Plasma stove

A plasma stove includes a carrier, an electric fire assembly, an electric control device, and an electrical connecting assembly. The carrier includes a housing and a support platform on a top surface of the housing. The electric fire assembly includes a plasma needle, an electrode tip connected to the plasma needle, and an ignition head. The plasma needle and the ignition head are arranged on the housing and in the support platform. The electric control device includes a circuit board and a step-up transformer electrically connected to the circuit board, and the circuit board and the step-up transformer are arranged in the housing. The plasma needle and the ignition head are electrically connected to the circuit board directly or indirectly through the electrical connecting assembly.

FIELD

The subject matter herein generally relates to a plasma stove that is easy to miniaturize.

BACKGROUND

A plasma stove represents an innovative cooking technology that harnesses the properties of plasma. By applying high voltage electricity to ionize the air, it generates hot plasma, effectively transforming electrical energy into thermal energy. This process results in the emission of a plasma beam with optimal wavelengths and functional characteristics. The plasma beam, akin to traditional flames, is directed to heat cookware, enabling efficient and even cooking.

Current plasma stoves necessitate further enhancements to improve user-friendliness, compactness, electrical safety, and manufacturability. These improvements are critical for advancing the technology and ensuring that plasma stoves meet the evolving needs of consumers and manufacturers alike.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a plasma stove to solve at least one of the above problems

The present disclosure presents a plasma stove, which includes a carrier, an electric fire assembly, an electric control device, and an electrical connecting assembly. The carrier includes a housing and a support platform on a top surface of the housing, providing a stable base for the components. The electric fire assembly includes a plasma needle, an electrode tip connected to the plasma needle, and an ignition head. Both the plasma needle and the ignition head are strategically positioned on the top surface of the housing and are securely housed within the support platform. The electric control device includes a circuit board and a step-up transformer that is electrically connected to the board. The circuit board and the step-up transformer are arranged in the housing. The plasma needle and the ignition head are connected to the circuit board either directly or via the electrical connecting assembly, ensuring efficient energy transfer and operation.

In this innovative plasma stove design, the electrode tip ionizes the air with a high-voltage discharge, creating a plasma flame. This flame effectively heats pots placed above the electrode tip. The process simplifies both the operation for users and the manufacturing process, making the plasma stove user-friendly and cost-effective to produce. This design not only enhances the functionality and safety of the plasma stove but also streamlines the manufacturing process, addressing the need for ease of use and miniaturization.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a plasma stove 100. Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the plasma stove 100 includes a carrier 1, an electric fire assembly 2, an electric control device 3, and an electrical connecting assembly 4.

The carrier 1 includes a support platform 11 and a housing 12. The support platform 11 is arranged on a top surface of the housing 12. The support platform 11 may be in a shape of a square platform as a whole, and may be fixed to the top surface of the housing 12 by fasteners such as screws.

The electric fire assembly 2 includes a plasma needle 211, an electrode tip 21 connected to the plasma needle 211, and an ignition head 22. The plasma needle 211 and the ignition head 22 are arranged on the top surface of the housing 12 and received in the support platform 11. The plasma needle 211 is made of a hard material and has conductivity. It can be understood that for the embodiment described later in which the plasma needle 211 is integrally connected to a hard rod 41 or a connector 42, a boundary between the plasma needle 211 and the hard rod 41 or a boundary between the plasma needle 211 and the connector 42 is based on top surface of the housing 12. The connector 42 and the hard rod 41 are located on a side of the top surface of the housing 12 facing away from the support platform 11. The plasma needle 211 protrudes from the top surface of the housing 12 facing the support platform 11.

The electric control device 3 includes a circuit board 32 and a step-up transformer 31 electrically connected to the circuit board 32. The circuit board 32 and the step-up transformer 31 are arranged in the housing 12. The step-up transformer 31 and the circuit board 32 may be electrically connected directly through a conductive wire or indirectly through other electrical components and conductive wires. The step-up transformer 31 is used to convert an input low voltage into high voltage.

The plasma needle 211 and the ignition head 22 are electrically connected to the circuit board 32 directly or indirectly through the electrical connecting assembly 4. After the circuit board 32 and the step-up transformer 31 are powered by a power source (not shown, such as a DC power source connected to the mains electricity through conductive wires), the electrode tip 21 can break through the air with high voltage to generate plasma flame, and the pots (not shown) on the electrode tip 21 can be heated by the plasma flame. Usually, an input device 39 electrically connected to the circuit board 32 may be arranged on the housing 12, the input device 39 may be a knob, a button, or a touch screen, which is used to input signals to the circuit board 32 to control the working state of the electric fire assembly 2.

In at least one embodiment, the electrical connecting assembly 4 may include a glue box 412, an electrical connection plate 411, and a hard rod 41 with conductivity. The hard rod 41 is integrally connected to the plasma needle 211. Usually, a metal rod is divided into the hard rod 41 and the plasma needle 211. One end of the hard rod 41 is plugged in and fixed to the electrical connection plate 411 to achieve electrical connection therewith, and the electrical connection plate 411 is electrically connected to the circuit board 32. The glue box 412 is fixed in the housing 12, and the electrical connection plate 411 is arranged in the glue box 412. Glue 417 is injected into the glue box 412 and the electrical connection plate 411 is immersed in the glue 417, and the strength and the insulation can be improved after the glue 417 is cured.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, a plurality of ears 416 may be arranged on the glue box 412, and the housing 12 may include a cover 18 and a box body 19. A plurality of connecting rods 196 is arranged in the box body 19, and a screw extends through one of the plurality of ears 416 and is threadedly connected with one of the plurality of connecting rods 196, so that the glue box 412 is fixed in the housing 12. In at least one embodiment, the plurality of ears 416 may be arranged in the box body 19, and the plurality of connecting rods 196 may be arranged on the glue box 412. During assembly, the cover 18 and the electric fire assembly 2 are assembled together first, then the electrical connection plate 411 is moved so that the end of the hard rod 41 is plugged in and temporarily fixed to the electrical connection plate 411 (relying on friction, etc.), then the glue box 412 is fastened to the electrical connection plate 411, and then the glue 417 is injected into the glue box 412 from a gap between the glue box 412 and the cover 18, and finally the cover 18 is fixedly connected to the box body 19. When assembling the electrical connection plate 411 and injecting the glue 417 into the glue box412, there will be no interference from the box body 19, so that the assembly of the plasma stove is more convenient.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a protrusion 413 adjacent to the end of the hard rod 41 may protrude from an outer wall of the hard rod 41 and is used to abut against a top surface of the electrical connection plate 411 facing the plasma needle 211.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5, a space 414 may be arranged between the glue box 412 and a bottom surface of the electrical connection plate 411 facing away from the plasma needle 211. For example, a support column 415 may protrude from the bottom surface of the electrical connection plate 411 or protrude from a surface of the glue box 412 facing the bottom surface of the electrical connection plate 411, and the screw 53 may extend through the electrical connection plate 411 and the support column 415 on the electrical connection plate 411 and may be threadedly connected to the glue box 412, or the screw may extend through the electrical connection plate 411 and may be threadedly connected to the support column 415 in the glue box 412. Due to the existence of the space 414, it can be ensured that the bottom surface of the electrical connection plate 411 is also in contact with the glue 417, which can improve the strength and insulation.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, a metal mesh 111 may be provided at a top of the support platform 11 facing away from the housing 12. A middle area of the metal mesh 111 may be recessed toward the housing 12, which is conducive to fitting with a bottom of the round bottom pot, thereby improving the versatility and heat transfer effect under the premise of stable plasma flame. For example, the metal mesh 111 may be formed by opening a plurality of holes on a metal sheet in the shape of a spherical segment (i.e., a part of a sphere cut off by a plane).

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, when viewed from above, a projection of the support platform 11 is completely located inside the housing 12 to achieve miniaturization. For example, the support platform 11 may be in the shape of a square platform as a whole, and the housing may be in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5, the circuit board 32 may be located on one side of the electrical connection plate 411, and the step-up transformer 31 may be located on the other side of the electrical connection plate 411 facing away the one side of the electrical connection plate 411, which is conducive to miniaturization. Usually, the plasma stove may be used in a fixed manner, and the step-up transformer 31 may be arranged on a rear side of the glue box 412, so that the radiation of the step-up transformer 31 can also be blocked by at least one of the glue box 412 and the glue 417 inside the glue box 412.

FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of a plasma stove 100a, and the plasma stove 100a is different from plasma stove 100 of the first embodiment in terms of the electrical connecting assembly 4. Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, in the second embodiment, the electrical connecting assembly 4 includes a connector 42 and a flexible conductor 43. The connector 42 is conductive and integrally connected to the plasma needle 211.

Referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11, the flexible conductor 43 includes a first connecting end 431 and a second connecting end 432.

The first connecting end 431 is detachably electrically connected to the connector 42, and the second connecting end 432 is detachably electrically connected to the circuit board 32. In at least one embodiment, the flexible conductor 43 may be a copper wire wrapped with an insulating layer. It can be understood that, compared with the first embodiment, a length of the connector 42 is shorter than a length of the hard rod 41, and there is no need to provide the glue box 412, which allows a thickness of the housing to be reduced, thereby facilitating the thinning of the housing 12. The strength and the insulation of the plasma stove of the second embodiment will be reduced, so that the total power of the plasma stove of the second embodiment is relatively small when used.

The plasma stove 100a may further include a nut 429 threadedly connected to the connector 42, and the first connecting end 431 may be a gasket. The connector 42 extends through the gasket, and the gasket is abutted and fixed by the nut 429, so that the first connecting end 431 is detachably electrically connected to the connector 42. It can be understood that the connector 42 is provided with threads, and the gasket has conductivity, which is conducive to conveniently assembling the flexible conductor 43 and the connector 42. In at least one embodiment, the first connecting end 431 may be connected to the connector 42 via a quick-plug terminal described later, or the first connecting end 431 and the connector 42 may be welded.

In at least one embodiment, the heights of the plasma needle 211 and the connector 42 are determined by the gasket sandwiched between the nut 429 and the housing 12. The gasket is clamped by the nut 429 and the housing 12.

In at least one embodiment, the gasket may be annular and is sleeved on the connector 42, which is helpful to prevent the first connecting end 431 from separating from the connector 42 and falling off.

In at least one embodiment, the circuit board 32 may include an electrical terminal 321, and the second connecting end 432 may be provided with a quick-plug terminal. The quick-plug terminal is plugged with the electrical terminal 321, so that the second connecting end 432 is detachably electrically connected to the circuit board 32. The quick-plug terminal is conducive to conveniently assembling the flexible conductor 43 and the circuit board 32.

In at least one embodiment, the electric fire assembly 2 may include a plurality of electrode tips 21 and a plurality of plasma needles 211, and the electrical connecting assembly 4 may include a plurality of connectors 42. Referring to FIG. 7, the housing 12 may further include a separator plate 121, any two adjacent connectors 42 are separated by the separator plate 121. The separator plate 121 has insulation properties, which can improve the safety of electricity use.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, a bottom end of the separator plate 121 away from the support platform 11 may be located on a side of each of the connectors 42 away from the support platform 11, so that the connectors 42 is completely separated by the separator plate 121 in the height direction, which can improve the safety of electricity use.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the electrode tips 21 may be distributed on multiple concentric rings, and the separator plate 121 may also include multiple circular ring-shaped parts distributed in concentric rings to separate the connectors 42 into multiple concentric rings. Referring to FIG. 2, the number of the electrode tips 21 may be 27, three electrode tips 21 and the ignition head 22 constitute an innermost concentric ring, twelve electrode tips 21 constitute a second outermost concentric ring, and the remaining twelve electrode tips 21 constitute an outermost concentric ring. Referring to FIG. 7, the separator plate 121 may further include multiple radial parts to separate multiple connectors 42 that constitute the same concentric ring. In at least one embodiment, a total power of the electric fire assembly 2 may be controlled by controlling the number of working electrode tips 21. For example, the electrode tips 21 constituting the innermost concentric ring correspond to low-fire heating when working, the electrode tips 21 constituting the innermost concentric ring and the second outermost concentric ring correspond to medium-fire heating when working, all electrode tips 21 correspond to high-fire heating when working. In at least one embodiment, the circuit board 32 may include a plurality of electrical terminals 321, and the plurality of electrical terminals 321 are divided into a first terminal group, a second terminal group, and a third terminal group respectively connected to the electrode tips 21 forming different concentric ring. Since the flexible conductor 43 is usually manually connected to the electrode tip 21 and the circuit board 32, the circular ring-shaped parts of the separator plate 121 facilitates identification of the corresponding relationship between the flexible conductor 43 and each electrode tip 21, so as to correctly connect the electrode tip 21 and the corresponding electrical terminal 321 through the flexible conductor 43.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, the support platform 11 is arranged on the cover 18, the cover 18 of the housing 12 is recessed toward the support platform 11 to form a groove 122 located in the support platform 11, and the separator plate 121 is arranged in the groove 122, which is conducive to thinning the housing 12 and ensuring the strength of the housing 12.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the plasma needle 211 may extend through an insulating sleeve 29, and the insulating sleeve 29 may be made of insulating materials such as ceramics, which is conducive to improving the safety of electricity use. The insulating sleeve 29 includes a first portion 291 and a second portion 293 protruding from a center of a side of the first portion 291 facing the support platform 11 along a first direction X, and the plasma needle 211 extends through the first portion 291 and the second portion 293 along the first direction X.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the connector 42 includes an end portion of the connector 42 connecting the plasma needle 211, and may further include a stopping flange 421 protruding from a peripheral wall of the end portion of the connector 42. The housing 12 includes a rotation-stopping recess 422, and the stopping flange 421 is inserted into the rotation-stopping recess 422 to prevent the connector 42 from rotating. For example, when viewed from above, the stopping flange 421 and the rotation-stopping recess 422 may be both regular hexagons, and the stopping flange 421 is embedded in the rotation-stopping recess 422. Referring to FIG. 7, when the nut 429 is rotated, the connector 42 will not rotate with the nut 429, which is convenient for assembly.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 9, the housing 12 may further include a detachable subplate 23, and the rotation-stopping recess 422 is defined by an inner side wall 422a and an inner bottom wall 422b of the subplate 23. A bottom surface of the stopping flange 421 away from the plasma needle 211 abuts against the inner bottom wall 422b of the subplate 23 to prevent the plasma needle 211 and the connector 42 from falling. The first portion 291 covers the inner side wall 422a and the inner bottom wall 422b of the subplate 23.

A third embodiment of a plasma stove is provided, and the plasma stove of the third embodiment is different from plasma stove 100a of the second embodiment in terms of the flexible conductor 43.

Referring to FIG. 11, the flexible conductor 43 of the third embodiment further include a capacitor 433, and the capacitor 433 is connected between the first connecting end 431 and the second connecting end 432. Compared with the second embodiment, the capacitor 433 does not need to be arranged on the circuit board 32, so the volume, processing difficulty and cost of the circuit board 32 can be reduced. The flexible conductor 43 with the capacitor 433 is also a standard part, and its cost is relatively low. In summary, the plasma stove of the third embodiment is conducive to miniaturization, especially to reducing the thickness of the housing 12 and costs.

In at least one embodiment, referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the plasma stove may further include an air driving device 9 arranged in the housing 12, and the housing 12 further includes ventilation holes 91. The air driving device 9 faces the electric fire assembly 2 and is used to dissipate the heat of the electric fire assembly 2. Referring to FIG. 5, the air driving device 9 is located between the step-up transformer 31 and the circuit board 32, and the air driven by the air driving device 9 passes under the connector 42 to dissipate the heat of the capacitor 433, step-up transformer 31 and the circuit board 32, which is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation efficiency. In at least one embodiment, the air driving device 9 may include at least one fan.