Patent attributes
A heater unit is provided, the heater unit equipped with an induction heating coil and an electric heater selectively operated based on kind and state of a load of a cooking vessel placed on the heater unit. The kind is determined by an input current inputted when a load-type determination unit causes the induction heating coil to be operated and a resonance current flowing into the induction heating coil. The state is determined by a temperature change of the heater unit when a load-state determination unit allows the electric heater to generate heat, and the induction heating coil and the electric heater are selectively operated based on the determined kind and state of the load. Accordingly, a user needs not to scrupulously determine the kind of the cooking vessel and the electric cooker is not operated under a no-load state to prevent occurrence of safety accidents.
