communication module 160 is mounted on the main body housing 110 to communicate with the user terminal 20 via Bluetooth. Here, the user terminal 20 has a built-in Bluetooth communication unit. In addition, the user terminal 20 is made of a wireless communication terminal capable of installing the management app (21). The user terminal 20 may correspond to a smart phone or the like.

The Bluetooth communication module 160 is embedded in the main body housing 110 and is connected to the control unit 190. The Bluetooth communication module 160 may receive a user command through the management app 21 of the user terminal 20 and transmit it to the control unit 190 in a state of being paired with the Bluetooth communication unit of the user terminal 20. In addition, the Bluetooth communication module 160 may provide information on the presence or absence of pairing with the Bluetooth communication unit of the user terminal 20 to the control unit 190.

The power switch 170 is mounted on the main body housing 110 to control the supply of external power. The controller 190 may receive external power such as commercial power. The power switch 170 may allow supply of external power to the controller 190 in an ON state, and may cut off the supply of external power to the controller 190 in an OFF state. . The power switch 170 is disposed to be exposed to the outside of the main body housing 110 so that a user can operate it from the outside.

The main body housing 110 may include a power port 111 connected to the control unit 190 and exposed to the outside. The power port 111 may be connected to external power through a cable or the like to transmit external power to the control unit 190. The controller 190 may receive external power supplied through the power port 111 through a power supply device (not shown) in the main body housing 110.

The USB port 180 is mounted on the main body housing 110. The USB port 180 is disposed to be exposed to the outside of the main body housing 110. The USB port 180 outputs USB power by the controller 190 while the power switch 170 is turned on. There are many household appliances used in offices or homes, and the USB port 180 may serve as a power hub for charging a smart phone or for using a desk fan, a desk humidifier, and an air purifier together.

The controller 190 outputs USB power through the USB port 180 while receiving external power according to an ON operation of the power switch. The control unit 190 may include a microcomputer. The controller 190 controls the heater 130 based on information provided from the temperature sensor 140 and the container detection sensors 150 and 250 while receiving external power.

Specifically, the controller 190 drives and controls the heater 130 according to the set temperature based on the information provided from the temperature sensor 140, so that the contents of the container through the hot plate 120 can be heated or kept warm to the set temperature. have.

When it is determined that the container 10 is not seated on the hot plate 120 based on the information provided from the container detection sensors 150 and 250, the control unit 190 turns off the heater 130. Therefore, in a situation where the smart electric heating warmer 100 is mainly installed and used in an office desk or a dining table at home, the hot plate 120 is heated regardless of whether the container 10 is seated or not, due to unintended contact with the user, etc. This can fundamentally prevent bodily injury or safety problems.

In addition, the control unit 190 manages the user terminal 20 by the Bluetooth communication module 160 based on the information provided from the temperature sensor 140 and the container detection sensors 150 and 250 while receiving external power. It is interlocked with the app 21 to control the heater 130.

In a state in which the Bluetooth communication module 160 is paired with the Bluetooth communication unit of the user terminal 20, the user possesses the user terminal 20 and deviates from the place where the smart electric heating warmer 100 is installed for more than a set time to an area where communication is impossible. In this case, the Bluetooth communication module 160 provides the Bluetooth communication unit of the user terminal 20 and pairing disconnection information to the control unit 190. Then, when it is determined that the pairing has been disconnected for more than a set time, the controller 190 automatically cuts off the power supplied to the heater 130 that is being driven.

In this way, since the power of the heater 130 is automatically cut off, the heater 130 continues to operate even when the user does not use the smart electric heating warmer 100 to prevent wasting energy, and the heater 130 Overheating and safety hazards due to continuous operation can be avoided.

On the other hand, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the control unit 190 is the type of container input through the input menu of the management app 21 displayed on the screen of the user terminal 20, the amount of contents in the container, and set temperature. , And the heater 130 may be controlled according to the heating time. The management app 21 subdivides the type (material or shape) of the container to be used, the amount of contents in the container, the set temperature, and the heating time according to the user's taste, so that the smart electric heating warmer ( 100) can be more user-friendly.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the management app 21 includes a low temperature/warm/high temperature selection menu, a mug/tea/glass kettle selection menu, a menu for increasing or decreasing the amount of water, and increasing or decreasing the heating time and setting/ A menu to be canceled may be displayed on the screen of the user terminal 20.

As shown in FIG. 6, the management app 21 can be programmed to operate the heater 130 at 18W to maintain a set low temperature temperature when selecting a low temperature, and operate the heater 130 at 48W to boil when selecting a high temperature. have.

The management app 21 operates the heater 130 at 24W in the case of a mug when warming is selected to maintain the set insulation temperature, and in the case of teaware, the heater 130 operates at 36W to maintain the set insulation temperature. In this case, it may be programmed to operate the heater 130 at 42W to maintain the set thermal insulation temperature. The management app 21 may be programmed to stop the heater 130 after driving the heater 130 for a set time according to the heating time setting, and to stop the heater 130 according to the release of the heating time. The management app 21 may be programmed to control the heater 130 to boil water within a set time according to the amount of water.

As described above, according to the smart electric heating warmer 100 of this embodiment, detailed control is possible through the management app 21 of the user terminal 20, thus minimizing the physical space for the control device in the main body housing 110 This makes it possible to reduce the hardware price.

And, according to the smart electric heating warmer 100 of this embodiment, when the user holds the user terminal 20 in a Bluetooth pairing state with the smart electric heating warmer 100 and leaves the seat for more than a set time, the heater 130 is powered. By blocking the system, it is possible to keep the safety and prevent the waste of energy.

In addition, according to the smart electric heating warmer 100 of this embodiment, when the container 10 is not seated on the hot plate 120 by detecting the presence or absence of the container 10 on the hot plate 120, the heater 130 is By not operating, irrespective of whether the container 10 is seated or not, the hot plate 120 is heated to prevent physical injury or safety problems.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the smart electric heating warmer 100 may include a humidifying container 116. The humidification container 116 is mounted on the upper surface of the hot plate 120 in a state in which water is stored in the internal space, thereby discharging the generated water vapor to the outside and humidifying it. That is, when the smart electric heating warmer 100 is not used for warming or heating beverages, when the user places the humidification container 116 in which water is stored on the upper surface of the hot plate 120, the water in the humidification container 116 It evaporates and performs the function of humidification.

In this way, the smart electric heating warmer 100 is provided with a humidifying container 116, so that there is no inconvenience of occupying space by installing a separate humidifier in an indoor space such as an office or home, and the smart electric heating warmer 100 is provided. In the case of ingestion of beverages, separate humidification is not necessary because the beverage itself maintains health and supplies moisture, but when not drinking beverages, it plays a role in protecting health by creating a humidifying environment through the humidification container 116. can do.

For example, the humidification container 116 includes an outer container part 117 and an inner container part 118. The outer container part 117 has an inner space and has an open upper side. The outer container part 117 may be made of a metal material having heat resistance and fast heat transfer. The outer container part 117 may be formed in a flat shape such that the outer surface of the bottom has good contact with the hot plate 120.

The outer container part 117 has a steam outlet 117a formed around the opened upper side. The water vapor discharge port 117a allows the water vapor generated in the spaced space between the outer container part 117 and the inner container part 118 to be discharged to the outside. The outer container part 117 has a protrusion 117b formed on the inner bottom. The protrusion 117b allows the drain valve 118d to open when the inner container part 118 is accommodated in the outer container part 117 as it comes into contact with the drain valve 118d of the inner container part 118. .

The inner container portion 118 has an inner space in which water is stored, and an upper opening is opened and closed by a lid 118a. The inner container part 118 allows the user to contain or discard water in the inner space as the user opens and closes the lid 118a. The inner container part 118 is accommodated in the inner space of the outer container part 117 through the upper opening of the outer container part 117 and closes the upper opening of the outer container part 117 by a lid 118a. The inner container part 118 is sized to have a space between the outer container part 117 and the outer container part 117 in a state accommodated in the outer container part 117.

The inner container part 118 is equipped with a humidification amount control valve 118b on the lid 118a to control the amount of humidification. The amount of humidification control valve 118b adjusts the rate at which the water contained in the inner container 118 is discharged through the drain 118c as the opening degree is adjusted by the user's operation, so that the degree of humidification through the steam discharge port 117a Can be adjusted.

The inner container part 118 is formed with a drain hole 118c in the lower portion. The drain port 118c is opened and closed according to the opening and closing operation of the drain valve 118d, thereby allowing or blocking water discharge from the inner container part 118.

In a state in which the drain valve 118d is mounted on the drain port 118c to close the drain port 118c, the inner container part 118 opens the drain port 118c as it comes into contact with the protrusion 117b of the outer container part 117 Let it. While the user separates the inner container part 118 from the outer container part 117 and puts water in the inner container part 118 and moves it to the outer container part 117, the drain valve 118d closes the drain port 118c. Keep it in one state.

When the inner container part 118 is completely accommodated in the outer container part 117, the drain valve 118d contacts the protrusion 117b of the outer container part 117 to open the drain port 118c, thereby opening the inner container part ( 118) It is possible to supply the water in the space separated from the outer container part 117.

In this state, when the water in the outer container part 117 and the water in the inner container part 118 are heated by the hot plate 120, water vapor is generated in the outer container part 117 and in the inner container part 118 It may be discharged through the steam outlet (117a).

For example, the drain valve 118d may include a valve body that opens and closes the drain hole 118c, and a spring that applies an elastic force to the valve body in a direction in which the valve body closes. The drain valve 118d maintains the drain port 118c closed by a spring in a state in which the valve body is separated from the protrusion 117b of the outer container portion 117 and is not subjected to external force. The drain valve 118d operates to open the drain port 118c when the valve body is in contact with the protrusion 117b of the outer container portion 117 and receives an external force.

The present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, but this is only illustrative, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible therefrom. I will be able to. Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be determined only by the appended claims.

110..main body housing 116..humidifying container
117..outer container part 118..inner container part
120..heater 130..heater
140..Temperature sensor 150, 250..Container sensor
160..Bluetooth communication module 170..power switch
180..USB port 190..control

Claims (5)

Body housing;
A hot plate mounted on the main body housing to seat the container on the upper surface;
A heater mounted on the main body housing to heat the hot plate by receiving electric energy and converting it into thermal energy;
A temperature sensor mounted on the main body housing to sense the temperature of the heater;
A container detection sensor mounted on the main body housing to detect whether the container is seated on the hot plate;
A Bluetooth communication module mounted on the main body housing to communicate with a user terminal in Bluetooth;
A power switch mounted on the main body housing to control supply of external power;
A USB port mounted on the main body housing; And
In a state in which external power is supplied according to the ON operation of the power switch, USB power is output through the USB port, and the user by the Bluetooth communication module based on information provided from the temperature sensor and the container sensor. Includes; a control unit that controls the heater by interlocking with the management app of the terminal,
The Bluetooth communication module provides the Bluetooth communication unit and pairing disconnection information of the user terminal to the control unit when the user possesses the user terminal and deviates to a communication-disabled area for more than a set time in a state of being paired with the Bluetooth communication unit of the user terminal;
The controller automatically cuts off power supplied to the heater in operation when it is determined that the pairing has been disconnected for more than a set time based on information on whether the Bluetooth communication module and the Bluetooth communication unit of the user terminal are paired or not;
The control unit, based on the information provided from the container detection sensor, when it is determined that the container is not seated on the hot plate, the smart electric heating warmer, characterized in that to operate the heater off (OFF). The method of claim 1,
The container detection sensor,
Among a weight sensor that detects whether the container is seated on the hot plate by measuring the change in weight of the hot plate, and an optical sensor that detects whether the container is seated on the hot plate by measuring whether or not the light transmitted to the hot plate is received. Smart electric heating warmer, characterized in that any one. The method of claim 1,
The controller is a smart electric heating warmer, characterized in that to control the heater according to the type of container input through the input menu of the management app displayed on the screen of the user terminal, the amount of contents in the container, a set temperature, and heating time. The method of claim 1,
Smart electric heating warmer, characterized in that it comprises a humidifying container for humidifying by discharging the water vapor generated by being mounted on the upper surface of the hot plate and heated while storing water in the internal space. The method of claim 4,
The humidification container,
An outer container portion having an inner space, the upper side is opened, the water vapor discharge port is formed around the opened upper side, and the protrusion is formed on the inner bottom; And
It has an inner space in which water is stored, and the upper opening is opened and closed by a lid, and is accommodated in the inner space of the outer container part through the upper opening of the outer container part to close the upper opening of the outer container part by the lid, and the lid An inner container that opens the drain port by contacting the protrusion of the outer container part in a state in which a humidification amount control valve is mounted on and controls the amount of humidification, a drain hole is formed in the lower part, and a drain valve is mounted on the drain port to close the drain hole. part;
Smart electric heating warmer, characterized in that it comprises a.

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